Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Responses to sublethal copper exposure in two strains of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Volvocales, Chlorophyceae) in autotrophic and mixotrophic conditions

Sabatini S.E. , Leonardi P.I. and Rodríguez M.C. 2011. Responses to sublethal copper exposure in two strains of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Volvocales, Chlorophyceae) in autotrophic and mixotrophic conditions. Phycologia 50: 78–88. DOI: 10.2216/09-101.1 The aim of this work was to determine the responses to sublethal copper exposure (20 and 40 µM CuCl2) in two Chlamydomonas reinhardtii strains: the wild type 4A+ and the pleiotropic mutant cur9, originally selected as a copper-tolerant phenotype in mixotrophic conditions. Bioassays were performed in both autotrophic and mixotrophic media, under low irradiation (50 µmol m−2 s−1). At the onset, Cu2+ concentration in culture media was estimated by MINEQL software. Oxidative stress indicators, such as changes in photosynthetic pigment ratios, catalase activity, concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and growth rate, demonstrated a better performance of the wild type and the mutant strain in autotrophic and mixotrophic conditions, respectively. Moderate oxidative stress was accompanied by ultrastructural changes, such as accumulation of starch and vacuoles with electronic-dense deposits and membranous structures together with mild thylakoidal and mitochondrial crest disorganization. In mixotrophic conditions isocitrate lyase (ICL) activity peaked after 72 h incubation. An inverse relation between catalase (CAT) and ICL activities was verified and proved to be a good indicator of oxidative stress correlating consistently with other characteristic features such as depression in growth rate or increase in TBARS dosage.
Evaluation of Insecticides To Reduce Maturation Feeding by Tomicus piniperda (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in Scotch Pine

Tomicus pinipcrda L. , an economically important bark beetle in temperate regions of the Old World, was first discovered in the United States in July 1992. We evaluated effects of selected foliar insecticides on survival of beetles during maturation feeding in pine shoots. Beetles were caged on shoots of young Scotch pine, Pinus sylvestris L. , before and after insecticide application in a Michigan plantation. We also determined number of shoots per tree infested by beetles after treatment with various foliar and ground-applied insecticides in a field study in Indiana. Shoot-feeding behavior and characteristics of shoots selected for maturation feeding were observed in both studies. Survival of beetles caged for up to 2 wk on trees treated with acephate, a mixture of acephate and bifenthrin, and imidacloprid was significantly lower than survival of beetles caged on untreated trees, regardless of whether beetles were caged before or after trees were sprayed. However, in the Indiana field study, numbers of shoots with tunnels were monitored at 4-wk intervals throughout the summer. Most of the products significantly reduced the number of tunneled shoots during any interval. Most maturation feeding tunnels were found in current-year shoots, 0.45-cm diameter, located in the upper and middle canopy levels.
Quantification of changes in decomposable N fractions caused by atmospheric N inputs - A 15N balance study

Abstract In a field experiment we analysed the 15N/14N ratios in hot- and coldwater soil extracts, salt extracts (KCl), leachates as well as in the soil vegetation for quantifying the impacts of atmospheric N inputs on soil N dynamics. We simulated moderate and chronically high N inputs and determined the forms, contents, and atom% from December 2001 to November 2002 in a German Scots pine forest stand. A maximum of 90% of the total 15N in the soil was extractable by the KCl, hot- and coldwater soil extraction methods in strongly dependence of the soil horizon. The highest 15N recovery was calculated for the organic layer and the Ah horizon. After one year, only 2% of the added 15N was leached below the C2 horizon (−100 cm), whereas up to 11% were found in the soil vegetation. About 70% of the added 15N was lost by nitrification and denitrification processes during the experiment.
Women and Health Disparities: Implications for Treating Hispanic Women in Rural and Urban Communities

