Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genotypic variation for root architecture traits in seedlings of maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines

With 2 figures and 8 tables Abstract The aim of this study was to examine the extent of genotypic variability for root traits in a diverse set of maize inbred lines. Root traits were measured in maize lines grown up to 6, 10 and 14 days in the growth chamber on a germination paper. Combined analysis of variance revealed intermediate to high heritability values (range = 0.6–0.9) for all measured traits, indicating consistency across experiments. Euclidian distance value ranged from 1.8 to 19.6, indicating high levels of variability among the studied lines. First three principle components explained more than 80% of total genetic variation with high loadings from primary root parameters, seminal root parameters, total root length and root dry weight (DW). Root DW was significantly correlated with other root traits, indicating that direct selection based on root DW might be sufficient to improve other root traits. Some outstanding genotypes (PHT77, GEMN-0193, PHG35) with high relative growth rate at different time points were identified. These lines could be of potential use for the improvement of nutrient and water-use efficiency in maize.
Comparison of effects of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica sp) fruit, arabic gum, carrageenan, alginic acid, locust bean gum and citrus pectin on viscosity and in vitro digestibility of casein

The consumption of high levels of fibres can induce a decrease in both food digestibility and nutrient availability. Prickly pear is a pectin-rich fruit and it is possible to use it to decrease plasma cholesterol levels. Its effect on food digestibility deserves attention. This effect was determined by using a mixture of a constant quantity of casein and an increasing quantity (10, 20, 25% of the casein) of prickly pear pulp, skin and seed. In parallel, the effect of similar mixtures of carrageenan, gum arabic, locust bean gum, alginic acid and citrus pectin with casein was also studied. The flow behaviour of the different mixtures was determined and their digestibilities were measured using an in vitro digestion cell device. The apparent viscosities of the mixtures with prickly pear components and gum arabic were similar. The nature and level of fibres in the diet modified nitrogen release in the in vitro digestion cell model. The pulp of the prickly pear decreased the digestibility of the casein-based diet to a greater extent than the other soluble fibres, whatever the percentage used. The results suggest that the decrease in N release in the digestion cell model is due to the interaction of the fibres with the enzymes or casein rather than to the apparent viscosity of the mixtures. # 2000 Society of Chemical Industry
Floral Morphology and Embryology of Brucea amarissima

1. The polygamous, tetramerous flowers of Brucea amarissima occur in axillary panicles. Unicellular, multicellular, and glandular hairs occur on the pedicel and the dorsal side of the sepals. An intrastaminal, nectariferous disk is present. The gynoecium is completely apocarpous. 2. The anther wall has five layers of cells: an epidermis, a fibrous endothecium, two middle layers, and a multinucleate secretory tapetum. A group of archesporial cells differentiate in each lobe of the anther. Cytokinesis following reduction division is simultaneous. Tetrads are tetrahedral and decussate. The three colporate pollen grains are shed at the two-celled stage. 3. The hemianatropous ovules are bitegmic and crassinucellate. The nucellar epidermis divides to form a prominent nucellar cap, and a massive parietal tissue develops. A large space separating the integuments, a well-developed hypostase, and the termination of the vascular strand are found at the chalazal end of the ovule. 4. The hypodermal ovular archesporium consists of two to three cells, of which only one functions. The chalazal megaspore of the linear or T-shaped tetrad develops into an eight-nucleate embryo sac, that is, development is of the Polygonum type. Antipodals degenerate immediately after fertilization. 5. Pollen-tube penetration is porogamous, and the tubes may undergo spiral convolutions in the broad region of the micropyle. 6. Endosperm development precedes embryo development and is free nuclear. The endosperm ultimately becomes cellular, and the cells become filled with reserve food material. 7. Embryo development is of the Onagrad type. The cotyledonary node is unilacunar and the mature node trilacunar. The unilacunar condition in the cotyledons is considered to have been derived by the fusion of the traces of a two-trace, unilacunar node. 8. The seed is perispermous. Both integuments contribute to the formation of the seed coat, but only the innermost layer of the inner integument persists in the mature seed. 9. The fruit is a drupe. The pericarp consists of an inner sclerified endocarp of eight to ten layers of cells, a mucilagenous and pulpy mesocarp, and a two-layered epicarp.
Use of faeces for scent marking in Iberian wolves (Canis lupus)

