Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Overcoming dormancy in macaw palm diaspores, a tropical species with potential for use as bio-fuel.

Summary Methods for overcoming dormancy in macaw diaspores were evaluated to determine the type of dormancy found and the best treatments for stimulating germination. The effects of pre-germinative treatments of pyrenes and seeds were evaluated in both sand and clay soil substrates under greenhouse conditions for 12 months. The emergence of seeds, with the maintenance or removal of the opercular tegument, was also evaluated in a humid growth chamber following immersion in GA3 solutions at concentrations of 0, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 2000 mg L -1 . Sowing of the pyrenes into washed sand or clay soil and the seeds into clay soil under greenhouse conditions were ineffective, irrespective of the dormancy-breaking treatment used, and are not recommended for the propagation of this species. For seed sown in sand, pre-immersion of the seeds in solutions of 100, 500 and 1000 mg L -1 GA3 for 24h, immersion in water at 40°C for 24h, and the removal of the opercular tegument all favored emergence. In humid growth chambers, the removal of the opercular tegument associated with the application of GA3 at 2000 mg L -1 was the most efficient treatment. We conclude that the dormancy of macaw palm diaspores is influenced by the endocarp and that the seeds show physiological dormancy.
Cell structure and sugar and acid contents in the arils of developing pomegranate fruit

The growth curves of the developing pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit (diam.) and seed (FW) display a single sigmoid pattern. The number of seeds in fruit varied from 100- 500, and the relationship between fruit diameter and seed number correlated significantly. The outer layer of testa or aril was reconfirmed to consist of a single, huge, elongated cell that extended to more than 2.3 mm. Glucose and fructose were the main sugars in the juice of the edible portion. The titratable acid content decreased from 9.5% to 4.0% as the fruit matured and accumulated sugars.
Modelling species distributions in Britain: a hierarchical integration of climate and land-cover data

modelling framework for studying the combined effects of climate and land-cover changes on the distribution of species is presented. The model integrates land-cover data into a correlative bioclimatic model in a scale-dependent hierarchical manner, whereby Artificial Neural Networks are used to characterise species' climatic requirements at the European scale and land-cover requirements at the British scale. The model has been tested against an alternative non-hierarchical approach and has been applied to four plant species in Britain: Rhynchospora alba, Erica tetralix, Salix herbacea and Geranium sylvaticum. Predictive performance has been evaluated using Cohen's Kappa statistic and the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve, and a novel approach to identifying thresholds of occurrence which utilises three levels of confidence has been applied. Results demonstrate reasonable to good predictive performance for each species, with the main patterns of distribution simulated at both 10 km and 1 km resolutions. The incorporation of land-cover data was found to significantly improve purely climate-driven predictions for R. alba and E. tetralix, enabling regions with suitable climate but unsuitable land-cover to be identified. The study thus provides an insight into the roles of climate and land-cover as determinants of species' distributions and it is demonstrated that the modelling approach presented can provide a useful framework for making predictions of distributions under scenarios of changing climate and land-cover type. The paper confirms the potential utility of multi-scale approaches for understanding environmental limitations to species' distributions, and demonstrates that the search for environmental correlates with species' distributions must be addressed at an appropriate spatial scale. Our study contributes to the mounting evidence that hierarchical schemes are characteristic of ecological systems.
Molecular Basis of Complement Action

We may not be able to make you love reading, but molecular basis of complement action will lead you to love reading starting from now. Book is the window to open the new world. The world that you want is in the better stage and level. World will always guide you to even the prestige stage of the life. You know, this is some of how reading will give you the kindness. In this case, more books you read more knowledge you know, but it can mean also the bore is full.
Diverse Responses of Membrane-associated Enzymes of Ehrlich Ascites Tumor Cells to Anti-microtubular Agents

