Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biological Seed Treatments using Trichoderma harzianum for Horticultural Crops

B iological control or biocontrol has the potential to replace or augment conventional plant disease management practices based on the use of synthetic pesticides, Biocontrol provides a nonpolluting means for control of plant pathogens through the use of indigenous or genetically modified organisms. Biological control practices are consistent with the goals of sustainable agriculture and integrated pest management to minimize the use of synthetic pesticides. Biological control agents or bioprotectants may be used alone or in combination with specific chemical pesticides that are compatible with the bioprotectant. Thus, biocontrol has the potential for commercial use; however, a comprehensive system must be in place to ensure adequate plant protection under a wide range of field conditions. Three components are necessary for effective implementation of biological control: 1) a superior bioprotectant, 2) a process to produce large quantities of effective propagules, and 3) a delivery system that permits full expression of the biological control properties of the strain (Jin et
Feeding habits of asteroids, Luidia quinaria and Astropecten scoparius, in Ise Bay, Central Japan

Feeding habits of the two asteroids dominant in Ise Bay, Luidia quinaria and Astropecten scoparius, were examined as regards their temporal and spatial distributions and also the oxygen-poor water in the bay, based on megabenthos samples collected in the bay from Novem- ber 1996 to November 1997. Luidia quinaria was distributed widely in the whole part of the bay while A. scoparius was mainly found in the southern part around the bay mouth area. Analysis of the stomach contents of these asteroids demonstrated that L. quinaria preferred to ingest echinoderm, particularly an ophiuroid, Ophiura kinbergi, that occupied approximately 60% of the percentage total food items; while the stomach contents of A. scoparius were dominated by molluscs, a minute gastropod Voorwindia paludinoides and a bivalve Alvenius ojianus, which occupied approximately 59% and 33% of the percentage of total food items, respectively. The differences in the feeding habits of these asteroids may be due to their distribution pattern, which may be determined by the differences in sediment characteristics. Distribution and feeding habits of L. quinaria in summer may be affected by the occurrence of oxygen-poor water.
Polymerase chain reaction in the detection of contamination of chicken meat by Campylobacter jejuni.

An investigation was conducted to detect the contamination of chicken meat rendered at various chicken outlets of different locations in Namakkal district of Tamilnadu in India. Polymerase chain reaction was employed in the identification of Campylobacter in meat samples and it could reveal a positivity of 13.33 per cent. © 2011 Universal Research Publications. All rights reserved
Genetic diversity among maize varieties revealed by phenotypic descriptors and RAPD profiles

Fifty-six genotypes of maize were analyzed for their phenotypic and genotypic differences at Anand Agricultural University, Gujarat, India. The genetic dissimilarities calculated from average taxonomic distance (E ij ) matrix among the 56 maize genotypes ranged from 0.59 between the pairs GWC 0310 and GWC 0606 and upto 2.90 between pairs GWC 0400 and Amber. The genotypic study with 40 RAPD primers, 11 gave polymorphic result with 4129 scorable bands and 151 loci, among which 147 loci were found polymorphic, with an average of 97.03 percent polymorphism. The study revealed that morphological characters combined with molecular markers were useful in diversity analysis studies. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.4038/jas.v8i2. 5744 The Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2013, vol.8, no2 p.91-106
Comparative diet and habitat selection of puku and lechwe in northern Botswana