The study of the characteristics of 232 wolf (Canis lupus) scats from northwestern Spain reveals that faeces were not left at random. They accumulated near trail junctions, where the probability of interception by other traveling wolves is maximal, and were commonly associated with evident reference points (i.e., ashes, decaying bark, isolated shrubs, carrion, promontories, etc.) that may visually or olfactorily increase the signal's effectiveness. The center of the trail was clearly preferred to the borders, facilitating location of the scat by other individuals. If one side of the trail was more exposed to the wind, scats accumulated more on that side than on the other, and their deposition on the trail margin may increase the radius of their influence even more. These results suggest that faeces may be more important for spacing among Iberian wolves than expected, considering the minor role assigned to the scats in most previous studies of wolf scent marking.
セイヨウナシおよびチュウゴクナシ果実の成熟にともなう β-Galactosidase and α-L-Arabinofuranosidase の活性および遺伝子発現の変化

Substantial decreases in cell wall bound galactosyl and arabinosyl residues are two of the most evident cell wall compositional changes that occur during fruit ripening. The roles of β-galactosidase (β-Gal) and α-L-arabinofuranosidase (α-Af), the enzymes responsible for these respective losses, were investigated and compared in European (Pyrus communis L. ‘La France’) and Chinese (Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd. ‘Yali’) pear fruits which exhibit different softening characteristics during ripening. The increase in the activities of β-Gal and α-Af during ripening in both types of pear fruit correlated well with an increase in climacteric ethylene production, and a concomitant decrease in flesh firmness in ‘La France’ fruit. However, there was no noticeable decrease in ‘Yali’ flesh firmness even after 28 days of storage at room temperature. In both fruit types, enzyme activity and the accumulation of transcripts hybridizing with PpGAL1, PpGAL4, PpARF2, and PcARF1 increased with fruit ripening. Increases in gene expression and enzyme activities in ‘Yali’ fruit with no detectable softening during ripening indicate that β-Gal and α-Af may not mediate difference in fruit softening between two pears, but that they could play some role(s) in cell wall changes, perhaps in cooperation with other cell wall-modifying enzymes such as polygalacturonase.
Immunohistochemical study on the development of extraocular muscles. I. Rat.

Development of extraocular muscles of rat was studied immunohistochemically using antibodies against three molecular markers of muscle differentiation: brain type (CK-B) and muscle type (CK-M) creatine kinase isoenzymes and muscle type enolase isoenzyme (β-enolase). The time of innervation of extraocular muscles was also studied immunohistochemically using antibody against neuron specific enolase (NSE). Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and PAS after diastase digestion stainings was used for the demonstration of glycogen. At embryonic day (E) 15, when muscle primordium of each extraocular muscle appears, β-enolase and glycogen were observed in all muscle primordia, while CK-B was immunoreactive only in lateral rectus (LR), superior rectus (SR), inferior rectus (IR) and inferior oblique (IO) muscle primordia. CK-B immunoreactivity appeared in superior oblique (SO) and medial rectus (MR) muscles at E17 and E18, respectively. By E18-19, CK-M immunoreactivity became positive in all muscles. NSE immunoreactive nerve fibers were first observed in LR, SR, IR and IO at E15, in SO at E16, and in MR at E17. Consequently, β-enolase immunoreactivity and glycogen appeared in all extraocular muscles at E15, while CK-M at E18. LR, SR, IR and IO muscles became immunoreactive to CK-B antibody at E15; however, SO and MR muscles became immunoreactive at E17 and E18, respectively. The sequence and time of appearance of CK-B in extraocular muscles were similar to those of NSE-immunoreactive nerve fibers. These findings suggest that in rats the expression of CK-B in each extraocular muscle coincides with the innervation of that muscle, while CK-M is expressed only after innervation.
Reproductive biology of Pedicularis (Scrophulariaceae) in the Sichuan Himalaya

