Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Photosynthesis and stomatal conductance of mature canopy Oak (Quercus robur) and Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) trees throughout the growing season

1. Gas exchange is strongly seasonal in temperate deciduous forests; however, virtually no studies have described measurements made at the leaf scale through the whole growing season. This level of detail is important to understanding processes as substantial differences may occur within the canopy between species and between sun and shade leaves. 2. Gas exchange was measured weekly throughout the growing season in leaves of Oak (Quercus robur) and Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) trees at Wytham Woods, UK. In Q. robur sun, shade and intermediate leaves were sampled on each occasion. 3.Acer pseudoplatanus came into leaf before Q. robur and commenced net assimilation (A) earlier. Maximum irradiance saturated photosynthetic rates (Amax) in Q. robur were reached approximately 50 days after budburst and were maintained until approximately 20 days before abscission. Acer pseudoplatanus lost its leaves before Q. robur in the autumn and showed no seasonal trend in Amax. The lag between budburst and attainment of maximum photosynthetic rate in Q. robur was substantial and represented a quarter of the potential growing season. 4.Amax of A. pseudoplatanus (3·5 μmol m–2 s–1) sun leaves was substantially lower than that of Q. robur (10·4 μmol m–2 s–1) despite A. pseudoplatanus being a fast-growing species. The earlier flushing of A. pseudoplatanus leaves in the spring could not completely compensate for this. It is likely that other variables, such as total leaf area, are responsible for the high growth rate of A. pseudoplatanus, rather than high photosynthetic rates. 5. Shade leaves of Q. robur had lower Amax and mean A than sun leaves; their quantum efficiency was also lower. Consistent with this, sun leaves had a higher nitrogen content per unit area, resulting from a lower specific leaf area (SLA). 6. Week to week variations in solar radiation influenced A; this could be described by a non-rectangular hyperbola. Stomatal conductance (gs) decreased in conditions of high vapour pressure deficit (VPD). However, this did not decrease A as high VPD was associated with high solar radiation and the stimulation of photosynthesis caused by high photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) more than compensated for the reduction by VPD.
Role of Soil Organisms in the Maintenance of Species‐Rich Seminatural Grasslands through Mowing

To preserve species‐rich grasslands, management practices such as mowing are often required. Mowing is known to promote aboveground conditions that help to maintain plant species richness, but whether belowground effects are important as well is not known. We hypothesized that if mowing decreases belowground carbon transfer by reducing root mass, this will reduce the abundance and activity of soil decomposers and lead to diminished nutrient availability in soil. In grasslands, this would provide a means to mitigate the negative effects of nitrogen enrichment on plant species richness. We established experimental plots on grassland with one‐third of plots growing untouched, one‐third mowed once a summer, and one‐third mowed twice a summer for three growing seasons. Root and soil attributes were measured at each plot 1 month after each mowing. Mowing decreased root mass but had few effects on belowground biota and soil NH4‐N, NO3‐N, and PO4‐P concentrations. Mowing did not affect root N concentrations. Our results show that despite reducing root mass, mowing may have few effects on those soil biota that control nutrient supply and, as a result, have no clear‐cut effects on nutrient availability in soil. This suggests that the effects of mowing on soil decomposers and soil nutrient availability may not provide an effective means to mitigate N enrichment and enhance plant species richness in grasslands in a timescale of a few years. Whether such effects could, however, be achieved with longer lasting mowing remains open.
Leaf number as a criterion for determining defoliation time for Lolium perenne, 1. Effect of water‐soluble carbohydrates and senescence