Abstract Differences in resource selection (i.e., habitat selection and diet composition) may allow for coexistence of interspecific competitors. Two congeneric floodplain antelope with broadly similar habitat use are puku (Kobus vardonii) and lechwe (K. leche). In Botswana, puku are restricted to a narrow band of floodplains along the Chobe River, whereas lechwe are far more abundant, with a distribution encompassing the Chobe Riverfront, the Linyanti Swamps, Kwando River, and the Okavango Delta. We investigated factors to try to explain the contrasting distribution patterns of puku and lechwe, including seasonal diet composition and overlap, seasonal nutritional status as indicated by fecal nitrogen and phosphorus, and habitat selection. Dietary overlap ranged from 84% to 90% across seasons. Cynodon dactylon was the greatest contributor to the diets of both puku and lechwe, but there were differences in the relative contributions of particular grass species associated with uplands or floodplains. Fecal nitrogen and phosphorus did not differ between species and did not indicate nutritional deficiencies for either puku or lechwe. Habitat selection was broadly similar during the low-water season, but during the high-water season, puku moved from the floodplain into shrublands habitats, whereas lechwe remained on the floodplains. We hypothesize that increased predation risk during the high-water season, due to increased visual obstruction in shrublands, may limit abundance of puku in the study area.
Mycorrhizal colonization and plant performance in arcto-alpine conditions

Mycorrhizal symbiosis is generally advantageous for plants in nutrient-poor soils. Arcto-alpine areas are relatively nutrient-poor, but abundantly inhabited by non-mycorrhizal species. Possibly, mycorrhizal symbiosis is not favoured due to the harsh climatic conditions and the short growing season, which constrain the photosynthetic gain and growth of the arcto-alpine plants. This hypothesis was theoretically evaluated by assuming that optimal mycorrhizal colonization maximizes the net carbon gain of the host plant. In addition, the prevalence of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and dark-septate endophytic (DSE) fungi along an altitudinal gradient was studied in the field, and their effects on the plant performance were tested in the laboratory. In the model, the photosynthetic nutrient use efficiency (PNUE) had a key role in determining whether mycorrhizal strategy would be optimal for the plant net carbon gain. The model generated several colonization patterns depending on possible changes in PNUE and soil nutrient concentrations along altitudinal gradients. Field studies indicated that species-level colonizations do not yield a consistent pattern along the altitude except for fine endophyte, which increased along an altitudinal gradient. In a high-alpine field site root fungal colonizations were rare. Seasonal shifts in colonizations in low-alpine conditions were not found. DSE fungi were common root-associates in the field. In the laboratory, AM had a positive impact on the performance of Gnaphalium norvegicum at 15°C, but not at 8°C. DSE-inoculation did not colonize the roots, but it had a positive impact on seedling performance, which may be due to the saprophytic activity of the fungus in the substrate. Additionally, mycorrhizal inoculum was found to decrease the performance of a non-mycorrhizal plant in a competition experiment. Species-level mycorrhizal colonization patterns may differ from community-level pattern along altitudinal gradients and the relative abundance of different fungal symbionts may change along with the altitude. The performance of mycorrhizal plants in high-alpine conditions may be decreased due to several factors e.g. low temperature constraints on plant and fungal physiology and allocation, soil disturbances and low availability of inoculum. Climatic constraints for plant photosynthesis may thus affect the mycorrhizal colonization patterns in arcto-alpine conditions, but are not necessarily the primary cause for lower performance of mycorrhizal plants at higher altitudes.
trans-3-Hydroxy-N-methyl-l-proline Hydrochloride

The characterization of trans-3-hydroxy-N-methyl-L- proline, isolated from Tamarix ramosissima, as its hydrochloride salt, C 6 H 12 NO 3 + . Cl − , is reported. The carboxylate group occupies a position trans to the hydroxyl substituent
Genetic diversity of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne ethiopica and development of a species-specific SCAR marker for its diagnosis

