Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic variation and productivity of Populustrichocarpa and its hybrids. V. The influence of ramet position on 3-year growth variables

A 3-year study was conducted on the effects of different stem positions (from which cuttings were taken on a stool-bed ortet) on sprouting characteristics and stem growth of Populustrichocarpa Torr. & Gray. In 1986 ramets were collected from five stem positions, evenly distributed from the base to the tip, on three stool-bed ortets of each of 30 clones representing three river valleys in western Washington. Each set of five was planted at 1.22-m spacing in one of three adjacent blocks in an experimental field in Puyallup, Washington. First-year results showed that cuttings from the upper two positions tended to leaf out earlier and develop a single rather than multiple stem as compared with those from the lower positions. Analyses of variance of growth traits showed significant position, position–river, and position–clone within river interaction effects. Positional effects on sprouting and growth were strong primarily for material from the Dungeness River. At the end of the 3rd year, the largest Dungenes.
Co‐ordination of the nitrate and nitrite assimilation, the glutathione and free radical metabolisms, and the pentose phosphate pathway in Penicillium chrysogenum

The specific glutathione reductase (GR) and glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activities increased significantly in Penicillium chrysogenum grown on glucose in the presence of either nitrate or nitrite. These changes kept the intracellular peroxide levels low and prevented the onset of any glutathione/glutathione disulphide redox imbalances. On the other hand, the specific activity of several other glutathione metabolic enzymes including glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S‐transferase, γ‐glutamyltranspeptidase and the glutathione producing activity was not effected by NO3— and NO2—. When P. chrysogenum mycelia were challenged with oxidative stress caused by high concen‐trations of H2O2, tert‐butyl hydroperoxide, menadione, diamide or phenoxyacetic acid the intracellular peroxide concentrations increased significantly, and the nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase activities were eliminated. When glucose was replaced with lactose the GR and G6PD activities were not influenced by the nitrogen sources but in this case the intracellular GSH concentration was twice higher than that observed with glucose.
Betulinic acid from antimicrobial root wood extract of Dalbergia saxatilis Hook f.(Fabaceae).

Aims : The root wood ofDalbergia saxatiliswas studied to assess its antimicrobial activity and chemical constituents and confirm its traditional medicinal uses. Study Design:The source of the plant was identified and the plant material was collected at a particular time of the year and authenticated. The crude 95extract of the
Gelation of Barley ß‐Glucan Concentrate

The gel behavior of barley β-glucan (BBG) gum extracted in our laboratory was compared to low- and high-viscosity commercial BBG gum and cornstarch using compression between parallel plates. Effects of β-glucan concentration and hydration temperature on gel behavior were examined. BBG gum gelled at ≥5% concentration and gel strength increased (p≤0.05), but not proportionally, with concentration. Hydration temperature did not influence gel strength. Commercial β-glucan had higher (p≤0.05) gel strength than our BBG gum at 5% concentration. Cornstarch produced ∼78% softer gel than BBG gum at 6% concentration. BBG may have potential as a gelling agent.
Feed Additives for Control of House Fly Larvae in Livestock Feces

There was no reduction in the numbers of house flies ( Musca domestica L.) completing development from egg to adult in feces from a steer fed up to 100 gm. /day of Polybor 3, (containing 98% of disodium octoborate tetrahydrate (Na2B8O13-4H20)). When mixed directly with cattle manure, Polybor 3 was an effective larvicide; a possible explanation for relatively higher rates in a steer ration not controlling larvae in feces is discussed. Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner spores containing 25 billion/gm. mixed directly with cattle feces at rates of 0, 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg. /kg. and inoculated with 100 house fly eggs resulted in an average of 43, 41, 9, 5, and 0 adult house flies completing development, respectively. Feeding 20 gm. B. thuringiensis/ day to a steer prevented development of house flies in manure, and 0.125 gm. B. thuringiensis/ kg. ration greatly reduced the number of adult flies emerging from hen droppings. The presence of aureomycin did not decrease the effectiveness of this pathogen.
Environmental enterococci: I. Prevalence of virulence, antibiotic resistance and species distribution in poultry and its related environment in Karachi, Pakistan

