Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Water Loss Patterns with Microlysimeters1

It is difficult to measure the distribution of evapotranspiration(ET) in the field because of mixed soil types, moisture regime, and vegetation. Portable, cylindrical, grass-growing lysimeters were constructed and used to obtain distribution patterns of evapotranspiration. The objective of the study was to develop a practical method of evaluating ET in the field. The microlysimeters were laboratory and field checked and the final study was carried out on a 58-ha watershed. Laboratory check showed that at high soil water contents periodic removal of lysimeters for weighing did not destroy the continuity of flow. The field check demonstrated feasibility of field use and showed no significant diferences in ET between different segments of a small study area. The watershed study in addition to microlysimeter observations, included gamma-probe measurements and ET predictions with an ET model. Except for a very stony and a wooded site ET estimates obtained by the three methods appeared satisfactory.
Upper Egyptians’ Use of Vehicles’ Decals: Identification, Classification and Analysis of a Sample

Vehicles’ decals reflect peoples’ different attitudes socially and linguistically. New linguistic patterns can be observed over time. Language is in flux and its use accomplishes a variety of social acts. This study investigates Upper Egyptians’ use of vehicles’ decals in Qena. They are taken as priori to communicate. Data were collected from a sample of selected itemsquestionnaire -with the purpose of investigating upper Egyptians uses and attitudes towards vehicles’ decals language (speech acts, aesthetic, mocking, religious, political, etc.) and the color of vehicles’ decals. Decals’ speech acts selections reflect the culture of users, for each individual requires a linguistic code in order to communicate his/her unique experiences. Studies with the aim of investigating peoples’ discourse reflected by their vehicles’ decals are rare. Therefore, this study investigates the ways Upper Egyptians use of vehicles’ decals as posted on drivers’ cars in Qena.
Landscape resource mapping for wildlife research using very high resolution satellite imagery

Quantifying wildlife‐habitat relationships through resource selection analysis (RSA) has traditionally relied on landscape variables extracted at medium‐to‐coarse scales and general‐purpose digital maps. However, RSA at fine scales, facilitated by accurate positional data obtained using GPS‐tags, requires improved measures of habitat resources. The combination of cutting‐edge remote sensing technology, such as very high spatial resolution (VHSR) satellite imagery and object‐based image analysis (OBIA), can provide landscape maps that are suitable for the extraction of detailed variables at fine scale. We used Quickbird satellite imagery and OBIA to produce a map using the multispectral bands (MULT), and explored the usefulness of the technique for resource identification by combining the panchromatic (highest spatial resolution) and multispectral (spectral information) bands (PAN:MULT) to produce a second map. Each of the mapping methods was used in a heterogeneous braided‐river environment in New Zealand to: (1) classify and delimit ground features using an object‐based accuracy assessment approach; (2) detect ground features of different sizes; (3) extract independent landscape variables at fine scale (within buffers between 20 and 30 m) for separate RSA for introduced hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) and feral cats (Felis catus). Per‐pixel accuracy assessment produced overall accuracies of 82% (PAN:MULT) and 79% (MULT). The per‐object assessment using shrubs as the testing class yielded further information on classification and delimitation of object accuracy, with accuracies of 80% for shrub patches ≥30 m2 in MULT and ≥5 m2 in PAN:MULT. The inclusion of the panchromatic band noticeably improved the identification and delimitation of cover. However, RSA using each of the maps did not yield differences in the best models for cats or hedgehogs. VHSR imagery and OBIA provide a valuable method to identify smaller ground features and thus to produce more detailed landscape maps to study animal habitat use at fine scale. Improvements in ground feature detection achieved by including the panchromatic band may not justify its cost, as it was shown for the studies on cats and hedgehogs presented here. However, the level of detail offered by the panchromatic layer may be useful for addressing other RSA questions or applications at fine scale, such as remote censusing of colonial species.
Identificação através de PCR dos genes CryI de cepas de Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner eficientes contra a lagarta do cartucho, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), is the most important maize insect pest in Brazil and its damage can reduce yield up to 34%. The objective of this work was to utilize the PCR technique to Identify Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t) strains that control S. frugiperda in maize crops. Bioassays showed that 16 strains were very effective against S. frugiperda, 15 of them collected from soil samples and one (T09) obtained at the Institute Pasteur. The DNA of these strains were probed with cryI general primers and their proteins were analised by SDS-PAGE eletrophoresis. All strains present positive results for cryI genes. To further characterize these strains, specific cryI primers were employed. PCR technique showed that some strains harbour the same cryI genes. The only difference was the amplification of an unexpected fragment of approximately 160bp when a mixture of cryIB and cryID specific primers was used. Analysis by phase contrast microscope showed that crystal proteins produced by these strains were all bipyramidal crystals. Also, eltrophoretic analysis of proteins by SDS-PAGE showed the same protein banding pattern for most of the strains.
Dispositional and situational factors at work: A validation of scales and examination of effects on job satisfaction