Meloidogyne ethiopica is an important nematode pathogen causing serious economic damage to grapevine in Chile. In Brazil, M. ethiopica has been detected with low frequency in kiwifruit and other crops. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the intraspecific genetic variability of M. ethiopica isolates from Brazil and Chile using AFLP and RAPD markers and to develop a species-specific SCAR-PCR assay for its diagnosis. Fourteen isolates were obtained from different geographic regions or host plants. Three isolates of an undescribed Meloidogyne species and one isolate of M. ethiopica from Kenya were included in the analysis. The results showed a low level of diversity among the M. ethiopica isolates, regardless of their geographical distribution or host plant origin. The three isolates of Meloidogyne sp. showed a high homogeneity and clustered separately from M. ethiopica (100% bootstrap). RAPD screenings of M. ethiopica allowed the identification of a differential DNA fragment that was converted into a SCAR marker. Using genomic DNA from pooled nematodes as a template, PCR amplification with primers designed from this species-specific SCAR produced a fragment of 350 bp in all 14 isolates of M. ethiopica tested, in contrast with other species tested. This primer pair also allowed successful amplification of DNA from single nematodes, either juveniles or females and when used in multiplex PCR reactions containing mixtures of other root-knot nematode species, thus showing the sensitivity of the assay. Therefore, the method developed here has potential for application in routine diagnostic procedures.
CAUSES OF DISPERSAL IN NORTHERN GOSHAWKS (ACCIPITER GENTILIS) IN FINLAND

Abstract Environmental quality has the potential to influence dispersal if cost of dispersing is outweighed by cost of staying. In that scenario, individuals experiencing different conditions in their natal area are expected to differ in their dispersal. Even if there is wide agreement that reasons behind the dispersal decision are multiple, it is often less clear what conditions actually add to the observed dispersal behavior. The scale at which the dispersal behavior is analyzed can also be of crucial importance for a correct understanding of the dispersal process. Furthermore, in long-lived species factors influencing dispersal behavior of juveniles may differ from those adding to dispersal of adults. Using 12 years of banding data (1989–2000), we studied dispersal behavior of Northern Goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) hatched over a wide area in Finland in relation to local demographic and ecological conditions. Hatching rank and hatching date added to the probability of leaving in the first place; whereas hatching date, local prey availability, and sex of the disperser were related to dispersal distance. Among adult birds (+3 years), none of the analyzed variables were related to distance; whereas the probability of remaining locally was related to local grouse density in the hatching year (for males only). Results show that the combined effects of factors working at several levels act together on dispersal behavior in Northern Goshawks and highlight the importance of studying different age classes separately in long-lived species. In summary, our results suggest that goshawk individuals distribute themselves spatially in parallel with factors determining the costs and advantages of dispersing where philopatry seems to be connected to factors positively associated with survival; but to test the validity of that idea, more data on fitness consequences of dispersal are needed.
DIARRHEA CAUSED BY ENTEROPATHOGENIC BACTERIA IN CHILDREN

Background-Diarrhea is a major cause of mortality in 15 to 20 percent of the under 5year-olds, and among the bacterial agents causing diarrhea, the five most important are Shigella, Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter and Yersinia. Methods-In a one-year study conducted in cooperation with a local health center in Islamshahr, South of Tehran, rectal swabs were collected from children less than 5 years of age who presented with diarrhea. Frequency evaluations of Yersinia and Campylobacter along with other intestinal bacterial pathogens were made. Results-A total of 1600 samples were analyzed, 235 (14.7%) of which were positive. Most (119 cases; 50%) high-risk ages included children less than 2 years of age. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) was the most common (109 cases; 6.8%) cause of diarrhea followed by Shigella (54 cases; 3.4%), Salmonella (46 cases; 2.9%), Campylobacter (15 cases; 0.9%) and Yersinia (11 cases; 0.7%). Seasonal investigations show that, with the exception of Yersinia, all pathogenic bacteria are the most frequently isolated organisms occurring in the summer. Conclusion-Better knowledge about the causes of infection and the epidemiological situation could help the management of intestinal infections.
A study of first-feeding herring (Clupea harengus L.) larvae during the period 1985–1993