This study sought to define the optimum defoliation interval for Lolium perenne, with the maximum interval being determined by the onset of senescence, as reflected by the number of fully expanded leaves, and the minimum interval set by the replenishment of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSCs). In a glasshouse set at 13°C/23°C night/day temperature and at a plant spacing of 94 m−2 (3290 tillers m−2), the accumulation of dry matter against leaf number and days was exponential to the four-leaf stage of the regrowth cycle. Senescence commenced at the 3·5-leaf stage. WSCs in roots, stubble and leaf showed a very significant linear relationship with leaf number. Levels of WSCs in leaves were restored to predefoliation values by the one-leaf stage, after which WSCs accumulated preferentially in the stubble, rising to 22% at the four-leaf stage. Regrowth after 6 d was significantly greater for plants defoliated at the three-leaf stage than at the one-leaf stage, but this difference disappeared at the end of the regrowth cycle. This questions the importance of WSCs in determining the yield of ryegrass under normal rotational grazing management. Regrowth at 6 d was related positively to stubble WSCs (r2= 0·66) and to stubble DM per tiller(r2=0·71)
Studies on the Occurrence and Distribution of Plant-ParasiticNematodes in Some Pineapple-Producing States in Nigeria

Nematode pests of pineapple have not been widely studied in Nigeria compared to other countries. This study investigated the geographical distribution of nematodes associated with pineapple in three pineapple-producing states in Nigeria. A total of 78 farms were sampled from Oyo, Ogun and Osun States using the Agricultural Development Project in each state as a pilot to locate representative farmlands in the States. The modified Baermann Extraction Tray method of Whitehead and Hemming was used for the extraction of vermiform nematodes from soil. Eighteen species of plant-parasitic nematodes (PPN) were found associated with pineapple from the fields surveyed as follows: Meloidogyne incognita, Rotylenchulus reniformis, Pratylenchus brachyurus, Tylenchus sp. , Helicotylenchus dihystera, Scutellonema brachyurum, Hoplolaimus pararobustus, Criconemoides limitaneum, Paratylenchus minutus, Gracilaria sp. , Hemicriconemoides sp. , Hemicycliophora sp. , Aphelenchus sp. , Aphelenchoides sp. , Tylenchorhynchus sp. , Paratrophurus sp. , Dolichoderus sp. and Xiphinema nigeriense. The most prominent plant-parasitic nematodes found in association with pineapple on all the fields were P. brachyurus, H. dihystera, S. brachyurum, R. reniformis and M. incognita occurring at frequency ratings of 88, 80, 71, 56 and 44%, respectively. The study indicated a widespread distribution of plant-parasitic nematodes of pineapple in Southwestern Nigeria.
Quantitative Evaluation of Soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) Leaflet Shape by Principal Component Scores Based on Elliptic Fourier Descriptor

Leaflet shape of thirty-nine soybean cultivars/strains selected to cover the possible diversity of leaf shape, was quantitatively evaluated by principal components scores based on the elliptic Fourier descriptor of contours. After central leaflets of fully expanded compound-leaves of the cultivars/strains were videotaped, binary images of the leaflets were obtained from those video images by image processing. Then, the closed contour of each leaflet was extracted from the binary images and chain-coded by image processing. Because the first twenty harmonics could sufficiently represent soybean leaf contours, 77 elliptic Fourier coefficients were calculated for each chain-coded contour. Then, the Fourier coefficients were standardized so that the coefficients were invariant of the size, rotation, shift and chain-code starting-point of any contour. The principal component analysis about the standardized Fourier coefficients, showed that the cumulative contribution at the fifth principal component was about 96 o/o' Moreover, the effect of each principal component on the leaf shape was clarified by drawing the contours of leaflets using the Fourier coefficients inversely estimated under some typical values of the principal component scores. Consequently, it was indicated that the principal components scores about the standardized elliptic Fourier coefficients gave us powerful quantitative measures to evaluate soybean leaf shape. The analysis of variance and multiple comparison indicated that the genotypic differences on the first, the second and the fifth principal components were significantly large. Because the variations of those principal components were con-tinuous, the effects of the polygenes on the (size-invariant) shape were also suggested.
Differences in reproductive success and parental qualities between habitats in the Great Tit Parus major

