Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling Temperature Effects on Cotton Internode and Leaf Growth

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is grown commercially in temperatures that vary greatly during the season. The purpose of this study was to develop potential, growth and developmental rates of cotton leaves and internodes as a function of temperature in a temperature-limiting environment. That information may be used with growth duration and appropriate stress factors to develop a crop canopy development model. Plants were grown in sunlit plant growth chambers in five temperatures, 20/12 degrees C to 40/32 degrees C (day/night), at ambient (350 microliter L-1 CO2) and twice ambient carbon dioxide levels in well-watered and fertilized conditions. Plants were monitored daily for leaf unfolding dates, areas of leaves, and lengths of internodes at leaf unfolding, and growth of leaves and internodes. Durations of leaf and internode expansion were also determined. Leaf unfolding interval rates of troth mainstem and fruiting branches increased as temperature increased; the rate of mainstem leaf unfolding interval increased more than the rate of branch leaf unfolding. Irrespective of sizes, leaves, and internodes fit a single relationship of relative expansion rates and age for each temperature condition. Enriching CO2 to twice the ambient level did not change these relationships. Increasing temperature increased maximum growth rate, decreased the decay in the rate of expansion due to age, and reduced growth duration of both leaves and internodes. Internodes typically took less time than leaves to elongate at all temperatures. Leaf area and internode length at leaf unfolding increased as temperature increased to 27 to 30 degrees C, then decreased at higher temperatures.
Atributos de solos hidromórficos no Pantanal Norte Matogrossense

Resumo Os solos hidromorficos, comuns na Amazonia e no Pantanal, estao sujeitos a alternância natural de periodos de alagamento e secamento, que conduzem a uma formacao e caracteristicas diferenciadas. Estes solos guardam estreita relacao com a natureza do material de origem e com os processos de deposicao e sedimentacao. O objetivo neste trabalho foi avaliar as caracteristicas quimicas, morfologicas e mineralogicas de tres perfis de solos do Pantanal Norte Matogrossense (Planossolo, Plintossolo e Gleissolo), a fim de interpretar as relacoes entre suas propriedades e o ambiente em que foram formados. Os Planossolos e Gleissolos possuem maior fertilidade natural, evidenciada pelos valores expressivos de CTC (capacidade de troca de cations) e saturacao por bases. Os menores teores de Fe 2 O 3 do Planossolo estao relacionados com a reducao e remocao do Fe durante sua genese A mineralogia da fracao areia dos solos e constituida principalmente de quartzo, nodulos e concrecoes de Fe e de Mn, e em menor grau, biotita, muscovita e tracos de turmalina, magnetita, ilmenita, epidoto, zircao e rutilo. Os solos apresentaram perfil mineralogico semelhante na fracao argila, constituido por caulinita, esmectita, ilita e interestratificados do tipo ilitaesmectita. A mineralogia da fracao argila dos solos foi compativel com as diferencas quimicas constatadas entre eles, pois o Planossolo apresentou argila de maior atividade relativa as esmectitas e interestratificados ilita/esmectita, com maior soma de bases trocaveis e CTC, enquanto o Plintossolo e o Gleissolo, cujo mineral predominante foi a caulinita, apresentaram baixo teor de bases trocaveis e menor CTC. PalavRas-Chave: hidromorfismo, planicie de inundacao, ilita, argila de alta atividade. Attributes of the hydromorphic soils in the Pantanal of North Matogrosso
Produtividade e eficiência de vacas Nelore em pastagem de Brachiaria decumbens Stapf nos Cerrados do Brasil Central

