Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Applying nitrogen to grain sorghum in central Queensland: residual value and effect of fallowing and tillage practice

In the northern cereal belt of Australia, farmers are reluctant to apply nitrogen (N) fertilizers because of a perception that if N is added to the soil and no crop is subsequently planted due to lack of rain, the N is 'lost'. An experiment was conducted on a cracking clay soil over three seasons to compare the response of grain sorghum to N applied to the current crop v. N applied the previous season which was then either planted or left fallow (to simulate a missed planting opportunity). Recovery of 15~-labelled fertilizer by the crop and that remaining in the soil were simultaneously determined in microplots. The effect of tillage practice [zero (ZT) and conventional (CT)] was also examined. Sorghum grain yield responded to fresh applications of N in 1993 and 1993194 but not 1992, reflecting the importance of timing of rainfall rather than the total amount received within the season. Applications of N to the current crop always improved yield more than equivalent amounts of N applied to the previous crop. Grain yields of plots that were previously fallowed (fallow-sorghum rotation) were higher than the combined yields of sorghum-sorghum rotations, although fallowing was an inefficient means of accumulating both water and mineral N. Recovery of applied 1 5 ~ by sorghum varied from 48% in 1992 to 36% in 1993 but was not related to the overall N responsiveness of the crop. Sorghum recovered a similar proportion of 1 5 ~ from plots which had been fertilized and then fallowed the previous year compared to fresh applications to the current crop, despite the fallow plots having less 1 5 ~ in them due to losses from the previous season. Losses of 1 5 ~ from the soil/plant system varied markedly with year and appeared to be related to the pattern of rainfall occurring and its possible effect on denitrification. Tillage practice did not affect grain yields or PAWC, had minimal effect on the amount of mineral N present, and little influence on the fertilizer N requirements of sorghum per se. This study suggests that there is only a small residual value to subsequent sorghum crops of fertilizer N if added initially to a successful crop. However, if N is applied pre-plant and the crop is not planted, for example due to lack of planting rain, a large proportion of this N can remain available to the following crop depending on the nature of the subsequent rainfall.
The systematics and phylogeny of the Devonian subfamily Asteropyginae (Trilobita: Phacopida)

Traditionally, the evolutionary scenarios of Asteropyginae have been organized in two major clades involving four pygidial patterns. The first cladistic analysis performed on the subfamily maintained the organization in two clades, though the phylogenetic relationships between genera were unexpected compared to the traditional scenarios. Moreover, the previous systematic scheme based on pygidial segmentation was rendered obsolete. In this study, we performed a new phylogenetic analysis from well-known taxa and recent discoveries. Sixty species assigned to 36 genera have been analysed from a dataset of 72 characters. Three more species are used as the outgroup. The 79 most parsimonious trees have a length of 492 steps and a retention index of 0.735. Our analysis confirms the monophyly of Asteropyginae excluding the genus Protacanthina. The phylogenetic pattern is unconventional in that a largely pectinate topology is resolved, rather than two clades corresponding to formerly delimited pygidial morphs. Nevertheless, most relationships between genera suggested in the traditional evolutionary scenarios of the subfamily have been recovered, the main differences being the origin of the group. Whereas Treveropyge was usually considered as the origin of the remaining Asteropyginae, the present results instead identify Destombesina as the sister group to all remaining members of the subfamily. From the new phylogenetic pattern, the diagnoses of genera are rewritten in a standard way and to delimit clades more accurately. This work implies modified generic assignments for some species and the erection of four new genera: Minicryphaeus gen. nov., Gandlops gen. nov., Morzadecops gen. nov. and Pennarbedops gen. nov. The systematic position of Erbenochile is also discussed, the genus no longer being assigned to Asteropyginae. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C42A54C3-2B8E-439A-8DE0-2F35575F7F40
Adaptive Radiation of Reproductive Characteristics in Angiosperms, II: Seeds and Seedlings

