Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Isolation and Molecular Characterization of Makal (Xanthosoma yucatanensis) Starch

Starch was isolated from a non-conventional source: makal (Xanthosoma yucatanensis) and molecular characteristics were determined using X-ray diffraction, light scattering and chain length determination. The granules had an oval shape with sizes between 8 and 20μm, with an average size of 12.4 μm. Amylose content was 22.4% and amylopectin content 77.6%. The granules presented a C-type X-ray diffraction pattern, with a degree of polymerization (DP) of 5-19 for branch chain lengths and an average molar mass of 5.4 × 10 6 g/mol. The R H and the R G was 61.7 and 92.7 nm, respectively. Gelatinization temperature was 72.6 to 84.2°C and transition enthalpy was 15 J/g, which may be related to the X-ray diffraction pattern and to the small granule size of makal starch. The retrogradation of makal starch increased during storage.
The biology of invasive alien plants in Canada. 5. Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. & Zucc. [=Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) Ronse Decr.].

Polygonum cuspidatum (Japanese knotweed) is an introduced perennial geophyte in the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae). The phytogeographic distribution of P. cuspidatum in North America suggests a large number of intentional introductions via ornamental plantings from 1870 to 2000, followed by secondary spread from these foci. This species is most pernicious along riparian corridors and road and railroad rights-of-way, reducing visibility, displacing native species, negatively affecting native wildlife, and causing alterations in natural hydrologic processes. Although non-hybrid seed recruitment has not been observed in Europe because of the presence of male-sterile clones only, dispersal of seeds and stem and rhizome fragments by flowing water does occur in North America and populations are readily established from these sources. The primary means of local and regional range expansion is human-mediated transport of rhizome-infested soil. Hybridization is common with the congener P. sachalinense in the intr.
Pollination limitation, costs of capsule production and the capsule-to-flower ratio in Dendrobium monophyllum F. Muell. (Orchidaceae)

In perennial plants, life-history theory suggests that natural selection should result in the optimization of fruit-to-flower ratios within the limits imposed by the trade-offs between resource allocation for present reproduction and future growth and reproduction. The tropical orchid Dendrobium monophyllum F. Muell. , an epiphyte or lithophyte, offers no nectar rewards, is self-incompatible and has a capsule-to-flower ratio of about 1:14. The influence of pollination limitation and the costs of capsule production on capsule-to-flower ratios were assessed using experimental and field studies in which individual plants were observed for 3 years. Pollinators visited about 80% of flowers, and capsule production was significantly related to inflorescence size and pollinaria removal. About nine pollinator visits occurred per capsule. Pollinator visitation and capsule production did not vary significantly between years. The inflorescence size classes most successful in capsule production were also the most frequent in natural populations. The experimental supplementation of outcross pollen to flowers increased capsule set over controls by 45% within a year, but was limited to about 53%. A capsule-to-flower ratio of 1:2 in experimental plants significantly decreased the subsequent growth and flowering of individuals relative to controls. A capsule-to-flower ratio above 1:10 in naturally pollinated plants decreased flowering in the subsequent year. Thus, it is suggested than an increase in capsule production above 10% would not necessarily correlate with greater reproductive fitness because of the increased cost of capsule production. The capsule-to-flower ratio recorded in this study could be evolutionarily stable because of trade-offs between selection for pollinator attraction and the cost of capsule production. The production of surplus flowers appears to function in pollinator attraction and increases fitness through male function.
Details of the Cranial Anatomy of a Primitive Diplacodont Brontothere, cf. Protitanotherium, from the Wiggins Formation of Wyoming (Mammalia, Perissodactyla, Brontotheriidae)

ABSTRACT A remarkably well-preserved primitive horned brontothere skull from the Wiggins Formation of western Wyoming is described. Noteworthy characters of this specimen include an extensive system of large paranasal sinuses, a distinct vomerine plate, and a confluence of the anterior lacerate foramen and foramen rotundum. A nearly complete endocranial cast allows for a description of the brain and many of the cranial nerves. Perhaps the most important structures described are the large openings on the basicranium, here dubbed “sphenoidal apertures,” which may be unique among the Brontotheriidae. Among North American brontothere taxa, the skull is closest in morphology to the holotype of Protitanotherium emarginatum Hatcher, but has some important differences that make assignment to that genus and species uncertain. If reference to the genus Protitanotherium is correct, then the name P. australis (Wilson) may apply, although this may be a junior synonym of P. superbum Osborn. Given the uncertainties, the specimen is identified only as cf. Protitanotherium for the purposes of the present paper. Regardless of which name should be applied, characters displayed by the specimen suggest that it is the primitive sister genus to all other diplacodont brontotheres.
Evaluation of Ferulic Acid for Controlling the Musty-Odor Cyanobacterium, Oscillatoria perornata, in Aquaculture Ponds