Enterococci are well‐established causative agents of a number of diseases in humans and animals alike. A total of 1047 isolates (838 presumptive enterococci and 209 non‐enterococci), related to poultry environment (faeces/manure, feed, water and air), were evaluated for species diversity, virulence potential, antibiotic resistance and associated threats. Multiplex PCR of 204 presumptive enterococci using genus (16s rDNA)‐ and species‐specific (superoxide dismutase) primer set leads to identification of six Enterococcus spp. , i.e. Ent. faecium, Ent. faecalis, Ent. mundtti, Ent. hirae, Ent. gallinarum and Ent. casseliflavus. BOX‐PCR analysis of the representative strains confirmed inter‐strain variation among species. Although enterococci generally appear to be catalase negative, Ent. faecalis from some faecal, water and air samples showed catalase production. In vitro assays identified poultry environment as a reservoir of MVD and MAR enterococci and non‐enterococci. In addition to vancomycin, high‐level‐ampicillin‐, clarithromycin‐, erythromycin‐, kanamycin‐ and gentamicin‐resistant enterococci and non‐enterococci are also indicated. Our results show that virulence potential and resistance vary with the source of isolation. Our studies on MAR and MVD enterococci in environment, especially in air and water, clearly indicate the need for a serious commitment to deal with pathogenic enterococci associated with poultry for preventing transmission of infectious agent to humans.
Diet- and tissue-specific incorporation of isotopes in the shark Scyliorhinus stellaris, a North Sea mesopredator

Elucidating predator! prey relationships is an important part of understanding and assessing the structure and function of ecosystems. Sharks are believed to play a significant role in marine ecosystems, although their specific trophic ecology is largely unexplored. Stable isotopes of nitrogen (! 15 N) and carbon (! 13 C) are a widely applied tool in food-web studies, but there is a need to quantify stable isotope dynamics in animals, particularly sharks. In this study, diet! tissue discrimination factors (DTDF = stable isotope in consumer tissue ! stable isotope in diet) and turnover rates (time for the isotope to be assimilated into the consumer's tissue) of stable isotopes were estimated in blood, fin, and muscle tissue for the shark species Scyliorhinus stellaris fed 2 diets with different isotope values. Subsequently, these diet- and tissue-specific DTDFs were used in isotopic mixing models to quantify the diet of Scyliorhinus canicula caught in the North Sea and were compared with stomach content data. DTDFs for ! 15 N (" 15 N) and ! 13 C (" 13 C) ranged from ! 1.95 to 3.49‰ and from 0.52 to 5.14‰, respectively, and varied with tissue and diet type. Isotope turnover rates in plasma and red blood cells, expressed as half-lives, ranged from 39 to 135 d. Most of the variability in DTDFs reported in this and other studies with sharks can be explained by linear relationships between DTDF and dietary isotopic values. From these relation- ships, we propose a method for isotope mixing models using diet-specific DTDFs, which improves diet reconstruction estimates for animals, particularly mesopredator sharks that consume a large range of prey types.
Post-Metamorphic Development of Early Cretaceous Frogs as a Tool for Taxonomic Comparisons

ABSTRACT Specimens of a single but currently undetermined species of the anuran genus Liaobatrachus from the Lower Cretaceous of northeast China, including four articulated skeletons preserved on a single block of sediment plus two skulls and several additional adult skeletons on other slabs, illustrate post-metamorphic developmental stages from early juvenile to fully grown adult. The relative ages of the individuals were estimated based on body size combined with degree of ossification. Postmetamorphic developmental data not only provide a basis for comparisons with other fossil and recent anuran taxa, but also help to identify both age-independent (i.e., size-independent) characters that can be used for taxonomic comparisons among individuals of various sizes (i.e., ages) and age-dependent (i.e., size-dependent, ontogenetically variable) characters that can only be used for comparisons across corresponding developmental stages. Our study revealed that the following characters are independent of size in Liaobatrachus: frontoparietals with a fontanelle between their frontal portions; quadratojugal present; vertebral centra amphicoelous and pierced by a notochordal canal; and free (not ankylosed) ribs attached to diapophyses of second to fourth vertebrae. The tibiofibula/femur and presacral vertebral column/snout-vent length ratios were also found to be size independent. In contrast, ossification of the carpus, distal tarsals, and pubis appears to be ontogenetically variable (i.e., they vary with age), and this is presumably also true of fusion between the tibiale and fibulare. These characters should only be used for comparisons among individuals at a common developmental stage.
Interactions of Snowshoe Hare and Feltleaf Willow in Alaska