In 1997–1998, the reproductive biology of Pedicularis bidentata, Pedicularis cranolopha, Pedicularis davidii, Pedicularis longiflora var. hongyuanensis, Pedicularis longiflora ssp. tubiformis, Pedicularis plicata, Pedicularis polyodonta, Pedicularis rhinanthoides ssp. labellata, Pedicularis roylei, Pedicularis semitorta, Pedicularis spicata and Pedicularis verticillata was studied in the subalpine–alpine zone of the Chinese Himalaya in western Sichuan Province. Except for Apis pollinators on P. polyodonta and P. spicata, only workers and queens of Bombus filchnerae, Bombus patagiatus, Bombus potanini, Bombus sichelii and Bombus waltoni pollinated Pedicularis. Nectariferous, erostrate flowers were pollinated nototribically and sternotribically, during foraging for nectar and pollen, respectively, whereas nectarless, rostrate (including very long-tubed) flowers were pollinated sternotribically during foraging for pollen only. Insect exclusion from flowers revealed that P. longiflora ssp. tubiformis, P. roylei and P. verticillata are insect-pollinator dependent. Analysis of the corbicular pollen loads of pollinators revealed a moderate degree of pollen-foraging fidelity. Pollinator frequency on Pedicularis did not exceed three insects per hour, but Bombus pollinators were more common on other plant genera. No evidence of lepidopteran pollination on long-tubed Pedicularis species was found, nor was there any evidence of species–species specificity between Bombus pollinators and Pedicularis flowers.
Características hematológicas de teleósteos brasileiros: II. Parâmetros sangüíneos do Piaractus mesopotamicus Holmberg (Osteichthyes, Characidae) em policultivo intensivo

Hematological parameters of freshwater fish Piaractus mesopotamicus (Holmberg, 1887) kept in an intensive polyculture system were determined. The correlations among these parameters as well as those between the parameters and the biometric data (total weight and standard length) were also analyzed. Erythrocytes count was 1.708±0.42 x 106/µl, hemoglobin 6.6±2.0 g% of blood and hematocrit 32.5±4.6%, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) 209.8±69.5%, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) 40.2±5.6 pg and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) 21.4±8.4%. The percentage of defense blood cells including leucocytes and thrombocytes, was studied. The percentage of thrombocytes was 61.4±10.0%, lymphocytes 21.7±1.8%,neutrophils 10.4±11.0%, monocytes 4.7±3.3% and special granulocitic cells 1.8±2.0%. The number of erythrocytes was positively correlated with the hemoglobin rate and negatively correlated with MVC. Hemoglobin was positively correlated with MCHC whereas hematocrit was negatively correlated with MCHC and MVC. Contrarily, leukocytes did not show correlations among themselves or with the hematological parameters and biometric data.
Reproductive Allocation in Tropical Drosophilidae: Further Evidence on the Role of Breeding-Site Choice

Observations on reproductive allocation in 23 species of tropical African Drosophilidae revealed a wide array of reproductive patterns associated with their degree of specialization in the field. The reproductive performances tested experimentally under laboratory conditions can provide valuable insight on how life history characteristics have evolved. The data presented clearly suggest an inverse relationship between reproduction and age at maturity. Regression analyses further demonstrate that growth and longevity are positively correlated with age at maturity. In summary, shorter-lived species concentrate the production of many offspring in early age classes, whereas longer-lived species delay maturity in later age classes and then produce fewer offspring. It is worth stressing that the former are those generalists exploiting the environmental mosaic in a fine-grained manner, whereas the latter are those specialists with coarse-grained behavioral response. Therefore, the capacity to delay maturity and to produce limited offspring is assumed to be associated with the nature of the breeding sites used. Colonizing species, i.e., those living in the largest range of habitats and breeding in the widest array of host plants, are placed at a medial position on the continuum of reproductive patterns. The hypothesis is then made that their colonizing ability results from their capacity to reevaluate rapidly their allocative options from one generation to the next. Comments are made on the relative merits of different alternative explanations for specific patterns of life history variation. It appeared that the data could not be correctly interpreted as arising only from frequency-dependent selection. I analyze the adequacy of various alternative hypothetical causes including effects of spatial population structure of host plants, phenologies of fruit production, and chemical yields of host plants.
Distribución del Agua Lluvia en Tres Bosques Altoandinos de la Cordillera Central de Antioquia, Colombia