Reproductive success and parental attributes of Great Tits Parus major nesting in good and poor habitats were compared to investigate whether they differed and, if so, whether parental or environmental variation contributed most to the differences. Monitored over 3 years, clutches in mature woodland were started earlier, were larger and produced larger broods of heavier chicks than those in marginal habitats such as gardens and hedgerows. Fledging success was significantly higher in woodland in 2 of the 3 years although egg weights were lower. Parents nesting in different habitats were very similar in body-size although those in woodland were in better condition. The prey delivered to nestlings in woodland was of significantly higher quality than that delivered in marginal habitats. Furthermore, the heritability of body-size (tarsus-length) was higher in woodland, suggesting that the environment limits nestling growth in poorer habitats. Reproductive success was considerably lower in poor habitats and appears to be constrained primarily by environmental quality, although this may operate partly through its affect on parental body condition.
Thermal analysis of magnetron injection gun for 170 GHz gyrotron

The 170 GHz gyrotron presented in this article has an operating voltage of 75 kV and a beam current up to 45 A, which requires the cathode emission temperature to reach above 1000°C. At such a high temperature, it is bound to cause the cathode of the electron gun to undergo thermal expansion and generate a certain amount of deformation, which may cause a large change in the performance parameters of the electron gun. This article uses thermal analysis simulation software ANSYS Workbench and COMSOL Multiphysics to perform thermal analysis processing on the electron gun. The thermal analysis results show that the temperature difference of the magnetron injection gun (MIG) cathode emission band is 4.6°C, and the total deformation is about 0.054 mm. The magnitude of the deformation is within an acceptable range and has little effect on the performance of the MIG. Comparing the thermal analysis results obtained by the two software, the simulation results agree well.
Variable host phenology does not pose a barrier to invasive weevils in a northern hardwood forest

1 A suite of invasive weevils has established in hardwood forests of the North American Great Lakes Region. We quantified patterns of host availability and the capacity of adults to succeed in a system with high host variability both within and between seasons in Michigan, U.S.A. 2 We quantified phenological development of foliage on three host species [sugar maple, Acer saccharum Marshall; ironwood, Ostrya virginiana (Mill.) K. Koch; and raspberry, Rubus spp. ]. We estimated adult abundance using emergence traps and sweep net sampling over 3 years, and compared field host associations with laboratory choice assays. 3 Host plant phenology varied among species, between years, and in their interactions. The four most common weevils, Phyllobius oblongus (L.), Polydrusus sericeus (Schaller), Barypeithes pellucidus (Boheman) and Sciaphilus asperatus (Bonsdorff), emerged in early to mid‐June, in approximately that order. After emergence, each species showed evidence of host preference based on their abundances on foliage. Overall, P. oblongus and B. pellucidus were most prevalent on sugar maple, P. sericeus was most prevalent on ironwood, and S. asperatus was relatively evenly distributed. Laboratory choice tests with P. oblongus and P. sericeus confirmed these preferences. 4 These four invasive species comprised over 99% of all 12 845 weevils obtained, suggesting displacement of native species. The optimal sampling methods varied among weevil species. 5 These invasive weevils contend with the highly variable conditions of their environment, and also potential phenological asynchrony, via relatively late emergence, even at the cost of lower host quality. Annual variation is greater for numbers of adults than larvae, suggesting that mortality of late instars or pupae is particularly important.
Altitudinal Distribution of Ammonia-Oxidizing Archaea and Bacteria in Alpine Grassland Soils Along the South-Facing Slope of Nyqentangula Mountains, Central Tibetan Plateau