Evidence from experimental feeding trials and chemical analysis showed that, when severe winter browsing of adult—form Alaska feltleaf willow (Salix alaxensis) causes it to revert to juvenile—form stump sprouts, the twigs are unpalatable and of lower nutritional quality to the hares than are twigs of adult—form S. alaxensis plants. Further feeding choice trials demonstrated that the palatability of winter—dormant S. alaxensis to snowshoe hares is a function of the age of the sprout and its chemistry rather than the accessibility (height) or morphology of the twigs. The low nutritional quality of juvenile sprouts is partially caused by decreased dry matter and nitrogen digestibility, which may be related to increased lignin and phenolic content of the twigs. This browsing—induced resistance to future winter browsing by hares relaxes within 3 yr and within the height range of twigs normally available to snowshoe hares in winter. These results are compatible with hypothesis that the inducation and relaxation of resistance to browsing in the preferred winter food of snowshoe hares is a cause of the well—known 10—yr snowshoe hare cycle.
DOES SELECTION FOR STRESS RESISTANCE LOWER METABOLIC RATE

Environmental stress reduces the fitness of organisms, and in this manner may shape species distribution and evolutionary change. Ecologists have long been interested in physiological mechanisms that reduce the effects of stress and result in improved fitness. It has previously been suggested (1) that selection for stress resistance will bring about the evolution of lower standard metabolic rates and (2) that organisms with increased stress resistance will have a lower metabolic rate during stressful conditions, compared to stress-sensitive organisms. We have tested these hypotheses using replicate populations of Drosophila melanogaster. Desiccation and starvation-selected populations and their controls, as well as populations selected for postponed senescence and their short-generation controls were examined. The metabolic rate of each selected and control population was measured under three different environmental conditions: (1) desiccation (no food or water), (2) starvation (water present, no food), a.
Comparison of five strains of Phlebiopsis gigantea and two Trichoderma formulations for treatment against natural Heterobasidion spore infections on Norway spruce stumps

In an experiment established on three Norway spruce sites in southern Sweden, the ability of five strains of Phlebiopsis gigantea, including the commercial strain Rotstop®, and two Trichoderma formulations to control natural Heterobasidion spp. spore infections was compared. At each site 160 trees were felled, and the resulting stumps were treated with spore suspensions of the seven fungal preparations. Twenty stumps at each site were left untreated as control stumps. When sampled 9 months after treatment, two of the P. gigantea strains (1984 and 1985) were the most effective at preventing infection by Heterobasidion spp. The other three P. gigantea strains were less effective, and two Trichoderma formulations did not significantly reduce Heterobasidion spp. infections.
Effects of Canola Meal Treated with Acetic Acid on Rumen Degradation and Intestinal Digestibility in Lactating Dairy Cows

Five midlactation lactating Holstein cows (628 ± 42 kg) fitted with large rumen cannulas and T-type cannulas in the proximal duodenum were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square experiment to determine the effects of acetic acid treatment of canola meal on rumen degradation of its protein, rumen fermentation, and postruminal digestion. Canola meal was mixed with 3% (vol/wt) acetic acid in a mixer, followed by drying at 105°C. Acetic acid treatment of canola meal reduced its in situ rumen DM and CP degradability by up to 17.0 or 28.6 percentage units, respectively, dependent upon the assumed rumen turnover rate. Cows were fed TMR twice daily containing 60% concentrate, 8% alfalfa silage, and 32% whole crop oat silage on a DM basis. Treated canola meal replaced untreated canola meal in the concentrate at 0, 33, 67, and 100%. Each experimental period was 21 d. Average concentration of rumen acetate and isobutyrate increased linearly, but rumen pH, NH3 N, lactic acid, and VFA concentrations, other than acetate and isobutyrate, were not affected by inclusion of treated canola meal. Treatment of canola meal with acetic acid was effective in increasing escape from the rumen of postruminally digestible canola meal protein.
Statistical analysis of meat and fat colour characteristics in carcasses of “Appenninica” and “Sopravissana” lambs fed diets with different protein source (soybean or faba bean)