Se estudio la distribucion del agua lluvia durante tres anos en un bosque climacico de roble (Quercus humboldtii) y dos plantaciones forestales, de pino (Pinus patula) y cipres (Cupressus lusitanica) ubicados en los Andes colombianos. Los principales ingresos de agua al bosque ocurrieron por la lluvia, cuyo valor medio anual fue 1.700 mm ano-1. La precipitacion interna tuvo la mayor participacion de los flujos hidricos del bosque, siendo maxima en el cipresal (1.486 mm a-1, 90 %) y minima en el pinar (1.389 mm a-1, 81 %), mientras que el escurrimiento cortical fue muy bajo en los tres bosques (1-3 mm a-1, 0,1-0,2 %). La maxima intercepcion se presento en el pinar (329 mm a-1), equivalente al 19 % de la lluvia. A diferencia de estos flujos hidricos del dosel los flujos hidricos del suelo si mostraron diferencias significativas entre coberturas (P <0,05). En el robledal se encontro el patron caracteristico de disminucion de la lamina de agua con la profundidad y las perdidas por drenaje profundo fueron minimas (2 mm a-1). Los flujos hidricos del dosel mostraron una fuerte correlacion con la cantidad e intensidad de lluvia. En conclusion, el robledal mostro mayor potencial regulador del agua lluvia, seguido por el pinar. El cipresal mostro un muy bajo potencial regulador, con altas y rapidas perdidas de agua por drenaje profundo.
A role for ecology in male mate discrimination of immigrant females in Calopteryx damselflies

Sexual selection against immigrants is a mechanism that can regulate premating isolation between populations but, so far, few field studies have examined whether males can discriminate between immigrant and resident females. Males of the damselfly Calopteryx splendens show mate preferences and are able to force pre-copulatory tandems. We related male mate responses to the ecological characteristics of female origin, geographic distances between populations, and morphological traits of females to identify factors influencing male mate discrimination. Significant heterogeneity between populations in male mate responses towards females was found. In some populations, males discriminated strongly against immigrant females, whereas the pattern was reversed or nonsignificant in other populations. Immigrant females were particularly attractive to males when they came from populations with similar predation pressures and densities of conspecifics. By contrast, immigrant females from populations with strongly dissimilar predation pressures and conspecific densities were not attractive to males. Differences in the abiotic environment appeared to affect mating success to a lesser degree. This suggests that male mate discrimination is context-dependent and influenced by ecological differences between populations, a key prediction of ecological speciation theory. The results obtained in the present study suggest that gene-flow is facilitated between ecologically similar populations. (C) 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 100, 506-518. (Less)
Diversidade polínica das Mimosoideae (Leguminosae) ocorrentes em uma área de caatinga, Pernambuco, Brasil

Mirandiba municipality in Pernambuco, is a prioritary conservation area for caatinga. It has almost 25% of Leguminosae species from the caatinga, where 23 species in 13 genera belong to the Mimosoideae subfamily and 6 species are endemics. The pollen grains of 19 mimosoid taxa were characterized by their pollen grains using light and scanning electron microscopy. All taxa are illustrated and keyed. Pollen morphology of these taxa is varied, mainly regarding pollen units; we found monads in Neptunia and Desmanthus; 8-grain uniplanar polyads in Calliandra depauperata and multiplanar ones in Mimosa spp. and Pityrocarpa moniliformis, tetrads also in Mimosa, polyads with 16 pollen grains in Anadenanthera, Inga, Parapiptadenia, Pithecellobium and Senegalia, and polyads with 32 pollen grains in Chloroleucon and Pithecellobium. Different pollen units allied to other morphometric and ectexine characters were useful to identify most mimosoid taxa from Mirandiba.
Patterns of nymphal development in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, with special reference to phase-dependent growth and extra molting