Nitrogen is a major limiting nutrient for the net primary production of terrestrial ecosystems, especially on sentinel alpine ecosystem. Ammonia oxidation is the first and rate-limiting step on nitrification process and is thus crucial to nitrogen cycle. To decipher climatic influence on ammonia oxidizers, their communities were characterized by qPCR and clone sequencing by targeting amoA genes (encoding the alpha subunit of ammonia mono-oxygenase) in soils from 7 sites over an 800 m elevation transect (4400–5200 m a.s.l.), based on “space-to-time substitution” strategy, on a steppe-meadow ecosystem located on the central Tibetan Plateau (TP). Archaeal amoA abundance outnumbered bacterial amoA abundance at lower altitude (<4800 m a.s.l.), but bacterial amoA abundance was greater in surface soils at higher altitude (≥4800 m a.s.l.). Archaeal amoA abundance decreased with altitude in surface soil, while its abundance stayed relatively stable and was mostly greater than bacterial amoA abundance in subsurface soils. Conversely, bacterial amoA abundance gradually increased with altitude at all three soil depths. Statistical analysis indicated that altitude-dependent factors, in particular pH and precipitation, had a profound effect on the abundance and community of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, but only on the community composition of ammonia-oxidizing archaea along the altitudinal gradient. These findings imply that the shifts in the relative abundance and/or community structure of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea may result from the precipitation variation along the altitudinal gradient. Thus, we speculate that altitude-related factors (mainly precipitation variation combing changed pH), would play a vital role in affecting nitrification process on this alpine grassland ecosystem located at semi-arid area on TP.
Life Expectancy and Economic Development: Evidence from Microdata

This study examines the effect of life expectancy on fertility, education, and labor force participation. Using birth and sibling histories from the Demographic Health Surveys conducted in sub&#8208;Saharan Africa, I construct a time series of age&#8208;specific birth rates and mortality rates at the country&#8208;region level. I use these data to test the implications of a general equilibrium model linking life expectancy to fertility, human capital, and labor supply. My results suggest that increases in life expectancy reduce fertility, increase education, and increase labor force participation. Overall, my empirical results suggest that in sub&#8208;Saharan Africa, increases in life expectancy will have a positive impact on growth through fertility, education, and labor supply but that the effect will be small. My results also rule out the possibility that recent shocks to adult mortality in high HIV prevalence countries will reduce fertility, increase labor productivity, and lead to faster growth.
Inferring Threat from Scientific Collections

Exact formulas for the probability of extinction or change in the conservation status of species are described for data based on frequency of sighting. These formulas generalize an expression previously described for the probability of extinction from (binary) sighting data. The formulas will be used in contexts where sightings are recorded as frequencies, such as when observations are aggregated in time. We argue that computing the probability of extinction or change in conservation status will be most useful for setting conservation priorities and in screening large data sets contained in museum and herbarium collections and in biological resource inventories. Se describen formulas exactas basadas en la frecuencia de avistamiento para determinar la probabilidad de extincion o cambio en el estado legal de las especies. Estas formulas generalizan una expresion, previamente descripta, para determinar la probabilidad de extincion a partir de datos (binarios) de avistamientos. Las formulas seran usadas en contextos donde los avisiamientos estan registrados en forma de frecuencias tales como cuando las observaciones estan agregadas en forma temporal, sostenemos que el calculo de la probabilidad de extincion o camblo en el estado legal para la conservacion, sera sumamente util para decidir las prioridades de conservacion y para separar y dasificar las grandes colecciones de datos contenidas en las colecciones de museos y herbariosy en los enventarios de recursos biologicos.
Melhoramento do feijoeiro comum com grão tipo carioca, visando resistência à antracnose e à mancha angular

Aiming to select common bean lines with high grain yield, Carioca grain type, upright plant habit and resistant to anthracnose and angular leaf spot, 143 lines were selected from three families of the cross F1:4RC2 {[(G2333 X ESAL 696) X ESAL 696] X CI 140}. The promising lines were selected based on the agronomical traits in four field experiments, set up in three places in Southern MG State using the square lattice design. The reaction of each line to the anthracnose was evaluated by inoculating the seedlings using the races 1545 and 2047, and kept in humid chamber during three days, and then moved to greenhouse with sprinkle irrigation every four hours. Four lines with high grain yield, upright plant habit, Carioca grain type, and resistance to angular leaf spot (score up to 4) were selected. Among them one of the lines has the Co-42 allele for anthracnose resistance, two lines have the Co-7 allele, and the last one, although susceptible do anthracnose, presented the highest grain yield and angular leaf spot resistance (score 3,97).
The design and testing of linen thread weak-links in brushtail possum radio-collars

