Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cytogenetic Relations among Paspalum notatum Var. saurae, P. pumilum, P. indecorum, and P. vaginatum

Paspalum notatum var. saurae Parodi (Pensacola bahiagrass) was crossed with P. pumilum Nees and P. indecorum Mez. , and P. indecorum was crossed with P. vaginatum Swartz-all 2n = 2x = 20to study their phylogenetic relationships. Four P. notatum var. saurae X P. pumilum hybrids had 20 chromosomes. Meiosis was irregular with mean chromosome associations of 6.2. I, 6.8 II, 0.03 III, and 0.02 IV per cell. Thus, the two species are related, and P. pumilum may have basically the same genomic constitution (NN) as P. notatum var. saurae. Two P. indecorum x P. vaginatum hybrids had 20 and two had 21 chromosomes. Meiosis was irregular in all of the hybrids with mean meiotic chromosome associations of 9.7 I, 5.1 II, and 0.06 III and 8.7 I, 6.04 II, and 0.08 III for the 20and 21-chromosome plants, respectively. These findings indicate the two species may have partially homologous genomes. Two P. notatum var. saurae x P. indecorum hybrids had 20 chromosomes and mean chromosome associations of 12.2 I and 3.9 II per cell. Most of the bivalents were loosely synapsed, suggesting partial homology between some of the chromosomes of the two species. Chromosome pairing in the hybrids involving P. indecorum indicates that more homology exists between the chromosomes of P. indecorum and P. vaginatum than between those of P. indecorum and P. notatum var. saurae. However, the actual relationship of P. indecorum to these species is presently unclear. No hybrids produced any seed.
Transport of leaf litter in upland streams of Eucalyptus and Nothofagus forests in south-eastern Australia

Leaf transport - especially differences among species from diverse taxonomic groups - is generally less well understood than are the other phenomena that influence the fate of leaves in streams, such as conditioning by bacteria and fungi and fragmentation and consumption by invertebrates. To address this topic, we compared the transport behaviour of entire leaves from five indigenous species of tree in a naturally forested, upland stream in south-eastern Australia: two cool temperate rainforest taxa (Nothofagus cunninghamii (HOOK) OERST. and Atherosperma moschatum LABIL. ), two sclerophyllous taxa (Acacia melanoxylon R. BR. and Eucalyptus regnans F. MUELL.) and one taxon from the ecotone between the two forest types (Lomatia fraseri R. BR.). Laboratory experiments indicated that, irrespective of flow regime, rainforest leaves sank markedly more slowly than did sclerophyllous leaves. Eucalyptus regnans leaves, for example, in moving water typically sank within 2 days of immersion, whereas Nothofagus cunninghamii leaves in moving water had a mean time before sinking of 8 to 67 days. These differences in flotation behaviour were reflected in field experiments that used marked leaves to quantify transport down a first-order stream in the study area. The field experiments showed the stream to be highly retentive, with leaves from no taxon travelling more than 100m in six hours. Leaves from rainforest taxa, however, were transported longer distances in a given time than were sclerophyllous leaves, and in some of the latter cases (e.g., Acacia melanoxylon) retention commenced in distances as short as 5 m. There was some evidence that small leaves were transported greater distances than were large leaves; leaf texture and flexibility (a reflection of leaf morphology) also influenced transport distance, but the characteristics of the leaf margins seemingly did not. The ecological significance of these findings is that differential transport will influence the relative contribution made by various species to the pool of coarse particular leaf matter occurring in a given reach of a stream. It will also influence the amount of material available to downstream ecosystems and the formation of allochthonous fossil leaf assemblages.
Effects of Follicle Cells on in vitro Penetration of Pig Oocytes by Cryopreserved, Ejaculated Spermatozoa

Cumulus-enclosed or denuded pig oocytes before and after maturation were inseminated with cryopreserved ejaculated spermatozoa in modified TCM-199. High proportions (79-94%) of cumulus-enclosed mature oocytes, but none of immature oocytes, were penetrated regardless of the presence of extra granulosa cells. However, significantly (P<0.001) higher penetration rates were always obtained in denuded mature and immature oocytes in the presence than in the absence of granulosa cells. All of the penetrated immature oocytes had decondensed sperm nuclei and remained at the germinal vesicle (GV) or condensed GV stage. The ability of granulosa cells to induce sperm capacitation and/or acrosome reaction was acquired fully when they were cultured for 36h at 39C. Frozen-thawed granulosa cell masses could support penetration of denuded mature oocytes in spite of complete loss in cell viability indicating that intercellular matrix and possibly cytosolic components liberated from damaged cells rather than components secreted from living cells may play an important role for inducing sperm capacitation and/or acrosome reaction and penetration of oocytes. The activity of the granulosa cell masses was completely lost by treatment of them at 60C for 30 min.
Phyto‐ and necromass above and below ground in a fen

