Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inducible Formation of Urease in Canavalia ensiformis

Increase in urease activity in leaves of Canavdlia ensifomis has been demonstrated. The activity of excised leaves increased by about 100 percent when 1.5 × 10−1M urea was added externally as inducer. Glycine-1-14C was used to investigate whether the increase in activity was dependent on de novo protein synthesis. The Incorporation of labeled amino acid into urease was twofold higher in induced samples than in non-induced ones. This indicates that the increase in activity is connected with de nova protein synthesis. The once increased activity was always followed by a rapid decrease. The urease activity was lost constantly with time after the external addition of ammonia in vivo. The inhibitory action of ammonia on urease fa vitro was eliminated by dialysis. Accordingly it may be concluded that the loss of activity was dependent on the product repression by ammonia.
Variable Costs of Mating, Longevity, and Starvation Resistance in Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae)

Abstract Studies on conflict and cooperation in insect mating behavior usually assay the relative costs and benefits of mating in unreplicated experimental designs. We assayed multiple populations for such potential costs and benefits in Musca domestica L. under different nutritional environments. We used four populations, each derived from the same field site, ranging from six to 46 generations in the laboratory. Under benign environmental conditions (i.e., ad libitum food and water), mated females lived up to 13% longer than virgins, but this difference was not significant. Under extreme nutritional stress (i.e., no food or water), mated females lived significantly longer, but in only one of the populations tested. Under more moderate stress (i.e., water alone), mated females of one population died significantly earlier. Thus, aspects of both cooperation and conflict were found, but the effects were not repeatable across populations or nutritional environments. Overall, older females were more susceptible to stress. Moreover, the populations were significantly different in longevity (1.5-fold difference) and starvation resistance (2.2-fold difference). The youngest population lived longer, was more resistant to nutritional stress, and was the only line to exhibit significant costs of mating. Thus, the reduced selection pressures of the laboratory could have allowed the erosion of ejaculate toxicity, longevity, and starvation resistance. However, the simplest explanation is that replicate samples from a single geographic source population show appreciable among-line variation in fitness parameters and the consequences of mating. In conclusion, sexual selection studies on the costs and benefits of mating should consider environmental conditions, evolutionary history, and, perhaps most importantly repeatability.
Prediction assessment of linear mixed models for multienvironment trials

Fixed linear models have been used for describing genotype x environment interaction (GE). Previous attempts have been made to assess the predictive ability of some linear mixed models when GE components are treated as random effects and modeled by the factor analytic (FA) model. This study compares the predictive ability of linear mixed models when the GE is modeled by the FA model with that of simple linear mixed models when the GE is not modeled. A cross-validation scheme is used that randomly deletes some genotypes from sites; the values for these genotypes are then predicted by the different models and correlated with their observed values to assess model accuracy. A total of six multienvironment trials (one potato [Solanum tuberosum L.] trial, three maize [Zea mays L.] trials, and two wheat [Triticum aestivum L.] trials) with GE of varying complexity were used in the evaluation. Results show that for data sets with complex GE, modeling GE using the FA model improved the predictability of the model up to 6%. When GE is not complex, most models (with and without FA) gave high predictability, and models with FA did not seem to lose much predictive ability. Therefore, we concluded that modeling GE with the FA model is a good thing.
Anatomical features of the syrinx in sea gulls

