Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are there any associations between embryogenic capacity and phenological traits in two populations of Piceaabies

Associations between embryogenic capacity of mature zygotic embryos and phenological traits in 6-year-old plants originating from the same open-pollinated families of Piceaabies (L.) Karst. were investigated. Two populations were used, which were located in southern and western Sweden and represented by 11 and 12 families, respectively. The seed collection was made in 1977. Embryogenic cultures were initiated by culturing 30 isolated embryos from each family on induction medium. After 2 and 3 months the initiation and proliferation capacity were scored. After 4 months the somatic embryos were stimulated to mature by transferring them to a maturation medium. Phenology was assessed on plants raised from seeds from the same open-pollinated families during their sixth growing season in a nursery trial. For each population five phenological traits including timing of bud flushing and bud set, and two embryogenic traits were selected for association analysis. There was significant variation between individual f.
Teaching to student diversity in higher education: how Multiple Intelligence Theory can help

Although Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligence was conceived in the 1980s and has been put into practice by some primary and secondary schools, it has received scant attention in higher education, apart from debates on whether or not the theory can be applied to students in tertiary education.1 In this paper, I want to ask why this is so, and I will argue that since universities are undergoing rapid change, both in clientele and demands by society, Multiple Intelligence could be a vehicle by which some of these demands are met. I will also report on a survey of academics who attended workshops on Multiple Intelligence, and whether they viewed the ideas as useful pedagogical tools for higher education. After my introduction I will briefly outline the theory of Multiple Intelligence and explain why it can be considered an inclusive pedagogy. I then discuss the changes that are occurring in higher education, especially with regard to diversity of the student body and suggest that universities have been slow to accommodate this diversity in their teaching/learning strategies. I argue that Multiple Intelligence Theory could go a long way to bridging the gap.
A review of the genus Hypogymnia (Parmeliaceae) in Chile

Abstract Three sorediate and four primarily fertile species of the lichen genus Hypogymnia are accepted for Chile in the present study, and only two of these correspond to species listed in current checklists. Hypogymnia antarctica, H. lugubris and H. subphysodes are considered to be common; the former has previously been poorly understood. Hypogymnia pulverata and H. bitteri are reported here as new to Chile, the latter also as new to austral areas. The former is not convincingly well separated from H. subphysodes. Hypogymnia enteromorphoides and H. solidepedicellata are also accepted here, based on literature reports, whereas six species reported rather recently from southern South America are not accepted here for this area. Sorediate species are much more widely distributed than primarily fertile ones, not only in the present study area, but also on a global scale. Vittatolic, 2'-O-methylphysodic, and 3-hydroxyphysodic acids were found to be reliable differential compounds between some of the species studied. The superficially similar genera Hypogymnia and Menegazzia are of strong biogeographical interest, as they show parallel distribution patterns, although they have probably originated in different hemispheres.
Beak trimming of poultry: its implications for welfare

Beak trimming remains a controversial subject. It has undoubted economic advantages for the producer, in particular by reducing the incidence of cannibalism and feather pecking, but the procedure is traumatic for the bird and deprives it of important sensory feedback from its beak. It can have harmful neuroanatomical consequences: although the tissue damage is repaired the sensory receptors are not replaced, neuromas may form and become a source of chronic pain. The danger of neuroma formation is reduced and may be absent if the procedure is performed only in young birds. Beak trimming results in both immediate and more persistent effects on behaviour, food intake and body weight. Trimmed birds are generally less active, show less behaviour involving pecking, eat less and grow more slowly than controls. These changes are primarily a consequence of the sensory deprivation. In caged medium hybrid layers and growing broilers beak trimming is difficult to justify, whereas the incidence of pecking damage is so high in light hybrids in multi-bird cages at high stocking densities that beak trimming is universal. A case can also be made for its continuation, on welfare as well as on production grounds, in floor-housed flocks of laying fowl and breeding turkeys. In these contexts it reduces mortality by inhibiting feather pecking, cannibalism and, possibly, aggressive pecking. In the long term beak trimming should be phased out and undesirable behaviour controlled by environmental means and by increased effort being devoted to the genetic selection of commercial stocks which do not engage in damaging pecking, either in cages or when floor-housed in large flocks.
Accumulation of Pb and Zn in Gametophytes and Sporophytes of the Moss Funaria hygrometrica (Funariales)

Abstract Accumulation of lead and zinc was studied in the moss Funaria hygrometrica Hedw. collected from mine tailings. Heavy metal accumulation in gametophytes and sporophytes was quantified by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Pb and Zn accumulation in the placental zone was analysed by x-ray scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) microanalysis. Spectrometry showed that while moss gametophytes accumulated considerable concentrations of heavy metals, sporophytes accumulated only small concentrations of metals. X-ray SEM and TEM showed that the two metals accumulated in placental transfer cells on both the gametophytic and sporophytic sides. To investigate the uptake pattern for both metals under controlled conditions, F. hygrometrica plants collected from a non-polluted site were treated in the laboratory with separate solutions of Pb and Zn at two concentrations (10−2and 10−4 M ) for 24 or 168 h. Metal accumulation was analysed separately in gametophytes and sporophytes using GFAAS and ICP–AES. Each generation had a different accumulation quotient for both metals, and gametophytes accumulated significantly more metal than sporophytes. Concentrations of Zn in sporophytes were always higher than concentrations of Pb. The findings are discussed in relation to the role performed by the gametophyte and the placenta in the accumulation and sequestration of Pb and Zn.
Effect of Palm Oil Mill Effluent supplementation on cellulase production from rice straw by local fungal isolates.

