Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transmission of the M2 double-stranded RNA in Rhizoctonia solani anastomosis group 3 (AG-3)

Horizontal transmission of the 3.57 kb M2 double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) between mycelia of somatically incompatible isolates of Rhizoctonia solani anastomosis group 3 (AG-3), an economically important pathogen of cultivated plants in the family Solanaceae, was investigated. Nine donor isolates of R. solani AG-3 containing the M2 dsRNA were paired on potato-dextrose agar with each of three different recipient isolates where the M2 dsRNA was absent. Reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) was used to detect horizontal transmission of the M2 dsRNA via hyphal anastomosis from donor to recipient isolates by examining hyphal explants taken 3 cm from the hyphal interaction zone. PCR-RFLP genetic-based markers of two nuclear loci and one mitochondrial locus were used to confirm identity and transmission between donor and recipient isolates of R. solani AG-3. The frequency of transmission observed between 72 pairings of the eight donor and three recipient isolates was approximately 4% of the total pairings, and differences in the phenotype of the recipient isolates after acquisition of the M2 dsRNA via horizontal transmission were observed. To our knowledge this represents the first demonstration of transmission of dsRNA between genetically different individuals of R. solani confirmed with nuclear and mitochondrial markers. These results suggest that transmission can occur between somatically incompatible isolates of R. solani AG-3 but that maintenance of the dsRNA in the recipient isolates was not stable after repeated subculturing on nutrient medium.
Possible aversion learning in the Pacific Coast wireworm

The effects of carbon dioxide and the induction of morbidity on aversion learning in larvae of the Pacific Coast wireworm Limonius canus LeConte (Coleoptera: Elateridae) are discussed. Wireworms preconditioned by exposing them one or four times to odour of Tefluthrin 20SC and Dividend XLRTA [Syngenta Crop Protection (Canada), Inc., Canada] during the induction of temporary morbidity subsequently contact tefluthrin‐treated wheat seeds in soil bioassays for as long as naïve (i.e. not preconditioned) larvae but are repelled four to five‐fold more frequently by Dividend‐treated seeds in soil bioassays than naïve wireworms, suggesting that wireworms are capable of associating a novel odour (i.e. Dividend) with morbidity but require a minimum of 10–15 min subsequent contact time with treated seeds before being repelled. Wireworms preconditioned by exposure to peppermint odour during the induction of morbidity are not subsequently repelled by peppermint odour in soil bioassays, suggesting that wireworms are either not capable of aversion learning or that the presence of a CO2 source and/or a suitable host plant may override a negative cue (i.e. peppermint odour). In studies conducted in the absence of soil, a host plant and CO2 production, wireworms are repelled slightly by droplets of 1.0% but not 0.1% peppermint oil. Previous exposure to peppermint odour or contact with peppermint oil‐treated filter paper during one induction of morbidity does not increase the repellency of wireworms to 1.0% peppermint oil significantly. Repellency to 1.0% peppermint oil is almost eliminated when morbidity is induced five times in the absence of peppermint odour but is restored when peppermint odour is present during preconditioning. These findings suggest that wireworm sensitivity to repellent compounds decreases when repeatedly made moribund, although the results are not sufficient to conclude that wireworms are capable of associative learning.
Isoenzymatic identification of quantitative trait loci in crosses of elite maize inbreds

This study was conducted to determine if, in crosses among elite inbred lines of maize (Zea mays L.) that are more similar morphologically than the lines used in previous studies, sufficient variation is present to detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) using marker-facilitated procedures and to compare elite lines for sources of superior genes. Twenty-two isozyme loci and one additional locus (P), scored by glume color on the cob, served as genomic markers for detecting QTLs affecting 21 quantitative traits in six F 2 populations derived from five elite inbred lines (B73, Mo17, Oh43, Tx303 and T232). A significant effect was found to be associated with a least one chromosomal region for every trait analyzed in the six-elite F 2 populations
Variation in morphological traits and trait asymmetry in field Drosophila serrata from marginal populations