395-520 gr agirliklarinda dort adet martinin kullanildigi bu calismada syrinx incelendi. Syrinx’in tracheobronchial tip oldugu cartilagines bronchosyringeales ve cartilagines tracheosyringeales’ten olustugu belirlendi. Bes adet olan cartilago tracheosyringeales’in kaynastigi ve tympanum’u sekillendirdigi gozlendi. Cartilago bronchosyringeales’in 7 adet oldugu ve C seklindeki kikirdak halkalardan olustugu izlendi. Sesin sekillenmesinde buyuk role sahip olan membrana tympaniformis lateralis ve medialis goruldu. Membrana tympaniformis lateralis’in 1. ve 2. cartilago bronchosyringealis’ler arasinda yer aldigi gozlendi. Membrana tympaniformis medialis’in, pessulus ile 7. cartilago bronchosyringealis arasinda bulundugu izlendi. Membrana tympaniformis medialis’in sona erdigi bolgede sag ve sol bronchus primarius’u birbirine baglayan ligamentum interbronchiale belirlendi. Membrana tympaniformis medialis, pessulus ve ligamentum interbronchiale arasinda foramen interbronchiale’nin yerlestigi izlendi. M. tracheolateralis’in cartilago tracheosyringealis’e baglandigi belirlendi. Bu calismada marti ile diger kanatli turlerinin syrinx’leri arasindaki benzerlikler ve farkliliklar ortaya konuldu
Growth, Nutrient Uptake, and Yield Promotion of Broccoli by Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria with Manure

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of root inoculations with Bacillus cereus (N2-fixing), Brevibacillus reuszeri (P-solubilizing), and Rhizobium rubi (bothN2-fixingand P-solubilizing)onplant growth, nutrientuptake, andyieldof broccoli in comparison with manure (control) and mineral fertilizer application under field conditions in 2009 and 2010. Bacterial inoculations with manure compared with control significantly increased yield, plant weight, head diameter, chlorophyll content, nitrogen (N), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) content of broccoli. The lowest yield per plant, plant weight, steam diameter, and chlorophyll content were recorded in the control, but the manure with Bacillus cereus (BC), Rhizobium rubi (RR), and Breviba- cillus reuszeri (BR) inoculations increased yield 17.0%, 20.2%, and 24.3% and chlorophyll content by 14.7%, 14.0%, and 13.7% over control, respectively. Bacterial inoculations with manure significantly increased uptake of macronutrients and micro- nutrients by broccoli. In conclusion, seedling inoculation with BR and especially RR may partially substitute costly synthetic fertilizers in broccoli.
Identifying Chamaecrista rotundifolia accessions and Centrosema species for bridging seasonal feed gaps in smallholder mixed farms in the West African derived savanna

Information is scanty on seasonal changes in the yield and quality of forage legumes adapted to the West African savannas. Two experiments were conducted from 1992‐1994 in the derived savanna zone of West Africa to determine the dry matter (DM) yield and 48-h in sacco DM digestibility of 17 accessions of Chamaecrista rotundifolia (Experiment 1), and 22 accessions of 8 Centrosema species (Experiment 2) in the mainwet (April‐August), minor-wet (September‐ November), and dry (December‐March) seasons. Accessions varied significantly in DM yield and in sacco DM digestibility in both experiments. Based on the digestible DM yield, accessions were identified with the potential to provide greater quantities of high quality forage. These included: Ch. rotundifolia ILCA 14165; Ce. acutifolium ILCA 12182 and 12184; Ce. macrocarpum ILCA 15594; Ce. pascuorum ILCA 9; Ce. schottii ILCA 122 and 12401; and Ce. plumieri ILCA 200; for the wet season. Promising accessions for the dry season included: Ch. rotundifolia ILCA 14172 and 14174; Ce. acutifolium ILCA 15591; Ce. arenarium ILCA 12451; Ce. brasilianum ILCA 155; Ce. macrocarpum ILCA 15594; Ce. plumieri ILCA 194; and Ce. schottii ILCA 122. Of the Ce. virginianum accessions evaluated, ILCA 509 was the best in all seasons. The potential of the promising accessions to reduce seasonal deficiencies of high quality feed, especially during the dry season, and their multiple use for soil fertility maintenance, weed control, and pest management in mixed farming systems warrant further research.
Differentiation of Gyrodactylus bullatarudis Turnbull, 1956 and G. rasini Lucky, 1973 (Monogenea) with reassignment of Gyrodactylus bullatarudis Turnbull, 1956 sensu Harris (1986) to G. rasini