Abstract The cyanobacterium Oscillatoria perornata f. attenuata, a common inhabitant of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, aquaculture ponds, produces the musty compound 2-methylisoborneol that causes fish to become off-flavor and unmarketable. Previous laboratory studies suggest that the natural compound trans-ferulic acid (4-hy-droxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid) is selectively toxic against O. perorna-ta. The present study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the compound for controlling the growth of O. perornata under field conditions. The study was conducted in 12 0.1-ha earthern ponds in northwest Mississippi. Ponds contained 20,000 catfish/ha and were managed according to commercial culture practices. Half of the ponds were treated six times over a 2-month period with 5μM (0.97 mg/L) trans-ferulic acid, and the other half were untreated controls. Water samples obtained from all ponds preceding and following treatment were analyzed for phytoplankton community structure and concentrations of chlorophyll a, ferulate, and 2-methylisoborneol. Abundance of cyanobacteria, including O. perornata was not consistently affected by applications of ferulic acid. Only one of the six ferulic acid applications resulted in a decrease in abundance of O. perornata in treated ponds relative to untreated ponds (P <0.1). The ineffectiveness of trans-ferulic acid as a cyanobacterial algicide in catfish ponds appears to be caused by rapid dissipation of ferulic acid from pond waters. Use of trans-ferulic acid was neither an effective nor an economical approach to preventing musty off-flavor in pond-cultured channel catfish.
A Complete List of the Opisthobranchiate Mollusca found at Plymouth; with Further Observations on their Morphology, Colours, and Natural History

This paper is intended to furnish a complete list of all the species of Opisthobranchiate Mollusca found up to this time by the Marine Biological Association at Plymouth, together with various notes upon their morphology and natural history. The Nudibranchiate section of the group has, however, already formed the subject of a preceding report published in this Journal, so that species which have not since been taken are recorded here by their names only, a fuller account of them being given in the previous report. All the species there recorded are distinguished in this paper by asterisks (*) affixed to their names. I have had the advantage of several works upon the classification of the group which have recently appeared, notably Carus's excellent Prodromus Faunæ Mediterraneæ, vol. ii, part 1, 1889; Bergh's Die cladohepatischen Nudibranchien (Zoolog. Jahrbüch., v, 1890; for a copy of this admirable work I am indebted to the author); and Norman's Revision of British Mollusca (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., VI, vol. vi, No. 31, 1890, pp. 60—91). I must also mention Vayssière's Recherches Zoologiques sur les Mollusques Opistobranches du Golfe de Marseille—I. Tectibranches (Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. Marseille, Zool., II, 1885, Mém. No. 3) as having been of great service; and I regret that up to the time of going to press the second part of M. Vayssière's work has not arrived at the Laboratory, and I have been unable to refer to it.
Psychological restoration in nature as a source of motivation for ecological behaviour

SUMMARY People may behave in environmentally friendly ways because they gain psychologically from their experiences in natural environments. Psychological benefits of nature experience may also underlie concerns about personally harmful effects of environmental problems. Cross-sectional survey data from 1413 Norwegian adults were used to assess the relationship between use of natural environments for psychological restoration and ecological behaviour, as mediated by personal environmental concern. Mediation tests with hierarchical regression analyses provided evidence of partial mediation; the use of natural environments for restoration remained a significant predictor of ecological behaviour after the entry of environmental concern into the analysis. These associations held independently of age, gender, education, household income, size of community of upbringing, size of community of current residence and distance of current residence from an outdoor recreation area. Among sociodemographic variables, only gender had a significant association with the use of natural environments for restoration, suggesting that their use transcends several important social categories in Norway. In short, positive experiences in natural environments may promote ecological behaviour.
Authors' reply

inversely correlated with the forced expiratory volume in 1 s in prospective studies. In a murine model, overexpression of IL-6 resulted in the development of COPD (emphysema and airway fibrosis). It has been proposed that elevated IL-6 is also associated with epithelial cancers through its growthpromoting effects and the promotion of epithelialemesenchymal transition (EMT), a well recognised feature of chronic inflammation and a precursor to malignant transformation in the lung. Other cytokines involved in pulmonary inflammation are tumour necrosis factor alpha, IL-1b and IL-8, 4 which, together with growth factors like transforming growth factor beta 1 are implicated in EMT. All of these pathways are mediated via guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) signalling molecules (Rho Rac and Ras). There is also growing interest in the role of systemic inflammation, which not only characterises COPD, but may also be relevant in extrapulmonary epithelial cancers (eg, prostate, breast and colon). These findings might partly explain the increased susceptibility of COPD patients to both lung cancer and extrapulmonary cancers (figure 1). In a recently published review of statins in COPD, we suggest that the anti-inflammatory effects of statins, through inhibition of GTPases, may explain the protective effect of statin use on lung cancer incidence as reported in three large observational studies (OR 0.45e0.70) and also by van Gestel et al (OR 0.46e0.74). Studies show that statins can directly inhibit EMT through GTPase inhibition and inhibit the effects of IL-6, an effect that has been shown to block tumour progression. 5 We suggest that the antiinflammatory actions of statins (eg, anti-IL-6 activity) could underlie the protective effects for both lung cancer 3 and extrapulmonary malignancies (figure 1). These observations add considerable weight to existing data that suggest that statins may be very beneficial to patients with COPD.
I. Nutrient status of soil and pasture

