Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Species Identity and Water Availability Determine Establishment Success Under the Canopy of Retama sphaerocarpa Shrubs in a Dry Environment

Seedling establishment in harsh environments is often enhanced by the proximity of adult shrubs. This information has been used in restoration work by placing seedlings of species being restored under the canopy of some shrubs. However, monitoring this process is often restricted to a single species, and comparisons with practices that protect planted seedlings against harsh conditions are scant. Similarly, few studies have supplied seedlings with water in the summer to observe the effects of water availability on the interaction. We compared sapling survival of three woody species (Olea europaea, Pistacia lentiscus, and Ziziphus lotus) under the leguminous shrub Retama sphaerocarpa and in gaps covered with piled branches that mimicked a shrub canopy. After 3 years, survival of saplings planted under Retama differed depending on species identity and water supply. Survival of Olea saplings placed under Retama shrubs was twice that under piled branches if not watered (35 ± 8 vs. 17 ± 2 %, respectively), whereas survival of saplings under Retama, if watered, was less (48 ± 11 vs. 68 ± 8%, respectively). Retama shrubs had a negative effect on Ziziphus; most saplings died under its canopy, whereas survival in piled branches ranged 10–54%. Pistacia was neither facilitated nor outcompeted by Retama. Facilitation of Olea by Retama shrubs was more apparent under dry conditions where watering increased competition and decreased facilitation. Overall, we conclude that Retama shrubs can help dry land restoration to a greater extent than artificial shade for Olea when not watered. The critical role played by water supply in determining nursing success rates warrants further study.
The importance of the exposure route when testing the toxicity of pesticides to saprotrophic isopods

When effects of pesticides are tested on nontarget invertebrates, substrate exposure is mostly used. Routes of uptake of pesticides by saprotrophic invertebrates may, however, also occur through the food, since the litter layer will be their main food source. These organisms live in close contact with the soil surface and litter layer. The ecotoxicity of the pesticides benomyl, carbofuran, and diazinon was investigated in a series of experiments. The toxicity was tested in lethal concentrations (leading to LC50 estimations), and sublethal concentrations leading to no-observed-effect concentration (NOEC) estimations on growth. Both substrate and dietary exposure were used to evaluate the most critical exposure route for each case. For food exposure, the chemicals were offered in ground leaves, while for substrate exposure the test organisms were kept on treated sand. Experiments were done with the tropical isopod Porcellionides pruinosus. For all three pesticides, substrate exposure was more critical than dietary exposure. The LC50 values (active ingredient per dry mass of food or soil) for benomyl, carbofuran, and diazinon, when mixed with food, were >31,000, 485, and 74.15 μg/g, respectively, and when mixed with sand 1,221, 21.41, and 3.03 μg/g, respectively. Sublethal effects on body growth were found for benomyl (NOEC = 1,000 μg/g) and diazinon (NOEC = <8.71 μg/g) after dietary exposure, but no effects were found in the course of the experiment for substrate exposure. Based on the results, it is concluded that the exposure route is of great importance for determining lethal effects as well as sublethal effects of pesticides on nontarget invertebrates in soil. The most critical exposure route depends both on the mode of action of the chemical and on the toxicological end point considered.
Eggshell characteristics of moa eggs (Aves: Dinornithiformes)

Abstract Museums hold 36 whole moa eggs (Aves: Dinornithiformes) spanning a large size‐range (120–240 mm long and 91–178 mm wide) and with a strong positive correlation (r=0.92) between length (L) and width (W). The degree of elongation (L/W) varies greatly (1.25–1.57), as in elephant bird eggs (Aepyornithidae). The verified upper limit of moa eggshell thickness is extended to 1.89 mm, which overlaps the thickness of ostrich eggs. The largest moa egg had a shell‐thickness of only 1.2–1.3 mm, but, in general, shell thickness and egg length were positively correlated (r = 0.55) for South Island eggs. Length of the longest slit‐shaped pore‐depression on the egg (maximum pore depression length MPDL) varied between eggs from 0.8 to 4.8 mm, and was positively correlated with egg length for both South Island (r = 0.63) and North Island eggs (r = 0.73). Larger moa eggs (longer than about 190 mm in the South Island) have thick shells and apredominance of long, coarse, slit‐shaped pore‐depressions (up to 1.3–4.8 mm long on each egg), while smaller eggs have thinner shells whose slit‐shaped pore‐depressions are relatively short (≤1.3 mm). Known whole moa eggs include ones with shells as thick as the thickest broken fragments from palaeontological and archaeological sites throughout New Zealand, suggesting that there were unlikely to be any kinds of moa eggs much larger than those already known.
Mechanisms involved in biological control of Fusarium wilt of cucumber with strains of nonpathogenic Fusarium oxysporum.