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Core Self-Evaluations Scale (CSES) and the Brief Index of Affective Job Satisfaction (BIAJS) in terms of internal consistency and factor structure and to, subsequently, analyze the influence of a set of dispositional factors (namely, core self-evaluations, CSEs) and situational factors (namely, psychosocial factors) on job satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 209 academics from an Argentinian university completed online surveys at two stages, separated in time, to reduce the common method bias. Findings: The Spanish version of the CSES and the BIAJS showed acceptable psychometric properties, which were similar to those previously reported in North-American, European and Asian settings. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that both situational and dispositional factors are significant predictors of job satisfaction. Research limitations/implications: The CSES and the BIAJS seem to be valid and reliable instruments for assessing CSEs and job satisfaction, respectively, in Latin America. The adoption of an interactionist approach that includes both situational and dispositional factors is crucial in future research examining job satisfaction. Practical implications: Managers should carefully evaluate the personality traits of candidates during personnel selection, as well as the working conditions they offer to their employees, since both factors seem to affect job satisfaction. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the validation of two scales that may promote future organizational behavior/psychology research in Latin America. In addition, it provides empirical evidence on the relative influence of a set of situational and dispositional factors on job satisfaction, thus contributing to the resolution of the person-situation debate.
Platelet-derived growth factor-stimulated superoxide anion production modulates activation of transcription factor NF-kappaB and expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 in human aortic smooth muscle cells.

BACKGROUND Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and superoxide anion (O2.-) have been implicated in vascular diseases. We investigated whether PDGF stimulates the production of O2. - in human aortic smooth muscle cells (HSMCs) and whether O2. - leads in this way to the activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and induction of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) in PDGF-stimulated HSMCs. METHODS AND RESULTS PDGF-AB concentration- and time-dependently stimulated O2. - generation from HSMCs. The stimulatory effect of PDGF-AB was mimicked by PDGF-BB but not by PDGF-AA. The generation of O2. - by PDGF-AB was attenuated by the NAD(P)H oxidase inhibitor iodonium diphenyl, the specific protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor Ro 31-8220, and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin. Allopurinol and nifedipine had no effect on PDGF-AB-induced O2. - release, whereas indomethacin potentiated this response. Gel mobility shift assay revealed that PDGF-AB increased the binding activity of NF-kappaB, which contained predominantly the p50/p65 heterodimer in nuclear extracts from HSMCs. Superoxide dismutase as well as iodonium diphenyl, Ro 31-8220, and wortmannin attenuated PDGF-AB-induced activation of NF-kappaB and expression of MCP-1 mRNA. In contrast, superoxide dismutase did not inhibit the interleukin-1beta-induced NF-kappaB activation. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrate that PDGF stimulates O2. - generation in HSMCs via PKC-dependent and wortmannin-sensitive pathways involving flavoenzyme(s). This PDGF-induced O2. - production may be involved in vascular lesion formation by mediating, at least in part, NF-kappaB activation and MCP-1 induction.
Seasonal Dynamics of Picocyanobacteria and Picoeukaryotes in a Large Shallow Lake (Lake Balaton, Hungary)

The abundance and composition of autotrophic picoplankton (APP) were studied between February 2003 and March 2004 in Lake Balaton. Water samples were taken fortnightly in the eutrophic western basin and mesotrophic eastern basin. Our study, which took more than one year, revealed pronounced seasonal pattern of the picoplankton abundance and composition. According to our results there were three types of picoplankton in Lake Balaton: 1. Phycoerythrin-rich coccoid cyanobacteria (PE), dominant summer picoplankters in the mesotrophic lake area; 2. Phycocyanin-rich cyanobacteria (PC), the most abundant summer picoplankters in the eutrophic lake area; 3. Picoeukaryotes, dominant winter picoplankters in the whole lake. The observed abundance of picoeukaryotes (3 × 105 cells ml–1) was one of the highest ever found. Our study confirms that in Lake Balaton the colonial autotrophic picoplankton (colonial APP) become dominant in summer in the nutrient limited period. We have found strong negative relationship between the concentrations of available nitrogen forms (NH4–N, NO3–N, urea-N) and the colonial APP abundance. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The Effects of Regulations on Private School Choice Program Participation: Experimental Evidence from Florida

