Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Total β-carotene content of orange sweetpotato cultivated under optimal conditions and at a rural village

At community level, sweetpotato is often cultivated in marginal soils, with low agricultural inputs and is harvested when needed. Total β-carotene content of orange sweetpotato harvested four, five and six months after planting at optimal cultivation conditions and at a rural village was determined. Compared to those produced under optimal conditions, sweetpotato produced under rural village conditions were smaller, had higher β-carotene content and required a smaller serving size to provide 100% of the dietary vitamin A requirements. Harvesting at four, five and six months after planting at a rural village showed gradual increases in β-carotene content; no change was observed under optimal conditions. Differences in β-carotene content due to harvesting time and management level should be considered in food-based interventions addressing vitamin A deficiency.
Cinética de degradação da matéria orgânica de biossólidos após aplicação no solo e relação com a composição química inicial

The aim of this study was to evaluate biosolids degradation after soil application, in relation to the initial organic matter (OM) chemical composition of the residue. Four biosolids and sewage sludge compost differentiated by being originated from different waste systems and/or sludge stabilization process and/or chemical conditioning to dehydration and/or additional treatment to adequate the residue for agricultural application were used. Biosolids degradation was determinated in a experiment done to quantify CO2 emitted from Oxisol samples incubated with biosolids in a dose correspondent to 40 t ha1. The degradation rates of biosolids organic matter were between 5% - 22%. In general, the biosolids organic matter decomposition was described by a two-stage equation of chemical kinetics: the first stage showed high decomposition velocity and organic compounds exhausted in few days (2 to 20 days); whereas the second stage had a reduced decomposition velocity in comparison to the first phase, and a relative increase of mineralized carbon (³ 65% of total degraded carbon during all incubation period). Gross protein, expressed as organic residue content, was the parameter better correlated with biosolids degradation rate at the end of 70 days of incubation (r = 0.999 e Prob. > t lower than 10-4), its utilization being prospective to biosolids organic matter degradation after addition to soils. Protein pool participation increased with incubation time, indicating that in the beginning of the experiment more labile organic compounds worked as carbon and energy sources for the edafic microbiota.
Riparian zones: where biogeochemistry meets biodiversity in management practice

Riparian zones are well known for their inherent ecological properties related to biogeochemical cycles, biodiversity, and catchment management. The international MAB/UNESCO programme which was running between 1988 and 1998 was related to the land/water ecotones, mainly riparian zones. This article, inspired by this programme – seeks to highlight the role of riparian processes on biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity under different climatic conditions. Their role is investigated by focusing on: i) the lateral ecotone between land and water systems, ii) their longitudinal corridor structure and, iii) the drywet cycles. This information is then used to suggest the value of riparian zones in landscape management. We emphasize the key roles of the ecotonal structure, longitudinal connectivity and timing of the occurrence of wet-dry cycles for riparian zones to process nitrate fluxes and to maintain high levels of biodiversity at the landscape scale. In the context of the worldwide transformations of flow regimes, the deterioration of water quality and loss of biodiversity, restoring riparian zones is both a key objective and a formidable challenge that implies envisioning the consequences of management actions on the long term, considering entire river basins, and paying attention to other environmental, regional and global changes.
Genome size and chromosome number in the New Zealand species of Schoenus (Cyperaceae)

Schoenus (Cyperaceae) has holocentric chromosomes. Chromosome numbers were counted and nuclear DNA amounts were measured for all the New Zealand species of the genus. Chromosome numbers ranged from 2n = 8 to c . 2 n = 90. Two chromosome races, with 2n = 28 and 2n = 56, were found in S. pauciflorus. Flow cytometry using propidium iodide-stained nuclei was used to measure genome size. A 14.8-fold variation in 2C DNA content was found, with values ranging from 1.33 to 19.71 pg/2C nucleus. Phylogenetic trees based on sequence variation in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the 45S ribosomal DNA locus were constructed using several phylogenetic models to reveal possible evolutionary relationships among the New Zealand Schoenus spp. and a sample of Australian Schoenus spp. Analysis revealed heterogeneity of chromosome number, size and DNA C value within clades. Meiosis in four species showed only bivalent formation at metaphase I. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 169, 555–564. ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS: flow cytometry – holocentric chromosomes – ITS phylogeny.
Potassium Requirements for Maximum Yield and Fruit Quality of Processing Tomato