Ehrlich ascites tumor-bearing mice were treated with colchi-cine or mitomycin C. Under colchicine, adenylate cyclase activity in tumor cells decreased to about a third of the untreated control level, whereas 5'-nucleotidase activity increased to almost twice the control level. Colchicine treatment resulted in about a 30 % reduction of 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA. Mitomycin C inhibited the incorporation of 3H-thymidine much more mark-edly but changes in the two enzyme activities were less than under colchicine. The two enzyme activities and 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA showed parallel changes with lapse of time after inoculation of tumor cells into mice. Thus, the colchicine effects on the two enzyme activities seemed not due simply to inhibition of cell proliferation. The two enzymes seemed to be associated differently with the microtubular system in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells.
Tracking recovery trends of boreal lakes: use of multiple indicators and habitats

Abstract Recovery rates of different metrics (physiological, biological), trophic levels (phytoplankton, invertebrate consumers), and habitats (pelagic, benthic) were studied over a 16-y period in 10 boreal lakes recovering from acidification. Several of the metrics showed significant, positive trends over time that supported our expectations of biological recovery. Taxonomic diversity of phytoplankton assemblages, but not assemblage composition, showed early signs of recovery that were strongly related to increases in pH in both reference and acidified lakes. Results from benthic invertebrate assemblages were, however, equivocal. Littoral invertebrate taxon richness and diversity increased in both acidified and reference lakes, whereas sublittoral and profundal invertebrate assemblages of both lake groups showed clear negative trends. These findings indicate that sublittoral and profundal assemblages might be influenced by factors other than lake acidity, such as coincident changes in habitat quality (e.g., ambient O2 and temperature). Our findings show that the selections of the group of organisms to monitor recovery and the habitat in which to monitor recovery must be considered carefully when designing and implementing programs to assess degradation and recovery.
Nitrogen immobilization and remineralization by microorganisms and nitrogen uptake by plants: Interactions and rate calculations

The interactions between processes of the nitrogen cycle and nitrogen uptake by plants of winter wheat on an arable gray forest soil were examined. Nitrogen immobilized by microorganisms and inorganic nitrogen demonstrated opposite behavior: Microbial N increased while inorganic N decreased. Nitrogen uptake by plants was favored by mineralization of microbial nitrogen. To describe nitrogen immobilization by microorganisms, remineralization, gaseous losses, and nitrogen uptake by plants, a first‐order model was used. In arable gray forest soil at least 70% of 15N in the plant crop was derived from remineralized microbial nitrogen. Microbial biomass was found to be one of the main sources of nitrogen in plant nutrition and the important factor controlling nitrogen uptake by plants.
Relative Nitrogen Limitation at Steady-state Nutrition as a Determinant of Plasticity in Five Grassland Plant Species

Abstract Partitioning of biomass between roots and different shoot parts has often been used to explain the response of plants to variations in resource availability. There are still many uncertainties in the importance of this trait for plant performance, and clear guidelines on how partitioning should be quantified in relation to growth rate and resource supply are of fundamental importance for such an understanding. This paper reports an attempt to show how plant nitrogen status relates to root:shoot partitioning and other plastic responses, in a manner that can be used for quantitative predictions. The reactions to nitrogen limitation of five grassland plant species, with different ecological demands, were compared. The species used were the forbs Polygala vulgaris and Crepis praemorsa, and the grasses Danthonia decumbens, Agrostis capillaris and Dactylis glomerata. The experiment was conducted in a climate chamber where the plants were grown hydroponically (1) under non-limiting nutrient conditions and (2) at a steady-state nitrogen limitation, which enabled the plants to express half of their growth potential. The relative growth rate (RGR) of the species was strongly related to plant nitrogen concentration (PNC) and leaf area ratio (LAR), whereas the effects on net assimilation rate (NAR) were very small. Despite large differences in maximum relative growth rate, the species showed remarkable similarities in dry matter partitioning between root and shoot. It is concluded that root:shoot partitioning can be treated as a direct function of the relative resource limitation of the plant. The difficulty of attaining well-defined levels of resource limitation in soil, other solid substrates and many hydroponic systems may be the most important reason for the divergent results in earlier studies. Better knowledge of soil-root interactions, and plant responses to the whole span of resource-supply levels, is required for a thorough understanding of how nutrients limit growth.
Morphological variation among populations of Lecocarpus (Asteraceae) on the Galápagos Islands