Two nonpathogenic strains of Fusarium oxysporum (C5 and C14) introduced into soil at 1.08× 10 4 and 5× 10 4 colony-forming units (cfu) per gram of soil significantly decreased the slope values of inoculum density-disease incidence curves generated for Fusarium wilt of cucumber induced by F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum. Strain C14 reduced disease significantly more than C5. A three-phase mechanism was associated with biological control of Fusarium wilt by these agents. There was a significant reduction in germination of chlamydospores of F. o. cucumerinum in the rhizospheres of cucumbers infested with C5 or C14 (.)
Primary Production of the Sand Microflora in Seagrass Beds of Mississippi Sound

The sandy sediments beneath beds of the seagrass Halodule wrightii Ascherson in Mississippi Sound support a diverse and productive benthic microalgal assemblage. Over an annual cycle (June 1989-June 1990), virtually all algal cells comprising the sand microflora were small araphid, monoraphid, and biraphid pennate diatoms <15 μm in length. Chlorophyll a concentrations in the sediments beneath Halodule ranged from 14 to 125 mg m −2 for individual beds with an annual mean of 44 mg m −2 . Stepwise multiple regression indentified water temperature and the density of Halodule blades as the best predictors of chl a concentration; however, R 2 was only 0.38
Dealing with a Hybrid Trumpet Punch

1. Arthur Tykocinski, MD, FISHRS (arthur{at}cabelo.med.br) 1. Sao Paulo, Brazil Demonstration video: The Hybrid Trumpet punch was conceptualized by Belgian surgeon, Dr. Jean Devroye. He began by rethinking the two-step concept first proposed by Dr. Jim Harris
Intrasire Regression of Daughter on Herdmate Performance: Nature of Estimators and Trend of Estimates

Abstract A conventional computing formula was a consistent estimator of the intrasire regression of daughter on herdmate performance measured by adjusted herdmate average without infinite herd size. The estimator leads to another consistent estimator of the additive genetic portion of total variation among herds but subject to independence of herd environment and herd genetic structure. Nearly 900,000 milk records for all lactations of New York artificially inseminated Holstein cows from 1956 to 1968 were analyzed under the mature equivalent and the new age-month adjustment systems. Age-month adjusted records appear to have slightly lower yearly means and approximately 7.3% less variance. Mean and variance both increased with time. No significant time trends were observed for intrasire regressions, for which . 9 seems suitable for all practical purposes regardless of adjustment systems and time trends. A linear regression for relative genetic variation among herds on years weighted by inverses of variances within years suggested that, with zero co-variance between herd genetic and non-genetic variates, the additive genetic variation relative to the total variation among herds has been decreasing . 6% a year since 1959 for the Holstein artificial insemination population in northeastern United States.
Seedling Vigor and Grain Yield of ‘Roblin’ Wheat Affected by Seed Size