In this study, Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) was selected as supplement in rice straw fermentation to replace commercial inducer due to its high concentration of simple carbohydrate and nitrogenous compounds. The cellulase activity of the enzyme produced were then determined individually and combined (enzyme cocktail) to observe increment in cellulase activity. Individually, filter paperase (FPAse), carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase) and β-glucosidase activities increase for all 3 fungi used except FPAse for Aspergillus sp. (NEW). Highest FPAse and CMCase activities increment observed was from Phanerochaete chrysosporium which were 72 and 236% increment, respectively, while highest β-glucosidase activity was from Aspergillus terreus (AT) which was 298% increment. Meanwhile in cocktail cellulase, synergistic effect was observed especially for FPAse activity whereby highest FPAse activity observed was by cocktail of all the three species of fungi which show 393% increment. Though CMCase increment was observed in this mode, it was not as high as FPAse where the highest CMCase activity observed was cocktail by the three fungal species which increased by 41%. However, in β-glucosidase activity, only cocktail of NEW and AT showed increment from their average activity which was by 6%. It seems that β-glucosidase activity plays major role in determining the total cellulase activity. In the nutshell, supplementation of POME can improve cellulase activity.
Physicochemical and Sensory Properties of Salt-Fermented Shrimp Prepared with Various Salts

Salt is a major component in salt-fermented shrimp with 25% content. There are various types of salts that have different compositions, which may affect the quality of salt-fermented shrimp. We have investigated effects of various salts such as Korean solar salt (KSS), purified salt (PS), sea-concentrated salt (SCS), glasswort (Salicornia herbacea L.) spray solar salt (GSS), glasswort-sea-concentrated salt (GSCS) and spray-dried salt (SDS) on the physicochemical and sensory properties of fermented shrimps. Ammonia nitrogen content of the salted shrimp prepared with SDS was lower than others until 60 day fermentation. At 90 day fermentation, amino nitrogen contents of salted shrimps prepared with GSCS and GSS (980 mg%) were higher than those of the others while sample prepared with SDS showed the lowest amino nitrogen content (680 mg%). Volatile basic nitrogen content of salted shrimp prepared with SDS was also lower than those of the others between 14 and 60 day fermentation and there were differences among samples in the contents of trimethylamine at 180 day fermentation. Sensory evaluation results indicated significant differences in salty, overall taste and overall acceptance among samples. Overall acceptance was significantly higher in salt-fermented shrimp prepared with KSS, SCS, GSS, GSCS and SDS than in fermented shrimp with PS.
Distinguishing between persistence and dormancy in soil seed banks of three shrub species from fire-prone southeastern Australia

Question: Is primary dormancy required for seed bank persistence of Leucopogon species? How does the distinction between dormancy and persistence affect our understanding of seed bank dynamics in fire-prone regions? Location: Sclerophyllous plant communities, Sydney region, southeastern Australia. Methods: Seed bank longevity of three morphophysiologically dormant species was ascertained using seed burial trials. Seeds of each species were buried in situ in replicate mesh bags and retrieved annually over three years. Laboratory germination trials and embryo growth measurements over time were used to establish in which order each component of dormancy was overcome, and whether seed banks persisted after the loss of primary dormancy. Results: All species had long-term persistent seed banks, with estimated half-lives between 3.5 and 5.5 years. Physiological dormancy was broken by stratification prior to embryo growth, during the first year of burial. Seeds were able to germinate after retrieval, in light and at warm temperatures. Only low levels of germination occurred in situ over three years of burial, and did not increase over time. During germination trials, embryos remained underdeveloped unless seeds germinated, indicating that seeds were committed to germination once embryo growth was initiated. Conclusions: Long-lived seed banks are an important trait of plants from fire-prone communities, but cues observed to promote germination in situ are not necessarily the ones that break dormancy. A failure to distinguish between these two factors can divert attention away from mechanisms actually controlling dormancy and seed bank dynamics.
Comments on the paper ‘Invariance of demographic parameters using total or viable eggs’