Few investigations deal with the subterranean phytomass in fens (minerotrophic peatlands), their results differing widely. This study was carried out in a "rich fen" in central Sweden, and involved excavation of peat monoliths, depth-sectioning and hand-sorting as to species, type of organ, and living or dead condition. The belowground living phytomass was large, over 4 kg m-2 in each of two sample plots, being no <97-96% in the dominants, Carex limosa and C. lasiocarpa, 89% on average in Menyanthes trifoliata, and c. 93% for all species. Carex limosa had its rhizome maximum slightly higher than C. lasiocarpa, but a greater part of its roots penetrated deeper. For Menyanthes, also net annual production above and below ground was estimated. The subterranean phytomass decreased with depth, but living roots were found even at 42 cm. The recognizable necromass did not decrease with depth. These recent constituents would render a very unequal age to the peat. The imbalance between the small green aerial phytomass and the much greater subterranean phytomass was emphasized. It could be related to a relatively very great translocation of photosynthates from above to below ground, and/or to longevity of below-ground organs, the latter at least in Menyanthes.
Effect of the Menstrual Cycle on Glucose Metabolism and Diabetes Control in Women with Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

It is widely recognized that fluctuations in glu­ cose control may occur during the menstrual cycle in women with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). While most studies have demonstrated a worsening of glucose tolerance in both diabetic and nondiabetic women during the luteal phase, other investigations have yielded conflicting results. More­ over, the specific hormones or other factors respon­ sible for the monthly fluctuations in glucose metabo­ lism are still not completely defined. In this article we will briefly summarize the data examining the physiological basis for this phenomenon and discuss the potential clinical implications for management of women with IDDM.
Culm anatomy in barley (Hordeum vulgare)

Four barley varieties and four F8 lines derived by divergent selection for culm length were studied for a number of anatomical characteristics of the culm. Significant differences were observed in length and width of epidermal cells, culm thickness, thickness of sclerenchyma, and thickness of sclerenchyma cell walls. Except for the thickness of the sclerenchyma cell walls, the differences in the anatomical characteristics of the culm were not correlated with those in culm length caused by selection. Although it was not possible to determine the genetic basis of the association between culm length and thickness of the sclerenchyma cell walls because of the type of material used, this result does have implications in relation to breeding for lodging resistance. It is suggested that a higher lodging resistance could be obtained by combining in the same genotype a short culm with thick-walled sclerenchyma cells.
THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE FERTILIZED EMBRYO SAC OF PETUNIA

SUMMARY The ultrastructural changes of the embryo sac of Petunia during and after fertilization are described. The pollen tube enters the embryo sac by growing through the filiform apparatus and discharges its content into one of the synergids (penetrated synergid). The volume of the penetrated synergid increases and the cell bursts at its chalazal pole. The synergid and discharged pollen tube cytoplasm merge and subsequently degenerate. The degeneration is marked by the darkening of the cytoplasm and the disappearance of organelles. A complex rough endoplasmic reticulum and numerous small spheres remain discernible longest. Two degenerating nuclei are present in the penetrated synergid. The ultrastructure of the zygote changes slightly during its early development. 50 hrs after pollination (10–15 hrs after fertilization) the nucleus does not contain chromatin clumps any more and is surrounded by a shell of plastids. The primary endosperm cell shows a number of marked changes after the formation of its nucleus. The ribosomes become aggregated into large polysomes and the plasma matrix becomes homogeneously electron-dense. Both the mitochondria and dictyosomes change in ultrastructure and shape. Plastids, without starch, appear as the endoplasmic reticulum becomes very extensive. This ultrastructural differentiation indicates a changing metabolic activity.
Ecological Trends in the Wood Anatomy of Trees, Shrubs and Climbers from Europe

Ecological trends for occurrence of certain vessel, tracheid and fibre characteristics. have been analysed for 505 species (belonging to 221 genera and 71 families) from Europe, Cyprus, and Madeira. Macroclimatic gradients from boreal, via temperate to mediterranean are strongly related with a decreasing incidence of scalariform perforations, (almost) exclusively solitary vessels, and fibre-tracheids (i. e., fibres with distinctly bordered pits). In this sequence the incidence of different vessel size classes (vessel dimorphism) and vascular tracheids increases. Ring-porous tendencies and spiral vessei thickenings have their peaks in the temperate zone. The subtropical flora of Madeira shows low values for the percentage of species with any of the above attributes.
Depensation in fish stocks : a hierarchic Bayesian meta-analysis