Extra molting is typically observed in solitarious forms in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. The present study examined the relationships between nymphal development, extra molting and adult body size in this locust by rearing solitarious hatchlings (obtained from isolated-reared locusts) under isolated conditions. Nymphs passed either five or six nymphal stadia and grew at nearly constant rates during all stadia, except for the 2nd and 3rd nymphal stadia in the group with extra molting. Development during the 2nd stadium appeared to have influenced whether the nymphs underwent extra molting, and once reaching the 3rd stadium, their development proceeded at a constant rate depending upon the body weight in this stadium. Nymphs which were relatively small at hatching had smaller body sizes during the nymphal stadia than those which were relatively large at hatching, and tended to undergo extra molting. Nymphs became larger if they underwent extra molting, but in the group with the same number of nymphal molts they tended to attain smaller adult body sizes as nymphal development was prolonged. These results suggested that phase-related nymphal development was influenced not only by body size at hatching but also by nymphal growth during the 2nd stadium.
Genome-based prediction of testcross performance in maize.

Genomic prediction is a newly developed method to predict the genetic potential of selection candidates based on their DNA profile. This thesis is based on two distinct data sets representing maize breeding populations with different genetic substructure. Results are promising for the implementation of genome-enabled prediction of testcross performance in maize. The optimal population for the calibration of prediction models should represent the full genetic and environmental spectrum of the breeding program. The prediction model should account for data heterogeneity, different testers and genotype by environment interactions.
Measurement of Iron-dependence of pupA Promoter Activity by a pup-lux Bioreporter

The promoter region of the pupA gene of Pseudomonas putida WCS358 was fused with the structural genes for bioluminescence (luxCDABE) from Vibrio fischeri, and the resulting fusion plasmid harbored by the WCS358 host. The pup-lux fusion gene was then used for quantitative analysis of the iron-dependence of pupA promoter activity. Factors affecting bioluminescence produced by the pup-lux bioreporter were found to be cell activity, iron-chelator concentrations, Fe(III) concentrations, and nutrient components. Light production rates of the pup-lux bioreporter were inversely dependent upon iron molecules when concentrations were between and 1 in nutrient-poor minimal media, and between 0.1 and 10 mM in nutrient-rich complex media.
Effect of inoculum density of Macrophomina phaseolina on seedling susceptibility of six conifer species

Seedling and transplant mortality from charcoal root rot was a power function of the sclerotial density of M. phaseolina in nursery soil while height and weight of surviving seedlings were negatively correlated with the inoculum density. Abies concolor was most susceptible to mortality followed by Pseudotsuga menziesii, Abies magnifica, Pinus lambertiana, Pinus jeffreyi and Libocedrus decurrens
Bias in vegetation databases? A comparison of stratified-random and preferential sampling.

Aim: Vegetation plots collected since the early 20th century and stored in large vegetation databases are an important source of ecological information. These databases are used for analyses of vegetation diversity and estimation of vegetation parameters, however such analyses can be biased due to preferential sampling of the original data. In contrast, modern vegetation survey increasingly uses stratified-random instead of preferential sampling. To explore how these two sampling schemes affect vegetation analyses, we compare parameters of vegetation diversity based on preferentially sampled plots from a large vegetation database with those based on stratified-random sampling. Location: Moravian Karst and Silesia, Czech Republic. Methods: We compared two parallel analyses of forest vegetation, one based on preferentially sampled plots taken from a national vegetation database and the other on plots sampled in the field according to a stratified-random design. We repeated this comparison for two different regions in the Czech Republic. We focussed on vegetation properties commonly analysed using data from large vegetation databases, including alpha (within-plot) diversity, cover and participation of different species groups, such as endangered and alien species within plots, total species richness of data sets, beta diversity and ordination patterns. Results: The preferentially sampled data sets obtained from the database contained more endangered species and had higher beta diversity, whereas estimates of alpha diversity and representation of alien species were not consistently different between preferentially and stratified-randomly sampled data sets. In ordinations, plots from the preferential samples tended to be more common at margins of plot scatters. Conclusions: Vegetation data stored in large databases are influenced by researcher subjectivity in plot positioning, but we demonstrated that not all of their properties necessarily differ from data sets obtained by stratified-random sampling. This indicates the value of vegetation databases for use in biodiversity studies; however, some analyses based on these databases are clearly biased and their results must be interpreted with caution.