Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plant Growth Promotion and Induced Defense Response in Safflower ( Carthamus tinctorius L.) by Trichoderma

Nine potential Trichoderma strains were tested for mycoparasitic, defence enzyme activity and root colonizing behaviour against Macrophomina phaseolina and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. carthami in safflower ( Carthmus tinctorius L). Among them three strains viz., T. harzianum Th4d, T. asperellum TaDOR7316 and T. asperellum Tv5 were found to be most effective showing superior antagonistic activity. Hyphal interaction studies revealed that the inhibition was caused by an interaction that took place in close contact with the host hypha, causing lysis, swelling and coiling of mycelia resulting potentially reduced mycelial growth of M. phaseolina and showed lytic enzymes activity to various extent in Th4d, Tv5 and TaDOR 7316. These strains were also able to solubilize inorganic (P). Increased activity of defense related enzymes viz., peroxidase (PO), polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity in these three potential strains pre-treated safflower plants challenged with M. phaseolina was observed. PO, PPO and PAL activity was also increased two-three folds more in all these bioagents. Interaction between the bioagents and the safflower root system showed profuse adhesion of hyphae to the plant roots as well as colonization of the root epidermis and cortex cells but not the vessels at early stages of safflower root system. Levels of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) in the bioagents treated leaves and untreated (control) were determined microscopically. Application of these bioagents under field conditions reduced the incidence of root rot and Fusarium wilt, increased growth and plant biomass to a reasonable extent with better root colonization, which is directly correlated with the resistance of the plant against infection and high seed yield, was observed with bioagents treatment. Thus, it is evident that the hyphal interaction and enzymes play a key role to stimulate the defense mechanism which aid in disease management as well as plant growth promotion of the host plant against pathogen attack.
Nesting Ecology of the American Alligator in Southeastern Louisiana

Nesting ecology of the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) has been extensively studied in southwestern Louisiana, but little data exist from other parts of the state. Nesting ecology was investigated in an intermediate salinity marsh in southeastern Louisiana during 1987 and 1988. We located and examined 53 nests. Nesting habitat included spoilbanks, bulltongue (Sagittaria lancifolia) and wiregrass (Spartina patens) marshes. Floating marsh was not used. Mean clutch size was 29.4 ±1.7 eggs and mean egg mass was 64.1 ± 0.3 g. Nest tempera- tures were within the optimal range of 31 to 32 C. In 1987, 3 (75%) nests on spoilbanks and 4 (36.6%) nests in bulltongue marsh were successful. Remaining nests were destroyed by raccoons or flooding. Nest predation was not observed in 1988, but all nests were lost to flooding from tropical storm Beryl on 9 August.
Effect of Application Techniques on Abscission Chemical Deposition and Mechanical Harvesting of `Valencia' Oranges

Field experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of sprayer type, airflow rate, and nozzle output on deposition of active ingredient and mechanical harvesting of ‘Valencia’ orange (Citrus sinensis). Fruit detachment force (FDF) and percentage of fruit removal (PFR) by trunk shaker were used as mechanical harvesting parameters. A PowerBlast sprayer discharging radially and a Titan sprayer discharging over the entire canopy were used. The spray mixture contained an abscission chemical (CMN-pyrazole), a surfactant (Kinetic) and a fluorescent tracer (Pyranine-10G). Deposition was determined at three different heights outside and inside of the canopy. With the PowerBlast, higher airflow and lower nozzle output reduced deposition of the active ingredient. The mean FDF of sprayed treatments was less than that of the non-sprayed control but the difference among the four spray treatments was not significant. The lower airflow rate with lower nozzle output had higher PFR than that of the control. With the Titan sprayer, the mean deposition at lower airflow was similar to or higher than the higher airflow. At higher airflow, the lower nozzle output gave higher mean deposition. The Titan sprayer treatments resulted in less FDF than the control. At both airflow rates, the FDF was less at lower nozzle output than at higher nozzle output. The PFR of these treatments were not different from that of control.
The effect of growth regulator on dry matter yield and some chemical components in selected grass species and cultivars