ABSTRACT Hispanic women with alcohol and other drug disorders present special needs and face unique challenges related to cultural norms and values particularly when seeking treatment. In particular, Hispanic women, with substance use disorders, may encounter culturally imposed barriers which may limit their ability to access and benefit from treatment. The author proposes a systemic approach to treating Hispanic women embedded within a traditional and rigidly patriarchal cultural context. Specifically, this paper proposes an adaptation of Community Reinforcement Approach and Family Training (CRAFT), an evidence-based, efficacious treatment, which provides a family-oriented, approach to treating women with alcohol and other substance use disorders. CRAFT principles work with “concerned significant others” (CSOs) to aid a family member to seek treatment. By adapting CRAFT in ways that are syntonic with Hispanic culture, clinicians may be able to work with women who may otherwise not seek or enter treatment for substance use disorders. Ways to improve services for women are discussed. This article provides clinically oriented guidelines and suggestions for treating disenfranchised women who may otherwise go untreated. Lastly, the implications for treatment of Hispanic women are discussed in terms of adapting CRAFT as interventions that may help prevent serious health consequences faced by Hispanic women who develop substance use disorders.
The effects of selective logging on the lizards Kentropyx calcarata, Ameiva ameiva and Mabuya nigropunctata

We evaluated the effect of experimental logging of two different ages, and the effect of tree girdling without selective logging, on the local abundance of three heliothermic lizards. The response to intensity of selective logging varied among species of lizards. The local abundance of M. nigropunctata increased with the intensity of logging damage, while the relationships for K. calcarata and A. ameiva were not statistically significant. The three species used plots cut four years before more frequently than control plots, but the density of A. ameiva in gaps in blocks cut 9-10 years before was similar to that in undisturbed vegetation. The girdling treatments had a significant negative effect on K. calcarata , but not M. nigropunctata or A. ameiva . We suggest that differences in numbers of lizards reflect a behavioral choice for microhabitats created in the logging areas, because the spatial scale of this study was too small to confidently detect the effects of the silvicuture treatments on populations of the species.
Evidences of Ambidexterity and Laterality in the Sexual Behavior of Certain Poeciliid Fishes

During courtship behavior in several species of poeciliid fishes, the gonopodium of the male swings to both the right and left sides. First observed by FitzGerald (1872) in Poecilia, this interesting aspect of courtship has been similarly observed in Gambusia, Heterandria, Glaridichthys (now = Phalloptychus and Cnesterodon), Giradinus, Lebistes, Xiphophorus, Platypoecilus (now = Xiphophorus)1 and other genera (Zolotnisky, 1901; Philippi, 1909; Seal, 1911; Henn, 1916; Christman, 1928; Stepanek, 1928; Ludwig, 1932; Collier, 1936; Schlosberg, Duncan and Daitch, 1949; Clark and Aronson, 1951; Clark and Kamrin, 1951; Clark, Aronson and Gordon, MS.; and many others). In a number of families of fishes there is extensive morphological evidence as well as limited behavioral evidence for laterality (see review by Hubbs and Hubbs, 1945). The recent study of Turner (1950) on the morphology of the male gonopodium and female genitalia of Anableps substantiates in part Garman's (1895a; 1895b) idea that definite dextral and sinistral individuals of the two sexes exist and that copulation can occur only when fish of opposite laterality are paired. This means that dextral males can mate only with sinistral females and vice versa. In extensive studies of sexual behavior in the swordtail Xiphophorus hellerii, the platyfish Xiphophorus maculatus, and the guppy Lebistes reticulatus (Clark and Aronson, 1951; Clark, Aronson and Gordon, 1948; 1949; MS.) movements of the gonopodium to the right and to the left were recorded during swinging, thrusting and copulatory behavior. The present report offers an analysis of these data on the sideward movements of the gonopodium and a discussion of the general question of laterality in relation to ontogenetic and evolutionary processes. The problem of unilateral action of essentially bilateral structures has intrigued students of human behavior for many years, and much has been written on the subject. A few investigators have utilized the experimental approach in mammals, particularly in rats, but information concerning behavioral laterality in the lower vertebrates is particularly meager. It is hoped that through this study additional light may be shed on phylogenetic aspects of this problem.
Microbiological and biochemical changes in the traditional fermentation of soybean for ‘soy-daddawa’ — Nigerian food condiment

