Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect Of Agrotechnical Measures And Varieties On Seasonal Dynamics Of Tetranychus Urticae Koch (Acari, Trombidiformes, Tetranychidae) On High Tunnel-Cultivated Garden Strawberries

Abstract The aim of the present study was to determine the seasonal pattern of two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae on strawberries cultivated in polythene-covered high tunnels in temperate climatic conditions. Various cultivars were used and the effect of modification of plant covering indices on abundance and incidence of these mites was also tested. The number of two-spotted spider mites was relatively low at the beginning of the vegetation season and started to increase when average air temperature rose above 20 to 25 °C. In the experiment two types of tunnels differing in additional plant cover were used. The maximum mite abundance did not significantly vary between varieties in tunnel 1 conditions, but it was significantly lower for variety 'Sonata' in tunnel 2 conditions. Mite numbers significantly declined after strawberry foliage mowing and removal of polythene cover. Mite development was prolonged in tunnel 1, where additional cover of plants was used and higher early season air temperature was recorded in comparison to tunnel 2. It was concluded that increase in early season temperature can increase two-spotted spider mite abundance and have a more negative effect on strawberry plants in respect of foliage damage by mites.
The maturation and germination of Phytophthora ramorum Chlamydospores

Chlamydospores are a distinctive feature of Phytophthora ramorum. They are formed quickly in agar, and within colonized leaves. We followed their development and maturation in vitro and in vivo, and studied conditions affecting their germination. Cell walls of mature P. ramorum chlamydospores are thicker than reported for other Phytophthora species, although thin-walled chlamydospores are also formed. Chlamydospores formed within rhododendron leaves are smaller with thicker walls than spores formed in vitro. Chlamydospore development begins on hyphae less than two days old, and chlamydospores reach maximum size in about 10 days. Chlamydospores are formed continuously as P. ramorum develops, so spores of all ages are mixed in a colony. Chlamydospores of P. ramorum germinate in vitro at a low but highly variable frequency. In our experiments, the maximum germination obtained was about 13 percent, and the overall average was closer to 3 percent. Germination was higher on V8 agar than on cornmeal agar, and lowest on water agar. Smaller chlamydospores germinated more frequently than larger spores.
Woodpecker assemblages in natural and managed boreal and hemiboreal forest: a review

Woodpecker species as a group require several properties (dead wood, old deciduous and large trees) that are characteristic of natural forest, the presence of which are not compatible with intensive forest management. The occurrence of many woodpecker species may thus indicate a high degree naturalness of forests. Using woodpeckers as indicators requires that we understand how these species were distributed in naturally dynamic landscapes, as well as quantitative knowledge of their requirements. We review the basic biology of boreal/hemiboreal woodpeckers and compare the degree of specialization of the different woodpecker species with their population trends and with changes in habitat distribution in the boreal/hemiboreal landscape over the last century. The comparison shows that there is a close connection between the degree of spe cialization of woodpeckers, the changes in forests and recent population trends. Thus woodpecker species as a group are in conflict with intensive forest management. To keep viable populations of all woodpecker species in a landscape existing values must be preserved and natural features be built into future forests. Future research should include studies of distribution, abundance, habitat niche breadth and fitness of different woodpecker species in landscapes with different degrees of naturalness.
CORYNEBACTIN, A CYCLIC CATECHOLATE SIDEROPHORE FROM CORYNEBACTERIUM GLUTAMICUM ATCC 14067 (BREVIBACTERIUM SP. DSM 20411)

From cultures of Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 14067 (Brevibacterium sp. DSM 20411) a catecholate sid­ erophore could be isolated. It comprises three identical units consisting of L-Thr, Gly and 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid which form a tri-lactonic macrocycle -the second example of this structural type.
Taxonomic revision of the seasonal South American killifish genus Simpsonichthys (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes: Aplocheiloidei: Rivulidae)