ABSTRACT The work reported here was undertaken to determine the effect of the biostimulant Kelpak SL on some chemical components in selected grass. The experiment was a split-split-plot arrangement with three replicates. It was set up at the experimental facility of the Siedlce University of Natural Sciences and Humanities (Poland), in late April 2009. The following factors were examined: Kelpak SL applied at the rate of 2 dm3 ha−1 vs. non-treated control (0 dm3 ha−1), pure sown grass species and cultivars grown in monoculture: Dactylis glomerata L. , cv. Amila and Tukan as well as Festulolium braunii (K. Richt.) A. Camus cv. Felopa and Agula. The results demonstrated that grass yield and nitrogen content in dry matter increased significantly following an application of Kelpak. The biostimulant significantly reduced fiber NDF (Neutral Detergent Fiber) and ADF (Acid Detergent Fiber) regardless of the remaining factors. Festulolium braunii cv. Agula had the highest nutritional value. Grass yields and concentration of the components examined clearly varied during the growing season.
Is the Australian Striped Burrowing Frog Litoria alboguttata a member of Litoria or Cyclorana? A profiling study using skin peptides as a probe

Summary The skin secretion of the Striped Burrowing Frog Litoria alboguttata contains the peptides named guttatins 1, 2 and 3. The sequences of these peptides are as follows:- guttatin 1 (GLLDSVL-NH2); guttatin 2 (GLLDNVL-NH2) and guttatin 3 (GLLDTVKGLN-NH2). This peptide profile is different from those of congeners so far studied in that it contains neither neuropeptides nor antibiotic peptides. In contrast, the peptide profile of L. alboguttata is similar to that of Cyclorana australis. In particular, the two peptides in the skin secretion of C. australis correspond to guttatin 1 and GLLDGTVL-NH2. Guttatin 1 is not present in the secretions of the other 22 Litoria species that we have investigated. Peptide profiling indicates that Litoria alboguttata is more closely related to the genus Cyclorana than Litoria.
Course of an Isolated Ranavirus Outbreak in a Pelobates fuscus Population in The Netherlands

Abstract Viruses in the genus Ranavirus (family Iridoviridae) are known to have the potential to adversely affect fish, amphibians, and reptiles. Ranaviruses are associated with large-scale die-offs and rapid population declines in amphibians. The development and progression of an outbreak, however, vary greatly depending on the host species and geographic location. We describe the recurrent course of an outbreak of common midwife toad virus in an isolated population (Staphorst) of common spadefoot toads (Pelobates fuscus) in The Netherlands from 2012 to 2015. After initial mass mortality of toad larvae in 2012, no mass mortality was recorded in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, however, a recurrent outbreak of the virus is believed to have caused high mortality rates among this species in the Staphorst population.
Germination Response of Tepary and Navy Beans to Sodium Chloride and Temperature

White and brown accessions of tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius Gray var. latifolius) and navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. ‘Fleetwood’) were germinated at 0.0, −0.5, −1.0, −1.5, −2.0, and −2.5 MPa of NaCl at 25 or 35C for 9 days. Differences in germination percentages and rates between the two species were significant, especially at the higher salt concentrations. At 25C and salinities greater than or equal to − 2.0 MPa, tepary accessions had significantly higher percentage germination and germination rates than navy. At 35C this difference was noted at −1.5 MPa. The fresh weights of root plus hypocotyl appeared lower than controls at even the lowest concentration of salinity (− 0.5 MPa), suggesting that seeds germinated with NaCl did not produce vigorous seedlings. Of the three beans tested, the two tepary beans were more tolerant to NaCl than the navy bean, with the white tepary being most tolerant.
Protective effects of camellia sinensis leaf extract against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury in rats

