Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Seed Source Variation in Growth Performance and Oil Yield of Jatropha curcas Linn. in Central India

Abstract Results of a seed source evaluation trial of Jatropha curcas Linn. laid out in 1996 at Jabalpur (M.P), a semi arid region of India are reported and discussed. Seeds collected from ten sources from central India representing the states Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra viz. Gondia, Bichia, Balaghat, Niwas, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Nasik, Chindwara, Kundam and Jabalpur were evaluated for their growth performance from nursery stage (3 months) to field (two years). Variation in seed oil content of different sources were also studied and reported. Significant differences between the seed sources at age 27 months were observed for height, collar diameter, number of branches leaf area and field survival. Seeds collected from different sources also varied significantly in respect of seed and kernel weight and oil content in seed/kernel. The Chhindwara (M.P.) source performed the best and yielded a maximum oil of 39.12% from whole seed and 58.12% from kernel. The oil content ranged from 33.02 to 39.12% in whole seeds and 47.08 to 58.12% in kernel, across the seed sources. The performance of Kundam (M.P.), Jabalpur (M.P.), Bichia (M.P.), Niwas (M.P.) and Nasik (Maharashtra) sources were also found satisfactory for oil yield. Results indicate that genetic differences exist between the seed sources of J. curcas. The growth traits showed significant positive correlation with each other. Fair differences between phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variability were observed. Heritability (broad sense) values were fairly good with regard to leaf area, height and collar diameter in comparison to survival percent. The relative performance of these sources was fairly consistent throughout the observation period.
Comparing predictive cyanobacterial models from temperate regions

The global increase in cyanobacterial bloom reports heightens the need for a critical evaluation of models used for their prediction. In particular, it is unclear whether empirical cyanobacterial models vary regionally because of differences in environmental conditions and (or) community composition. To address this question, we applied linear and nonlinear models as well as mixed-effect models to a dataset of seasonally integrated environmental and cyanobacterial measurements collected from 149 lakes spread across three regions in Canada. Across all lakes, we found that linear models outperformed nonlinear approaches and that nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen) were the best predictors of cyanobacterial biomass. Importantly, there was no significant regional difference in predicted cyanobacterial responses to nutrients, even though the means for these variables were different among regions. From canonical correspondence analyses of taxonomic biomass data, temperature, water column stability, and forms of inorganic nitrogen were also important in explaining cyanobacterial community structure at the regional scale. Based on these analyses, we conclude that North American models are suitable for estimating total cyanobacterial biomass from any particular temperate region in Canada.
Gelling polysaccharides from Australian seaweeds: research and potential

This review briefly characterizes the major Australian seaweed groups that elaborate gelling non-fibrillar wall components; it surveys the research, mostly conducted in the past decade, into the structure and potential applications of their polysaccharides. Recent emphasis has been placed on the chemistry of red-algal galactans, which has provided a chemotaxonomic data set against which hypotheses of algal taxonomy and phylogeny derived from classical morphology can be tested. Although there are ongoing environmental and economic impediments to the establishment of seaweed-based industries in Australia, the phycocolloids from Australian-endemic algae show a chemical diversity and potentially exploitable properties unmatched by species from other world regions. Novel gelling polysaccharides are leading to the exploration of structure–property relationships that will in time promote the development of whole new classes of commercial applications. Future advances in the technologies of commercial processing are likely to result from a deeper understanding of the phycocolloid biosynthesis pathways displayed by Australia’s rich genetic store of native seaweeds.
ELISA CORRELATES WITH BIOLOGICAL INDEXING FOR THE DETECTION OF CITRUS PSOROSIS-ASSOCIATED VIRUS