Representative samples were collected from almost all known populations of the endemic Galapagos genus Lecocarpus. Multivariate statistical methods were applied to morphological characters to investigate differentiation among species and populations. In discriminant analysis no misclassifications were made among species. Populations of L. darwinii and L. lecocarpoides were better discriminated than populations of L. pinnatifidus. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) separated species well although intermediate populations occur between L. darwinii and L. lecocarpoides. Clear patterns of within-species differentiation were seen among populations of L. darwinii and L. lecocarpoides, but not among populations of L. pinnatifidus. Populations of L. lecocarpoides at present grow on separate islands. All populations of L. darwinii are found on San Cristobal, but this island might have been separated into more islands in the past. Lecocarpus pinnatifidus has probably always been growing on only one island. This suggests that the sea is the major barrier to dispersal of the three species. We find it likely that the degree of reproductive isolation caused by the sea is crucial to the differentiation among populations, and that genetic drift rather than adaptation has been responsible. The analyses cast new light on the identity of classic collections made by Darwin in 1835 and Stewart in 1906. © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2007, 154, 523–544.
A Quantitative Approach to Tactical Asset Allocation

This article presents a simple quantitative method that improves risk-adjusted returns across various asset classes. A moving-average timing model is tested in-sample on the United States equity market and out-of-sample on more than twenty additional domestic and foreign markets. The approach is then examined since 1972 in an allocation framework utilizing a combination of diverse and publicly traded asset class indices, including the Standard and Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500), Morgan Stanley Capital International Developed Markets Index (MSCI EAFE), Goldman Sachs Commodity Index (GSCI), National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts Index (NAREIT), and United States Government 10-Year Treasury Bonds. The empirical results are equity-like returns with bond-like volatility and drawdown, and over thirty consecutive years of positive performance.
Estudo da degradação térmica da madeira de Eucalyptus através de termogravimetria e calorimetria

RESUMO – O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a degradacao termica da madeira de diferentes clones de Eucalyptus, por meio de analises termogravimetrica (TG/DTG) e de calorimetria exploratoria diferencial (DSC), estabelecendo-se suas relacoes com a producao de carvao vegetal. Foram utilizados seis clones de Eucalyptus spp. aos 7,5 anos de idade, provenientes de um teste clonal pertencente a uma empresa florestal. Foram realizadas as analises TG/DTG e DSC, sob atmosfera de gas nitrogenio. As curvas TG/DTG mostraram tres faixas de degradacao termica, atribuidas a secagem da madeira e a degradacao de hemiceluloses e celulose. Nao foi detectada faixa especifica de degradacao de lignina. As curvas DSC evidenciaram um pico endotermico entre as temperaturas de 50 e 100 oC, o que pode ser atribuido a perda de agua da madeira. A liberacao de calor iniciou-se em temperaturas acima de 275 °C, para todos os clones avaliados, sendo observados dois picos exotermicos. As analises termicas da madeira (TG/DTG e DSC) nao apresentaram variacoes expressivas entre os clones. Conclui-se que, atraves das tecnicas estudadas, e possivel identificar as principais fases das reacoes de liberacao ou absorcao de energia e perda de massa, que estao diretamente ligadas a qualidade do carvao vegetal.
Effect of abomasal prebiotic supplementation on sheep faecal microbiota