The present study appraised the hepatoprotective effects of aqueous leaf extract of Camellia sinensis against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury in rats. The 100 and 200 mg kg-1 b.wt. of Camellia sinensis and 100 mg kg-1 b.wt. Silymarin was administered orally to separate groups of rats for 7 days prior to CCl4 administration. A significant decrease (p<0.05) was observed in both the groups treated with 100 and 200 mg kg-1 b.wt. of the leaf extract and Silymarin on the levels of the enzymes and non-enzyme markers of tissue damage and lipid peroxidation, with no significant changes in the relative organ weight of the treated groups. This result shows that the leaf extract of Camellia sinensis contains some phytochemical(s) that can protect the liver against CCl4-induced injury in rats.
Evaluating Florida Homeowner Response to Smart Irrigation Controllers

Smart irrigation controllers are capable of substantially decreasing landscape water applications under residential highwater-use conditions in Florida. Their implementation has been incentivized by governmental agencies and water utilities in an effort to reduce public-supply water demand and conserve water resources. However, the bulk of the research on smart controllers for urban landscapes has focused on performance dimensions. To successfully promote them, feedback from end-users is critical. This paper provides an evaluation of homeowner response to evapotranspiration (ET)-based and soil moisture sensor (SMS)-based smart controllers installed as part of a pilot project conducted in Orange County, FL. The objectives of the study were to collect demographic information, assess conservation attitudes and irrigation system knowledge, and gather feedback on the use of smart controllers from the pilot project’s residential cooperators. Data were collected through an online survey and analyzed using relative frequency distributions, text analysis, independent means t tests, and logistic regression. Results indicated that a majority of survey participants were satisfied with their controllers and planned to continue using them. Both ET and SMS controllers were consistently praised for saving money and irrigating efficiently. However, the likelihood that participants would continue using their controllers after the completion of the project was only significantly predicted by their levels of technical knowledge regarding the workings of the devices and whether they had experienced any challenges operating them. Efforts to promote both initial and long-term adoptionmay bemost effective by emphasizing the economic benefits of investing in smart irrigation controllers and by disseminating best management practices that facilitate their understanding and successful operation.
A new species of Phymaturus from rocky outcrops in the central steppe of Rio Negro province, Patagonia Argentina (Reptilia: Iguania: Liolaemidae)

A new Phymaturus species called Phymaturus ceii, in the honour of the late Professor Jose Miguel Cei, is described in the present study. The new species is a member of the “Phymaturus patagonicus” group from Patagonia. It lives at about 1200 m of altitude in a volcanic rocky habitat near to El Cuy plateau, in the central steppe of Rio Negro province, Argentina. The new species and the closely related P. patagonicus are morphologically compared, and its distribution and natural history are pointed out.
Glyphosate Translocation and Quackgrass Rhizome Bud Kill

The effect of quackgrass [Agropyron repens (L.) Beauv. ] rhizome length and foliage height on glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] translocation was determined on the basis of bud kill and 14 C-accumulation in quackgrass rhizomes. Foliar glyphosate treatments of 0.28 kg/ha resulted in significantly reduced quackgrass rhizome bud survival, and rates of 0.56, 0.84, and 1.12 kg/ha gave nearly complete bud kill. Rhizome buds on glyphosate-treated quackgrass plants with 20 to 90 nodes had a higher survival rate than rhizome buds on plants with 10 nodes. Quackgrass bud kill was greatest when glyphosate was applied to taller foliage. When all rhizome buds were not killed, those closest to the mother shoot survived glyphosate treatments. The 14C accumulation following applications of 14C-glyphosate was greatest in nodes near the rhizome tip and least in nodes near the mother shoot. This suggests that greater bud kill near the rhizome tip was due to larger accumulation of glyphosate in this part of the rhizome.
Areas of endemism of the North American species of Tigridieae (Iridaceae)