Abstract The Templeton effluent irrigation scheme, situated near Christchuhch, started in 1958 and now serves a population of 1600. The irrigated area, which at present totals 25 ha, is sown in ryegrass-clover pasture and grazed by sheep. At the average application rate of 840 mm/ year, the nutrients in the effluent supply the equivalent of 400 kg superphosphate/ha and 250 kg lime/ha annually. As a result, soil exchangeable Ca and available P levels are much higher on the effluent-treated area than on the adjacent conventionally irrigated area. However, levels of soil SO4-S are unchanged, reflecting the poor ability of the soil to retain sulphate applied in the effluent. The effluent-treated soil also has higher levels of organic carbon, total nitrogen, and exchangeable Na and Mg; pH values were also higher. Pasture production under effluent irrigation was 55% higher in the year measured than on the non-irrigated area and 27% higher than on the conventionally irrigated area. The effluent-treated pasture h.
TAXONOMICAL STUDIES OF THE SO-CALLED NAG VIBRIOS

A total of 164 strains originally regarded as NAG vibrios were studied. Of them, 12 were excluded by preliminary biochemical tests based on the description of the genus Vibrio proposed by the IAMS Subcommittee on Taxonomy of Vibrios, because they were glucose oxidizers, gas producers from glucose, glucose non-fermenters, or oxidase-negative bacteria. Two and 8 strains were also excluded as of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Plesiomonas shigelloides, respectively. The remaining 142 strains were regarded as vibrios, because they were monotrichously flagellated, oxidase-positive rods which fermented glucose without gas, and were subjected to numerical analysis by Adansonian concept and determination of the base composition of the DNA. The 142 strains were divided into 2 biotypes from their physiological and biochemical characteristics. Of the 2 biotypes, biotype 10311 gave positive lysine and ornithine tests, but negative arginine test : produced acetoin from glucose ; produced acidity from citrate and mucate in Kauffmann-Petersen's broth ; gave positive cholera red test ; and were sensitive to vibriostatic substance and novobiocin. These characteristics were identical with those of the genus Vibrio. The percent content of guanine plus cytosine of the DNA of the biotype was 44.8, a value close to that reported for the known Vibrio spp. On the other hand, the second biotype 6332 was different from biotype 10311 in the tests mentioned above. The content of guanine plus cytosine of the DNA was 62.0 in this biotype. These results indicated that biotype 6332 was of anaerogenic aeromonads, known as Aeromonas formicans or A. caviae. These conclusions were also confirmed by means of numerical analysis. In addition, 5 strains of V. cholerre biotype eltor which were employed for comparison, were associated with the majority of the strains of biotype 10311 at a high level of over 90 % S value. From the results of both orthodox and numerical classification, the authors suggested that biotype 10311 should be placeed in the same species, V. cholerae, as the true cholera vibrios and El-Tor cholera vibrios. The authors also suggested that revision should be made in the proposed description of the genus Vibrio recommended by the JAMS Subcommittee on Taxonomy of Vibrios, so that several biochemical characteristics may be added to it to differentiate the Vibrio spp. from the anaerogenic Aeromonas, Plesiomonas, and related bacteria. When 10 strains of biotype 10311 and 5 of biotype 6332 were inoculated into the gut of the infant rabbit, all of the former produced diarrhea similar to that caused by the cholera vibrio, but none of the latter did.
Eco-Agriculture: A Review of its History and Philosophy

ABSTRACT To know the historical and philosophical background of a movement is to know something substantial about its validity and potential effectiveness as well as why it advocates what it does. Eco-Agriculture is an ecological rather than an industrial approach to food and fiber production. It emerged in the 1930s partly in response to observed natural phenomena and partly in reaction to the dominance of mechanism and specialization. Today, a sophisticated system of farming, it offers farmers an alternative to increasing dependence on petrochemical inputs. Eco-Agriculture minimizes adverse environmental effects and promotes soil conservation and construction. Soil is viewed as a complex and living entity and considered the prime capital asset of a nation. Eco-Agriculture is fundamentally an holistic system. Its basic premise is that all facets of creation are intimately interrelated and that there is an intrinsic harmony to the natural order which is governed by certain laws. Man's role is that of the .
Genetic and Phenotypic Relationships Among Type Traits in Holstein-Friesian Cattle

