Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular and morphological characterisation of Xiphinema americanum-group species (Nematoda: Dorylaimida) from California, USA, and other regions, and co-evolution of bacteria from the genus Candidatus Xiphinematobacter with nematodes

The Xiphinema americanum -group is a large species complex containing more than 50 nematode species. They are economically important because they are vectors of nepoviruses. The species differentiation of X. americanum -group is problematic because the species share similar morphological characters. In the present study we collected nematode samples from different locations in the USA, Italy and Russia. Six valid species, X. americanum s. str. , X. brevicolle , X. californicum , X. pachtaicum , X. rivesi and X. simile , and four unidentified putative Xiphinema species were characterised by morphology and sequencing of D2-D3 of 28S rRNA, ITS1 rRNA and mitochondrial COI genes. New nematode sequences generated totalled 147. Phylogenetic relationships of the X. americanum -group species reconstructed by Bayesian inference for D2-D3 of 28S rRNA gene sequences did not provide clear species delimitation of the samples studied, although the mtDNA presented interspecific variations useful for demarcation among species. Xiphinema americanum s. str. , X. californicum , X. pachtaicum , X. rivesi , and two unidentified Xiphinema species were found in 72 soil samples from California. We also reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships using partial 16S rRNA gene sequences within endosymbiotic bacteria of the genus Candidatus Xiphinematobacter and provided solid evidence for distinguishing 17 species of this genus based on the analysis of new and previously published sequences. Fifty-five new bacterial sequences were obtained in the present study and comparison of the bacterial 16S rRNA and nematode COI phylogenies revealed a high level of co-speciation events between host and symbiont.
Pear Fruit Growth and the Use of Diameter to Estimate Fruit Volume and Weight

From the mean of weekly measurements of diameter, volume, and weight of the pear (Pyrus communis L. ‘Bartlett’ and ‘Packham Triumph’), equations were developed for predicting fruit volume and weight from diameter. Equations also are presented for the relationship between days from full bloom and diameter and length (linearly related) and volume, fresh weight, and dry weight (curvilinearly related).
Multiple Haemoglobins of the Bivalve Mollusc Anadara Trapezia

The respiratory proteins of the invertebrate marine mollusc A. trapezia have been separated by a combination of gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. There is a major tetrameric haemoglobin, HbI, of molecular weight approximately 67000 and two minor polymorphic haemoglobins HbIIa and HbIIb that are dimeric with molecular weight approximately 31000, in agreement with previous reports in the literature.
Sterol composition of rosacease glyceride oils

The composition of free and esterified sterols of 8 Rosaceae glyceride oils (peach, apricot, plum, cherry, morello-cherry, apple, pear, and quince) was investigated by thin layer chromatography, spectrophotometry and gas liquid chromatography. β-sitosterol (52.3-88.3%) predominated in both sterol fractions, followed by stigmasterol derivatives (4.2-20.6%). Higher content of cholesterol in sterol esters was found. Fatty acid composition of triacyglycerols and sterol esters were determined too. Sterol esters contain higher quantities of saturated fatty acids mainly palmitic (15.0-51.5%) and stearic (3.1-9.9%) than the corresponding triacylglycerols.
Local diversity of tropical and temperature ant faunas (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Qualitative and quantitative collections of ants made in the region of Manaus, Brazil (evergreen tropical humid forest), and in western North Carolina, USA (deciduous temperate/wet forest), were undertaken to investigate. latitudinal patterns of ant diversity and community organization on regional and local scales. We have found to date 307 ant species in the Municipality of Manaus. Totals ranging from 134 to 270+ species have been reported in the literature for other tropical regions of less than 10,000km2. In contrast, temperate ant surveys generally report only SO to 150 species in similar or larger areas. Sampling at sardine baits set 10m apart on square grids, we found forest ecosystems near Manaus to be much richer and more diverse in ants than those sampled in North Carolina: 28 species vs. 5-10 species in 50 collections and 16 vs. 3 previously unrecorded species discovered with each doubling of sample size. Room's (1975a) results from climatically simllar Papua New Guinea forest agree closely with those from Manaus. We suggest that one important factor contributing to the increased diversity of tropical, omnivorous ants may be greater variety of nest sites available for specialization.
Developmental and peripheral nerve injury-induced changes of afferent synapses in the somatosensory thalamus