Drosophila serrata occurs along the eastern coast of Australia with a southern range boundary near Sydney. To compare levels of phenotypic variation in marginal and central populations, we examined morphological variation in populations of this species from the southern range boundary and two more northerly populations. The populations differed for wing traits and there was an increase in wing size in the marginal locations which persisted under laboratory culture. The means of wing and bristle traits increased under laboratory culture, whereas wing trait coefficients of variation and variances decreased. Heritability estimates for wing size traits tended to be lower in the field compared with the laboratory, whereas bristle and crossvein length heritabilities were similar across environments. There was evidence for heritable variation in wing and bristle traits in both the marginal and more northern populations, suggesting that genetic variation was not limiting in marginal populations. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) was also assessed as a measure of genomic and environmental stress. There were no consistent differences among populations for the FA of individual traits, or for a total FA score summed across traits. FA levels in field parents and laboratory‐reared progeny were similar. Overall, the results do not support the conjecture that levels of phenotypic and genetic variability differ between central and marginal D. serrata populations.
Nitrogen Loss from Protein Meals Held in Terylene Bags in the Rumen of Cattle and the Nutritive Value of the Residues

The 'nylon' bag technique was used to measure in the rumen of cattle the loss of nitrogenous compounds ('proteins') from some protein meals available in Australia. There were apparent differences between animals in the proportion of nitrogen (N) remaining from a pelleted meal held in Terylene bags for 15 h in the rumen. When four steers were paired on the basis of minimized standard errors the estimates (¦ s.e.) of N remaining (46 ¦ 1.1 and 56 ¦ 1.3%) were different (P < 0.05). Pelleting reduced (P < 0.01) the rate of N loss from one of two insoluble N fractions, but had no significant effect on total N loss from a mix of meals. Feeding more protein to steers on a low quality roughage increased their intake of roughage from 14 to 30 g dry matter (kg liveweight)-0 92 day-1 (P < 0.05), and increased the rate of N loss from bags from 2.3 to 4 3 % h-1; this was associated with an increase of rumen ammonia from 5.6 to 140.3 mg N l-1 (P < 0.05). Fish-meal proteins were the most resistant of those tested to fermentative breakdown in the rumen. The estimated proportion of undegraded N (UDN) was 62-81% of total N. The vegetable protein meals were least resistant to losses of N in the rumen (UDN 48-5570 of total N), and the meat meals were the most variable group (UDN 38-61% of total N). Amino acid proportions in the residue of cottonseed meals were relatively unchanged from the original sample, but the remaining N tended to be resistant to an acid pepsin digestion, 46-56% of the residue N being insoluble. A pellet (Agrafpel 79) was compounded from several meals and contained a large fraction of UDN, which had an increased ratio of essential to non-essential amino acids compared with the ratios in the UDN of the separate meals. In addition, the UDN of the pelleted meal was readily digested in acid pepsin. A high proportion of total N as UDN, together with a ready digestion in acid pepsin, are considered important attributes of protein meals for improving the protein nutrition of young cattle.
Morphological instability on a chlorate medium of isolates of Macrophomina phaseolina from soybean and sorghum

Soybean and sorghum were grown separately in soil infested with single, sclerotial isolates of Macrophomina phaseolina collected from either soybean or sorghum and together in soil infested with both isolates. Isolates were characterized by their growth on a chlorate-amended medium as having restricted or dense growth for the soybean or sorghum isolates, respectively. Roots from each treatment were assayed periodically for M. phaseolina, and the growth pattern on the chlorate-amended medium of the resultant isolates was determined (.)
Introduction to the Symposium: Hints of Post-capitalist Prefiguration in Val di Susa (NW Italy)