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. mineral nutrition, magnesium, Lycopersicon esculentum ABSTRACT. A survey of 140 processing tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) fields in central California was conducted in 1996-97 to examine the relationship between K nutrition and fruit quality for processing. Quality parameters evaluated were soluble solids (SS), pH, color of a blended juice sample, and the percent of fruit affected by the color disorders yellow shoulder (YS) or internal white tissue (IWT). Juice color and pH were not correlated with soil K availability or plant K status. SS was correlated with both soil exchangeable K and midseason leaf K concentration ( r = 0.25 and 0.28, p < 0.01) but the regression relationships suggested that the impact of soil or plant K status on fruit SS was minor. YS and IWT incidence, which varied among fields from 0% to 68% of fruit affected, was negatively correlated with K status of both soil and plant. Soil exchangeable K/√Mg ratio was the measure of soil K availability most closely correlated with percent total color disorders (YS + IWT, r = -0.45, p < 0.01). In field trials conducted to document the relationship between soil K availability and the fruit color disorders, soil application of either K or gypsum (CaSO 4, to increase K/√Mg ratio) reduced YS and total color disorders. Multiple foliar K applications were effective in reducing fruit color disorders at only one of two sites. In no field trial did K application improve yield, SS, or juice color. California is a leader in processing tomato production, growing nearly 40% of world supply. Most fruit is processed into concen- trated paste, but an increasing percentage of the crop is being used for products using peeled fruit, either whole or diced. Important fruit quality attributes for paste production are soluble solids content (SS) and color of the blended product. Uniformity of color is more important for peeled fruit; even a small area of poorly colored tissue is problematic. Uneven ripening of processing tomatoes is a common problem in California. The typical external symptom is a ring of tissue around the stem scar that upon ripening remains yellow; this symptom, called yellow shoulder (YS), can range in severity from only a few mm wide to discoloration of the top third of the fruit. Internal white tissue (IWT), which can occur throughout the pericarp, is often severe enough to render affected fruit unsuitable for use in peeled, diced products. The occurrence of these disorders has been frequent, but unpredictable.
Advancing Social Justice Training through a Difficult Dialogue Initiative: Reflections From Facilitators and Participants

Our society continues to be plagued with rampant acts of racism, sexism, xenophobia, transphobia, misogyny, and hate crimes. More so than ever before, engaging in difficult dialogues across differences is imperative. Counseling psychologists are equipped with a multitude of skills that make them uniquely suited to be leaders in effective dialogue engagement. This article provides an overview of a time-limited social justice training opportunity for emerging counseling psychologists called Community Conversations. Community Conversations are designated brave spaces where small groups of college students from varying backgrounds are invited to engage in facilitated interactive and experiential dialogues that explore difficult topics related to power, privilege, and marginalization. The current study examined the multi-tiered impact of the Community Conversations Initiative on both graduate student facilitators and undergraduate participants. We discuss results and practical implications.
Rhodococcus luteus Is a Later Subjective Synonym of Rhodococcus fascians

The results of DNA-DNA hybridization studies and 16S ribosomal DNA sequence comparisons and chemotaxonomic data clearly indicated that Rhodococcus luteus Nesterenko et al. 1982 (O. A. Nesterenko, T. M. Nogina, S. A. Kasumova, E. I. Kvasnikow, and S. G. Batrakov, Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 32:1-14, 1982) and Rhodococcus fascians (Tilford) Goodfellow 1984 (M. Goodfellow, Syst. Appl. Microbiol. 5:225-229, 1984) represent a single species. On the basis of priority R. luteus must be considered a later subjective synonym of R. fascians.
Natural occurring regulatory T cells: role of transcription factor FOXP3 and new approaches improving Treg-cell based therapy