The probability of different levels of depensation within four taxonomic groups was calculated using a Bayesian technique called hierarchical modeling. With this method we combined spawner-recruit data from many stocks within a taxon to estimate the distribution describing the variability of depensation within that taxon. The spawner-recruit model we use allows for both depensation (lower than expected recruits at low population levels) and hypercompensation (where recruits are higher than expected at low population levels). The end product of our analysis is a probability distribution that can be used as a Bayesian prior when analyzing a new data set. We examined four taxonomic groups (the salmonids, gadiforms, clupeiforms and pleuronectiforms) and found that, for all of the taxa, the most likely values fell close to or within the range of no depensation. However, because the distributions were very broad we suggest that analysis of stock recruitment data should incorporate spawner-recruit curves that in.
Direct interaction between the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices and different rhizosphere microorganisms

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can reduce the incidence and importance of plant root diseases caused by pathogens. The mechanisms involved are not well characterized. We used an in vitro experimental system to test the hypothesis that the extraradical mycelium of AM fungi can interfere directly with microorganisms in the mycosphere and directly or indirectly reduce the population of plant pathogens. This system permitted the isolation of soluble substances released by the extraradical mycelium of Glomus intraradices. The AM fungus was grown on Daucus carota transformed roots in one compartment, while only the extraradical mycelium was allowed to grow in a second compartment. A freezing and centrifugation technique was developed for the extraction and concentration of substances present in the compartment containing only the AM fungal mycelium. Four soil-inhabiting microorganisms were selected, and conidial germination (fungi) or growth (bacteria) of these was studied in the presence and absence (control) of the extract. In comparison with the control, the results indicated that both the growth of Pseudomonas chlororaphis and the conidial germination of Trichoderma harzianum were stimulated in the presence of the AM fungal extract. In contrast, conidial germination of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. chrysanthemi was reduced while the growth of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis was not affected. The measured effects in general were directly correlated with extract concentration. Differences in pH were noted between the extract containing substances released by the AM fungus and the non-AM control, but no significant influence of the pH on growth or conidial germination was noted, confirming that substances released by the AM fungus in the growth medium is the main factor explaining differential growth of the microorganisms tested. The results suggest that direct interactions exist between AM fungi and soil microorganisms, which might lead to changes in microbial equilibrium detrimental to pathogens.
Genetic improvement in wheat yield and associated traits. A re‐examination of previous results and the latest trends

Two field experiments were carried out with seven wheat cultivars (three of them, including a commercial hybrid, released during the last 10 years) representing different eras of plant breeding, to evaluate genetic improvement over the last century in grain yield, height, biomass, harvest index and grain yield components. Plots were fertilized and irrigated, and lodging and diseases were prevented. Main culm height was negatively correlated with the year of release of the cultivars, probably as a consequence of selection for increased lodging resistance. There was no significant association between total above-ground biomass and year of release of the cultivars. On the other hand, grain yield increased as newer cultivars were released. Results indicate that during recent years harvest index has been kept as the main attribute responsible for increases in grain yield. In general, number of grains/m2 was associated with increases in grain yield during the century. However, the newest cultivars showed an increased grain weight. In both growing seasons, cultivars released before 1980 showed a trend towards reduced grain weight, but cultivars released after 1987 had a similar number of grains per m2 with a higher grain weight than their predecessors. This was probably because the most modern cultivars have a longer grain-filling duration with a similar length of growth cycle.
Quantitative and qualitative studies on bacterial flora of hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus × O. aureus) cultured in earthen ponds in Saudi Arabia

The bacterial flora of the rearing pond water and sediment as well as the gills and intestine of healthy hybrid tilapia cultured in Saudi Arabia was estimated quantitatively and qualitatively, the isolates being identified at genus or species level. Total viable counts of bacteria (measured as colony-forming units, cfu) were in the range 5.6 ± 0.8 × 103 to 2.4 ± 1.2 × 104 cfu mL−1 in pond water; 9.3 ± 1.1 × 106 to 1.9 ± 1.5 × 108 cfu g−1 in sediment; 7.1 ± 0.7 × 105 to 8.7 ± 1.1 × 106 cfu g−1 in the gills of tilapia; and 3.4 ± 1.8 × 106 to 5.8 ± 0.4 × 107 cfu g−1 in the intestine of tilapia. In total, 15 bacterial genera and 18 species were identified. Pond water and sediment bacteria reflected the bacterial composition in the gills and intestine of tilapia. In contrast to gill bacteria, more diversification was observed in intestinal bacteria. Corynebacterium urealyticum, Shewanella putrefaciens and Aeromonas hydrophila predominated in all samples. In pond water, C. urealyticurn, S. putrefaciens, A. hydrophila, Flavobacterium sp. and Pseudomonas sp. were the most predominant bacterial species (prevalence > 10%), whereas A. hydrophila, C. urealyticum, S. putrefaciens and Escherichia coli were predominant in pond sediment, and C. urealyticum, S. putrefaciens and A. hydrophila were predominant in both the gills and intestine of tilapia.
The Parasites Recorded From Trichosurus Species (Marsupialia: Phalangeridae).