Fifty species in five subgenera of Simpsonichthys (family Rivulidae) are recognized as valid. Xenurolebias, from the coastal plains of eastern Brazil, includes one species, S. myersi; Ophthalmolebias, from the coastal river basins of eastern and southeastern Brazil, comprises S. constanciae, S. suzarti, S. bokermanni, S. perpendicularis, and S. rosaceus; Simpsonichthys, from the central Brazilian plateau, in the upper Paraná, upper Araguaia and upper São Francisco river basins, comprises S. cholopteryx, S. parallelus, S. nigromaculatus, S. punctulatus, S. boitonei, S. santanae, and S. zonatus; Spectrolebias, from the Middle Tocantins, middle Araguaia, Xingu, Mamoré, and Paraguay river basins, in Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay, includes S. reticulatus, S. costai, S. chacoensis, S. filamentosus, and S. semiocellatus; and Hypsolebias, from the São Francisco, Tocantins, Middle Jequitinhonha and lower Jaguaribe river basins and isolated coastal basins of northeastern Brazil, comprises S. ocellatus, S. rufus, S. stellatus, S. nielseni, S. notatus, S. radiosus, S. similis, S. gibberatus, S. virgulatus, S. trilineatus, S. auratus, S. hellneri, S. adornatus, S. fulminantis, S. carlettoi, S. magnificus, S. picturatus, S. antenori, S. macaubensis, S. mediopapillatus, S. ghisolfii, S. igneus, S. flavicaudatus, S. flagellatus, S. janaubensis, S. marginatus, S. delucai, S. alternatus, S. fasciatus, S. multiradiatus, S. flammeus, and S. brunoi. No new species are described here in the above groups. Detailed descriptions and keys to identification for all species of Simpsonichthys are provided.
Effects of energy costs on the optimal diet: an experiment with pied flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca feeding nestlings

Models of optimal diet generally include two cost functions of importance for the forager's decision of which prey items to accept or reject; (1) the cost of searching for prey, and (2) the cost of handling, the latter influencing the net energy value of particular prey types. We consider that changes in these two cost functions have opposite effects on the optimal diet. Increase in search cost leads to a broadening of the diet, whereas an increase in handling cost leads to a more selective diet. This theory was tested in a field experiment with female Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca feeding nestlings. Flight cost was experimentally increased by removing certain wing and tail feathers. This "handicap" was assumed to increase handling cost more than search cost. It was predicted that the diet of handicapped birds would be more restricted than that of controls, and this was found in one of two study years.
Description and identification of white grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) that attack pineapple crops in South Africa

Larvae of five species of scarabaeid beetles, Asthenopholis subfasciata Blanchard, Trochalus politus Moser, Macrophylla ciliata Herbst, Congela valida Peringuey and Adoretus ictericus Burmeister, and adults of a sixth species, Heteronychus arator (Fabricius), cause considerable economic damage to the root systems of pineapple plants. The biologies of the species differ, making reliable identification essential. Since no convenient method is available to identify them, both field and laboratory keys are provided for the identification of third instar larvae of the six species, and detailed, illustrated descriptions for confirming their identifications.
Production, characterisation and modification of 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase as a biocatalyst