7 Acknowledgements 9 1: General Introduction 13 1.1. Immune tolerance and suppressor T cells: history 1.2. Role of FOXP3 in the development of Treg cells 1.3. Molecular chracteristic of trascription factor FOXP3 1.4. Characteristics of human CD4CD25FOXP3 regulatory T cells 1.5. Thymic and peripheral origin of Treg cells 1.6. Regulatory T cells and immuno-suppression 1.7. Maintenance of steady state immune homeostasis 1.8. Stability of human CD4CD25FOXP3 Treg cells 1.9. Heterogeneity of human FOXP3 Treg cells 1.10. Treg cells as cell therapy 2: Part I: Role of Forkhead Trascription Factor FOXP3 on Cd25 gene trans-activation 65 2.
The life history and ecology of the snow alga Chloromonas polyptera comb. nov. (Chlorophyta, Volvocales)

Snow algae previously designated as Carteria nivale, Scotiella polyptera, S. polyptera var. polimantii, and S. polyptera var. magellanica were found to be developmental stages of the zygote of Chloromonas polyptera comb. nov. Five species of Scotiella from snow have now been identified as zygotes of different specis of Chloromonas. In this life cycle, biflagellate vegetative cells, zoospores, gametes, and sexual reproduction are reported for the first time. The different forms of the zygote have been reported previously in the literature from several parts of the world, but have been misinterpreted as several distinct taxa of snow algae. The stages in the life cycle of Chloromonas polyptera occur in old, rapidly melting snowbanks, usually less than 30 cm deep. In the same snowbanks, zygotes of C. polyptera germinate later than those reported for Chloromonas nivalis, Chloromonas brevispina, and Chloromonas pichinchae indicating the occurrence of algal succession. Higher light intensity and a more saturated.
Comparison of Clostridium botulinum genomes shows the absence of cold shock protein coding genes in type E neurotoxin producing strains

To collect specific information about the genetic mechanisms that Clostridium botulinum strains utilise when adapting to changing environments, 16 C. botulinum genomes were analysed with comparative genome sequence analysis. Particular attention was paid to low temperature adaptation and the presence of cold shock protein coding genes in these genomes was evaluated. Surprisingly, unlike any other studied strains, the type E neurotoxin-producing strains lacked these extremely conserved genes. This finding suggests unique mechanisms for the cold tolerance of these strains and offers a new perspective into the investigations concerning this subject. The sizes of the pangenome and core genome of a certain bacterial species are considered to reflect the
Vigor Tests to Estimate Seedling Emergence Potential and Longevity in Viola Seed Lots

Astudywasmadeoftherelationshipamongacceleratedaging(AA),saturatedsalt accelerated aging (SSAA), mean germination time and second day germination percentage vigor tests, and seedling emergence and longevity storage at 5 and 25 8C for 6 and 12 months. Initial germination was above 80% for all seed lots. Seedling emergence values varied between 21% and 94% and mean emergence time between 6.5 and 11.0 days among seed lots. The SSAA test correlated with emergence better than the AA test. All combi- nationsof SSAA temperatures(41, 43, and 45 8Cfor72h)werecorrelatedtoemergence(r= 0.95 to 0.98, P 0.05) longevity in viola seed lots. Inconclusion, although bothaging tests successfully differentiated seed quality, SSAA test results better predict emergence and longevity of viola seed lots.
Size‐dependent effects of an invasive herbivorous snail (Pomacea canaliculata) on macrophytes and periphyton in Asian wetlands

SUMMARY 1. The invasive golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata), native to South America, is a serious pest on rice seedlings in south-east Asia and has also been shown to consume large amounts of macrophytes in natural wetlands, with large effects on ecosystem functioning. Earlier studies suggest that the snail undergoes an ontogenetic diet shift, feeding on algae and detritus as juveniles and shifting to aquatic macrophytes as adults. 2. Here, we study the effects of snail populations with a size-structure typical of either populations at an invasive front or the size-structure of established populations. In an enclosure experiment performed in a wetland in Laos, we compared treatments with small snails only (3 mm; invasive treatment) to treatments with small, medium sized (10 mm) and adult (>25 mm) snails (established treatment). The effects of snail grazing on three aquatic macrophyte species and periphytic algae were quantified. 3. We found that snails of all sizes had a strong negative effect on the biomass of all macrophyte species and periphytic algae. There was no evidence of an ontogenetic diet change, i.e. snails in both the invasive and established treatments affected macrophyte biomass. Foraging was size-dependent in that small snails had higher relative foraging capacity (g plant consumed per g of snail) compared with medium and adult snails. Small snails, therefore, depressed growth of medium snails at increasing densities through exploitative competition for preferred resources, while adult snails did not grow at all in the presence of small snails. 4. Density dependence is common in freshwater invertebrates, including gastropod populations, but differences in size dependent foraging- and competitive-ability have rarely been demonstrated in this group of organisms. Knowledge about intra-specific differences in ecological performance may, however, both deepen our understanding of the processes that underlie population dynamics in invertebrates such as gastropods, and help develop control strategies for invasive golden apple snails.
THE INFLUENCE OF BACKGROUND NOISE ON THE BEHAVIOR OF A NEOTROPICAL TREEFROG, HYLA EBRACCATA