Abstract The effect of abomasal fructo-oligosaccharides supplementation on sheep faecal microbiota was investigated in a balanced, two Latin square, cross-over design experiment. Ten fistulated sheep were managed in five consecutive periods, with each of five treatments (an ‘acidified saline’ control or one of four prebiotic candidates chosen to represent different types of oligosaccharides: Arabinogalactan, Fibruline, Raftilose, or Yacon) administered to two sheep in each period. Seven grams of fructo-oligosaccharides were used daily for each animal. In each period, fresh faecal samples were collected before, during and after ‘supplementation’ for the analysis of bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, Escherichia coli, sulphite-reducing clostridia, total anaerobes, pH and dry matter. The treatments with Fibruline, Raftilose and Yacon increased the sheep faecal bifidobacteria after 9 days of daily dosing. Compared with the control, the Raftilose treatment caused the greatest increase by 2.128 log10 CFU/g of faeces (P<0.01), followed by the Yacon and Fibruline treatments, by 0.990 (P<0.05) and 0.925 log10 CFU/g of faeces (P=0.05), respectively. Both Raftilose and Yacon treatments increased the number of lactobacilli by 1.286 (P<0.05) and 1.138 log10 CFU/g of faeces (P<0.05) after 9 days of daily dosing. All tested fructo-oligosaccharides had no effect on sulphite-reducing clostridia and E. coli. There were no changes in sheep faecal pH or dry matter between the treatments. These data provide the first evidence that the bifidogenic effects of fructo-oligosaccharides, previously shown to be gained in the large intestine of monogastric animals, are also efficacious in the ruminant.
Genetic differentiation among Australian and Southern Ocean populations of the ubiquitous coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi (Haptophyta)

Cook S.S. , Jones R.C. , Vaillancourt R.E. and Hallegraeff G.M. 2013. Genetic differentiation among Australian and Southern Ocean populations of the ubiquitous coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi (Haptophyta). Phycologia 52: 368–374. DOI: 10.2216/12–111.1 Phytoplankton species with a cosmopolitan distribution are traditionally expected to show little genetic differentiation given the lack of geographical barriers in the ocean. To gain an understanding of the genetic variability within southern hemisphere populations of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi, we used eight microsatellite markers to conduct a population genetic analysis on 273 clonal cultures collected from 11 sites in five ocean current systems south of Australia (Leeuwin, Zeehan, East Australian Currents) and in the Southern Ocean, including within the Antarctic Polar Front. Two of the five currently recognised morphotypes were represented, E. huxleyi var. huxleyi and E. huxleyi var. aurorae. Clonality was absent within sampled populations, suggesting the importance of sexual reproduction in the life cycle of this coccolithophore. Significant genetic differentiation (pairwise population FST range = 0.01–0.09) was apparent among E. huxleyi var. huxleyi populations, much higher than for other cosmopolitan plankton species; thus, gene flow between populations must be low. There was evidence of marked differentiation between Southern Ocean populations of E. huxleyi var. aurorae and E. huxleyi var. huxleyi (pairwise FST range = 0.12–0.16), suggesting the existence of a reproductive, environmental and/or biogeographical barrier between these two varieties.
Role of the HIV-1 regulatory protein Nef

AIDS is generally considered to be an immune system disease with a viral etiology. Interestingly, a single HIV-1 product, specifically Nef, recapitulates, at least in part, the pathogenetic effects of the infection. HIV-1 Nef is a 27-kDa regulatory protein lacking any enzymatic activity, but that interacts with several cell proteins, such as an adaptor protein. A surprisingly high number of functions are attributed to Nef, and this review seeks to summarize the most relevant effects of Nef that result from the alteration of both molecular trafficking and intracellular signaling in the host cell. The overall outcome is an increase in viral replication and the impairment of both innate and adaptive immune responses. Unfortunately, although Nef plays a relevant role in AIDS pathogenesis, no Nef-inhibiting drugs are currently available. Thus, finding anti-Nef compounds would contribute to innovative anti-HIV therapeutic approaches.
Ripening and quality of 'Golden' papaya fruit harvested at different maturity stages