2009 Contents Chapter 1: Postnatal development of afferent synapses in the somatosensory thalamus of mice Abstract 1 Introduction 2 Materials and Methods 5 Results 14 Discussion 21 Figures 30 Chapter 2: Peripheral nerve injury-induced remodeling of afferent synapses in the somatosensory thalamus of mice Abstract 44 Introduction 46 Materials and Methods 48 Results 56 Discussion 71 Figures 80 Chapter 3: General discussion Discussion 110 Figures and Tables 116 Future direction 118 Acknowledgements 113 References 120 Chapter 1: Developmental changes of lemniscal synapses Chapter 1: Development of afferent synapses in the somatosensory thalamus of mice Abstract Lemniscal synapses in the ventroposterior medial (VPM) thalamic nucleus are afferent synapses, at which somatosensory information from the trigeminal nuclei is transmitted. Functional development of lemniscal synapses has been already described on postnatal days 7-24 (P7-24) in mice; however, precise time course of the entire postnatal development remains unknown. Here, I propose three distinct stages of developmental remodeling at lemniscal synapses based on synaptic properties and innervation patterns of lemniscal fibers onto a relay neuron. My findings are as follows: (1) During the first stage (P0-6), the number of lemniscal fibers which innervate a relay neuron increases. The amplitude of total lemniscal EPSCs via both NMDA and AMPA receptors rapidly grows at the end of this stage. (2) During the second stage (P7-20), redundant lemniscal fibers are dramatically eliminated. As a result, a relay neuron becomes monoinnervated by P21. Silent lemniscal synapses disappear during this stage. The AMPAR/NMDAR ratio of EPSC gradually increases in a similar time course. Moreover, the decay time of AMPAR-mediated EPSCs becomes shorter during this stage. A switch of alternative splice variants of AMPA receptor subunits (from flip to flop) underlies the phenomenon. (3) During the third stage (P21~), all synaptic properties are stable, indicating that the development is already completed.
Pedotransfer functions to estimate bulk density from soil properties and environmental covariates: Rio Doce basin

Soil bulk density (ρb) data are needed for a wide range of environmental studies. However, ρb is rarely reported in soil surveys. An alternative to obtain ρb for data-scarce regions, such as the Rio Doce basin in southeastern Brazil, is indirect estimation from less costly covariates using pedotransfer functions (PTF). This study primarily aims to develop region-specific PTFs for ρb using multiple linear regressions (MLR) and random forests (RF). Secondly, it assessed the accuracy of PTFs for data grouped into soil horizons and soil classes. For that purpose, we compared the performance of PTFs compiled from the literature with those developed here. Two groups of data were evaluated as covariates: 1) readily available soil properties and 2) maps derived from a digital elevation model and MODIS satellite imagery, jointly with lithological and pedological maps. The MLR model was applied step-wise to select significant predictors and its accuracy assessed by means of cross-validation. The PTFs developed using all data estimated ρb from soil properties by MLR and RF, with R2 of 0.41 and 0.51, respectively. Alternatively, using environmental covariates, RF predicted ρb with R2 of 0.41. Grouping criteria did not lead to a significant increase in the estimates of ρb. The accuracy of the ‘regional’ PTFs developed for this study was greater than that found with the ‘compiled’ PTFs. The best PTF will be firstly used to assess soil carbon stocks and changes in the Rio Doce basin.
The effects of enzymes and direct fed microbial combination on performance and immune response of broilers under a coccidia challenge