The productivity of Nelore cows on Brachiaria decumbens Stapf pasture was measured during four years, in a soil initially improved with limestone and fertilizer and with free access to a mineral mixture. Pregnancy rate (PR), calving rate (CR), weaning rate (WR), calves weaning body weight (BWC), productivity (P = kg of calf/cow) and efficiency (E= P/100 kg of cow) per cow, productivity per area (AP = calves kg/ha), as well as cow body weight and body condition before the calving season (CLW and CBC), at the middle of the mating season (MLW and MBC) and at weaning (WLW and WBC) were evaluated. Mean PR, CR and WR of 87.5, 81.7 and 77.2%, respectively, were observed. Mean LWC of 170 ± 21.89 kg and mean weaning age of 202 ± 16.48 days were observed. Significant effect of calving order (CO) on LWC was detected. Cows between CO3 and CO9 weaned the heaviest calves. Values of 130 kg and 32.19 kg were observed for P and E, respectively, with AP of 192 kg/ha. The CLW and CBC, MLW and MBC, and WLW and WBC were of 471 + 19.67 kg and 4.45 + 0.30; 405 + 21.48 kg and 3.32 + 0.44; 410 + 9.35 and 3.54 + 0.19, respectively. The correlation between body weight and body condition was of 0.66. Nelore cows maintained on a tropical pastures of Brachiaria decumbens Stapf, in an initial fertilized soil, had high reproduction level and productivity. Cows with medium calving order had higher productivity than primiparous and older cows.
Distribution of Long‐Lived Radionuclides in an Abandoned Reactor Cooling Reservoir

The distribution of '37Cs, 90Sr, 238Pu, 239'240Pu, 24'Am, and 244Cm was studied in the biotic and abiotic components of an abandoned reactor cooling impoundment, Pond B. The impoundment is located at the United States Department of Energy's Savannah River Plant in South Carolina, USA. It received radioactive contaminants via cooling water discharges from R Reactor from September 1961 to June 1964. The radionuclide inven- tories were estimated in water, seston, sediments, and biotic components after 20 yr of equilibration. Chemical, physical, and biological relationships to the radionuclide distri- bution patterns were investigated. Biotic components contained some of the highest ra- dionuclide concentration ratios observed to date. However, most of the radioactivity resides in sediments. The principal mechanisms of loss from the system are radioactive decay and periodic outflow of water and suspended materials; biotic export and seepage appear to be inconsequential. Strontium-90 was much more mobile in the system than the other radio- nuclides. Aquatic macrophytes dominated the biotic component radionuclide inventories and their dynamics exert a strong influence on the spatial distribution and turnover of radioactivity in the ecosystem. Pond B supports a diverse and productive flora and fauna. Cleanup of the system is not indicated. Use of Pond B for recreation is feasible with adequate attention to monitoring and radiological health guidelines.
Mosquitos no Parque Nacional da Serra dos Orgãos, estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: IV. Preferência alimentar

We report here, as part of our study on the ecology of the Culicinae in Serra dos Orgaos National Park, State of Rio de Janeiro, the host preferences for hematophagy. We have conducted, from March 1983 to February 1985, captures on four baits - man, opossum, bird and lizard -, at soil level and at the tree canopy using different time schedules and during 24 consecutive hours. Human bait attracted the greatest number of mosquitoes, followed by birds and opossums. No mosquitoes fed on lizards. Some species show clear preference for feeding on human blood: Aedes scapularis, Ae. terrens, Anopheles cruzii, Haemagogus capricornii (important vector of Sylvan Yellow Fever in the North and Central Western Regions of Brazil), Trichoprosopon digitatum, Sabethes tarsopus and Sa. identicus. Culex nigripalpus preferred to feed on avian blood.
Resource Assessment Versus Tradition in Mating-Site Determination