No TAV stands for No al Treno ad Alta Velocità (No to the High-Speed Train). It is a movement that emerged from what started as a group in a small town in Val di Susa (Susa Valley) that formed in 1991. The group began questioning the introduction of an international high-speed railway line between Turin and Lyon, a project that arose from discussions among French and Italian officials at the European Union (E.U.) 1990 Nice Summit. The movement that has since formed and spread has organized protests, established permanent self-defense garrisons, and has even succeeded in halting construction at several sites. The national state has responded with violent repression, using the penal code introduced during the Fascist regime (and still largely unchanged) to imprison activists without any sentencing or to charge them with absurdities like ‘‘devastation and pillage’’ of property. This repressive apparatus has not only resulted in gratuitous beatings, invasive surveillance, and local impositions of martial law, but also of activists’ deaths in prison (Imperato 2007). The recent Monti regime, which ruled until the February 2013 elections, even managed to make crossing any areas of the high-speed railway project into the crime of trespassing a zone of national strategic interest, punishable by Article 682 of the penal code (this is Article 19 of Bill 183, which was passed in 2011 with center-left support). This ‘‘crime’’ results in a 100 to 600 euro fine or a threeto 12-month prison sentence. In some ways, this is beyond standard fare for those familiar with such bourgeois democratic forms of despotism (see, e.g., Boykoff 2007).
Effects of NaCl Salinity on Growth and Production of Young Cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica

The effects of salinity on the growth and production of `nopalitos' (young cladode sprouts) of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. cv. Copena V-1 were investigated. Salinity (NaCl) irrigation levels with electrical conductivities of 2, 5, 10, 13, 18 and 21 dS m–1 were used. In general, all cladode variables (stem area, number of young cladodes, length and width of cladodes, and fresh and dry weights) decreased with increasing salinity. The root-to-stem ratio and young cladode water content decreased significantly as salinity increased. Other variables that decreased with increasing salinity included harvest index, relative growth rate, stem area ratio, dry mass accumulation, and Na+ and Cl– concentrations. For rooted cladodes, increased salinity decreased fresh weight, succulence, and root fresh weight, dry weight and length. Our conclusions suggest that this species is salt sensitive; however, there is some indication that it could be effectively managed in saline environments. Further studies and evaluation of different cultivars are needed to identify the mechanism of adaptation of salt tolerance in this species. Einflusse von NaCl-Versalzung auf Wachstum und Produktion von jungen Kladodien beiOpuntia ficus-indica Der Einflus der Versalzung auf Wachstum und Produktion von jungen Kladodien `nopalitos' (cladode sprouts) von Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. -cultivar Copena V-1 wurden untersucht. Versalzte Bewasserungsmengen (NaCl) mit einer elektrischen Konduktivitat von 2, 5, 10, 13, 18 und 21 dS m–1 wurden verwendet. Grundsatzlich nahmen alle Kladodienvariablen (Stengelflache, Anzahl von jungen Kladodien, Lange und Breite der Kladodien, Frisch- und Trockengewicht) mit zunehmender Versalzung ab. Das Wurzelstengelverhaltnis und der Wassergehalt junger Kladodien nahm signifikant mit ansteigender Versalzung ab. Andere Variablen, die mit zunehmender Versalzung abnahmen, einschlieslich Ertragsindex, relative waren Wachstumsrate, Stengelflachenverhaltnis, Trockenmasseakkumulation und Na+ sowie Cl– Konzentrationen. Fur bewurzelte Kladodien fuhrte eine zunehmende Versalzung zu einer Abnahme des Frischgewichtes und der Sukkulenz sowie des Wurzelfrischgewichtes, des Trockengewichtes und der Lange. Es kann angenommen werden, dass diese Art salzempfindlich ist; allerdings gibt es keinen Hinweis, dass mit Erfolg in einer salzigen Umwelt behandelt werden kann. Weitere Untersuchungen und unterschiedliche Kultivare werden benotigt, um den Mechanismus der Adaption der Salztoleranz in dieser Art zu identifizieren.
Manipulations of Stocking Magnitude: Addressing Density-Dependence in a Juvenile Cohort of Common Snook (Centropomus undecimalis)