Abstract The traditional production of ‘daddawa’ from the fermentation of soybean involves predominantly Bacillus species notably B. subtilis, B. licheniformis and B. pumilus . Although Micrococcus luteus and Staphylococcus epidermidis were present in relatively low numbers at the onset of fermentation, they do not appear to play any major role in the fermentation process. The bacterial population, pH and moisture content increased with fermentation. The titratable acidity increased in the first 24 h and then dropped as fermentation progressed. Amylase activity increased rapidly with fermentation attaining a peak at 48 h with a concomitant decrease in total soluble sugar level while the reducing sugar increased in the first 24 h and dropped. Protease activity also increased rapidly in the first 36 h and dropped giving higher amounts of free amino acids with fermentation. Lipase and Beta-fructofuranosidase activities were minimal in the fermenting seeds.
Occurrence Patterns of Bird Species in Habitat Fragments: Sampling, Extinction, and Nested Species Subsets

Comparison of the species-area relationship in unfragmented chaparral habitat with that in urban chaparral fragments confirmed that rapid population extinction of resident bird species has occurred in these fragments. A strong positive correlation between the relative persistence ability of a species and its density remains even after correcting for the sampling effect of area. We conclude that this pattern is due to differences between species in extinction vulnerability attributable to density; the more abundant species persist longer in fragments. This differential vulnerability to extinction produces a pattern in which the bird species present in species-poor fragments are nested subsets of those in species-rich fragments.
Mecanismos de regeneração natural em diferentes ambientes de remanescente de Floresta Ombrófila Mista, São Francisco de Paula, RS

The aim of this study was to evaluate the natural regeneration mechanisms in three floristic groups of the remaining Mixed Rain Forest, located in San Francisco de Paula, RS. The data were collected in six conglomerates of one hectare, subdivided into 16 plots, in which seed rain, soil seed bank, and seedling bank were collected. The groups presented differences in the density of individuals in the seed rain and in
Ecology of the black shore skink, Leiolopisma suteri (Lacertilia: Scincidae), in boulder beach habitats

The ecology of the nocturnal black shore skink, Leiolopisma suteri, was studied on a boulder beach at Cable Bay, Motutapu Island, for 19 months. Distributions over a stable beach (Motutapu Island) and an exposed beach (Cuvier Island) were compared, and the effects of storms on the Cable Bay population were noted. Density, aggression, thermal preference, feeding, and fat reserve fluctuations were also studied. The L. suteri population at Cable Bay has, in favourable areas, one of the highest densities (13/m2) recorded for a lizard species. Spatial distribution of this population varies between the different age classes: adults congregate in the most stable areas, whereas hatchlings are commonest in the least stable areas. Storms cause changes in the beach structure and in the spatial limits of the population.
The Green Fence of Chinese Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.) Prevents Pollen Dispersal of Transgenic Rice (Oryza sativa)

Abstract Transgene escape mediated by pollen dispersal is one of the preeminent concerns about genetically modified crops, including rice. In this study, the rice pollen donor of non-glutinous Oryza sativa ssp. japonica cv. ‘Tainung 67’ [TNG 67] had a greater potential of pollen flow, which was shown by the greater quantity, germination rate, and viability of pollen, than the other rice pollen donor of transgenic AAN. The pollen-mediated gene flow was detected by the frequency of outcrossed seeds in a “checker-board pattern” and alternating row arrangement of rice pollen donor (TNG 67 or AAN) and pollen recipient (glutinous rice ‘TNG 73’) in the fields. We conducted field experiments to assess rice pollen dispersal with or without a “green” fence of Chinese hibiscus, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. , of approximately 2 m in height and 0.6 m in thickness. Without a green fence, the outcrossing rate of TNG 73 seeds decreased with increasing distance from the pollen donor, from 1.68% at 1 m to 0.01% at 35 m, with no outcrossing beyond 40 m. The outcrossing rate varied with the direction of pollen donor, from 0.05% in the northeastern direction to 0.78% in the southern direction, which was caused by prevailing wind direction. With the green fence, no seeds of TNG 73 were outcrossed. Since a buffer zone of at least 40 m is needed to prevent outcrossing of rice by pollen dispersal in an open field, planting of Chinese hibiscus around the rice field as a green fence would be an effective measure for preventing transgene escape mediated by pollen flow.
Systematic status and biogeography of the Javan and small Indian mongooses (Herpestidae, Carnivora)