Abstract Thirty-six male lambs of Appenninica and Sopravissana breeds, were finished with two isoprotein and isoenergetic diets (hay/concentrate ratio:30/70) differing by protein source: soybean or faba bean. After slaughtering (at about 25 kg live weight), CIEL*a*b* meat and fat colours parameters at Rectus abdominis and, after dissection, at Longissimus dorsi, and at tail root were measured using a Minolta Chromameter CR-100. Results showed high and significant difference among tissues in colour parameters (L*= 56.73, 45.99 and 72.63 in RA, LD and TF respectively, P<0.001) and low correlation coefficients between colour parameters in different tissues (the highest value: 0.33). The two first axis obtained by principal component analysis, performed with only CIEL*a*b* colour parameters, explained about 95% of total variability and discriminating different tissues but not differentiating breeds or diets.
Environmental variation and moose Alces alces density as determinants of spatio-temporal heterogeneity in browsing

Understanding temporal variation in habitat selection and browsing intensity by large herbivores is fundamental because of their large impact on the ecosystems. I studied the annual variation in winter browsing pressure on young trees and habitat selection by moose Alces alces over a ten year period. Specifically, the relationships between browsing pressure on Scots pine Pinus sylvestris and two birch species (Betula ssp.) and three explanatory variables – 1) availability of forage, 2) moose density (estimated by pellet group counts) and 3) snow cover was studied. At a larger spatial scale (forest stand level) the relationship between moose habitat selection between three different habitat types (forest 30 yr and mire) and two explanatory variables, 1) snow condition and 2) moose density, were studied. Browsing pressure on Scots pine, the dominating food plant, was related to forage availability, moose density and snow condition. No significant relationships between any of the three explanatory variables and browsing pressure on the two birch species were found. Moose selection for certain habitats varied between years and was affected by number of days with >0.10 m of snow. Habitat selection was not significantly related to moose density and the relationship between overall moose density and habitat specific moose densities was proportional within the studied density range. These findings have implications for understanding varying browsing patterns – and will affect both the ability to predict herbivores’ effect on the forest ecosystem. A snow dependent browsing pattern also indicates that one can expect a long term decrease in browsing pressure on the tree and shrub layer as a consequence of the ongoing large-scale climate change.
Carbon footprinting of lamb and beef production systems: insights from an empirical analysis of farms in Wales, UK

SUMMARY Carbon footprinting is an increasingly important method of communicating the climate change impacts of food production to stakeholders. Few studies utilize empirical data collected from farms to calculate the carbon footprints of lamb and beef. Data from two farms in Wales, UK, were employed to undertake such an analysis for two system boundaries. Within a system boundary that considers the embodied greenhouse gases (GHGs) in inputs and on-farm emissions, producing 1 kg of lamb releases 1·3–4·4 kg CO2 eq/kg live weight (case study farm 1) and 1·5–4·7 kg CO2 eq/kg live weight (case study farm 2). The production of beef releases 1·5–5·3 and 1·4–4·4 kg CO2 eq/kg live weight. Within a wider system boundary that also includes GHG emissions from animals and farm soils, lamb released 8·1–31·7 and 20·3–143·5 kg CO2 eq/kg live weight on the two case study farms, and beef released 9·7–38·1 and 18·8–132·6 kg CO2 eq/kg live weight. The difference in emissions for this system boundary relates to nitrous oxides emitted from the organic soils on case study farm 2. These values overlap with nearly all other studies of GHG emissions from lamb and beef production. No direct comparisons between studies are possible due to substantial differences in the methodological approaches adopted.
The Utility of Molecular Markers for Barley Net Blotch Resistance across Geographic Regions