Since 1987, the spawning stock of Norwegian spring-spawning (Nss) herring has increased from 0.5 to 2.5 million metric tonnes with recruitment of the 1983 year class to the spawning stock. During the same period the increase in herring larval production, resulting from an increase in the spawning stock biomass, has been followed by surveys on the Norwegian shelf in March and April. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether the number of larvae can be related to spawning stock biomass and to look for density-dependent effects on gut-contents and larval growth. The strong signal from the 5-fold increase in spawning stock biomass was easily seen in the increased abundance of herring larvae since 1988. No density-dependent compensatory mechanisms related to growth were observed; however, a depensatory increase in dry weight was connected to the high abundance of post yolk sac larvae. This must be related to large scale spatial and temporal changes in prey abundance. Co-occurrence of herring larvae and their prey (match) could also be recognized in the early stages by the increased abundance of larvae beyond the yolk sac stage.
Myrmecochory in the Zingiberaceae: seed removal of Globba franciscii and G. propinqua by ants (Hymenoptera – Formicidae) in rain forests on Borneo

The Old-World tropics encompass one of the floristically richest zones of the world and some of the hot spots of ant diversity. This results in a large variety of ecological interactions between both groups. One of them is the phenomenon of myrmecochory, seed dispersal by ants, which is also well known from temperate forests (Gorb & Gorb 2003, Ulbrich 1919), and which is most prominent in sclerophyll shrublands of Australia and southern Africa (Andersen 1988). Beattie (1983), who reviewed the distribution of ant-dispersed plants (at least 80 plant families worldwide) proposed that species richness and abundance of myrmecochores and diaspore-dispersing ants increases with decreasing latitude and thus predicted a greater variety of ant-dispersal systems in the tropics. However, up to now, few tropical myrmecochores have been described (Horvitz 1981, Horvitz & Schemske 1986), especially in the palaeotropics (Kaufmann et al. 2001). Here we report myrmecochory in two species of rain-forest herb of the Zingiberaceae, give the first evidence for seed dispersal by ants in this plant family and present a list of seed-dispersing ant species. An important benefit of myrmecochory is the dispersal distance of the ant-transported seeds (Andersen 1988), that has been found to be positively correlated with ant size (Gomez & Espadaler 1998a, Pudlo et al. 1980). In this study, we checked whether this correlation is also true for the conditions of the tropical rain forest, where Globba plants occur.
Factors affecting the evolution of virulence: nematode parasites of fig wasps as a case study

SUMMARY The natural history of fig-pollinating wasps and their associated species-specific nematodes allows the measurement of many parameters which are relevant to testing hypotheses concerning host-parasite ecology and evolution. Within fig wasps species, it is possible to estimate lifetime reproductive success of foundress wasps as a function of presence or absence of nematode parasitism (virulence). Across species, there is a wide range of host population structures which, in turn, results in a range of opportunities for either horizontal or vertical nematode transmission. Therefore, estimates of virulence can be related to opportunities for transmission across a group of closely related hosts and their parasites. Further, the dynamics of the nematode infections over ecological and short-term evolutionary timescales can be monitored, giving added insight into the interpretation of the virulence estimates. Moreover, several scales of longer term evolutionary relationships are either known directly from fossil evidence or can be inferred from molecular data, providing deeper temporal context for the observed patterns. This combination of attributes permits detailed testing of hypotheses concerning the factors that potentially influence the evolution of virulence in host-parasite systems, and further, population and simulation models of the system that incorporate the parameter estimates can clarify the interpretation of how those factors act. There is little evidence suggesting that intermediate and long-term evolutionary relationships explain current levels of virulence. That is, it appears that virulence can change rapidly relative to speciation events, and that the nematodes do not tend to become ‘benign over time’. Instead, it appears that host population structure can influence the evolution of parasite virulence by affecting the relative opportunities for horizontal to vertical transmission, which, in turn, influences the relative costs and benefits of virulence to the nematodes. At one level, increased opportunities for horizontal transmission decouple the reproductive interests of the individual nematodes from those of the individual hosts that they are directly parasitizing, thereby reducing the cost of virulence to individual nematodes. At another level, increased opportunities of horizontal transmission also increases the relative frequency of hosts infected by multiple strains of nematodes. This promotes the evolution of more virulent forms by increasing the relative importance of within-host competition among nematode strains, thereby favouring strains that ‘eat more host sooner’. An interesting property of the fig-nematode systems is that the proportion of infected hosts does not change dramatically through time. This finding implies that there can be considerable negative effects on survival of infected hosts in addition to the previously documented reductions in fecundity of infected foundresses, because the latter are insufficient to account for the observed stability of wasp infection rates.
Maintenance energy requirements of the one-humped camel