In the introduction to the first half of this article, which appeared in Volume 1 of this Review, the importance of reproductive characteristics as major determinants of evolutionary trends in angiosperms was pointed out. The point was also made that characteristics of seeds and seedlings, more than any other kinds of characters that the plants possess, require precise integration and coordination between different functions in order that successful reproduction can take place. Moreover, the adaptive values of seed size, seed number, the nature of the embryo, and the stored food that is associated with it may conflict with each other to such an extent that reproductive efficiency in a particular habitat depends upon a compromise between these conflicting demands. The number and diversity of such compromises is responsible to a great degree for the diversity of angiosperms with respect to those characteristics that are ordinarily regarded as diagnostic for their major categories. The present article is intended as an exploratory review of these characteristics and of their relationship to the genotype-environment interactions that take place between the termination of flowering and the successful establishment of the next generation of seedlings. This review must be exploratory rather than a final exposition because of the great scarcity of our knowledge concerning seed and seedling ecology. In contrast to flowers and their pollinators, which have been the focus of a greatly revived interest in natural history during the past few years, seeds and seedlings have received relatively little attention, and hardly any comparative systematic ecological studies have been carried out on them. One reason for this is the greater difficulty of comparative studies of seeds and seedlings, relative to studies of pollination. Flower pollination is a single event that takes place over a relatively short period of time, and it can be understood on the basis of one set of observations. Seed reproduction, however, includes three different kinds of processes that may be widely separated from each other in both space and time: seed development, dispersal,
Bacterial diversity and morphology in deep ultraoligotrophic Andean lakes: The role of UVR on vertical distribution

We investigated the community composition and the relative size‐shape distribution of bacterial assemblages in deep transparent lakes, where bacteria may be affected by harmful ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Summer samples of the euphotic zones of nine ultraoligotrophic lakes located in different drainage basins between 40°27' and 42°49'S in the North Andean Patagonia were analyzed for relative diversity by denaturating gradient gel electrophoresis and the bacterial morphology (free‐living cocci and rods vs. filamentous forms) in relation to environmental factors (UVR, photosynthetically active radiation, temperature, nutrients, nanoflagellates, and ciliate abundances). The overall bacterial community composition was similar in all lakes and over depth in each lake. In contrast, the relative proportion of filaments to total bacterial biovolume was higher in the upper layers, which have higher UVR intensities (305‐340 nm). Lakes with lower Κd305 (diffuse extinction coefficient, 305 nm) showed a greater proportion of filaments. Filament mean length in the upper layers was also significantly greater than at deeper levels. There was a significant correlation between UVR and filament proportion, whereas neither nanopredator abundances (nanoflagellates and ciliates), nor predation pressure, nor resources (dissolved nutrients) could explain the high proportion of filamentation in the near‐surface layers. We propose that UVR plays a decisive role stimulating bacterial filamentation, particularly in lakes with high UVR penetration.
Growth and aflatoxin production of an Italian strain of Aspergillus flavus: influence of ecological factors and nutritional substrates

The aim of this study was to define quantitative relationships between temperature and water activity (aw), fungal growth and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) production. A strain of Aspergillus flavus isolated from maize in north Italy, and previously tested and found positive for AFB1 production, was used for these experiments. The optimum temperature for AFB1 production was at 25 °C, slightly lower with respect to results obtained in other countries. 0.83 aw was the limit for growth of this strain of A. flavus after 60 days incubation at the optimum temperature. The solutes used to modify aw, glycerol and NaCl, influenced both growth and secondary metabolite production. Media modified with glycerol resulted in more AFB1 production when compared to the non-ionic solute NaCl added media. Maize based media, prepared with flour obtained from kernels at different ripening stages, only slightly influenced growth rates of A. flavus. The quantitative relationship obtained between fungal growth and AFB1 production in divers.
The Role of AVRDC–The World Vegetable Center in Enhancing and Promoting Vegetable Production in the Tropics

, AVRDC-The World Vegetable Center was established in 1971 as a not-for-profit international agricultural research institute whose mission is to reduce malnutrition and poverty among the poor through vegetable research and development. Over the past 30 years, AVRDC has developed a vast array of international public goods. The Center plays an essential role in bringing international and interdisciplinary teams together to develop technologies, empower farmers, and address major vegetable-related issues in the developing world. In its unique role, AVRDC functions as a catalyst to 1) build international and interdisciplinary coalitions that engage in vegetable and nutrition issues; 2) generate and disseminate improved germplasm and technologies that address economic and nutritional needs of the poor; 3) collect, characterize, and conserve vegetable germplasm resources for worldwide use; and 4) provide globally accessible, user-friendly, science-based, appropriate technology. In enhancing and promoting vegetable production and consumption in developing world, AVRDC's research programs contribute to increased productivity of the vegetable sector, equity in economic development in favor of rural and urban poor, healthy and more diversified diets for low-income families, environmentally friendly and safe production of vegetables, and improved sustainability of cropping systems. Recent achievements at AVRDC that greatly impact tropical horticulture in the developing world include virus-resistant tomatoes raising farmers income, hybrid sweet pepper breaking the yield barrier in the tropics, flood-resistant chili peppers opening new market opportunities, broccoli varieties for monsoon season, pesticide-free eggplant and leafy vegetable production systems and fertilizer systems that protect the environment. Beyond vegetable crops, AVRDC is playing an important role in expanding and promoting research and development efforts for high value horticultural crops, including fruit, ornamentals, and medicinal plants through its new Global Horticulture Initiative. AVRDC believes that horticulture crop production provides jobs and is an engine for economic growth. The important role AVRDC-The World Vegetable Center plays in developing and promoting tropical horticultural crops is discussed in this paper.
Impacts of changed fire regimes on tropical riparian vegetation invaded by an exotic vine