Commercial spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlots contain a small proportion of small-sized seeds. Wheat producers often remove small-sized seeds, attempting to increase seedling vigor and grain yield. A 3-yr study was conducted from 1989 to 1991 on a Neuhorst clay loam (Aquic Haploborolls) to determine the effect of seed size and proportion of small seeds in a seedlot on emergence, dry matter (DM) production, and grain yield of 'Roblin' wheat. A commercial seedlot containing seeds >2.2 but <3.2 mm in width was designated as the original seedlot and was divided into 11 sublots: five with uniform seed sizes (2.2-2.4, 2.4-2.6, 2.6-2.8, 2.8-3.0, and 3.0-3.2 mm wide), three with variable seed sizes (2.4-3.2, 2.6-3.2, and 2.8-3.2 mm wide), and three more sublots from which seeds <2.2, <2.4, and <2.6 mm wide were successively removed, with the remaining seeds planted at correspondingly reduced planting density. The use of uniform large seeds increased shoot DM in 1990 and 1991, but not in 1989. Grain yield was increased with uniform large seeds only for the early planting in 1990, where soil temperature was low. A small proportion of small seeds in a seedlot decreased shoot DM in two of six cases, but in no case decreased percent emergence or grain yield. When small seeds were removed, the remaining seeds, planted at 278 and 236 seeds m -2 , had grain yields equivalent to that of the original seedlot planted at 300 seeds m -2 . There is thus no need to remove small seeds from a seedlot that has been commercially cleaned, and, if uniform large seeds are available for planting, seeding rate can be reduced.
Direct Transcriptional Regulation of RelB by 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 and Its Analogs

The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) protein RelB plays a unique role in dendritic cell (DC) function and, as such, is an important regulator of antigen presentation and immune regulation. In this study, inhibition of RelB expression in DCs exposed to an analog of the active form of vitamin D3 (1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1α,25-(OH)2D3)) was observed and shown to be mediated by the vitamin D receptor (VDR). Potential vitamin D response elements were identified within promoter regions of human and mouse relB genes. In gel shift experiments, these motifs specifically bound VDR·retinoid X receptor-α complexes. Reporter assays confirmed that transcriptional activity of human and mouse relB promoters was inhibited by 1α,25-(OH)2D3 agonists in a DC-derived cell line. The inhibition was abolished by mutagenesis of the putative vitamin D response elements and was enhanced by overexpression of VDR. Mutagenesis of NF-κB response elements within the relB promoter did not affect the magnitude of 1α,25-(OH)2D3 analog-mediated inhibition, ruling out an indirect effect on NF-κB signaling. Glucocorticoid caused additional inhibition of relB promoter activity when combined with the 1α,25-(OH)2D3 analog. This effect was dependent on the integrity of the NF-κB response elements, suggesting separate regulatory mechanisms for the two steroid pathways on this promoter. We conclude that relB is a direct target for 1α,25-(OH)2D3-mediated negative transcriptional regulation via binding of VDR·retinoid X receptor-α to discrete DNA motifs. This mechanism has important implications for the inhibitory effect of 1α,25-(OH)2D3 on DC maturation and for the potential immunotherapeutic use of 1α,25-(OH)2D3 analogs alone or combined with other agents.
Quid de l’utilisation des protéines d’origine végétale en aquaculture ?

Au cours des 30 dernieres annees, l’aquaculture mondiale n’a cesse de croitre pour repondre a la demande croissante de poisson pour la consommation humaine qui ne peut plus etre satisfaite par les seules captures de peche. En consequence, la demande de matieres premieres pour les aliments aquacoles augmente, tandis que le volume disponible de farine de poisson, ingredient traditionnellement majoritaire dans ces aliments, reste stable. Cela a conduit a une substitution des ressources marines par des produits vegetaux comme ingredients pour les aliments pour poissons. La proportion de farine de poisson dans les aliments piscicoles a ete reduite d’un tiers et est remplacee par une combinaison de sources proteiques vegetales qui fournissent les acides amines indispensables en quantite suffisante pour repondre aux besoins des poissons. Une large gamme de produits vegetaux a ete prospectee pour remplacer la farine de poisson. Sur la base de leur composition et de leur disponibilite sur le marche, les produits vegetaux les plus utilises en Europe sont des graines d’oleagineux (soja, colza, tournesol) sous forme de tourteaux ou de concentres proteiques, des proteagineux (lupin, feverole, pois), des cereales (mais, ble) ou des extraits de proteines obtenus a partir de cereales, comme par exemple les glutens. Neanmoins, les etudes ayant porte sur des taux de substitution tres eleves (peu ou pas de farine de poisson) ont mis en evidence des verrous physiologiques bien que les regimes contenaient tous les nutriments necessaires : une baisse de la consommation alimentaire, de l’efficacite alimentaire et du taux de croissance des poissons, ainsi que des modifications metaboliques. Les travaux de recherche doivent etre poursuivis afin d’ameliorer l’efficacite nutritionnelle des produits vegetaux via une reduction de leurs facteurs antinutritionnels et des toxines qu’ils contiennent, mais aussi par une meilleure adaptation des poissons a ces nouveaux aliments.
Agronomic Response of Soybean Varieties to Plant Population in the Guinea Savannas of Nigeria