Traditional behavior has long been viewed as a means of avoiding the costs of trial-and-error learning, and it should be especially beneficial for naive individuals entering unknown environments. The cultural transmission of tradition can be detrimental, however, if environmental conditions change, but tradition does not. The conservative nature of tradition could conceivably lead individuals to respond in ways that are inappropriate to current conditions. I have shown previously that in the Caribbean bluehead wrasse, Thalassoma bifasciatum, mating-site locations are traditional: the same sites are used over several generations; but when local reef populations are replaced, the sites that are then used are indistinguishable from a random selection of all potential sites. Sites that came into use after the manipulation were, in turn, used for generations. To investigate whether the new sites used for mating were chosen by resource assessment in the absence of tradition, I repeated the population-replacement experiment a month after the initial manipulation. This period was sufficiently short that resource distributions were unlikely to have changed. If resource assessment did indeed occur, the sites used after the second manipulation should have been the same as those used after the first. In each of three experiments, site use changed markedly after the initial population replacement. After the second manipulation a month later, however, the mating sites used were similar to those used after the first manipulation. This indicates that resource assessment by the bluehead can lead to a predictable pattern of mating-site use but that this resource assessment does not appear to occur when tradition is in force. This study points out the importance of a broad perspective in the consideration of the determinants of behavior. Neither a detailed knowledge of the innate responses of individuals nor a complete picture of current resource distribution will yield an accurate prediction of mating-site use in this species. A knowledge of the historical behavior of the local population and the strength of cultural transmission is also necessary. The possible existence of constraints imposed by tradition on resource assessment thus complicates the pursuit of behavioral genetics and behavioral ecology. It also provides a curious creative role for major periodic disturbances. Such events may actually increase mean fitness by allowing the population to reset to the existing distribution of local resources.
Microsatellite Analysis of Three Subspecies of Elk (Cervus elaphus) in California

Abstract A total of 676 elk (Cervus elaphus) were genotyped at 16 tetranucleotide microsatellite loci to evaluate genetic differences among 3 subspecies of elk in California: tule (C. e. nannodes), Roosevelt (C. e. roosevelti), and Rocky Mountain (C. e. nelsoni) elk. Of the 13 populations analyzed, 5 represented tule elk herds, 3 were Roosevelt elk, 2 were Rocky Mountain elk, and 3 were of uncertain taxonomic status. Overall, populations averaged between 7 and 8 alleles per locus, with observed heterozygosity values ranging from 0.33 to 0.58 per population. Tule elk, which experienced a severe bottleneck in the 1870s, had consistently less genetic diversity than the other subspecies. All 3 subspecies were significantly differentiated, with the greatest genetic distance seen between the tule and Roosevelt subspecies. Assignment of individuals to subspecies using microsatellite data was nearly 100% accurate. Despite the past population bottleneck, significant differences were found among the tule elk herds. Assignment testing of elk from Modoc, Siskiyou, and Shasta counties to determine subspecific status of individuals suggested that these populations contained both Roosevelt and Rocky Mountain elk and their hybrids, indicating that these elk subspecies interbreed where subspecies coexist.
Movement Patterns of Large Brown Trout in the Mainstream Au Sable River, Michigan

Abstract We used radiotelemetry to monitor spring and summer movements of 11 brown trout Salmo trutta (442–584 mm) for up to 904 d in a Michigan stream. Individual brown trout used a few specific locations near cover (referred to as home sites) as resting locations during the day, moved across various distances at night, and generally returned to the same home site the next morning. Home sites were predominantly artificial cover (88%) rather than natural sites, as natural cover was very limited in the study area. Some fish used multiple home sites, and the average separation between multiple home sites for individual fish was over 500 m. Fish tracked for more than 1 year used the same home sites each summer and generally exhibited similar behavior each year. Fish belonged to two general categories of daily movement behavior: mobile or stationary. Mobile fish tended to move frequently and were found within their home sites only 43% of the time at night. Stationary fish did not move far from home sites, eve.
Effect of Addition of Cryoprotectants on Frozen/Thawed Mashed Potatoes Flavor by Sensory Evaluation