We released hatchery-reared juvenile common snook (Centropomus undecimalis) to test the effects of augmenting age-1 abundance by 100% (high augmentation, n = 2) vs 10% (low augmentation, n = 2) in estuarine creeks of southwestern Florida. We monitored in-creek abundance of age-1 snook 1 month before releases in May 2002 to estimate wild snook density and stocking magnitude. All sampling used seining standardized for effort, gear efficiency, and depletion removal. After releases, sampling continued for 1 year. After 1 month, creeks with high augmentation showed a 126% and 74% increase in total age-1 abundance, and low augmentation creeks a 6% increase and an 18% decrease. Total age-1 abundance declined during fall in all creeks, but by winter, abundance increased again, comparable to earlier levels (132% and 67% above the pre-release estimates in high augmented creeks and 8% and 5% in creeks with low augmentation). While overall density was elevated in both high augmentation creeks, hatchery-reared snook in one creek experienced a 64–85% loss within 1 month after release; loss of hatchery-reared or wild snook was negligible in other experimental creeks. Pre-release density was not a good predictor of creek productive capacity, suggesting variation in habitat production and localized recruitment. Further work is needed to understand inter-cohort density-dependent interactions, food chain responses, and variation in habitat productivity.
Immune inactivation of T-strain mycoplasmas.

The ubiquity of T-strain mycoplasmas in the male and female genital tracts, and the possible relationship of T-strains to disease, make it desirable to develop better serologic methods for the study of these microorganisms. The serologic technique that has been most commonly used for study of Tstrains has been the metabolic inhibition test [1]. This test depends upon the inhibition of multiplication of the organisms that is induced by specific antisera, with consequent delay in the rise in pH of the culture medium. The rise in pH, in turn, is due to the urease activity of the T-strains and to the availability of urea in the culture medium. Fresh guinea pig serum augments the inhibitory activity of the antiserum. However, since the inhibitory activity of antiserum is usually incomplete, the empirical use of the test depends upon reading the changes in pR at various times and comparing these changes in tubes containing antiserum with the changes observed in control cultures lacking antiserum or complement. Thus, the titers vary with the time when the readings are taken, the titers are often low, and there are difficulties in the reproducibility of the test.
Hábito alimentar do bagre Sciades herzbergii (Siluriformes, Ariidae) da Ilha dos Caranguejos, Maranhão, Brasil

The article describes the feeding habits of the catfish Sciades herzbergii caught in the Crabs Island (Ilha dos Caranguejos), an important coastal area of the Maranhao state, Brazil. A total of 167 individuals were collected: 110 females and 57 males. All the stomach contents were identified to the closest taxonomic level. The frequency of occurrence, biomass, numerical frequency and index of relative importance (IRI) of food items were determined for both genders. Stomach repletion was predominant, demonstrating good feeding conditions for S. herzbergii. The main alimentary items in the diet of this catfish were crustaceans, fish, oligochaets and polychaets, and the decapods crustaceans were the most representative.
A PHYSIOLOGICALLY BASED TRITROPHIC PERSPECTIVE ON BOTTOM-UP-TOP-DOWN REGULATION OF POPULATIONS'

A general tritrophic model of intermediate complexity representing the dy- namics of trophic level biomass and numbers is presented. The rudiments of the behavior and physiology of resource acquisition and conversion are incorporated as functional and numerical response models. The tritrophic model is used to examine the effects of trophic position on bottom-up-top-down regulation of populations in theory and in practice. The zero growth isoclines of the interacting populations are used to examine the dynamics of the tritrophic system. The herbivore (M2) and predator (M3) but not the plant (M1) isoclines can be solved explicitly. The plant and herbivore isoclines have two forms that depend on whether the proportion of the trophic level available to its consumer (i.e., its apparency) is greater than or less than its potential per unit biomass population growth rate. Rough estimates of the parameters of these inequalities may be deduced from our knowledge of the search biology of the species and known size to growth rate relationships. The model shows clearly that bottom-up regulation sets the upper limit for trophic- level growth and top-down regulation determines the level of realized growth. The model explains the paradoxes of enrichment and of biological control that arise from the standard Lotka-Volterra models, and its qualitative predictions compare well to the general con- clusions of intensive studies on biological control of the cassava mealybug on cassava by an exotic parasitoid. However, discrepancies that were found caution against unconsidered extrapolation of theoretical predictions to specific situations. The model qualitatively de- fines the dynamics required of a successful weed biological control agent, of a stable fresh water algal-arthropod herbivore-vertebrate predator system, and of a marine phytoplank- ton-krill-whale system. The utility of the model is its generality and its basis in quantifiable biology.
Learning from participants in field based research