Gyrodactylus rasini from Xiphophorus helleri Heckel, 1848 x X. maculatus (Gunther, 1866) hybrids and museum specimens previously identified as Gyrodactylus bullatarudis Turnbull, 1956 sensu Harris (1986), also from Xiphophorus hybrids, are compared with paratypes of G. bullatarudis Turnbull, 1956 from Poecilia reticulata Peters, 1859. Gyrodactylus rasini was differentiated by us as following: (1) the ventral bar had longer, slightly curved antero-lateral processes, converging towards each other apically; (2) the marginal hook blade point extended nearly level with or beyond the marginal hook toe; (3) a pronounced bend in the marginal hook blade immediately before the point; and (4) a bifurcate base on both sides of the large spine of the cirrus. By contrast G. bullatarudis was differentiated by: (1) slightly shorter and straighter anterolateral processes of the ventral bar; (2) a marginal hook blade point which did not extend level with or beyond the toe; (3) a marginal hook blade with a straight point; and (4) the base of each side of the large spine of the cirrus which curved behind and joined. From these morphological differences it is concluded that the two taxa are distinct, redescriptions of both species are given and G. bullatarudis sensu Harris (1986) is reassigned to G. rasini. Gyrodactylus bullatarudis from P. reticulata were, however, capable of infecting and reproducing on Xiphophorus hybrids.
Tissue stresses in growing plant organs

Rapidly growing plant organs (e.g. coleopties, hypocotyls, or internodes) are composed of tissues that differ with respect to the thickness, structure, and extensibility of their cell walls. The thick, relatively inextensible outer wall of the epidermal cells contains both transverse and longitudinally oriented cellulose-microfibrils. The orientation of microfibrils of the thin, extensible walls of the parenchyma cells seems to be predominantly transverse. In many growing organs (i.e. leafstalks), the outer epidermal wall is supported by a thickened inner epidermal wall and by thick-walled subepidermal collenchyma tissue. Owing to the turgor pressure of the cells the peripheral walls are under tension, while the extensible inner tissue is under compression. As a corollary, the longitudinal tensile stress of the rigid peripheral wall is high whereas that of the internal walls is lowered. The physical stress between the tissues has been described by Sachs in 1865 as ‘tissue tension’. The term ‘tissue stress’. however, seems to be more appropriate since it comprises both tension and compression. Hitherto no method has been developed to measure tissue stresses directly as force per unit cross-sectional area. One can demonstrate the existence of tissue stresses by separation of the tissues (splitting, peeling) and determining the resulting strain of the isolated organ fragments. Based on such experiments it has been shown that rapid growth is always accompanied by the existence of longitudinal tissue stresses.
Heme Oxygenase-1 is Important to the Formation of Eggshell Biliverdin in Chicken

Abstract Wang, X.T. , Zhao, C.J., Li, J.Y. , Xu, G.Y. , Lian, L.S. , Wu, C.X. and Deng, X.M. 2010. Heme oxygenase-1 is important to the formation of eggshell biliverdin in chicken. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 38: 229–232. We postulated that the pathway of the biliverdin in eggshell was similar to that of the biliverdin in bile and attempted to search some proofs. First, it was found that the mean mRNA expression level of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the shell glands of the Dongxiang blue-shelled hens (n-6) was about 45.8 times more than that of the Dwarf brown-shelled hens (n-6) with the method of real time quantitative PCR. Second, the solution of hemin (40μ mol/ml), which was the inducer of HO-1 expression, was intraperitoneally injected into the Dongxiang blue-shelled hens (n=6), and the saline water (0.68%) was intraperitoneally injected into the control group (n=6), at 1 ml/kg, once a day, for two consecutive days. After injection with hemin solution, one hen in the treatment group laid a very blue egg, and the content of biliverdin in this shell increased to about 3.1 times as compared with before injection of hemin solution. At the same time, the expression level of HO-1 mRNA in the shell gland of this treated hen laid a very blue egg was about 3.0 times the control hens. These results supported our postulation.
Growth and age of Alberta long-toed salamanders (Ambystoma macrodactylum krausei): a comparison of two methods of estimation