Published in Agron. J. 106:1051–1059 (2014) doi:10.2134/agronj13.0435 Copyright © 2014 by the American Society of Agronomy, 5585 Guilford Road, Madison, WI 53711. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. ABSTRACT The agronomic responses of three contrasting soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ] varieties to plant populations were examined in two distinct agro-ecological locations (at Samaru Zaria and Samaru-Kataf), both in the Guinea savanna of northern Nigeria in 2009, 2010, and in 2011 growing seasons. Three soybean varieties: TGx1835-10E, TGx1904-6F, and TGx1448-2E differing in maturity duration (early, medium, and late maturing, respectively), were evaluated at four plant populations (266,700, 333,300, 533,300, and 666,700 plants ha–1) using a split plot arrangement in randomized complete block design with three replications. The plant populations were the main plots, whereas varieties were subplots. The proportion of intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR) and leaf area index (LAI) increased with increasing plant population at both locations, indicating that high leaf area indices and high degree of canopy closure at higher plant population intercepted more light than the canopy at lower population and subsequently resulted in relatively high grain and fodder yields. At both locations, optimum plant populations ranged from 533,300 to 666,700 plants ha-1 across the years. The northern Guinea savanna location (Samaru Zaria) produced more pods m-2, grain yield, and fodder at higher plant populations than that at the southern Guinea savanna (Samaru-Kataf). Varieties TGx1448-2E and TGx1904-6F intercepted higher proportion of IPAR had higher LAI and produced a greater number of pods m-2, seeds m-2, grain yield, and fodder than TGx1835-10E at both locations in years of good rainfall. These data suggest that soybean yields in the Guinea savanna of northern Nigeria can be increased using higher plant populations than those currently recommended.
Effects of ultraviolet radiation on life-history stages of anurans from Ontario, Canada

We tested the effects of ultraviolet-a (uv-a) and ultraviolet-b (uv-b) radiation on life-history stages of the anurans Bufo americanus, Hyla versicolor, Rana clamitans, and Rana sylvatica. No effect of uv-a was found on eggs or larvae even at exposures twice the intensity of normal outdoor levels. Only R. sylvatica was tested in the embryo stage. All embryos exposed to 30 min or more of artificially high intensity uv-b died. After exposure to artificially high intensity uv-b of 15 min or less, or at ecologically relevant levels, there was no effect on hatching success. The proportion of abnormal embryos after exposure to 10 or 15 min of artificially high intensity treatment was higher at 12 °C than at 20 °C. The jelly surrounding the ova can effectively reduce uv-b transmission through the egg mass. Of the four species tested, only larval R. clamitans showed some tolerance of artificially high uv-b levels, but development of the survivors was arrested and metamorphosis was not initiated. Ecologically rele.
Ultrastructure of conidiogenesis in Drechslera sorokiniana

An ultrastructural examination of conidiogenesis in Drechslera sorokiniana reveals that conidia develop enteroblastically through channels in the conidiogenous cell wall. These channels probably form by autolysis of the outer wall layers. The data support earlier concepts based on light-microscopic studies of conidium ontogeny in this and other developmentally related species of hyphomycetes. The surface morphology and relationship of wall layers of the conidium and conidiogenous cell at various stages of development are illustrated by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. This information is summarized in a diagrammatic interpretation of conidiogenesis. Cytodifferentiation during conidium formation and conidiogenous cell proliferation is also examined. A possible association between organelle migration in developing conidiogenous cells and fascicles of microfibrils, proposed in an earlier paper, is discussed. A suggestive explanation is presented for the accumulation of microbodies.
Influence of lignin and silicon on a summative system for assessing the organic matter digestibility of Panicum