Hyla ebraccata males reduce their calling rates and proportion of multi-note calls when exposed to choruses of H. microcephala. The calls of these species overlap spectrally. We presented calling male H. ebraccata with filtered one-third octave noise centered at 2, 3, 4 and 6 kHz to assess their responses to acoustical stimuli shifted from the dominant frequency of their calls (3 kHz). The 3 kHz noise was most effective in reducing calling rate and multi-note calling. Our results suggest that the latter shift in behavior is due to the masking of the vocalizations of nearby males which elicit multi-note calls. Since all frequencies of noise except 6 kHz reduced calling rates in most frogs, these animals are potentially responsive to background noise gen- erated by a number of anuran species in their environment. Calling by H. ebraccata also is inhibited by choruses of H. phlebodes. There is less frequency overlap between the calls of H. ebraccata and H. phlebodes than between H. ebraccata and H. microcephala. We demonstrate that male H. ebraccata that shift the timing of their calls in response to background noise have a selective advantage. In a two-choice experiment, female H. ebraccata discriminated against conspecific advertisement calls which were overlapped by a recorded chorus of H. microcephala. IN multi-species assemblages of syn- chronously breeding anurans, back- ground noise levels often are very high. If the spectral features of the calls of dif- ferent species are similar, both conspe- cific and heterospecific calls may be a sig- nificant source of acoustic interference which masks the vocalizations of male frogs (Ehret and Gerhardt, 1980; Ger- hardt, 1982; Littlejohn, 1977). If such in- terfering noise occurs sporadically or fluctuates in intensity, an effective way to minimize masking would be to parti- tion the broadcast period by calling when noise levels subside. This should en- hance a male's ability to advertise own- ership of a territory to other males or to attract females. Males of the neotropical treefrog Hyla ebraccata are inhibited from calling by nearby choruses of H. microcephala. Playbacks of recorded H. microcephala choruses, and of filtered noise centered at 3 kHz, had a similar effect (Schwartz and Wells, 1983). This frequency corre- sponds to the dominant frequency of the H. ebraccata call and the lower band of energy in the H. microcephala call. In addition to reducing call rates during noisy periods, H. ebraccata males also reduce the proportion of multi-note and aggressive calls given during calling bouts (Schwartz and Wells, 1983). Since multi- note advertisement calls and aggressive calls are given mainly in response to the calls of other individuals (Wells and Greer, 1981), these results suggest that background noise masks the calls of near- by conspecifics.
Predicted Nutrient Enrichment by Salmon Aquaculture and Potential for Effects in Cobscook Bay, Maine

Abstract Salmon aquaculture has been a prominent feature of Cobscook Bay since the late 1980s, providing jobs in an economically depressed area of the State of Maine. Rearing finfish in moored floating pens is not without environmental consequences, however, with waste feed, feces, and dissolved nutrients discharged directly to surrounding waters. Near-field benthic effects have been well studied in Cobscook Bay, but far-field effects of nutrient enrichment from salmon aquaculture have not. Via two independent indirect methods, this paper estimates the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus discharged by salmon farms in Cobscook Bay. Results suggest that between 1995 and 1996, during the Cobscook Bay research program, salmon aquaculture contributed an annual load of about 360 metric tons of nitrogen and 85 metric tons phosphorus to Cobscook Bay. Compared to the already high nutrient flux from sources outside Cobscook Bay, we conclude it is unlikely the incremental contribution from aquaculture is measurably enhancing planktonic primary production. However, we acknowledge the need for further study on benthic macroalgae.
BRYOPHYTES AS INDICATORS OF AIR POLLUTION IN THE TYNE VALLEY