Frozen purees made from vegetables are a relatively new kind of high-quality and functional product, offering extended shelf life, better manufacturing, distribution flexibility and food safety. Mashed potatoes may be suitable for freezing as a ready-meal component or as a single product. However, freezing and thawing adversely affect the cells and cell components of mashed vegetables causing textural changes and more importantly degradation of sensory properties. The quality of mashed potatoes is influenced by various factors but more importantly by the sensory characteristics which are significant for consumer selection and acceptability. Recent studies have demonstrated that incorporation of cryoprotectant blends, such as non-starchy hydrocolloids, to starch based products like mashed potatoes is effective for ameliorating the detrimental effects of freezing and thawing. Hydrocolloids offer a protection to cells and cell components against the deleterious effects of thawing in particular, such as starch retrogradation, syneresis etc, since they interact with water and have been reported to slow down the rate of ice crystal growth and alter crystal shapes. Moreover, studies have proved the dependency between the structure of starch and the flavor of thawed potato products, affecting also the taste, texture, color and odor of these products. Recently, is attempted to incorporate prebiotic agents and dietary fiber as they enhance flavor and products become more appealing to consumers pursuing a healthy diet. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of addition of cryoprotectants on frozen/thawed mashed potatoes flavor and texture properties examined by sensory evaluation. The frozen/thawed samples were stored for two months and the change of flavor and texture during storage was monitored. The cryoprotectant materials that were investigated, were polysaccharides (κ-carrageenan, xanthan gum, chitosan), oligosaccharides (inulin), disaccharides (trehalose), dietary fiber (oat, potato fiber) and hydrocolloids (HPMC) and were incorporated in samples individually or as blends. The samples of frozen/thawed mashed potatoes were subjected to a quantitative descriptive profile analysis. Sensory evaluation was conducted by an eight-member panel with specific training on completing the tests. The assessors scored separately 5 sensory characteristics of texture, such as gummy, cohesive, flavor and odor using a 10-point scale. Also, a pleasure scoring for the Overall Acceptance (OA) of the samples was carried out based on all sensory attributes using also a 10-point scale. Finally, statistical analysis of sensory data was carried out for further processing of results and conclusions.
Ácidos graxos Ômega-3 e Ômega-6 na nutrição de peixes – fontes e relações

There are two series of essential fatty acids, which can not be synthesized by animals or humans and must be supplied in the diet. The n-6 series are derived from linoleic acid (LA) and the n-3 series from alpha linolenic acid (ALN). From these polyunsatured fatty acids (PUFAs) are synthesized the arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA). Fish are generally good sources of fatty acids, but there are differences between marine and freshwater fishes. Low levels of LA and ALN characterize lipids of marine fish species, as well as high levels of long chain n-3 high-unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA). However, freshwater fishes seem to have greater capacity to desaturate and elongate the fatty acids, synthesized by algi or plants, into EPA and DHA. Fish oil has been utilized for farm fish feeding marine, but it represents a finite resource. With the fishery resource stagnation, the price tends to increase which turns more interesting to search alternative sources. A sustainable source to substitute fish oil in fish feeding includes vegetable oils like rapeseed oil and linseed oil. Research has been carried out to find the best ratio n-3/n-6 in fish muscle. This finding is important to increase fish nutritional value for human health, since the highly unsaturated fatty acids provide various benefits, such as preventing heart diseases, and an increase of their consume should be stimulated.
Validation of γ-irradiation in controlling microorganisms in fish

Purpose – With a previous throughput of sea fish contamination with microorganisms, the present study extended the array of such spoilage over four other fish samples including Pseudapocryptes elongates, Scomberomorus cavalla, Xenentodon cancila and Otolithoides pama, evaluated the reductive impact of irradiation, and further validated the irradiation methodology in controlling the microbial quality of the sea fish samples. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Twelve samples of each sea fish were collected from super shops in Dhaka city and a portion of each sample was subjected to γ-irradiation at a dose of 3 kilo gray (kGy). Then, both non-irradiated and irradiated samples were tested for the presence of pathogenic bacteria though culture on different specific media followed by biochemical identification. Drug resistance among the pathogens was also investigated. Findings – Most of the non-irradiated samples were observed to harbor huge bacteria and fungi (1.3×102-1.5×10.
Desarrollo y producción del plátano Dominico–Hartón (Musa AAB