This study evaluated the effect of an enzyme blend (xylanase, amylase and protease; XAP) in combination with a direct fed microbial (DFM) containing three strains of Bacillus spp. on intestinal histology, immune response and performance of broilers. Four dietary treatments were tested in a 2 × 2 factorial trial, including two levels of challenge (without or with coccidial infection), two levels of feed additive (with or without XAP and DFM). Diets were fed ad libitum to male Cobb500 broilers in mash feeds from 1–21 days of age, with eight replicate pens per treatment within brooder-batteries with raised wire floors and built up litter, housing six birds per pen. A mild challenge was introduced by oral gavage at day five to the challenged birds, using a six-fold concentration of coccidial vaccine. A high fibre basal diet formulated with rye and wheat middlings was used to further increase the challenge. Body weight and feed intake were measured and feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated during starter (1–12 d), grower (12–21 d) and overall 1–21 days. Intestinal morphology and immune response parameters were measured on day 12 and 21. Compared to the unchallenged groups, the coccidial challenge reduced (P Bacillus- based DFM may reduce the damage and performance losses induced by coccidial challenge.
Amino acid uptake by a natural population of Oscillatoria rubescens in relation to uptake by bacterioplankton

Electron microscopy autoradiography of ultra-thin sections of O. rubescens demonstrated their intra-cellular label and confirm the ability of O. rubescens to utilize amino acids at natural concentrations and to compete with bacteria for this uptake. The significance of amino acid uptake for O. rubescens is discussed
Performance and economic analysis of finished lambs in feedlot

Objetivou-se avaliar o desempenho zootecnico e economico de cordeiros mesticos (½ Santa Ines + ½ Sulfolk), em confinamento, recebendo diferentes dietas a base de feno de genotipos de Cynodon dactylon , atraves do uso de indicadores financeiros considerando o periodo de confinamento, sem relaciona-lo com o manejo de ciclo completo. Foram utilizados 30 cordeiros, machos, nao castrados, mesticos Suffolk, identificados com brinco na orelha, com media de idade de 90 dias e peso corporal medio de 21,5 kg. As dietas foram formuladas utilizando um concentrado padrao e feno dos seguintes genotipos de Cynodon dactylon : Jiggs, Vaquero, Tifton 68, Coast-Cross, Tifton 85 e Russel, em uma relacao volumoso concentrado de 60:40, constituindo os tratamentos, distribuidos em um delineamento em blocos casualizados com 5 repeticoes. Houve diferenca significativa entre as dietas para as despesas totais com a alimentacao, sendo os maiores valores para o Jiggs (BRL 48,96/animal). Os animais que receberam dietas a base de feno de Tifton 68 apresentaram maior taxa de retorno (2,16%) e lucratividade (34,63%) em relacao as demais dietas. A utilizacao de dietas a base de feno de Tifton 68 para cordeiros em fase terminacao, em confinamento, permite obter maior rentabilidade economica em relacao as demais dietas.
Latitudinal and altitudinal patterns of plant community diversity on mountain summits across the tropical Andes

The high tropical Andes host one of the richest alpine floras of the world, with exceptionally high levels of endemism and turnover rates. Yet, little is known about the patterns and processes that structure altitudinal and latitudinal variation in plant community diversity. Herein we present the first continental-scale comparative study of plant community diversity on summits of the tropical Andes. Data were obtained from 792 permanent vegetation plots (1m2) within 50 summits, distributed along a 4200 km transect; summit elevations ranged between 3220 and 5498 m.a.s.l. We analyzed the plant community data to assess: (1) differences in species abundance patterns in summits across the region, (2) the role of geographic distance in explaining floristic similarity, and (3) the importance of altitudinal and latitudinal environmental gradients in explaining plant community composition and richness. On the basis of species abundance patterns, our summit communities were separated into two major groups: Puna and Paramo. Floristic similarity declined with increasing geographic distance between study-sites, the correlation being stronger in the more insular Paramo than in the Puna (corresponding to higher species turnover rates within the Paramo). Ordination analysis (CCA) showed that precipitation, maximum temperature and rock cover were the strongest predictors of community similarity across all summits. Generalized Linear Model (GLM) quasi-Poisson regression indicated that across all summits species richness increased with maximum air temperature and above-ground necromass and decreased on summits where scree was the dominant substrate. Our results point to different environmental variables as key factors for explaining vertical and latitudinal species turnover and species richness patterns on high Andean summits, offering a powerful tool to detect contrasting latitudinal and altitudinal effects of climate change across the tropical Andes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Green Manure Intercropped with Okra for Spontaneous Plant Suppression