The use of biotransformations in organic synthesis is a small but growing field. Biotransformations can be used for many steps which prove difficult with traditional chemistry, particularly stereospecific syntheses and chiral resolutions. However, to enable the increasing use of biotransformations in chemical synthesis, a broader range of biocatalysts will be required than those of which we are currently aware. Bioprospecting and genome sequencing are increasing the awareness of Nature's library of biocatalysts. These enzymes need to be characterised for their use as biocatalysts, and where necessary modified to meet needs that may not be catered for in nature. One currently used biocatalyst is transketolase. Transketolase is an enzyme which is produced by most organisms. As a biocatalyst it is most often extracted from spinach, or produced by recombinant Escherichia coli. Transketolase carries out a stereospecific carbon-carbon bond formation, removing a 2-carbon ketol group from a ketose sugar, and adding it to the aldehyde group of the aldose sugar. It is a useful biocatalyst as it has a broad substrate specificity. Significantly it will use hydroxypyruvate as the ketol donor, thus liberating carbon dioxide and driving the reaction in a forward direction. In this thesis the transketolase-like enzyme, 1-Deoxy-D-xylulose 5-Phosphate Synthase (DOX-P Synthase), is identified as another possible biocatalyst. Significantly DOX-P Synthase catalyses the addition of a carbonyl unit, not from hydroxypyruvate, but from pyruvate, a reaction which cannot be catalysed by transketolase. This thesis therefore describes studies that aimed to produce recombinant DOX-P Synthase as a biocatalyst, and to optimise its production. Further studies aimed to characterise the properties of DOX-P Synthase, with the aim of optimising its use as a biocatalyst. Analysis of the substrate range of DOX-P Synthase could then be used to describe the set of reactions for which it would be a useful biocatalyst. Finally, this thesis describes modifications made to the enzyme, carried out by site-directed mutagenesis, and the effects on enzyme properties.
Biomonitoring through biological traits of benthic macroinvertebrates : perspectives for a general tool in stream management

Although benthic stream macroinvertebrates have been widely used in biomonitoring, further developments towards more general biomonitoring tools are timely. Therefore, we compared traditional ways of biomonitoring such as diversity, biotic indices and community structure with a new approach using biological traits such as reproduction, life duration, and feeding habits. These approaches were applied to a typical biomonitoring scenario, i.e. for two sites being upstream and downstream of the effluent from a waste water treatment plant. Physico-chemical variables did not discriminate between upstream and downstream site. Among eight tested biological indices, only Margalef's and Shannon's index and the French Biotic Index indice biologique global normalise (IBGN) significantly separated the upstream from the downstream site. However, biomonitoring through these three indices depended significantly on the sampling effort, which was not the case for the community structure or biological traits. Community structure in terms of taxa abundances separated the upstream from the downstream site (17.9 % of discrimination). Biological traits weighted by taxa abundances better separated the upstream from the downstream site (23.1% of discrimination). The biological traits showed that the functional structure at the upstream site was characteristic for organisms using the strategy of resilience in more variable but less adverse environments. In contrast, the functional structure observed at the downstream site was characteristic for organisms using the strategy of resistance in less variable but more adverse environments. Thus, the functional approach to indicate pollution effects in streams through biological traits may provide a tool for future stream management which is robust, general and based on current concepts of ecological theory.
Risk Stratification Study of Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules with a next-generation Sequencing Assay with Residual ThinPrep® Material

Objective: The management of indeterminate thyroid nodules is challenging. Molecular testing has emerged as a promising method for stratifying this gray area of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) can be used to test a large variety of genetic changes with very small amounts of nucleic acids obtained from FNA samples. Methods: Thyroid FNA assays were classified according to the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology after routine ThinPrep® slide preparation. Indeterminate nodules with surgical outcomes were assayed with an 18-gene NGS panel with the residual ThinPrep® material, including nodules categorized as atypia of undetermined significance (AUS)/follicular lesions of undetermined significance (FLUS) or follicular neoplasm (FN)/suspicious for a follicular neoplasm (SFN). We evaluated the diagnostic efficacy of the 18-gene panel for thyroid malignancies and potential malignancies and compared it with a well-accepted examination, ThyroSeq v2 testing. Results: A total of 36 indeterminate nodules were assayed, seven were categorized as AUS/FLUS and 29 as FN/SFN. All of them had adequate DNA for the NGS procedure. When noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP) was considered malignant, the risk of malignancy was 71.4% for AUS/FLUS nodules, and 69.0%for FN/SFN nodules. The 18-gene panel showed 72.0% sensitivity, 72.7% specificity, 85.7% positive predictive value (PPV), and 53.3% negative predictive value (NPV) in identifying malignancies and potential malignancies in the indeterminate nodules. Compared with a multicenter report from ThyroSeq v2 testing, 18-gene panel showed a lower NPV (p=0.005), but a higher PPV (p=0.02). Conclusions: NGS assays are feasible on residual ThinPrep® material, with the advantage of not requiring additional FNA procedure. The 18-gene panel testing can be used as a 'rule in' test for surgical management based on indeterminate nodules and showed a lower NPV but a higher PPV compared to ThyroSeq v2 testing.
Evaluation of soybean [Glycine max (L.)Merr.] genotypes for agronomic and quality traits in Kenya