The Javan and small Indian mongooses, ranging from the Middle East to South‐east Asia, are considered as two species or as a single species, varying in size and colour from west to east. In order to clarify their systematic status and to define the limits of their ranges, Cytochrome b sequences were obtained from 27 specimens, and localities of 392 specimens from museum collections were determined. The phylogenetic analyses revealed that the Javan and Small Indian mongooses grouped in two separate clades with their range limits located in Myanmar. The Javan mongoose is in fact closer to the grey mongoose than to the small Indian mongoose.
Aminocyclopyrachlor Efficacy for Controlling Virginia Buttonweed (Diodia virginiana) and Smooth Crabgrass (Digitaria ischaemum) in Tall Fescue

Abstract Virginia buttonweed and smooth crabgrass are problematic weeds in tall fescue and may warrant control with herbicides at similar timings. The objectives of these field experiments were to evaluate (1) aminocyclopyrachlor rate and application regimens for controlling Virginia buttonweed and (2) the influence of growth stage on aminocyclopyrachlor efficacy for controlling smooth crabgrass. Single applications of aminocyclopyrachlor at 0.05 and 0.08 kg ai ha−1 provided poor (< 70%) and fair (70 to 79%) control of Virginia buttonweed, respectively, but sequential applications improved control to 83 to 99%. Single and sequential applications of aminocyclopyrachlor at 0.11 kg ai ha−1 provided good (80 to 89%) and excellent (> 90%) control of Virginia buttonweed, respectively. Aminocyclopyrachlor at 0.11 kg ha−1 provided fair control of smooth crabgrass at the multileaf growth stage prior to tillering but control was poor when applied at the multitiller stage. Aminocyclopyrachlor at 0.05 and 0.08 kg ha−1 provided poor control of crabgrass at both timings and were less effective than fenoxaprop at 0.10 kg ai ha−1. Nomenclature: Smooth crabgrass; Digitaria ischaemum (Schreb.) Schreb. ex Muhl. ; Virginia buttonweed; Diodia virginiana L. ; ‘Titan' tall fescue; Festuca arundinacea Schreb. Resumen Diodia virginiana y Digitaria ischaemum son malezas problemáticas en Festuca arundinacea, las cuales podrían requerir control con herbicidas en momentos similares. Los objetivos de estos experimentos de campo fueron evaluar (1) dosis y regímenes de aplicación de aminocyclopyrachlor para el control de D. virginiana y (2) la influencia del estado de desarrollo de D. ischaemum en la eficacia de aminocyclopyrachlor para el control de esta maleza. Aplicaciones simples de aminocyclopyrachlor a 0.05 y 0.08 kg ai ha−1 brindaron un control de D. virginiana pobre (<70%) y aceptable (70 a 79%), respectivamente, pero las aplicaciones secuenciales mejoraron el control hasta 83 y 99%. Aplicaciones simples y secuenciales de aminocyclopyrachlor a 0.11 kg ai ha−1 brindaron un control de D. virginiana bueno (80–89%) y excelente (>90%), respectivamente. Aminocyclopyrachlor a 0.11 kg ha−1 brindaron un control aceptable de D. ischaemum en el estado de desarrollo de múltiples hojas antes de la producción de hijuelos, pero el control fue pobre cuando se aplicó en el estado de múltiples hijuelos. Aminocyclopyrachlor a 0.05 y 0.08 kg ha−1 brindó un control pobre de D. ischaemum en ambos momentos de aplicación y fue menos efectivo que fenoxaprop a 0.10 kg ai ha−1.
Influence of multiple bioprocess parameters on production of lipase from Pseudomonas sp. BWS-5

The aim of the present work was to study the influence of multiple bioprocess parameters for the maximum production of lipase from Pseudomonas sp. BWS-5. The culture reached the stationary phase of growth after 36h of incubation when the maximum lipase production was obtained at flask level. The different media components such as carbon sources, nitrogen sources, trace elements and process parameters such as the pH of the medium, temperature and time of incubation, agitation/stationary conditions, etc. were optimized at flask level and at bioreactor level. The maximum enzyme production of 298 IU/mL was obtained with the use of simple medium with pH 6.5 containing glucose (1 %, w/v), peptone (3 %, w/v) and KCl (0.05 %, w/v) after 30h of incubation at 37°C under agitation (200 rpm) conditions with 0.75 vvm of air supply.
Crassulacean Acid Metabolism in Two Species of Orchids Infected by Tobacco Mosaic Virus‐orchid Strain and/or Cymbidium Mosaic Virus