The objective of this study was to determine how ripening physiology and quality of 'Golden' papaya are affected by maturity stages at harvest. Papayas were harvested at four maturity stages (Stage 0: totally green; Stage 1: up to 15% of yellow skin; Stage 2: 16-25% of yellow skin; Stage 3: 26-50% of yellow skin) and evaluated during ripening at 23oC. Physical and physico-chemical (skin color, pulp firmness, soluble solids, titratable acidity, and ascorbic acid), physiological (respiratory activity and ethylene production), and sensorial (flavor, odor, firmness, and appearance) characteristics were evaluated. Regardless of maturity stages, fruit showed similar variation in respiration rate, exhibiting constant values after the 2nd day of storage at 23oC (~31 mL CO2 kg-1 h-1 for stages 0, 1, and 2, and ~37 mL CO2 kg-1 h-1 for stage 3). Typical climacteric behavior was not observed for any maturity stage. Only fruit harvested at stage 0 and 1 showed a well defined ethylene production peak of 2.1 µL C2H4 kg-1 h-1 after 7 d of storage and 1.3 µL C2H4 kg-1 h-1 after 6 d, respectively. Fruit harvested at stages 0, 1, 2 and 3 reached the edible condition (pulp firmness < 20 N) after 7, 6, 4, and 3 d at 23oC, respectively. The ascorbic acid concentration increased 20-30% during ripening, while skin hue angle and titratable acidity was reduced. Independent of the maturity stages at which papayas were harvested, soluble solids did not alter during ripening. Fruit harvested at stages 2 and 3 had superior scores for sensorial evaluation, mainly for flavor and appearance. Harvest at different maturity stages altered fruit postharvest physiology and when effectuated at early stages, it reduced fruit quality but did not make its consumption unacceptable.
Oviposition acceptance and larval development of Chilo partellus stemborers in drought‐stressed wild and cultivated grasses of East Africa

Maternal host choices during oviposition by herbivorous insects determine the fitness of their offspring and may be influenced by environmental changes that can alter host‐plant quality. This is of particular relevance to ‘push‐pull’ cropping systems where host preferences are exploited to manage insect pest populations. We tested how drought stress in maize and companion plants that are used in these systems affect oviposition preference, larval feeding, and development of the spotted stemborer, Chilo partellus Swinhoe (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Five host species were tested (all Poaceae): maize (Zea mays L.), Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach), signal grass [Brachiaria brizantha (A. Rich) Stapf], Brachiaria cv. ‘Mulato’, and molasses grass [Melinis minutiflora (Beauv.)]. Under drought stress, maize experienced as much oviposition as control unstressed maize in choice and no‐choice experiments. Similarly, larval leaf damage was not significantly different in drought‐stressed vs. unstressed maize. In contrast, oviposition occurred less on drought‐stressed than on unstressed Napier and signal grass. Oviposition acceptance and leaf damage remained low in both drought‐stressed and unstressed molasses grass and Mulato. Larval survival and development remained high in drought‐stressed maize, but not in Napier, signal, and molasses grass and Mulato, where survival and development were low in both drought‐stressed and unstressed plants. Our results indicate that herbivore responses to drought‐stressed plants depend on the plant species and that drought stress can change host preference and acceptance rankings. In particular, trap‐crops such as Napier grass may not divert oviposition from the main maize crop under drought stress conditions.
THE ROLE OF THE EXTRAFLORAL NECTARIES OF CATALPA SPECIOSA IN LIMITING HERBIVORY AND INCREASING FRUIT PRODUCTION

The leaves of Catalpa speciosa (Bignoniaceae) have extrafloral nectaries that are active from early June to September. Peak nectar secretion occurs in late June and early July when the eggs and young larvae of the first generation of the principal herbivore, Ceratomia catalpae (Sphingidae), are present. Leaves that have been damaged by this herbivore secrete significantly more nectar than undamaged leaves. The nectaries are visited by various species of ants, ladybird beetles, and a parasitoid. These predaceous insects attack and/or remove the eggs and young larvae of the herbivore. A series of ant exclusion experiments show that branches without ants have significantly fewer larvae removed, have significantly more leaf herbivory, and produce significantly fewer mature fruits than control branches (with ants). These data suggest that secretion of extrafloral nectar by C. speciosa and its subsequent harvesting by insects is mutually beneficial to both the plant and the predaceous insects.