This paper takes a critically reflective look at field research done in the early career of an academic and in so doing uncovers the dilemmas of a novice researcher that are rarely acknowledged in texts that address qualitative methods. It addresses issues of power in research associations surrounding different paradigms and the ways in which the study changed as boundaries were increasingly blurred. It also examines lessons learned about interviewing and challenges the notion of an un‐analytical informant as being necessary to quality and depth of data.
Adaptation to Aquatic, Arboreal, Fossorial and Cursorial Habits in Mammals. I. Aquatic Adaptations

I In the Amer-icanI Abraluifist of May, 1902, I published an article entitled " The Law of Adaptive Radiation," a development of the idea of divergent evolution as applied to the larger and smaller groups of mammals. There was considered first, general adajptive radiationl including the radiation of marsupials and the six independent radiations of the Placentalia, second the law of local w(adaipe ir-aiatiol and finally the bearing of adaptive radiation on Ctuvier's law of cor-r elation. Pursuing this general idea of adaptive radiation it appeared desirable to reexamine and compare the mammals as to the adaptations of different kinds which arise independently in different groups, in other words theyjaralledl adlapta'z1tions. A number of advanced students of the evolution of mammnials undertook this comparison and the results were so interesting and in many cases so novel that they appeared worthy of publication in the AmnerirCan /'Vtnralit. They form the basis of the three or four articles which the iVat;ralist will publish successively. HENRY FAIRFIELD OSBORN.
Population changes of breeding waders on farmland in relation to agri-environment management

Capsule Population response of breeding waders to agri-environment management varied between management options and species; implementation has been on too small a scale to reverse national population declines. Aims To test whether numbers of five breeding wader species have shown a more positive response between 1992 and 2005, at sites with appropriate agri-environment management, than at sites that have remained outside such schemes. Methods Using data from 60 pairs of farmland study areas in Scotland first surveyed in 1992/93, before agri-environment scheme (AES) implementation, and again in 2005, after scheme implementation, we tested at both site and field scales whether changes in the abundance of five breeding wader species were associated with AES management options designed to benefit these species. Results Changes in breeding wader abundance were more positive on sites in AES, especially for Northern Lapwings Vanellus vanellus and Common Redshanks Tringa totanus, even though management had not been targetted specially at breeding waders on those sites. However, AES management was associated only with modest population increase for Common Redshanks, and a reduction in the magnitude of decline for Northern Lapwings. At the field scale, there was evidence for Northern Lapwings, Common Redshanks and Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago that options which limited grazing and other agricultural activity were associated with more positive outcomes than those which also manipulated water levels. Conclusions AES management for breeding waders slowed, and in some cases reversed, breeding wader decline at field and farm scales. These benefits were from options that limited grazing and agricultural operations during the breeding season, but not those that also aimed to raise water levels. A possible explanation is that when wetland options are applied to agriculturally marginal fields, grazing reduction or abandonment, and succession to rank vegetation cover then occur over the course of 5-year agreements, with detrimental effects for breeding waders. Verification arrangements need to be robust enough to guard against this. Levels of agri-environment provision in 2005 were too limited and too poorly targeted at remaining key areas for breeding waders to be able to halt or reverse national population declines.