SUMMARY An ELISA kit produced at the Istituto di Fitovirologia Applicata of CNR, Torino, Italy for the detection of citrus psorosis-associated virus (CPsAV) was successfully used to test 4,499 citrus plants of different varieties in nurseries, commercial groves and a germplasm collection of Apulia (Southern Italy). One hundred and seventy trees were indexed for psorosis using ‘Madame Vinous’ sweet orange and ‘Dweet tangor’. From 60 plants that were positive by indexing, mechanical transmissions to herbaceous hosts were attempted. Psorosis was present in most of the citrus varieties, with a low incidence and distribution in commercial groves (7.4% of infected trees) and in the nurseries (4.6% of infected trees). In commercial groves, the local clementine cv. ‘Fedele’ (14.4% of infected trees) and ‘Navelina’ old clone sweet orange (9% of infected trees) were the most infected. The same rate of infection was shown by cv. ‘Fedele’ in the nurseries, whereas the highest infection rates (20.4% of infected trees) were observed in Satsuma ‘Miyagawa’. All the plants that were psorosis-positive by indexing were also positive by ELISA with the sole exception of a cv. ‘Fedele’ source. By contrast, four citrus accessions that indexed negative, were found to be positive by ELISA. Serological tests revealed a high percentage of CPsAV infections in plants indexing positive for concave gum. Only from three plants out of the 60 that indexed positive was a virus with the filamentous particles typical of CPsAV recovered by mechanical inoculation to herbaceous hosts. The demonstration that ELISA can identify psorosis in a sensitive and reliable manner, represents a step forward in favour of serological assays, which can be used for routine testing and as a complement to biological indexing in sanitary selection programmes.
EFFECT OF ROADSIDE BIAS ON THE ACCURACY OF PREDICTIVE MAPS PRODUCED BY BIOCLIMATIC MODELS

Sampling bias is a common phenomenon in records of plant and animal distribution. Yet, models based on such records usually ignore the potential implications of bias in data collection on the accuracy of model predictions. This study was designed to investigate the effect of roadside bias, one of the most common sources of bias in biodiversity databases, on the accuracy of predictive maps produced by bioclimatic models. Using data on the distribution of 129 species of woody plants in Israel, we tested the following hypotheses: (1) that data collected on woody plant distribution in Israel suffer from roadside bias, (2) that such bias affects the accuracy of model predictions, (3) that the road network of Israel is biased with respect to climatic conditions, and (4) that the impact of roadside bias on model predictions depends on the magnitude of climatic bias in the geographic distribution of the road network. As expected, the frequency of plant observations near roads was consistently greater than that ex.
REPRODUCTIVE ISOLATION CAUSED BY NATURAL SELECTION AGAINST IMMIGRANTS FROM DIVERGENT HABITATS

Abstract The classification of reproductive isolating barriers laid out by Dobzhansky and Mayr has motivated and structured decades of research on speciation. We argue, however, that this classification is incomplete and that the unique contributions of a major source of reproductive isolation have often been overlooked. Here, we describe reproductive barriers that derive from the reduced survival of immigrants upon reaching foreign habitats that are ecologically divergent from their native habitat. This selection against immigrants reduces encounters and thus mating opportunities between individuals from divergently adapted populations. It also reduces the likelihood that successfully mated immigrant females will survive long enough to produce their hybrid offspring. Thus, natural selection against immigrants results in distinctive elements of premating and postmating reproductive isolation that we hereby dub “immigrant inviability”. We quantify the contributions of immigrant inviability to total reproductive isolation by examining study systems where multiple components of reproductive isolation have been measured and demonstrate that these contributions are frequently greater than those of traditionally recognized reproductive barriers. The relevance of immigrant inviability is further illustrated by a consideration of population‐genetic theory, a review of selection against immigrant alleles in hybrid zone studies, and an examination of its participation in feedback loops that influence the evolution of additional reproductive barriers. Because some degree of immigrant inviability will commonly exist between populations that exhibit adaptive ecological divergence, we emphasize that these barriers play critical roles in ecological modes of speciation. We hope that the formal recognition of immigrant inviability and our demonstration of its evolutionary importance will stimulate more explicit empirical studies of its contributions to speciation.
Evaluation of the effect of mosquito age and prior exposure to insecticide on pyrethroid tolerance in Anopheles mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract The times for knockdown of resistant and susceptible strains of both Anopheles stephensi Liston (DUB234 and BEECH) and A. gambiae Giles (RSP and KWA), on exposure to a permethrin impregnated net were determined to evaluate the effect of age on susceptibility to permethrin. The mean knockdown times of pyrethroid resistant strains of A. stephensi and A. gambiae were significantly shorter if they were 10 days old (either fed or unfed), as compared with those of newly emerged mosquitoes. Based on KT50 values, the resistance ratios between resistant and susceptible A. stephensi were 3.5 and 2.2 for the newly emerged and 10-day-old mosquitoes, respectively. After 1 h exposure to paper impregnated with 0.25%permethrin, mortality of newly emerged individuals of the susceptible and resistant strains of A. stephensi was significantly less than when they were 10 days old. Irritability by permethrin was less with the resistant strain of A. stephensi. In the other strains irritability declined significantly with age. Pre-exposure of susceptible mosquitoes of BEECH and IRAQ strains of A. stephensi for a short time to permethrin did not increase tolerance when the mosquitoes were re-exposed 24 h later. Because of the age effect and the possibility of an effect of pre-exposure under some circumstances, confirmatory tests on newly emerged F1 individuals reared from wild collected mosquitoes are recommended in monitoring for resistance in wild populations.
In vitro micropropagation of Catharanthus roseus — An anticancer medicinal plant