Both skeletochronology and a somatic growth model based upon mark–recapture data were used to estimate life-span and the relationship between size and age in two populations of long-toed salamanders (Ambystoma macrodactylum krausei) in the upper Bow Valley of southwestern Alberta. Skeletochronologically aged salamanders (n = 170) displayed a sigmoidal relationship between snout–vent length and age, with a great deal of variation in snout–vent length within each year class. The modified logistic-by-mass somatic growth model (based upon 47 recaptures) predicted sexual maturity at 3 years of age and adult size at 6 years, with asymptotic length approached at 15 years of age. These predictions were falsified by skeletochronology, which indicated that a snout–vent length characteristic of sexual maturity could be reached by 2 years and adult size by 3 years of age, and that the maximum life-span attained was 10 years, with most individuals living 6 years at most. Considerable variation in growth, evidently due.
Use of zinc phosphide to overcome rodent infestations, From: EJ Wright, MC Webb and E Highley, Stored grain in Australia 2003

Of the many rodenticides available for rodent management, few provide immediate control on a large scale while also offering a high level of safety to non-target predators and scavengers in the food chain. These are minimum requirements for the control of rodents in broadacre crops and in certain other agricultural situations. The need to meet the combined objectives of high potency and high safety has led to renewed interest in zinc phosphide (ZP) as a suit- able active constituent of rodent baits. ZP is generally well accepted by rodents, is relatively safe for secondary non-target species, and does not leave any significant residues in crops, soil, water or the atmosphere. MOUSEOFF® zinc phosphide mouse bait been used suc- cessfully to protect large areas of Australian crops from mouse infestation, first under emergency permit in 1997, and in all major mouse infestations subsequent to registration in 2000. More recently, research on related ZP technology has led to the use, under permit, of RATTOFF® to control rats in Queensland cane fields and hoop pine plantations. The research may be extended to the development of formulations and presentations of ZP bait that are suitable for rodent control in industrial situations including grain storages, warehouses, farm machinery areas, and perhaps for intensive animal and fodder storage facilities. Industry-sponsored extension and training programs have also com- menced to improve knowledge about the new technology and to encourage a more proactive and less reactive manage- ment approach to rodent infestations in crops. The use of the new ZP technology will thus form a part of, rather than alternative to, integrated pest management (IPM) strategies for rodents.
Air Pollution Exposure and COVID-19

In light of the existing preliminary evidence of a link between Covid-19 and poor air quality, which is largely based upon correlations, we estimate the relationship between long term air pollution exposure and Covid-19 in 355 municipalities in the Netherlands. Using detailed secondary and administrative data we find compelling evidence of a positive relationship between air pollution, and particularly PM2.5 concentrations, and Covid-19 cases, hospital admissions and deaths. This relationship persists after controlling for a wide range of explanatory variables. Our results indicate that a 1 μ/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentrations is associated with 9.4 more Covid-19 cases, 3.0 more hospital admissions, and 2.3 more deaths. The relationship between Covid-19 and air pollution withstands a number of sensitivity and robustness exercises including instrumenting pollution to mitigate potential endogeneity and modelling spatial spillovers using spatial econometric techniques.
Use of RFLP and SSCP analysis to differentiate the pine rusts Cronartium flaccidum and Peridermium pini