Riparian habitats are highly important ecosystems for tropical biodiversity, and highly threatened ecosystems through changing disturbance regimes and weed invasion. An experimental study was conducted to assess the ecosystem impacts of fire regimes introduced for the removal of the exotic woody vine, Cryptostegia grandiflora, in tropical north-eastern Australian woodlands. Experimental sites in subcatchments of the Burdekin River, northern Queensland, Australia, were subjected to combinations of early wet-season and dry-season fires, and single and repeated fires, with an unburnt control.Woody vegetation was sampled using permanent quadrats to record and monitor plants species, number and size-class. Sampling was conducted pre-fire in 1999 and post-fire in 2002.All fire regimes were effective in reducing the number and biomass of C. grandiflora shrubs and vines. Few woodland or riparian species were found to be fire-sensitive and community composition did not change markedly under any fire regime.The more intense dry-season fires impacted the structure of non-target vegetation, with large reductions in the number of sapling trees (<5 cm d.b.h.) and reductions in the largest tree size-class and total tree basal area. Unexpectedly, medium-sized canopy trees (10-30 cm d.b.h.) appear to have been significantly benefited by fires, with decreases in number of trees of this size-class in the absence of fire. Although the presence of C. grandiflora as a vine in riparian forest canopies changed the nature and intensity of crown combustion patterns, this did not lead to the initiation of a self-perpetuating weed-fire cycle, as invaders were unable to take advantage of gaps caused by fire. Low intensity, early wet-season burning, or early dry-season burning, is recommended for control of C. grandiflora in order to minimize the fire intensity and risk of the loss of large habitat trees in riparian habitats.
Hydraulic conductivity and anatomy along lateral roots of cacti: changes with soil water status.

To help understand root function for desert plants at different levels of water availability, cellular and water-conducting properties were examined for young lateral roots of Ferocactus acanthodes (Lem.) Britton & Rose and Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller. Hydraulic conductivity (Lp ), radial conductivity (LR ), and axial conductance (Kh ) were determined for root segments in wet soil, during drought, and after rewetting. All three parameters increased with distance from the root tip under wet conditions and during drought for both species, with larger increases occurring under wet conditions. Lp decreased with drought duration up to 35 d for both species, due to dehydration of cortical cells, suberization of periderm, and embolism of xylem vessels; Lp and LB decreased more for O. ficus-indica, and Kh decreased more for F. acanthodes. The increase in Kh with distance from the root tip and the decrease with duration of drought were associated with the changes in the number of conducting xylem vessels. After 7 d of rewetting, new secondary lateral roots developed, enhancing water uptake, especially for O. ficus-indica. Rewetting also caused water uptake for primary lateral roots to return to approximately the original value under wet conditions, mainly because decreases in emboli led to recovery of axial flow.
Las pesquerías de crustáceos decápodos en el litoral de la República Argentina

Se analiza y se resume toda la informacion disponible sobre las pesquerias de crustaceos Decapodos comerciales del Mar Epicontinental Argentino y del talud contiguo. En la actualidad son cinco las especies que tienen valor comercial. Dos anomuros: Lithodes santolla (centolla) y Paralomis granulosa (centollon), dos peneidos: Pleoticus muelleri (langostino) y Artemesia longinaris (camaron) y un braquiuro: Ovalipes trimaculatus (cangrejo nadador). Mediante campanas y viajes a distintas regiones donde se hallan y explotan estos crustaceos se dispone de una importante informacion biologico-pesquera, relativa a las epocas y zonas de reproduccion, crecimiento, reclutamiento, areas de concentraciones pescables, fluctuaciones, etc, lo que ha permitido recomendar un ordenamiento adecuado en la pesqueria de alguna de ellas. Se destaca las poblaciones de langostino del litoral patagonico, por ser el recurso de mayor importancia. Desde 1980 ha crecido la extraccion de langostino en forma significativa, con fluctuaciones anuales, llegando en algunos anos a volumenes de desembarques de mas de 25.000 tm lo que sobrepasa los 100 millones de dolares americanos en valor de exportacion
Developmental manipulation of the circadian pacemaker in the cockroach: relationship between pacemaker period and response to light