An efficient protocol was standardized using axillary bud and shoot tip explants of Catharanthus roseus — an anticancer medicinal plant. The highest number of shoots (19.6 shoots / auxiliary node) was observed after 45 days of culture in the MS medium supplemented with NAA (4.0 mg l−1) + BA (4.0 mg l−1). Shoots were proliferated and elongated in the same medium. High frequency of rooting (82.5%) was obtained in half strength MS + IBA (4.0) from axillary bud derived shoots. The rooted plantlets were successfully established in soil.
Fusarium langsethiae - a HT-2 and T-2 toxins producer that needs more attention.

Fusarium langsethiae is a toxigenic fungus that was formally described as a new species in 2004. This fungus was first detailed in the 1990s but was initially referred to as ‘powdery Fusarium poae’ having a spore morphology similar to F. poae but a mycotoxin profile like that of Fusarium sporotrichioides. The species has been isolated from infected oat, wheat and barley grains but has been reported as more problematic in the former crop rather than the latter two. Whilst the epidemiology of F. langsethiae remains unclear, the fungus has been shown to produce high levels of type-A trichothecenes HT-2 and T-2 toxins in small-grain cereals. HT-2 and T-2 toxins are two of the most potent trichothecenes capable of inhibiting protein synthesis in eukaryotes. In this regard, mycotoxin contamination caused by F. langsethiae is clearly a food and feed safety hazard. With the European Commission considering legislation of HT-2 and T-2 toxins, more information is required not only on the producer and conditions favouring mycotoxin production, but also on reliable methods of pathogen detection and reduction of cereal contamination. This review describes recent research concerning the known epidemiology of F. langsethiae and suggestions of what needs to be known about the fungus in order to be able to understand and employ measures for preventing its infection and contamination of cereals with HT-2 and T-2 toxins.
Soil Physical Properties and Potato Yield in No-till, Subsurface-till, and Conventional-till Systems

Conservation tillage using residue from a cover crop grown before potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production has been infrequently and inconclusively studied. The objectives of this study were to 1) conduct a field study to evaluate soil physical properties, and potato growth and yield, in conventional-tillage (CT), no-tillage (NT), and subsurface-tillage (SST) systems and 2) conduct a greenhouse study to evaluate the effect of soil bulk density (ρb) on potato growth and yield. Potatoes (‘Atlantic’) were planted into residue of sorghum–sudangrass [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench x S. sudanense (Piper) Staph] at two sites in eastern North Carolina—Plymouth into Portsmouth fine sandy loam and Lewiston into Norfolk sandy loam. Potatoes in the NT and SST system emerged more slowly than potatoes
Staphylococcus Aureus in Cheddar Cheese

Summary Experiments were carried out to determine the factors affecting the growth of staphylococci in raw milk and Cheddar cheese. Milk with a relatively low standard plate count was found to support an active growth at 32° C. and a moderate growth at 22° C. ; whereas, almost no growth took place, even at 32° C. , in milk with a high standard plate count. Large numbers of staphylococci in milk would he most apt to occur when bacteriologically clean milk is held at a fairly high temperature. Staphylococci grew poorly during cheese-making and most of them were concentrated in the curd. The initial staphylococcus count of milk seems to be the most important factor determining the number of staphylococci in cheese. Prompt cooling of milk after milking and heat treatment before cheese-making are suggested to minimize any public health hazard associated with the presence of staphylococci in cheese.
Protective effect of Launaea procumbens against KBrO3 induced nephrotoxicity in rats