Two rapid, independent molecular assays have been developed for discriminating between the closely related rusts of hard pines, Cronartium flaccidum and Peridermium pini . A portion of the ITS region and a portion of the IGS region from the ribosomal RNA operon of the two organisms were amplified with the PCR. Amplifications were made using DNA extracted from aeciospores collected from unopened aecia, taking a small number of spores as a source of template DNA. Amplified fragments were subjected to RFLP or to SSCP analysis. Digests of the amplified products from the IGS1 region were electrophoresed on polyacrylamide gel and stained with ethidium bromide. Hinf I digestion of these fragments created polymorphic restriction profiles which allowed differentiation of the autoecious P. pini from the heteroecious C. flaccidum . Similar-sized DNA fragments representing the ITS2 region of the two rusts were denatured, subjected to electrophoresis as single strands on polyacrylamide gel under non-denaturing conditions and ‘silver stained’. The different mobility displayed by these short fragments revealed sequence polymorphism in the examined portion of the ITS region. This technique therefore represents an accurate and sensitive method for detection of base changes in given sequences of genomic DNA. A high level of homology was found between the two biotroph organisms in the loci screened. Results obtained in this trial indicate that PCR-RFLP and PCR-SSCP can be used as simple, speedy taxonomic tools for elucidating relationships among related organisms.
Effects of Four Cooking Methods on the Proximate, Mineral and Fatty Acid Composition of Fish Fillets

The effects of baking, broiling, deep frying and cooking in a microwave oven on the proximate, mineral and fatty acid composition of grouper (Epinephelus morio), red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus), Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) and Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus) were determined. The lipid content of low fat species was not significantly changed by cooking, but lipid was lost from fatty fillets during cooking. The fatty acid composition of all fillets was not significantly changed by baking, broiling or microwave cooking. Deep fried fillets absorbed the major fatty acids in the cooking medium, and as the fillet lipid content increased the extent of absorption of fatty acids from the cooking medium decreased. Sodium, potassium and magnesium levels were decreased when low fat species were cooked, but these minerals were not lost when raw fillets containing higher lipid levels were cooked. Cooking did not significantly affect the concentration of the microelements, zinc, copper, iron and manganese.
What factors affect the density of cane toads (Rhinella marina) in the Solomon Islands

Cane toads (Rhinella marina) were introduced to the Solomon Islands in the 1940s, and quickly spread across the archipelago. Between May 2009 and August 2012, cane toads were recorded on 11 of 13 islands surveyed, and the densities of toads were estimated by distance sampling on seven of these islands. Modified Akaike’s Information Criterion (AICc) tests were used to find the most parsimonious model for cane toad density in the Solomon Islands. The results showed that mean toad density was higher on Gatokae and Guadalcanal than on Bougainville, Choiseul, Kolombangara and Rendova. A plausible explanation for this is that Guadalcanal had an abundance of breeding sites, and that Gatokae may have been recently colonised with a typical sharp rise in toad densities. The model also showed that mean toad density was higher in coastal forests than in other forest types (e.g lowland, hill and montane forests). Coastal forests have higher disturbance levels as a result of villages and towns. Disturbance was associated with increased toad densities in the model. These findings suggest that cane toad management efforts should target coastal forests and disturbed areas along roads and tracks leading to important biodiversity reserves.
Comparative Study of Persistence of Escherichia coli, Salmonella Sp. And Shigella Sp. In Different Water Samples Stored under Various Storage Conditions

This study evaluated the persistence of three (3) bacteria in sterilized and unsterilized samples of bottled, chlorinated, underground and surface water stored at room temperature, in a refrigerator and exposed to sunlight. Bacterial survivalwas monitored using plate count method on selective media. A general decrease in the plate count of all the bacteria was observed in the four water samples under all the storage conditions and Shigella was inactivated in sterilized chlorinated (tap) water. The bacteria survived better in sterilized water than in unsterilized water.The longest period of persistence for Salmonellawas in groundwater at room temperature for 90days and up to 8% of the original inoculum was still detectable at day 90. Also, E. coliwas observed to persistfor the longest period (42 days, 12.2%) in ground water at room temperature and Shigella (56 days, 32.9%) in surface water on exposure to sunlight. The differences in the bacterial survival in the four water types weresignificant (P 0.05) between the means of the survival of each of the enterics at room temperature and on exposure to sunlight. The difference between their meansduring storagein the refrigerator washowever, significant (P>0.05).