Abstract Five female one-humped camels were fed at maintenance energy and twice maintenance energy in two different periods. Higher digestibility values (63·2 ± 3·06 vs. 50·2 ± 4·44%) were obtained at the higher intake levels. Heat production at the higher feed level was greater than at the lower but proportionately less than values reported for sheep on similar intake levels. The efficiency of conversion of metabolizable energy intake to body tissue was 68%, this figure being higher than previously reported data for the one-humped camel and also higher than most values reported for conventional ruminants.
A partial but radical solution to the problem of nomenclatural taxonomic inflation and synonymy load

The permanent increase in the number of taxa recognized by taxonomists has several causes: (1) a genuine taxonomic increase due to the discovery of new taxa or data; (2) conceptual taxonomic inflation due to different methodological approaches using the same data; and (3) nomenclatural inflation due to unwarranted descriptions of new taxa that later will have to be treated as synonyms. One of the reasons for the latter artificial phenomenon is that names of authors are usually cited after the Latin nomina of taxa. ‘Nomenclatural mihilism’ is an important cause for this synonymy load, which has negative effects on the activity of taxonomists. It is suggested that this artefact could be in part reduced if authors’ names were not cited after scientific nomina of taxa. Precise proposals in this respect are offered regarding the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. The benefits and problems that could result from such a drastic change are briefly discussed. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 93, 857‐863. ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS: author ‐ date ‐ nomenclature ‐ nominal-complex ‐ scientific name.
Tamanho de vacas Nelore adultas e seus efeitos no sistema de produção de gado de corte

Twenty Nellore mature cows and their calves were individually fed to determine the effects of frame size, weight and body condition on the production system efficiency. Means for different traits were: hip height (1.40±0.04m), withers height (1.40±0.03m), heart girth (1.84±0.04m), body length (1.38±0.13m), body surface area (4.60m²) and body weight (442.70±29.9kg). Phenotypic correlations between different size traits ranged from medium to high magnitude. Body surface was highly correlated to all traits measured. The body weight variation suggested that this trait should be evaluated along with other linear body measurement to determine the adequate animal body size.
Unusual double-bond migration as a plausible key reaction in the biosynthesis of the isoprenoidal membrane lipids of methanogenic archaea

Labeling experiments of mevalonolactone-d9 were pursued for studies of the biosynthesis of the core membrane lipids from thermophilic methanogenic archaea, which revealed that unusual double-bond migration occurred during the ultimate formation of the saturated isoprenoid chains in these particular archaea.
Isolation of microsatellites from unknown genomes using known genomes as enrichment templates

This study analyzes the performance of a method to isolate microsatellites from largely unknown target genomes. This reporter genome protocol (RGP) utilizes naturally occurring repeat motifs in genomes of distantly related organisms as hybridization probes. The RGP proved very successful in all 13 enrichment reactions from eight marine target species (comprising a dinoflagellate, a diatom, and six arthropod species), yielding on average 85.5% positive colonies. The RGP naturally screens for all repeat types occurring in the reporter genomes and is therefore less biased than standard protocols that typically test few, short motifs only. Using the genomes of Mus musculus, Drosophila melanogaster, and Homo sapiens as reporter genomes in this study, 133 different di‐ to hexanucleotide repeat types were obtained. Success of the RGP did not depend on overall microsatellite density in the reporter genome but increased with genetic distance between target and reporter genomes because hybridization to conserved nonrepeat regions is less frequent. Relative abundance of repeat types in the reporter genome had a significant effect on repeat type frequencies in the target library. Altogether, the RGP greatly simplifies the isolation of microsatellites from unknown genomes and makes microsatellite markers more attractive for a wide range of studies.