Spontaneous plants are biological factors that compromise the yield of vegetables. The hypothesis is that green manure intercropped with okra suppress spontaneous plants and increase the production of this vegetable. The research aimed to evaluate the viability of green manure intercropped with okra to suppress spontaneous plants and increase vegetable productivity. The design was in randomized blocks with four replications and 10 treatments: cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L). Walp. ], sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.), velvet bean [Mucuna nivea (L.) DC. ] and dwarf pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Huth] intercropping and monoculture with two controls without green manure. The green manure reduced the dry mass of spontaneous plants but did not increase the production of okra. The average values of the equivalent area index (EAI) in all intercropping were higher than one. Green manure is efficient in suppressing spontaneous plants, but to increase the productivity of the okra, adjustments must be made in the green manure-okra intercropping.
A New Genus of Rhysipoline Wasp (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) with Modified Wing Venation from Africa and Papua New Guinea, Parasitoid on Choreutidae (Lepidoptera)

Abstract Troporhysipolis gen. nov. with four included species is described and illustrated. The type species, Clinocentrus antefurcalis Granger, 1949, is Afrotropical with unknown biology. We additionally recognise three new species from eastern lowland of Papua New Guinea, T. brenthiaphagus sp. nov., T. markshawi sp. nov. and T. molecularis sp. nov., all three of which were reared from leaf-rolling larvae of the family Choreutidae (Lepidoptera). The genus can be distinguished by the combination of fore wing vein cu-a (nervulus) being antefurcal and the second subdiscal (brachial) cell subparallel-sided, widened and formed of mainly thickened veins. The new genus is tentatively placed in the Rhysipolinae based on the arrangement of the occipital and hypostomal carinae, and partly on molecular phylogenetic analysis using the barcoding cytochrome oxidase 1 gene fragment and the D2 variable region of nuclear 28S rDNA. T. molecularis sp. nov. hardly differs from T. brenthiaphagus sp. nov. morphologically and is distinguished primarily based on its barcoding sequence data.
A Note on the Karyotype of the Amphibian Pelophylax Bedriagae from Jordan

New data are presented on the karyotype of the Levant Water Frog, Pelophylax bedriagae, from Jordan. 26 chromosomes were observed for both male and female Pelophylax bedriagae. Seven chromosomes are metacentric (chromosomes 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9) and six are submetacentric (chromosomes 2, 4, 10, 11, 12 and 13). This is the first study on the karyotype of the Jordanian amphibians.
Disc Desiccation in Low Impact Young Trauma Victims

Objective: To consider evidence that indicates disc desiccation occurs with regularity in young individuals, despite reports to the contrary. Clinical Features: The clinical histories of 168 chiropractic patients under the age of 50 were reviewed in such a manner that individual patients cannot be identified. Outcome: 20 individuals under the age of 50 were found to exhibit disc desiccation, an occurrence of approximately 12%. It was also indicated that disc desiccation appears to occur with slightly greater frequency in women. Conclusion: Disc desiccation is more prevalent in young trauma victims than was previously believed. Concern regarding sample size was discussed, as were suggestions for further research, such as larger sample size, consideration of the direction of impact, the effects of health or obesity upon the occurrence and/or degree of injury.
Time and environment explain the current richness distribution of non‐marine turtles worldwide