Molecular marker technology shows poten- tial to select and combine favorable alleles via genotypic selection and can be used to develop improved crop cultivars with considerable resource savings. In the present investigation, the utility of molecular markers for net blotch resistance identifi ed in Australian breeding material was investigated for Canadian breeding material. Screening 42 Canadian, Australian, and interna- tional barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) lines with 10 Canadian Pyrenophora teres Drechs. isolates identifi ed three lines resistant to all isolates eval- uated. Net-form net blotch isolates were more virulent than spot-form net blotch isolates. The strong agreement between seedling and adult- plant reactions indicated that seedling screen- ing could be useful for selection for adult-plant resistance. Evaluation of the inheritance of resistance in four Australian populations against Canadian P. teres isolates revealed one to three resistance genes, depending on the isolate used. The majority of Australian barley mapping population parents were susceptible to Cana- dian P. teres isolates, suggesting markers linked to their resistance may not be useful for Cana- dian breeding; however, some molecular mark- ers identifi ed by Australian workers could be used for Canadian barley breeding. This study demonstrates that the differences in germplasm and fungal pathogen strains used in different countries result in molecular markers that may not be applicable in all breeding programs for that crop.
Influence of Planter Type and Seeding Rate on Yield and Disease Incidence in Peanut1

Abstract Variability of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) seedling spacing, and yield were compared for a conventional and a vacuum-type planter in field studies conducted in 1991 and 1992. Vacuum-type planters have an improved seed metering system and are considered to be more precise. This added precision may serve to compensate for lower than normal seeding rates. Seeding rates evaluated decreased in a step-wise manner from the normal range of 123 to 101 kg/ha, to a minimum of 34 kg/ha. Spacing between individual seedlings was measured after emergence. The occurrence of tomato spotted wilt (TSWV) and southern stem rot were also determined. In 1991 and across all seeding rates, variability in seedling spacing (i.e. standard deviation) was identical between the two planters. In 1992, at 3 of the five seeding rates (34,56, and 101 kg/ha) standard deviation was less with the vacuum planter. In both years yield and disease occurrence was influenced only by seeding rate, and was independent of planter type. TSWV .
Milk production and reproductive performance of cows induced into lactation and treated with bovine somatotropin

Milk production and reproductive performance of pluriparous dairy cows was compared for cows whose lactations were induced by hormonal treatment or followed natural calving. The study was conducted on 179 high-yielding dairy cows in a large dairy operation in a hot arid environment of northern Mexico, where bovine somatotropin (bST) was routinely used in all cows. To induce lactation, 98 cows that had previously failed to become pregnant were treated with 500 mg bST on days 1, 8 and 21. From days 2 to 8, cows were treated with oestradiol cypionate (0·30 mg/kg live weight (LW) per day) and progesterone (0·28 mg/kg LW per day). From days 9 to 15, oestradiol cypionate alone was given. PGF 2α was given on day 16. Nothing was administered on days 17 and 18, and 15 mg flumetasone was administered from days 19 to 21. Lactation was induced successfully in all 98 cows subjected to the hormone treatment. All cows received 500 mg bST every 14 days throughout lactation from 63±7 days after lactation had started. Cows with induced lactations produced less ( P P
Changes in Mississippi River Water Quality this CenturyImplications for coastal food webs

Water quality in streams, rivers, lakes, and coastal waters may change when watersheds are modified by alterations in vegetation, sediment balance, or fertilizer use after, for example, industrialization or the conversion of forests and grasslands to farms and cities (e.g., Aber et al. 1989, Borman and Likens 1979, Schlosser and Karr 1981, White et al. 1981). Quantification of these watershed/water-quality relationships is important in understanding the consequences of existing or potential watershed changes as well as the possibilities for preventive or remedial action. There are two recent examples of improved understanding of these relationships contributing to public policy discussions. Knowledge of the role of phosphorus in structuring freshwater phytoplankton communities led to the regulation of phosphorus in detergents as well as to improved sewage-treatment strategies (e.g., Schindler 1974, 1977, 1978, Vollenweider and Kerekes 1980). Recognition that acid precipitation results from coal-fired power plants and is harmful to forests and lakes led to improved smokestack emission standards (e.g., Borman 1982, Ruess and Johnson 1986). Water-quality changes are coincident with