The interaction between genotypes and environments results in significant differences in the performance of genotypes when tested in various environments. Fifteen soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ] genotypes were evaluated for yield and protein content in Kenya aiming to quantifying and identifying high yielding genotypes for human food and livestock feed. The study was conducted in Eldoret (0° 35¢N, 35°18¢E), Lanet (0°18¢S, 36° 09¢E), Nakuru West (0° 33’S, 36° 0’E) and for two seasons at Njoro (0° 20¢S, 35° 56¢E). The results indicated significant (p ≤ 0.01) effects due to genotype, environment and genotype ´ environment interaction for days to flowering harvest maturity, plant height, number of pods per plant, number of nodes per plant, seed yield, oil and protein content. The mean seed yield was 1267.8 kg ha-1. Genotype Nyala produced the highest yield across environments. The mean protein content ranged from 40.3% for genotype TGX 1740-2F (DPSB 19) to 35.2% for genotype 931/5/34 across the five test environments with the highest mean protein being recorded at Njoro and the lowest at Nakuru West. Genotype Nyala and SBH 7/1/1 may be recommended for production for their relatively high grain yield across the sites. Key words: Soybean, yield, genotype, environment, protein.
Etude ultrastructurale de Loma dimorpha n.sp., Microsporidie parasite de poissons Gobiidae Languedociens

Nouvelle espece parasite du chorion conjonctif du tube digestif de Gobius niger et Zosterisessor ophiocephalus. Le cycle de developpement s'effectue sans diplocaryon; les merontes sont uni- ou paucinuclees; la sporogonie polysporee a l'interieur d'une vacuole parasitophore
WHEAT CULTIVATED WITH ORGANIC FERTILIZERS AND UREA : BAKING PERFORMANCE AND DOUGH PROPERTIES

Data describing white flour composition, dough properties and baking performance of both spring and winter wheat treated with different fertilizer strategies including meat bone meal, slurry manure and urea, were analyzed by principal component analysis and variance analysis. No significant differences in the analyzed variables were found between flour from wheat fertilized with organic fertilizers or urea at different N rates, irrespective of experiment. The differences mainly reflected variation between experiments. Higher N application rates significantly increased flour protein content and dough development time but decreased dough softening. Protein content was positively correlated to wet gluten content and dough stability, development time, resistance, extensibility as well as bread yield. The correlation between protein content and dough softening was negative and the correlation to farinograph water absorption was poor. The bread yield response to increasing protein content, obtained by increasin.
Studies on biology of the pest beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis Linn. infesting green gram.

Pulses are excellent sources of proteins (20-40%), carbohydrates (50-60%) and are fairly good sources of thiamin, niacin, calcium and iron. Globally, 840 million people are under nourished mainly on account of inadequate intake of proteins, vitamins and minerals in their diets. Green gram [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] is an important legume crop of Asia as well as in India and a major component of many cropping systems. It has been reported that Green gram has been cultivated in India since ancient times. Green gram seeds are rich in protein and amino acids, thus serve as a valuable protein source for human consumption. Pods and sprouts from green gram are also eaten as a vegetable and are a source of vitamins and minerals. The biological value improves greatly, when wheat or rice is combined with green gram because of the complementary relationship of the essential amino acids. It is particularly rich in Leucine, Phenylalanine, Lysine, Valine, Isoleucine, etc. In India, over 200 species of insects have been recorded infesting various pulses (Anon, 2007). Thus, pulses are important source of dietary protein, and have unique property of maintaining and restoring soil fertility and improving physical properties of soil by virtue of their leaf fall.
Balkan endemics in the Bulgarian flora