La densidad de poblacion en el cultivo del platano esta condicionada por la distancia entre surcos y por el numero de plantas en cada sitio de produccion, y es un parametro que influye positiva o negativamente sobre los rendimientos. En el Centro de Investigacion “El Agrado”, localizado en Montenegro, Quindio, a 1.310 m.s.n.m. y con 1.985 mm de precipitacion anual, se evaluaron 21 arreglos de siembra basados en la relacion de distancias entre surcos y sitios, bajo el diseno experimental de bloques completos al azar, con 21 tratamientos, tres repeticiones y 12 plantas por repeticion. Las densidades de 1.500 a 3.000 plantas∙ha -1 no afectaron el crecimiento y desarrollo del cultivo en el primer ciclo de produccion; tampoco se presentaron diferencias estadisticas significativas entre las densidades para los periodos de siembra a floracion, floracion a cosecha, y siembra a cosecha. En los arreglos con densidades de 1.500 a 2.500 plantas∙ha -1 se obtuvieron racimos con pesos comercialmente aceptables, mientras que en densidades superiores a 2.750 plantas∙ha -1 el peso promedio de los racimos se redujo drasticamente (22%). El rendimiento real, calculado con base en el porcentaje de cosecha, registro una relacion directamente proporcional con la densidad de siembra. Para una misma densidad poblacional, el arreglo de siembra mas productivo se obtuvo con una relacion de distancias entre surcos y sitios de 2:1. Se establecieron dos modelos lineales para estimar las variables de produccion en funcion de las densidades y arreglos de siembra.
Retinal pigment epithelium cell-derived microparticles mediate oxidative stress-induced retinal cells dysfunction

Purpose Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) represents the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly. The cumulative oxidative injury induces retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) membrane microparticles production, RPE cell death and cellular senescence. The RPE blebs are implicated in the formation of sub-retinal deposit. Nonetheless, the pathophysiological roles of RPE microparticles (RMPs) remain largely unexplored. This study was designed to investigate whether RMPs participate in the retinal cells dysfunction. Methods RMPs and fluorescent DiI-labelled RMPs were isolated from cultured ARPE-19 cells under oxidative stress. RMPs-treated RPE cells were subjected to WST-1, cellular senescent, apoptotic assay and FACS cell cycle analysis respectively. The antibody against CD36 was used in uptake experiment to determine the involvement of scavenger receptor CD36. Results Our study revealed that uptake of RMPs by RPE cells is time-dependent, and this process is partially dependent on CD36 evidenced by an approximately 50% decrease of RMPs uptake caused by CD36 antibody treatment. In addition, RMPs significantly reduced RPE cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. RMPs in a concentration of 5% µg/ml significantly induced RPE cell-cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. RMPs-treated cells exhibited a 19% increase in G0/G1 phase, with associated increases of the senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity. Conclusion We demonstrated for the first time that RPE cells uptake microparticles derived from RPE cells under oxidative stress. These findings strongly suggest that RMPs function as mediators to exacerbate the oxidative damages to RPE cells, and indicate a pathological role of RMPs in AMD.
Identificación, establecimiento in vitro y análisis fitoquímico preliminar de especies silvestres de ñame (Dioscorea spp.) empleadas con fines medicinales

Wild tubers of the genus Dioscorea sold for medicinal use were collected for the purpose of achieving its establishment under in vitro conditions. First we taxonomically identified the species and through phytochemical analysis demonstrated pharmaceutical potential. The material collected was identified as Dioscorea coriacea, D. lehmannii, D. meridensis, D. polygonoides and the edible species D. trifida. Tubers collected from wholesale distributors and from the field were washed, disinfected, sprayed with Gibberellic Acid (GA3) and planted in substrate BM-2®, in a greenhouse at 18 ° C during the day and 10 ° C overnight. Whole tubers or sections thereof were stored in sealed bags at room temperature. Subsequently plant material of the species D. coriacea, D. lehmannii, D. meridensis and D. polygonoides was disinfected and healthy buds (D. coriacea / laboratory) were selected for in vitro establishment. Three different culture media were evaluated for establishment; that which presented the best results was the Murashige & Skoog (1962) medium, supplemented with BAP 1 mL / L, GA3 1 mL / L and Putrescin 2 mL / L. For the collection and analysis of secondary metabolites, tubers of D. coriacea, D. lehmannii and D. polygonoides were used, using methanol as the extraction solvent. The highest concentration of plant extract, 54%, was found in D. coriacea, a higher value than that of D. polygonoides, which had been reported previously; the presence of saponins was confirmed by thin layer chromatography (TLC). These results will enable more advanced analysis of the present compounds and enhance their mass propagation under in vitro conditions.