Abstract. The tribe Tigridieae (Iridoideae: Iridaceae) is a New World group with centres of diversity in Mexico and Andean South America. North America harbours 67 of the 172 species recognised within the tribe, 54 being endemic. Our aims were to identify areas of endemism of the North American Tigridieae using endemicity analysis (EA) and to infer their relationships using parsimony analysis of endemicity (PAE). A data matrix with 2769 geographical records of Tigridieae was analysed. The EA allowed to identify six consensus areas of endemism in Mexico. The PAE resulted in one cladogram with four clades and the following five biotic components: northern Mexico, western Mexico, central Mexico, southern Mexico and central–southern Mexico. The richness analysis of these areas of endemism indicated that the greatest concentration of species is located in central Mexico, with 14 species in one grid-cell. Grid-cells with 12 species each were identified in low western Mexico, high western Mexico, southern Mexico and central–southern Mexico. This last area is characterised by the greatest endemism, including nine species. The formation of the Transmexican Volcanic Belt seems to have been a key element to explain the diversification of North American Tigridieae.
Life tables of freshwater snails of the genus Biomphalaria (B. glabrata, B. alexandrina, B. straminea) and of one of its competitors Melanoides tuberculata under laboratory conditions

Life tables of several strains of Biomphalariea glabrata, B. alexandreina and B. straminea have been established under laboratory conditions and compared with that of Malanoides tuberculata, a prosobranch snail used as a competitor of snail vectors of schistosomiasis in experiments of biological control. Results indicate a grat range of intraspecific and interspecific variation within the Biomphalaria and a quite distinct demographic strategy of M. tuberculata.
Lipids of Amazon Caimans: A source of fatty acids

Some species of fish and other aquatic organism are important sources of protein and fatty acids that are beneficial to human health and can be industrially processed. The fatty acid profile of Caiman crocodilus and Melanosuchus niger (native to the Brazilian Amazon flooded forest) was determined in samples of a commercial cut (tail fillet) and fat (fat body and somatic fat) of these two species. There were no statistically significant differences in the total lipid content between them (p ≥ 0.05) and both had higher levels of palmitic, stearic (saturated), and oleic (unsaturated) acids. However, omega 3 (ω-3) and omega 6 (ω-6) were not detected in the samples of the commercial cut; they were present only in the fats evaluated. Clinical studies are necessary to assess the influence of fatty acids from Amazon Caimans on human diet and the feasibility of obtaining new products such as nutraceuticals. Keywords: Black caiman, spectacled caiman, omega 3, omega 6
Serum Copper, Iron and Zinc Concentrations During Gestation and Early Lactation in Sangamneri Goats

A study was conducted on Sangamneri goats (24) maintained at College farm of Krantisinha Nana Patil College of Veterinary Science, Shirwal (Maharashtra). The goats were grouped into four groups according to physiological stages comprising of six animals in each as early pregnancy (up to 50 days), mid-pregnancy (between 51 to 100 days), advanced pregnancy (between 101 to 150 days) and early lactation (up to 30 days). Trace minerals like copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The concentrations of serum Cu, Fe and Zn during gestation and early lactation ranged from 1.63±0.15 to 2.67±0.13, 1.43±0.16 to 2.57±0.14 and 0.95±0.15 to 2.33±0.24 ppm, respectively. Significant (P<0.01) difference in concentration of serum Cu, Zn and Fe was observed among different stages. There was an increasing trend in serum Cu and Zn during gestation and early lactation and decreasing trend of serum Fe during gestation with a slight increase in early lactation. Considering the metabolic effects of Cu, Fe and Zn, additional supplementation of these minerals is essential during gestation and early lactation.
Out of Borneo, again and again: Biogeography of the Stream Toad genus Ansonia Stoliczka (Anura: Bufonidae) and the discovery of the first limestone cave-dwelling species