Linen thread was built into radio-collars as a weak-link to trial its effectiveness at ensuring that radio-collars did not remain indefinitely on animals if they were not recaptured. Eighty percent of collars with weak-links broke or degraded, resulting in the collars dropping off within 12–45 days. This method may be useful for short-term studies of some species of mammal that are difficult to recapture in order to remove collars.
Examining the Association Between Chaplain Care and Patient Experience

A developing body of evidence indicates that chaplain care is associated with higher levels of patient/family satisfaction with their hospital care. We examined the association between chaplain care and patient experience among patients at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago who responded to Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems and Press Ganey survey items between 2011 and 2017. Information about chaplain care was taken from the inpatients’ electronic medical record. Our analyses included 11 741 patients, 26.5% of whom had received any chaplain care. Patients with lower self-rated health were more likely to have received chaplain care (P < .001). In bivariate analyses, chaplain care was associated with lower likelihood of reporting the highest score for 4 patient experience items (P < .001). In multi-variable models that adjusted for patient self-rated health and other factors, the association between chaplain care and the 4 patient experience items was nonsignificant. There was no effect modification for patient religious affiliation, self-rated health, or other demographic factors. The chaplain care-patient experience association may be more complex than has initially appeared, and further research is needed to help us better understand it.
Electrophoretic divergence of Myotis leibii and Myotis ciliolabrum (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)

Myotis ciliolabrum has recently been recognised as a species distinct from Myotis leibii. Electrophoretic divergence between the two species exceeds that of subspecies of other bats and is similar to that found between other species. Fixed allelic differences at two loci suggested that no introgression occurs. The electrophoretic data support the conclusion that M. ciliolabrum and M. leibii are distinct species.
Leaf anatomy micromorphometry plasticity and histochemistry of Azadirachta indica during acclimatization

Environmental conditions of grow can modify leaf structure and metabolite production. Neem plants produce a high amount of medicinal metabolites and contain biopesticide terpenoids with low toxicity. However, the high genetic variation and the low material quality, besides the environmental modifications warn to the need of biotechnological techniques to ensure the production of high quality metabolites. The aim was to investigate leaf structural and histochemical characteristics of Azadirachta indica grown in vitro, in vivo and acclimatized condition. It was found anatomical differences among the environments, with higher leaf thickness associated to in vivo conditions, as well as were more evenly distributed stomata. Those modifications did not qualitatively affect the production of medicinal metabolites and biopesticides. Terpenes and tannins were observed in specialized cells called idioblasts, located in the mesophyll and in the midrib region, respectively. Thus, in a qualitative approach, we can affirm that the different environments do not modify metabolites production. Increased production of these bioactive compounds could be achieved by isolation and in vitro culture of idioblasts as a new source of research in plant biotechnology.
Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of the Essential Oils of Three Closely Related Hypericum Species Growing Wild on the Island of Crete, Greece

The volatile compositions of three closely related Hypericum species growing wild on the island of Crete were studied, all belonging to the section Coridium. Hydro-distillation in a modified Clevenger-type apparatus was performed according to the Hellenic Pharmacopoeia in order to obtain the essential oils, which were analyzed by GC-MS. Identification of the compounds was carried out by comparison of MS spectra and retention indices with literature data, as well as by co-chromatography with authentic samples. In total, 123 different compounds were identified and the main compounds were by order of their abundance as follows: H. empetrifolium: α-pinene, germacrene D, β-pinene, E-caryophyllene; H. amblycalyx: β-elemene, β-selinene, α-pinene, E-caryophyllene, α-selinene; H. jovis: trans-calamenene, α-selinene, β-elemene. The chemical results revealed the differences and similarities (qualitative and quantitative) between the studied oils, supporting the hypothesis that essential oils from Hypericum spp. do not serve as chemotaxonomic markers. Moreover, the essential oils were subjected to antimicrobial screening. According to the given results, the essential oils possessed better antifungal and anticandidal activities than antibacterial activities.