The effect of lignin and silicon on the digestibility of the neutral detergent solubles (NDS), hemicellulose, cellulose, and organic matter was studied with use of 57 cuts of three cultivars of Particum coloratuni and three of Panicum maximum with known in vivo digestibilities. Lignin had only a small effect on the digestibility of NDS (r = -0.34, P 0.05). The main factor controlling the quantity of digestible NDS was the percentage of NDS in the grass (r = 0.98, P < 0.001). The digestibility of both hemicellulose and cellulose was related to the lignification percentage (r = -0.88, P < 0.001). Silicondid not depress the digestibility of hemicellulose + cellulose (r = +0.29, P < 0.05). Lignin had a mean digestibility of 5.5 %. Organic matter digestibility was estimated with a residual standard deviation of ¦ 2.2 digestibility units by summation of individual estimates of digestible NDS, hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin. The residual variation was not related to the level of silicon (r = 0 .00). It was concluded that the main factors controlling organic matter digestibility were the percentages of both hemicellulose and cellulose present and the extent to which they were lignified. Silicon was not a factor controlling the digestibility of the structural carbohydrate fractions.
Impacts of combined salinity and temperature extremes on different strains and species of tilapia inhabiting the watershed of the Salton Sea.

AbstractTilapia have relatively rapid osmoregulatory abilities, but the combined stress due to extreme temperature and salinity can negatively affect the survival of the fish. This study compared the tolerance of the California Mozambique Tilapia hybrid (Mozambique Tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus × Wami Tilapia O. urolepis; CA hybrid) from aquaculture and three species of tilapia that currently live in the Salton Sea area: Blue Tilapia O. aureus, Redbelly Tilapia Tilapia zillii, and CA hybrid collected from the sea. The CA hybrid tilapia (both cultured and feral) was the most resistant species across all treatments and could survive salinities up to 60 g/L (‰). The CA hybrid from aquaculture was the most tolerant to higher temperatures (33–38°C), while the one from the Salton Sea was the most tolerant to colder temperatures (11–16°C). In terms of salinity regimes, the aquaculture CA hybrid and Blue Tilapia survived better at 20‰, while the CA hybrid from the sea did best at 45‰. The different stocks of ti.
Microhabitat Selection by Brook and Rainbow Trout in a Southern Appalachian Stream

Abstract The decreased range of native brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has been attributed to competition with introduced rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. To determine whether brook trout were displaced from preferred sites in the presence of rainbow trout, we made underwater observations of microhabitat use to characterize positions of individual fishes in a section of Palmer Creek, North Carolina, where both species occur. We then reduced rainbow trout numbers by about 80% by electrofishing and repeated our underwater observations on the remaining brook trout to determine whether the species underwent changes in microhabitat use. We found differences in characteristics of focal points selected by the two species. Focal points of age-0 brook trout were similar to those of rainbow trout for distance to overhead cover. After rainbow trout were reduced, age-0 brook trout shifted to positions significantly farther from overhead cover. Brook trout age 1 or older .
The endogenous danger signals HSP70 and MICA cooperate in the activation of cytotoxic effector functions of NK cells

Although natural killer (NK) cells are often described as first line defence against infected or malignant cells which act without the need of prior activation, it is known now that the NK cell activity is tightly regulated by other cells and soluble factors. We show here that the stress‐inducible heat shock protein (HSP) 70 activates human NK cells to kill target cells expressing major histocompatibility complex class I chain‐related molecule A (MICA) in a natural killer group 2 member D (NKG2D‐) dependent manner. The HSP70‐derived peptide TKD (TKDNNLLGRFELSG) was able to replace the full‐length HSP70 and to exert the same function. Interestingly, the expression of the cytotoxic effector protease granzyme B in NK cells was increased after TKD stimulation. When MICA and MICB expression was induced in human tumour cells by a histone deacetylase inhibitor and NK cells were activated by HSP70 or TKD, both treatments jointly improved the killing of the tumour cells. Thus, the synergistic activity of two stress‐inducible immunological danger signals, HSP70 and MICA/B, leads to activation and enhanced cytotoxicity of human NK cells against tumour cells.