Subsequent to the Miocene (approximately 35 Mya), Borneo has served as an insular refuge and a source of colonization for a broad range of species emigrating to others parts of Sundaland. A phylogeny-based historical biogeographical hypothesis for the Stream Toad genus Ansonia supports multiple instances of an out-of-Borneo scenario. An ancestral range estimation indicates that in situ speciation of Ansonia on the island of Borneo during the Late Miocene and Pliocene (approximately 2–13 Mya) eventually resulted in an invasion of the Philippines, Sumatra, and two independent invasions of the Thai-Malay Peninsula. When collecting material for the biogeographical analysis, a new species of Ansonia, Ansonia khaochangensis sp. nov. was discovered in a limestone cave from the Khao Chang karst tower in Phangnga Province, in southern Thailand. Ansonia khaochangensis sp. nov. can be differentiated from all other species of Ansonia by having a unique combination of morphological and colour pattern characteristics. Phylogenetic evidence based on the mitochondrial genes 12S and 16S indicates that it is nested within a clade of other species distributed north of the Isthmus of Kra. The cave lifestyle of this new species is a unique and a significant departure from lotic environments common to most other species of Ansonia. The reproductive biology of this species is unknown.
Survival of black grouse Tetrao tetrix in the French Alps

Survival rates are necessary for calculating allowable harvests and for modelling population performance. Survival rates for 93 black grouse Tetrao tetrix equipped with radio tags in two populations of the southern French Alps were estimated. Annual survival rates of hens (0.68, SE = 0.075, 0.84, SE = 0.105), but not of cocks (0.56, SE = 0.09, 0.66, SE = 0.122), tended to be higher than those of juveniles (0.52, SE = 0.071, sexes combined). The lower survival of juveniles was due to higher predation, mostly by raptors, in autumn and winter. Although both autumn and winter were seasons of peak mortality in juveniles, most adult deaths occurred either in spring (hens and cocks), or in early summer (cocks). Causes of mortality were as follows: raptors 51%, mammalian predators 27%, unidentified predators 11%, and hunting 11%. Principal raptors were golden eagltAquila chrysaetos and goshawk Accipiter gentilis. Mammalian predators included fox Vulpes vulpes, pine marten Maries maries and stone marten M. foina. Only males could be legally shot, and hunting was a minor mortality factor on our study areas. Nevertheless, the distorted adult sex ratio favouring hens that we observed on our study areas was probably due to hunting of males on and around the study areas. Sensitivity analysis showed that population growth is influenced more by adult survival than by either reproductive success or juvenile survival to one year of age. To prevent shooting from causing highly distorted spring sex ratios, which might compromise reproductive success, harvests should be reduced in years of poor reproduction, and shooting should be oriented towards juvenile males.
Productivity and returns of castor (Ricinus communis)-based intercropping systems with pulses and vegetables under rainfed conditions

A field experiment was conducted at Hyderabad during 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 in Alfisols under rainfed conditions, to maximize productivity of castor (Ricinus communis L.) in normal rainfall years and minimize risk duringdrought years. Different pulses and vegetables either in 1 row or 2 rows were evaluated as intercrops between wide-spaced castor rows. In a year of scanty rainfall (2001-2002), the dry matter and yield of intercropped castor (128 g/plant; 1 523 kg/ha) was comparable with sole castor (107 g/plant; 1821 kg/ha). The castor-equivalent yields increased when castor was intercropped with 2 rows of clusterbean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taubert] (2 187 kg/ha), cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) (2 356 kg/ha) and lablab (Dolichos lablab L.) (2 255 kg/ha). The net returns were increased when castor was intercropped with 2 rows of clusterbean (Rs/ha 11 217), lablab (Rs/ha 12 729) and cucumber (Rs/ha 13 644). In a drought year (2002-2003), the seed yield of castor (471 kg/ha) was adversely affected due to intercropping when compared to sole crop of castor (748 kg/ha). The castor-equivalent yield was greater when castor was intercropped with clusterbean (1 259; 2 026 kg/ha) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus) (1 536; 2 050 kg/ha) either in 1 or 2 rows. The net returns were greater when castor was intercropped with clusterbean (Rs/ha 6 548; 12 611) and cucumber (Rs/ha 8 791; 11 186) either in 1 or 2 rows. Seed or vegetable yields of intercrops were greater in their pure stands followed by when these sown in 2 rows and 1 row as intercrops with castor.