Abstract Previous research has shown that fundamental properties of the circadian pacemaker that drives the rhythm of locomotor activity in the cockroach Leucophaea maderae L. are permanently altered by exposure of animals to 22 or 26 h light cycles during post‐embryonic development (Barrett & Page, 1989; Page & Barrett, 1989). The present results document differences between animals exposed to either constant darkness (DD) or constant light (LL) during postembryonic development in the free‐running period, the phase shifting response to light pulses, and the response to an LL to DD transition of the adult pacemaker. In addition, the changes in pacemaker period and in the phase shifting response that result from raising animals in several different lighting conditions are shown to be strongly correlated. The data suggest there is a developmentally labile interdependence between the period of the pacemaker and its sensitivity to light.
Red wine and model wine astringency as affected by malic and lactic acid

Red wines and model solutions containing grape seed phenols were assessed for perceived astringency, bitterness and sourness by a panel of trained assessors using time-intensity (T-I) methodology. The effect of lactic and malic acid on perception of these attributes was evaluated at two pH values, by adding different amounts of acids. Maximum intensity (I max ) and total duration (T tot ) of astringency increased with decreasing pH in model solutions and red wine, but no differences were found between malic and lactic acid on perception of astringency. The pH and the acid type did not affect any of the bitterness T-I parameters. However, sourness showed an increase in I max and T tot with decreasing pH.
Genetic analysis of common bean agronomic traits in stress and non-stress conditions

Water stress is vital factor limiting bean production wherever beans are grown. The development of bean cultivars having resistance to this stress is a cost-effective tools to address this constraint. This study assessed the performance of gene action and heritability in stress and non-stress conditions. The experiment was designed in randomized complete block design with three replication of two types of common bean including Taylor (P1) and Aracuanol (P2). These parents were crossed and then F2, F3, BC1 and BC2 generation were derived. Then yield and vegetative traits include: Number of days to germination (V1), number of days to appearance of primary leaves (V2), number of days to appearance of a first trifoliate (V3); number of days to appearance of a third trifoliate (V4), height of plant and yield were considered. The genetic components of generation mean analysis were included: Mean (m), additive effect (d), dominate effect (h), additive × additive effect (i), additive × dominate effect (j) and dominate × dominate effect (l). These components were evaluated for all traits, while all the gene effects were not observed simultaneously in all traits. The dominant effect of genes was the most important genetic parameter for controlling the majority of the traits. Despite the significant result for additive effect the importance of dominant effect was more. The results of this study present that in the study of traits in both stress and non-stress conditions not only the additive and dominant effects are important but also the epistasis effect is considerable as well. Moreover, because of the high heritability of most of the traits, it may improve the resistance to drought in breeding projects.
BEHAVIORAL RESPONSES OF NESTING SEA TURTLES TO ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING

Effects of artificial lighting on loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green turtle (Che- lonia mydas) nesting behavior were determined experimentally at major nesting beaches: Melbourne Beach, Florida, USA (loggerheads) and Tortuguero, Costa Rica (green turtles). I conducted exper- iments in which a portion of each nesting beach remained dark, or was illuminated with white, mercury vapor (MV) or yellow, low pressure sodium vapor (LPS) luminaires of equal luminance. Lighting beaches with MV luminaires significantly reduced the numbers of green turtles and loggerheads emerging and nesting within lighted study areas. Lighting beaches with LPS luminaires had no significant effect on nesting in either species. Some turtles were misdirected by lighted luminaires (primarily mercury vapor) on their return to the ocean following nesting attempts. Lighted luminaires did not significantly affect the stages at which nesting attempts were abandoned nor the positioning of nests relative to dune vegetation. Results suggest that MV luminaires and other broad-spectrum lighting types have the potential to disrupt the nesting of loggerheads and green turtles. LPS luminaires may be an acceptable alternative where lighting on nesting beaches cannot be completely extinguished.
RAPD-based assessment of genetic diversity among annual caraway (Carum carvi) populations

For the first time, genetic variability and differentiation among five annual caraway (Carum carvi) populations originating from Tunisia, Germany and Egypt were examined. Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker data were obtained and analysed with respect to genetic diversity, population structure and gene flow. Fourteen primers generated a total of 136 discernible and reproducible bands across the analyzed populations, out of which 56 were polymorphic. The UPGMA cluster analysis permitted the discrimination of all the genotypes and their sorting into 3 main groups. Tunisian caraway populations diverged significantly from German and Egyptian ones. Population clustering was made dependently from geographic origin. This has been further explained at the DNA level as we were able to select a set of RAPD fingerprints unique to each of the studied populations. Furthermore, dimensional graph derived from factorial analysis of RAPD frequency data, allowed significant grouping of the genotypes into five sub-plots, representing each one population. Shannon's index values showed that variation ranks between rather than within populations. These results indicated that considerable genetic differences among C. carvi populations were registered.