The Bulgarian flora includes 270 endemic Balkan species belonging to 116 genera and 35 families. The highest number of the Balkan endemics are recorded in the Rhodopi Mts floristic region (146), followed by the Pirin Mts (136) and the Balkan Range (115). Together with the Bulgarian endemics they represent ca. 12.8 % of the native Bulgarian flora or 11 % of the total flora, including the alien species. Of the endemic species, 165 (87 Balkan and 78 Bulgarian) are legally protected by the national Biological Diversity Act and 176 endemics (108 Balkan and 68 Bulgarian) have been assigned a national IUCN threat category - CR, EN or VU.
Extended-spectrum β-lactamases and Neisseria gonorrhoeae : pre-empting a mechanism that could abolish cephalosporins for the treatment of gonorrhoea

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a public health concern due to increasing numbers of cases of gonorrhoea and the ability of the organism to develop antimicrobial resistance. N. gonorrhoeae can harbour β-lactamase plasmids that encode TEM-1 penicillinase, but do not produce extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs). ESBLs are active against the last remaining option for gonorrhoea monotherapy, ceftriaxone. The aim of this research was to establish what resistance mechanisms in N. gonorrhoeae could abolish the effectiveness of ceftriaxone for the treatment of gonorrhoea. Investigations into the genetic diversity of blaTEM alleles in gonococcal isolates from 2012 detected a high proportion of blaTEM-135 alleles (27%). Only a single specific mutation near the β-lactamase active site could result in TEM-135 penicillinase evolving into an ESBL. Electroporation was established for the transformation of native gonococcal resistance plasmids into N. gonorrhoeae, and was then used in attempts to transfer the enteric plasmid pEK204 (harbouring blaCTX-M-3 and blaTEM-1) into gonococcal strains. Electroporation and natural transformation were additionally used to transform gonococci with blaCTX-M-3 and blaTEM-10 genes. Five transformants were detected using blaTEM-10 and these all showed increased minimum inhibitory concentrations of ceftriaxone. The lack of success in uptake of pEK204 and blaCTX-M-3 was probably due to large plasmid size and lack of recombination site, respectively. Nevertheless, gonococcal β-lactamase plasmids were successfully transferred into clinical strains of the multidrug-resistant clone N. gonorrhoeae ST1407, suggesting that this could also happen in natural mixed gonococcal infections. In summary, it is encouraging that no further blaTEM alleles were detected and that N. gonorrhoeae was not able to express a CTX-M-type ESBL. However, the expression of TEM-10 ESBL is concerning and this work is the first report of ESBL activity in gonococci, albeit in vitro. It is essential to continue antimicrobial susceptibility surveillance and to develop molecular surveillance to detect rapidly the emergence of an ESBL in N. gonorrhoeae.
Wheat (Triticum aestivum) yield reduction from common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) competition

Yield loss of hard red spring wheat due to competition from common milkweed was measured in grower fields in Minnesota. Wheat yield loss was measured using the area of influence and additive competitive methods. Simple linear regression of wheat yield and percentage wheat yield loss against distance from a common milkweed shoot gave r 2 values of 0.013 and 0.015, respectively, indicating limited value of the area of influence model for common milkweed in spring wheat. In an additive competition model, wheat yield was reduced 47% at the highest density of 12 common milkweed shoots m−2. Coefficients of determination for percentage yield loss regressed against common milkweed shoot density were 0.548, 0.547, and 0.529 for simple linear, nonlinear rectangular hyperbolic, and linear square root function models, respectively. Regression of percentage yield loss against common milkweed biomass resulted in r 2 values of 0.566, 0.645, and 0.658 for simple linear, nonlinear rectangular hyperbolic, and linear square root function models, respectively. Restrictions of common milkweed density due to factors other than competition limited yield loss response to the simple linear phase of both the nonlinear rectangular hyperbolic and the linear square root function models previously described.