Launaea procumbens is traditionally used in the treatment of renal dysfunction. In the present study, protective effects of L. procumbens against KBrO3-induced nephrotoxicity in rat were determined. In this study, 24 male albino rats (195 to 200 g) were equally divided into 4 groups. Group I was given saline (1 ml/kg b.w., 0.85% NaCl) and DMSO (1 ml/kg b.w.); Group II was treated with KBrO3 (30 mg/kg b.w., i.p.); Groups III and IV administered with KBrO3 and after 48 h with L. procumbens (100; 200 mg/kg b.w.). All the treatments were given twice a week for 6 weeks. The results revealed that KBrO3 induced oxidative stress as evidenced by the significant depletion (P < 0.01) of antioxidant enzymes (catalase CAT, superoxide dismutase, SOD, glutathione-S-transferase, GST, glutathione reductase; GSR, glutathione peroxidase GSH-px and quinone reductas, QR) and glutathione contents while enhanced markedly (P < 0.01) tissue nitrite, lipid peroxidation and hydrogen peroxide level in kidney. Coadministration revealed that L. procumbens methanol extract significantly (P < 0.01) protect the liver against KBrO3 mediated oxidative damage by restoring activity of antioxidant enzyme and lipid peroxidation which might be due to the presence plant bioactive constituents.
Mapping quantitative trait loci controlling agronomic traits in the spring wheat cross RL4452 × 'AC Domain'

Relatively little is known about the genetic control of agronomic traits in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) compared with traits that follow Mendelian segregation patterns. A doubled-haploid population was generated from the cross RL4452 × 'AC Domain' to study the inheritance of the agronomic traits: plant height, time to maturity, lodging, grain yield, test weight, and 1000-grain weight. This cross includes the genetics of 2 western Canadian wheat marketing classes. Composite interval mapping was conducted with a microsatellite linkage map, incorporating 369 loci, and phenotypic data from multiple Manitoba environments. The plant height quantitative trait loci (QTLs), QHt.crc-4B and QHt.crc-4D, mapped to the expected locations of Rht-B1 and Rht-D1. These QTLs were responsible for most of the variation in plant height and were associated with other agronomic traits. An additional 25 agronomic QTLs were detected in the RL4452 × 'AC Domain' population beyond those associated with QHt.crc-4B and QHt.crc-.
COMPARISON ON THE ACCEPTABILITY of MUDAFFARA CHEESE USING BLACK CUMIN and SESAME SEEDS DURING STORAGE

This study was conducted in order to compare the effect of adding black cumin and sesame seed on the acceptability of Mudaffara cheese that preserved with or without its whey. The cheese was prepared from fresh cow's milk using two types of flavors; black cumin and sesame seed. The cheese was divided into four portions (800 grams each) and treated as follows: two portions were stored in the whey (cheese with black cumin and cheese with sesame) and the other two portions were stored without whey for 4 8 months. All cheese samples were packed into plastic bags and stored at the refrigerator temperature (8°C) and were subjected to evaluation of the organoliptic quality every week during the storage to monitoring their acceptability. The cheese samples stored without whey showed a shorter shelf life compared to those stored in the whey and were deteriorated at week 4. On the other hand, the samples stored in the whey showed significantly (P<0.001) longer shelf life that extended up to 7 weeks. The present study found that all Mudaffara cheeses showed changes in scores of appearance, flavor, taste, saltiness and texture during storage. Moreover all the cheese samples revealed high acceptability according to the panelists. Hence the present study concluded that sesame seeds can be used as additive for flavoring for Mudaffara cheese.
Isolation of plasmid-DNA from synthetic detergent degraders in wastewater from a tropical environment