Abstract Official scorecard and descriptive type classification data recorded by the Holstein-Friesian Association of America from 1967 to 1971 were evaluated to determine heritabilities of and phenotypic and genetic correlations among various type traits. First classification scores of 336,253 cows were used to develop age correction factors for final score, final classification, general appearance, dairy character, body capacity, and mammary system. Descriptive traits were not age adjusted. Covariances and variances derived from an intraherd analysis of daughter-dam type scores were used to determine heritabilities and genetic correlations. Each daughter-dam pair was restricted such that no more than 1 yr difference in age existed at the time of classification. A total of 30,715 pairs was used. Heritability estimates for scorecard components were moderate, ranging from . 19 for dairy character to . 31 for final score. Estimates for descriptive traits were more variable, ranging from 0 for udder quality expressed as a bionominal (desirable-undesirable) to . 51 for stature. Standard errors for all estimates were . 01. Most genetic correlations among type traits were positive and ranged from −. 17±. 22 between udder quality (expressed as desirable-undesirable) and dairy character to 1.01 ±. 08 between final score and final classification. Phenotypic correlations were generally smaller than genetic correlations.
The Gender Wage Gap among Young Adults in the United States

Using two single-cohort longitudinal surveys, the NLS72 and the NELS88, I investigate the impact of four noncognitive traits—self-esteem, external locus of control, the importance of money/work and the importance of people/ family—on wages and on the gender wage gap among these young workers. I find that gender differences in these noncognitive factors, especially the importance of money/work, have a modest but significant role in accounting for the gender wage gap. Methodologically, this paper proposes a correction to the Oaxaca-Blinder-Ransom decomposition that results in a truly decomposable approach compatible with the simple pooled regression that includes a gender dummy.
Menopause: A comparative life history perspective

As a life history characteristic of human females, menopause is universal, it occurs halfway through the maximum lifespan of the species, and it consistently occurs at approximately age 50 in different populations. Menopause is fundamentally distinct from the reproductive senescence that has been described for a very small number of very old individual alloprimates. Menopause is not a recent historical artifact. As a species universal showing little variation in occurrence across contemporary populations, it must be understood in evolutionary terms. Supporters of the “grandmother hypothesis” explain menopause as an adaptive feature in itself. Others see menopause as a byproduct of the increased lifespan of Homo sapiens. Plieotropy theory may help to explain menopause in broader mammalian terms.
EFFECTS OF MOISTURE STRESS AT EARLY HEADING AND OF NITROGEN FERTILIZER ON THREE SPRING WHEAT CULTIVARS

Three cultivars of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were grown at four levels of N fertilizer in metal lysimeters protected from rain by an automatic rain shelter. A soil water stress of 8 bars was developed in one-half of the lysimeters at the early boot stage. Water stress reduced yield by severely decreasing the number of kernels per spike. Tillering was not affected and kernel weight was increased. Pitic 62 withstood the high stress better than Manitou or Kenhi. N enhanced yield by increasing tillering. Kernel weight was unaffected by N, and the number of kernels per spike was decreased. Pitic, which had a higher number of kernels per spike, outyielded Manitou and Kenhi. The protein content of Manitou was higher than that of the other two cultivars. The cultivars differed in their reaction to soil water stress and N.
Seaweed sap: a sustainable way to improve productivity of maize in North-East India

The average productivity of Maize in the north-east hill region of India is very low (1.50 t/ha) mainly owing to cultivation under nutrient-starved conditions. Practical technologies have been developed to cultivate two commercially important seaweeds, viz. Kappaphycus alvarezii and Gracilaria edulis in tropical waters. The sap of these seaweeds has turned out to be a low-cost potent plant biostimulant when applied as foliar spray. A field experiment was conducted using different concentrations of both the seaweed saps in a research farm at Umiam, Meghalaya to study their impact on growth, yield and quality of maize. Results indicated that both the seaweed saps significantly improved the grain yield (10.5–13.1%), carbohydrate (12.3–17.4%) and protein content (4.8%) of maize over and above the control which received the recommended dose of fertilizers only. Thus, these seaweed saps are proved to be an eco-friendly means for enhancing maize productivity and quality in this economically backward region.
Production and purification of beta-toxin from Clostridium perfringens type C Produção e purificação da toxina beta de Clostridium perfringens tipo C

type C beta-toxin is involved in necrotic enteritis in humans and other animals. Despite having a worldwide distribution, so far, cases of that disease have not been reported in Brazil. Its diagnosis is most commonly obtained through the serum neutralization test in mice, which requires long periods of observation and large numbers of animals (El Idrisi and Ward, 1992). Regarding the