Ecological, historical, and evolutionary hypotheses are important to explain geographical diversity gradients in many clades, but few studies have combined them into a single analysis allowing a comparison of their relative importance. This study aimed to evaluate the relative importance of ecological, historical, and evolutionary hypotheses in explaining the current global distribution of non-marine turtles, a group whose distribution patterns are still poorly explored. We used data from distribution range maps of 336 species of non-marine turtles, environmental layers, and phylogeny to obtain richness estimates of these animals in 2o x 2o cells and predictors related to ecological, evolutionary and historical hypotheses driving richness patterns. Then we used a path analysis to evaluate direct and indirect effects of the predictors on turtle richness. Ancestral area reconstruction was also performed in order to evaluate the influence of time-for-speciation in the current diversity of the group. We found that environmental variables had the highest direct effects on non-marine turtle richness, whereas diversification rates and area available in the last 55 million years minimally influenced turtle distributions. We found evidence for the time-for-speciation effect, since regions colonized early were generally richer than recently colonized regions. In addition, regions with a high number of colonization events had a higher number of turtle species. Our results suggested that ecological processes may influence non-marine turtle richness independent of diversification rates, but probably related to dispersal abilities. However, colonization time was also an important component that must be taken into account. Finally, our study provided additional support for the importance of ecological (climate and productivity) and historical (time-for-speciation and dispersal) processes in shaping current biodiversity patterns. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Age, growth, reproductive biology and spawning periodicity of the forktail rabbitfish (Siganus argenteus) from the Mariana Islands

In the present study, life-history traits of importance to fisheries management were estimated for the forktail rabbitfish (Siganus argenteus) based on fishery-dependent samples collected over a 2-year period in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Age-based and reproductive information was derived from analysis of sagittal otoliths and gonads. The species is short-lived, with a maximum age of 7+ years, and females reach sexual maturity at ~1.3 years (21.8-cm fork length). Age distributions and total mortality rates were similar between sexes. However, females on average reached larger asymptotic sizes, with estimates of mean asymptotic length exceeding that of males by 2cm. Reproductive cycles, based on temporal variation in gonadosomatic index values and proportional frequency of active ovaries, demonstrated two annual activity peaks, consistent across 2years of sampling. Peak spawning occurred from March to May–June, whereas a second, smaller peak spanned August and September. In the Mariana Islands, S. argenteus represents a short-lived species with potential for rapid population turnover; 85% of the population is under 3years of age, whereas approximately half of all harvested individuals have reached reproductive maturity. Derived estimates of natural and fishing mortality indicate minimal concerns for the long-term fishery sustainability of this species under present levels of exploitation.
Potential of Chitinolytic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SAHA 12.07 and Serratia marcescens KAHN 15.12 as Biocontrol Agents of Ganoderma boninense

The objective of this research was to screen and identify of chitinolytic bacteria which have an ability to inhibit the growth of G. boninense and also to characterize its chitinase activity on degrading the chitin of G. boninense. Screening of chitinolytic bacteria against G. boninense by using dual culture method on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) showed that bacterial isolates SAHA 12.07 and KAHN 15.12 had the highest percentage inhibition of 68,19 and 40, 29%, respectively. Based on 16S rRNA identifications, SAHA 12.07 and KAHN 15.12 were identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Serratia marcescens, respectively. Isolate SAHA 12.07 produced optimum chitinase at 48 h and KAHN 15.12 at 54 h of incubation in chitin medium. Crude chitinase of SAHA 12.07 and KAHN 15.12 have precipitated by acetone at 60 and 20%, respectively. Chitinase activity had active at pH 4-10 and temperature about 20-80°C. In vitro lysis of G. boninense bioassay showed that the chitinase of SAHA 12.07 and KAHN 15.12 were capable to inhibit the growth of mycelium G. boninense and could release of N-acetylglucosamine by incubation of G. boninense with partially purified enzyme.