The ‘Tens Mini‐prep’ (Alkali ‐ lysis) and the large ‐ scale plasmid‐DNA isolation methods were used to extract bacterial plasmids from the synthetic detergent‐degraders from a tropical wastewater environment. The plasmid-profile of selected bacterial detergent‐degraders was successfully detected with the large-scale (Maxi. Prep.) plasmid preparation method and the curing of the plasmids was successfully conducted which showed that the isolates harbor single plasmids (14 ‐ 15 kbp) within the size range of the � ‐ PST marker (0.2 ‐ 12 kbp) used. It was evident that the genetic information for detergent‐hydrocarbon utilization was not plasmid mediated since the cured isolates grew on detergent supplemented medium after plasmid was removed. The bacterial and fungal isolates were characterized and identified by standard and conventional methods. Future studies with PCR and DNA sequence analysis would reveal the DNA fingerprint of each species of the detergent ‐ degraders; this would enhance the processes of surveillance for these organisms in similar ecosystems and the detection of new serotypes as well as assist in environmental impact assessment (EIA) study for sustainable development.
Biomonitoring study of deoxynivalenol exposure and association with typical cereal consumption in Swedish adults

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin of the trichothecene family commonly found in cereals infested with different Fusarium species. DON acts primarily on the gastrointestinal and immune system and is suspected to be an underlying agent causing several outbreaks of gastrointestinal disorder among humans, which prompts studies of human exposure and estimations of intake among populations. However, assessing human exposure to mycotoxins is associated with several difficulties. Therefore, a study was undertaken among adults (18-80 years) in a subgroup of Riksmaten, the Swedish national survey investigating dietary habits, examining both the association between urinary DON concentration and dietary intake of cereals, and estimations of daily DON intake. The results indicate that exposure to DON is common among Swedish adults, as this mycotoxin was detected in 292 out of 326 urine samples (90%) at levels ranging from non-detectable to 65.8 ng DON/ml urine with a median level of 2.9 ng/ml. Furthermore, urinary D.
The Neurochip: A Complete System for Long-Term Investigation of Cultured Neural Network Connectivity

Traditional techniques for investigating cultured neural networks, such as the patch clamp and multi-electrode array, are limited by 1) the number of identified cells which can be in simultaneous electrical contact, 2) the length of time for which cells can be studied, and 3) the lack of 1:1 neuron-to-electrode specificity. Here, I present a novel device---dubbed the ``neurochip"--- which overcomes these limitations. This micromachined device consists of 4x4 array of ``neurocages" which mechanically trap a neuron near an extracellular electrode. While the cell body is trapped, the axon and dendrites can freely grow into the surrounding area to form a network. The electrode is bi-directional, capable of both stimulating and recording action potentials. This system is noninvasive, so that an entire network---all constituent neurons---can be studied over its lifetime with fixed 1:1 neuron-to-electrode correspondence. Proof-of-concept experiments have been completed to illustrate that functional networks do indeed form in the neurochip system, and that suprathreshold connectivity can be fully mapped over several weeks. The neurochip opens a new domain in neurobiology for studying small cultured neural networks.
Studies on the Anatomy of Cimex lectularius. I

The anatomy of the bed-bug has been described many times by other writers. There is therefore no intention in the present paper of dealing with more than those parts of the anatomy which have been described incorrectly or insufficiently or have been omitted from the descriptions. Such are the mouth-parts, salivary pump, salivary glands and nephrocytes and with these subjects accordingly this paper deals exclusively.
BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS CRY1AC RESISTANCE MONITORING PROGRAM FOR TOBACCO BUDWORM AND BOLLWORM IN 2004

The susceptibility of the tobacco budworm (Heliothis virescens [F.]) and bollworm (Helicoverpa zea [Boddie]) populations from 14 cotton-producing states to Cry1Ac protein of Bacillus thuringiensis was monitored for the eighth consecutive year in 2003. The survivorship of first generation larvae obtained from mass mating males captured in pheromone traps near cotton fields (wild population) with laboratory-adapted females (susceptible strain), was determined at 2 diagnostic concentrations for each species plus an untreated control. Survivorship of those larvae was compared to survivorship of the laboratory strain. Survival of the 40 strains of Heliothis virescens and 97 strains of Helicoverpa zea tested between April and October, 2003 was not elevated above that in the susceptible strain using current methodology. However, the current method does have limitations, and additions and modifications to that methodology are discussed.