When deciding whether to participate in a private school choice program, private school leaders weigh additional financial benefits against additional regulatory costs. In theory, raising the costs associated with entering private school choice programs should reduce the likelihood that individual schools participate in those programs. However, very little empirical evidence exists evaluating this idea. While a few studies suggest that more highly regulated programs are correlated with lower levels of school participation, none have established causal relationships between these factors, and none have determined which program regulations are the most costly. Because it is nearly impossible to randomly assign program regulations to individual private schools, we use surveys to randomly assign different regulations to 3,080 private school leaders in Florida and ask them whether they would participate in a new private school choice program during the following school year. Relative to no regulations, our most conservative models find that open-enrollment mandates reduce the likelihood that private schools are certain to participate by about 17 percentage points, or 70 percent. State standardized testing requirements reduce the likelihood that private schools are certain to participate by 11 percentage points, or 44 percent. We find no evidence to suggest that the prohibition of copayment affects program participation overall. These estimates of the impact of regulatory requirements on the expressed willingness of private school principals to participate in a private school choice program are causal because random assignment leads to equivalence in expectation across treatment and control groups on both measurable and unmeasurable factors. We also find evidence to suggest that higher quality schools – as measured by tuition levels and enrollment trends – are more likely to be deterred by program regulations.
Factors influencing silhouette-trap captures of the blackfly Austrosimulium bancrofti (Taylor) (Diptera: Simuliidae) in the Australian Capital Territory

Three carbon-dioxide-baited silhouette traps of different shape were used to investigate aspects of trap-finding by Austrosimulium bancrofti (Taylor) in the Australian Capital Territory. Highly significant effects were included in a model which generated fitted estimates of the number of flies captured under defined conditions. Fitted captures indicated higher numbers were collected on two of the 15 trapping days. Low wind and high cloud cover increased trap catches. Temperature and solar flux had a quadratic effect, with fitted catches indicating that the highest numbers were captured at 19°C and 620·6 W/m2. The results were compared with trap captures of A. bancrofti 1300 km north in Queensland.
c-Jun NH2-Terminal Kinase 2α2 Promotes the Tumorigenicity of Human Glioblastoma Cells

c-Jun NH2-terminal kinases (JNK) are members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family and have been implicated in the formation of several human tumors, especially gliomas. We have previously shown that a 55 kDa JNK isoform is constitutively active in 86% of human brain tumors and then showed that it is specifically a JNK2 isoform and likely to be either JNK2α2 or JNK2β2. Notably, we found that only JNK2 isoforms possess intrinsic autophosphorylation activity and that JNK2α2 has the strongest activity. In the present study, we have further explored the contribution of JNK2 isoforms to brain tumor formation. Analysis of mRNA expression by reverse transcription-PCR revealed that JNK2α2 is expressed in 91% (10 of 11) of glioblastoma tumors, whereas JNK2β2 is found in only 27% (3 of 11) of tumors. Both JNK2α2 and JNK2β2 mRNAs are expressed in normal brain (3 of 3). Using an antibody specific for JNK2α isoforms, we verified that JNK2α2 protein is expressed in 88.2% (15 of 17) of glioblastomas, but, interestingly, no JNK2α2 protein was found in six normal brain samples. To evaluate biological function, we transfected U87MG cells with green fluorescent protein–tagged versions of JNK1α1, JNK2α2, and JNK2α2APF (a dominant-negative mutant), and derived cell lines with stable expression. Each cell line was evaluated for various tumorigenic variables including cellular growth, soft agar colony formation, and tumor formation in athymic nude mice. In each assay, JNK2α2 was found to be the most effective in promoting that phenotype. To identify effectors specifically affected by JNK2α2, we analyzed gene expression. Gene profiling showed several genes whose expression was specifically up-regulated by JNK2α2 but down-regulated by JNK2α2APF, among which eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) shows the greatest change. Because AKT acts on eIF4E, we also examined AKT activation. Unexpectedly, we found that JNK2α2 could specifically activate AKT. Our data provides evidence that JNK2α2 is the major active JNK isoform and is involved in the promotion of proliferation and growth of human glioblastoma tumors through specific activation of AKT and overexpression of eIF4E. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(20): 10024-31)
Dissection of genetic variance of fibre quality in advanced generations from an interspecific cross of Gossypium hirsutum and G. barbadense

The interspecific genetic introgression approach has been shown to facilitate the detection and dissection of quantitative trait loci (QTL). A population consisting of 121 F6 recombinant inbred lines was developed by crossing Gossypium hirsutum cv. ‘Handan 208’ and G. barbadense cv. ‘Pima 90’ via single-seed descent. Genotyping indicated that the mean ‘Pima 90’ allele frequency at each locus was 21%. Phenotyping and phenotypic distribution indicated a trend of return of individual lines’ characters to ‘Handan 208’ coupled with a wide variance for each trait. Significant loci influencing fibre quality were detected by one-way analysis of variance (anova; P < 0.005) and association analysis [−log10(P) ≥ 3]: five and three markers for fibre length, four and one marker(s) for uniformity, two and one marker(s) for micronaire, 13 and 15 markers for strength, six and 10 markers for elongation, respectively. Two-way anova based on genotypes of all marker loci combination showed that 807 two-locus combinations were significant, and two-way anova based on marker genotypes of QTL markers combination showed five significant digenic interactions (P < 0.01).
Genetic uniformity of two aquatic plants, Egeria densa Planch. and Elodea nuttallii (Planch.) St. John, introduced in Japan