The effect of viral infections on the Crassulacean Acid Metabohsm (CAM) was determined in two orchid species. Plants of a Sophrolaeliocattleya (SLC) commercial hybrid were inoculated with either the orchid strain of the Tabacco Mosaic Virus (TMV-O), with Cymbidium Mosaic Virus (CybMV) or with a mixture of both viruses. Plants of Epidendrum elongatum, a wild terrestrial orchid, were inoculated either with TMV-O or with TMV-O and CybMV simultaneously. Virus infected plants started to show a systemic mosaic on the leaves 3 to 4 years after inoculation, the symptoms being more appreciable in SLC than in E. elongatum. Double inoculation with TMV-O and CybMV proved to the lethal for the SLC plants. TMV-O infection caused 58 % and 24 % reduction in nocturnal leaf titratable acidity (TA) in SLC and E. elongatum, respectively. TMV-O also changed the daily pattern of leaf nonstructural carbohydrates typical of CAM plants. A 50 % decrease in TA at dawn and a mid-morning peak of sugar accumulation were measured in leaves of doubly inoculated E. elongatum plants. In SLC CybMV infection inhibited CAM and induced an accumulation of glucans in the leaves. Cytoplasmic agglomerations of CybMV, but not of TMV-O, were detected in SLC mfected cells, whereas TMV-O particles were clearly observed in the cytoplasm of E. elongatum. Infection by TMV-O or CybMV in SLC caused an increase in chloroplasts volume and distortion of the grana due to high glucan accumulation. In contrast, TMV-O infection in E. elongatum induced a lesser degree of damage in the cell ultrastructure.
Vitamin E‐phospholipid interactions in model multilayer membranes: A spectroscopic study

Effects of a-tocopherol ( a-T) and a-tocopheryl acetate ( a-TA) on dipalmiroyl-ph-phatidylcholine (DPPC ) multilayers have been investigated by Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopies. Earlier results have been confirmed by the temperature profiles built with the Raman intensity height ratios R = I2880/I~~~~ and r = 12935/12880; both a-T and a-TA broaden the main phase transition, and the onset of the transition temperature T, decreases as the concentration of a-T and a-TA increases. Effects are weaker in the case of a-TA. It has been shown that the chain packing is diminished in the gel phase and that gauche rotamer formation is promoted by a-T, and to a smaller extent by a-TA. The number of gauche bonds introduced by a-T and a-TA has been estimated by the measure of the intensity of the CH2 waggingprogression modes. It seems also, that in the gel phase, a-T slightly increases the methyl end chain mobility, while a-TA decreases it. Moreover, a-T perturbs the infrared (IR) carbonyl stretching vibration (vc=o) of DPPC, whereas aTA does not. This perturbation, which can explain the thermotropic behavior of DPPC/ a-T multilayers, may have three origins: H-bonds between a-T and DPPC, conformational changes of the interfacial region, or increase of the hydration (possibility of dihydrates) . For comparison, IR vc=o spectra of palmiroyl-oleyl-phosphatidylcholine (POPC) have been recorded as well. POPC certainly has a different conformation of the glycerol backbone than DPPC, with a larger molecular area. The example of POPC proves that H-bonds, which certainly occur in a DPPC/a-T mixture, are not the single explanation for changes appearing in the interfacial region of DPPC multilayers, on incorporation of a-T. In any case, a-T seems to locate nearer the polar region of the membrane than a-TA, as seen by IR and Raman spectroscopy. 0 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Specific leaf area and leaf area index distribution in a young Douglas-fir plantation

The spatial distribution of specific leaf area and leaf area index of needles in different age classes has been investigated in a young and unthinned Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco) plantation in Central Italy through the destructive analysis of 12 trees sampled in four diameter size classes. Specific leaf area decreased with leaf age and from crown base to apex. A clear interaction between the effects of age and position on specific leaf area was demonstrated. For the whole canopy the vertical distribution of leaf area was well fitted by a normal curve equation, which explained 97% of the variation. The midpoint of the leaf area distribution, estimated as a parameter of the normal curve, was found to be 1.2 m below the mean canopy depth. The standard deviation of leaf area with respect to height was 16.4%. The midpoint of leaf area distribution decreased as leaf age increased and increased as diameter size class increased. Strong and significant linear relationships were found between l.