Summary Detailed mapping and recording have shown that many of the commonest bryophytes in Northumberland are totally absent from a large part of the Lower Tyne Valley. The affected area is centred on the coalfield where scattered colliery towns, burning pit heaps and the huge conurbation of Newcastle upon Tyne lie. Emphasis is laid on sulphur dioxide pollution being responsible. Two anomalous situations where sensitive species are found growing well inside their normal limit were investigated. It appears that shelter has a greatly modifying effect in reducing SO2 (but not smoke) levels and that a high pH influences the degree of ionization and rate of oxidation of SO3= so as to favour survival. Protonemata appear to be more sensitive than mature gametophytes. Most bryophytes cannot exist when the average winter concentration of SO2 exceeds 50 μg/ m3 or 0.01 ppm.
Habitat Selection and Overlap of Atlantic Salmon and Smallmouth Bass Juveniles in Nursery Streams

Abstract Introduced smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu have invaded much of the historic freshwater habitat of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in North America, yet little is known about the ecological interactions between the two species. We investigated the possibility of competition for habitat between age-0 Atlantic salmon and age-0 and age-1 smallmouth bass by means of in situ observations and a mesocosm experiment. We used snorkel observation to identify the degree and timing of overlap in habitat use in our in situ observations and to describe habitat shifts by Atlantic salmon in the presence of smallmouth bass in our mesocosm experiments. In late July 2008, we observed substantial overlap in the depths and mean water column velocities used by both species in sympatric in situ conditions and an apparent shift by age-0 Atlantic salmon to shallower water that coincided with the period of high overlap. In the mesocosm experiments, we detected no overlap or habitat shifts by age-0 Atlantic salmon in the .
Preliminary Screening of Antibacterial Compounds from Palar River Basin Flora

Considering the significance of phytochemicals as antimicrobial agents, attempt was made in the present study, to categorize several rare plant species present in and around Palar river basin and to assess their antimicrobial activity. The densities of the green cover of the Palar river basin flora were assessed by the Google Earth software. Totally 28 plants were identified and classified into 17 families according to binomial classification system. Plant extracts were prepared from leaves of all collected plants by using methanol and chloroform . Thus, the crude methanol and chloroform extracts of 28 plant species were subjected to preliminary screening against 6 strains of human bacterial pathogen using the dick diffusion method at 500 Âµg/disc concentrations. The results indicated that 21 different plant species exhibited activity against one or more of the bacteria while four species, viz., Ammania baccifera, Plectranthus sp. , Vitex trifolia and Vitex negundo showed activity against all test organisms. The plants containing bioactive metabolites demonstrated stronger anti-microbial properties stressing the need for further investigations using fractionated extracts and purified chemical components.
BIOGEOGRAPHICAL RELATIONSHIPS OF THE MOLLUSCAN FAUNA OF THE ORMONDE SEAMOUNT (GORRINGE BANK, NORTHEAST ATLANTIC OCEAN)

Thirty-six taxa (28 Gastropoda and eight Bivalvia) were collected at Ormonde Seamount (Gorringe Bank). Trochidae and Rissoidae, both with three species, were the best represented families. Manzonia crispa (Watson, 1873), formerly thought to be restricted to Madeira, has its range extended to the northeast. Of the 25 prosobranchs, 14 taxa have a planktotrophic type of development and 11 taxa are non-planktotrophic. Most of the species that occur at Ormonde are related to Mediterranean taxa, to those of the Portuguese continental shelf, and also to those of Madeira and the Canary Islands. The geographical position and topography of seamounts, the prevailing sets of sea-surface and depth currents, the distance to the nearest colonizing source, available area for the settlement of the larvae, mean and annual range of water temperature, larval ecology, biotic factors (interspecific competition, the history of the successive colonizers), and also anthropogenic factors are discussed, in order to provide an explanation of the biogeographical relationships of the Ormonde Seamount.