Genetic variation in two plants introduced into Japan, Egeria densa and Elodea nuttallii, was investigated by enzyme electrophoresis. As a result, no polymorphism in allozyme patterns was found among 44 and 26 populations, respectively, of Egeria densa and Elodea nuttalii naturalized in Japan. This result suggests that the populations of the two species are rametes of the same clone which have spread by vegetative means from a single source, though the possibility of multiple introduction is not excluded. The ecological implication of genetic uniformity was briefly discussed in relation to the cause of decline in the population after the peak of abundance.
Evaluation of variability in Striga aspera, Striga hermonthica and their hybrids using morphological characters and random amplified polymorphic DNA markers

Striga aspera and Striga hermonthica are recognized as separate species, but their close morphological similarity causes difficulty in distinguishing between them in areas where they coexist in Africa. In this study, crosses between the species were made using randomly selected morphologically typical parental plants collected from different locations in Nigeria. Genetic analysis of both species and their reciprocal F 1 hybrids were determined using cluster analysis of DNA profiles derived from genetic polymorphism (RAPD)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) markers. Principal component and hierarchical cluster analyses were used to separate parental and hybrid populations based on 13 morphological characteristics. Morphological data from wild samples of both species were compared with the hand-pollinated parental, F 1 and F 2 hybrids, and back-crosses. Results showed that S. aspera and S. hermonthica were genetically and morphologically distinct. Morphological and genetic analyses revealed two major clusters: a S. aspera cluster and a S. hermonthica cluster. Genetically, the F 1 hybrids showed closer affinity to their maternal parents, while morphologically, the F 1 hybrids formed distinct clusters intermediate to the parents. Most F 2 plants and back-crosses were morphologically similar to S. hermonthica. Comparative morphological analysis of wild and hand-pollinated populations showed some samples from the wild clustered with the hybrids, suggesting that hybrids may exist in nature.
Consumption Rates and Performance of Erinnyis ello L. on Four Cassava Varieties

O consumo foliar de mandioca (Manihot esculenta Crantz) e a caracterizacao da injuria potencial por Erinnyis ello L. foram determinados em quatro variedades de mandioca. Lagartas de primeiro instar foram criadas individualmente em folhas de quatro variedades de mandioca. Foi usado o delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso com nove repeticoes. Folhas frescas com areas previamente determinadas foram fornecidas as larvas diariamente. O consumo foliar em cada instar e o peso das lagartas e pupas foram registrados. Nao houve diferenca significativa no consumo foliar nas quatro variedades (P=0,82). O total de area foliar consumida (cm2) para as variedades testadas foi: 1030,5 (Fio de Ouro), 971,5 (Aipim Bravo), 968,6 (Urubu), 956,1 (Jaburu), sendo de 981,7 o consumo medio das quatro variedades. Aproximadamente 94% do consumo ocorreu durante os dois ultimos instares. Variedades nao afetaram o desenvolvimento larval (P=0,96). Os pesos medios de lagartas (g) em cada variedade foram: 4,9 (Jaburu), 4,8 (Fio de Ouro), 4,7 (Urubu), 4,6 (Aipim Bravo) e 4,8 (media das quatro variedades). Dois modelos, um relacionando a area foliar consumida e desenvolvimento larval (y=abx )e outro do crescimento larval (y=5/1+ea+bx), foram estabelecidos. Os dados obtidos indicam que as variedades testadas neste estudo foram nutricionalmente semelhantes para o desenvolvimento de E. ello. Como o consumo foliar de E. ello foi semelhante para todas as variedades, a mesma taxa de consumo pode ser usada para o calculo dos niveis de dano economico para manejar E. ello nessas variedades.
Allometry, design and constraint of body components and of shape in sea urchins

Ontogenetic allometry of body components was studied in sea urchins from the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific Oceans. As sea urchins grow, the body wall, lantern and gut assume relatively smaller fractions of total wet weight whereas the coelomic fluid and gonad combined become relatively larger. During growth, height (h) changes relative to diameter (d). Species that are relatively flat when small tend to become taller and if relatively tall become flatter as they grow with convergence towards h = d/2. This relationship is associated with equal volumetric increase for equal incremental changes in diameter and height at h = d/2. There is an interspecific relationship between height allometry and maximum size. If animals have a height diameter ratio less than 1:2 when they are very small, then the flatter they are initially, the larger the potential maximum size. There is a discontinuity in the relationship close to d = d/2 so if small individuals are relatively tall (h > d/2) then potential maximum s.