This review outlines the known endoparasites and ectoparasites of the brushtail possums Trichosurus vulpecula and T. caninus in Australia and T. vulpecula in New Zealand. Associated gross and histopathological changes in the host as a result of parasite infection are also described. Protozoan, cestode and nematode endoparasites have been found in both T. vulpecula (4 protozoa, one cestode and 25 nematodes) and T. caninus (2 protozoa, one cestode and 8 nematodes). The trematode Fasciola hepatica has been recorded only from T. vulpecula, in which it is associated with extensive pathological changes in the liver. Numerous species of fleas, ticks and mites occur on T. caninus (one flea, 4 ticks and 9 mites) and T. vulpecula (7 fleas, 11 ticks and 18 mites) in Australia, but only mites (4 species) occur on T. vulpecula in New Zealand. The only parasite with an indirect life cycle that occurs in T. vulpecula in New Zealand is the cestode Bertiella trichosuri. Other parasites that require intermediate hosts to complete their life cycle are absent. Further studies are required to investigate the effects of parasites on the health and fecundity of T. vulpecula and T. caninus in Australia to determine their potential as direct or indirect agents for the biological control of T. vulpecula in New Zealand.
Habitat associations of Eurasian Skylarks Alauda arvensis breeding on Irish farmland and implications for agri-environment planning

Capsule Skylarks breeding in Ireland prefer extensive grassland habitats and almost completely avoid tillage habitats. Aims To describe the distribution and habitat use of breeding Skylarks in Ireland, particularly in lowland agricultural habitats, and to use this information to inform conservation measures for this species. Methods Countryside Bird Survey (CBS) and Farmland Bird Project (FBP) data were examined to determine large-scale (national) distribution and habitat selection, in addition to smaller-scale (farm- and field-level) habitat use. The CBS is a national breeding bird monitoring scheme involving 397 1-km squares. The FBP collected detailed bird and habitat data from 122 farms. Results CBS and FBP data both showed significant regional differences in breeding Skylark densities, with the highest relative abundances in the northwest and west. Dry grassland/grass moor habitats supported the highest densities of breeding Skylarks in the CBS, which were significantly higher than in improved grassland or tillage. At the farm-level, Skylark numbers were positively related to wetland habitats but negatively associated with trees in field boundaries, dense ground vegetation and overall density of farm boundaries. At the field-scale, larger fields and unimproved grasslands were preferred. Conclusion Agri-environment measures tailored to region-specific requirements and to the relatively local habitat preferences of target species are required if population declines of species of conservation concern, including Skylarks, are to be reversed.
Population genetic structure of the rare species Eryngium maritimum L. (Apiaceae) in the Gulf of Gdańsk: implications for conservation and management

Abstract We examined the genetic structure and diversity of eight populations of Eryngium maritimum L. (Sea Holly) along 150 km coastline of the Gulf of Gdańsk in Poland. Allozyme electrophoresis revealed two polymorphic loci among the 31 we tested. The populations showed low levels of genetic diversity (P=6.25, A=1.062, Ht=0.026), with little genetic differentiation between populations (FST=0.03), although it was statistically significant (p<0.001). The main directions of currents and wind indicate no significant limitations to the transport of seeds between populations in the region. Therefore, the grouping of populations that are mostly congruent with their geographic locations (except HP1) might result from the low efficacy of gene flow by seeds. The significant genetic differentiation of HP1, even from close neighboring populations, might have arisen from the founder effect and barriers to the gene flow caused by anthropogenic factors such as forestation and the construction of breakwaters.
Effects of supplementary corn silage on the feed intake and milk production of time-restricted grazing dairy cows

The effects of supplementary corn silage (CS) of either 2 or 4 kg of dry matter (DM; S + 2 and S + 4, respectively) above the energy requirement for milk production and maintenance for grazing dairy cows (S) were determined. Time-restricted grazing was used to compare the feed intake, milk production, and nitrogen and energy use of lactating cows. The experiment was carried out on two different pastures using a 3 × 3 Latin square design for each pasture. Cows were grazed for 5 h on a rotational grazing system and were fed concentrate (1 kg per 5 kg of milk yield). Herbage intake was measured using a weighing technique. To calculate the energy and nitrogen use, whole feces and urine were collected. There was no statistical effect of the pastures. Herbage intake decreased by the addition of CS (P = 0.02). The reduction of herbage DM intake per unit consumption of supplementary CS towards the S group were 0.80 and 0.45 kg for the S + 2 and S + 4 groups, respectively. The total DM intake for the S + 4 group was higher than that for the S and S + 2 groups (P = 0.02). Milk yield did not differ among treatments, even though the total DM intake for the S + 4 group was higher than that of the S and S + 2 groups. Nitrogen and energy use did not differ with the addition of CS.
Concerning the Sense in Which Maximizing Fitness is Equivalent to Maximizing Reproductive Value

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