In this response, we use hypothetical, simplified data (tables 1–5) to substantiate the mathematical proof of Mou et al. (2015); conversely, these tables will also demonstrate the fallacies in the HernandezSuarez et al. procedure. In Mou et al. (2015), we demonstrated that if the egg hatch rate of offspring laid by females at different ages is the same as the parent cohort, the population parameters will be the same regardless of whether all of the eggs are used or only the hatched eggs are used (as shown in tables 2 and 3). If their definition of ‘the viability of all eggs’ means the ‘total fecundity calculated using viable eggs’ or the ‘mean fecundity calculated using viable eggs’, then they are correct, because Chi (1988) previously proved the relationship between R0, Nf, N and F as R0 = F 9 (Nf/N). If two life table data sets have the same Nf, N and F values or the value of F 9 (Nf/N) is the same, then their R0 values must be the same (Chi 1988). However, the statement and proof of Mou et al. (2015) is that ‘. any egg batch sampled for life table study will differentially influence the population parameters by its hatch rate’. The proof of Mou et al. (2015) dealt with two cohorts with the same total number of eggs but different number of viable eggs (as shown in table 4). The chance of two life table sets having different agespecific hatch rates but the same overall hatch rate is one isolated case and cannot be used to claim ‘generality’ of science. Chi and Su (2006) gave another proof correlating the relationship between the net reproductive rate and mean fecundity. Because the relationship between F and R0 was definitively proven by Chi (1988), it follows that if and only if Hernandez-Suarez et al. use the terminology ‘the viability of all eggs’ to mean either the ‘total fecundity calculated using viable eggs’ or the ‘mean fecundity calculated using viable eggs’, then they are correct in stating that
Relationship between smolt gill Na+, K+ ATPase activity and migration timing to avian predation risk of steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in a large estuary

We examined avian predation risk of juvenile steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) migrating through the Columbia River Estuary in relation to their osmoregulatory physiology, body length, rearing conditions (hatchery or wild), migration timing, and migration year. From 2003 to 2006, mean gill Na+, K+ ATPase activity of migrating wild steelhead was greater than hatchery steelhead. Hatchery steelhead were always longer than wild steelhead. Wild steelhead never had higher plasma [Na+] or osmolality levels than hatchery fish after seawater challenge trials conducted in 2004, 2005, and 2006. More passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags from hatchery fish (19%; 126 of 678 fish) were detected on East Sand Island among bird nesting colonies than PIT tags of wild fish (14%; 70 of 509 fish), presumably consumed by birds. As gill Na+, K+ ATPase activity and migration date within a year increased, the probability of an individual fish being eaten by an avian predator decreased. Length, rear type, and year were not.
POTENTIAL CAUSES FOR AMPHIBIAN DECLINES IN PUERTO RICO

We monitored 11 populations of eight species of Eleutherodactylus in Puerto Rico from 1989 through 2001. We determined relative abundance of active frogs along transects established in the Caribbean National Forest (El Yunque), Carite Forest, San Lorenzo, and in the vicinity of San Juan. Three species (Eleutherodactylus karlschmidti, E. jasperi, and E. eneidae) are presumed to be extinct and eight populations of six different species of endemic Eleutherodactylus are significantly declining at elevations above 400 m. Of the many suspected causes of amphibian declines around the world, we focused on climate change and disease. Temperature and precipitation data from 1970–2000 were analyzed to determine the general pattern of oscillations and deviations that could be correlated with amphibian declines. We examined a total of 106 tissues taken from museum specimens collected from 1961–1978 and from live frogs in 2000. We found chytrid fungi in two species collected at El Yunque as early as 1976, this is the first report of chytrid fungus in the Caribbean. Analysis of weather data indicates a significant warming trend and an association between years with extended periods of drought and the decline of amphibians in Puerto Rico. The 1970's and 1990's, which represent the periods of amphibian extirpations and declines, were significantly drier than average. We suggest a possible synergistic interaction between drought and the pathological effect of the chytrid fungus on amphibian populations.
Phylogeny and phylogenetic classification of the tyrant flycatchers, cotingas, manakins, and their allies (Aves: Tyrannides)

Phylogenetic relationships among the Tyrannides were assessed using over 4000 base pairs of nuclear recombination activating 1 (RAG‐1) and 2 (RAG‐2) DNA sequence data from about 93% of all described genera, which represents the most complete assessment of relationships for this diverse New World radiation to date. With this sampling we propose a significantly expanded interpretation of higher‐level relationships within the group. The Tyrannides are shown to be comprised of six major lineages, all of which represent traditional family‐level taxa (sensu Fitzpatrick, 2004a and Snow, 2004a,b ; del Hoyo et al., 2004 ): (i) manakins (Pipridae); (ii) cotingas (Cotingidae); (iii) the sharpbill (Oxyruncus) + onychorhynchine flycatchers (Onychorhynchini); (iv) tityrines (Tityridae); (v) rhynchocycline flycatchers (Rhynchocyclidae); and (vi) the tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae). In addition, the RAG data recovered isolated lineages with uncertain relationships, including Neopipo, Platyrinchus, Piprites, and Tachuris. The Pipridae are the sister‐group to all the other Tyrannides. Within the latter, the clade ((Oxyruncidae + Tityridae) + Cotingidae) is the sister‐group of the Tyrannoidea. Within the Tyrannoidea, the Rhynchocyclidae and their allies are sisters to Neopipo + Tyrannidae. Using our phylogenetic hypothesis, we propose the first comprehensive phylogenetic classification that attempts to achieve isometry between the tree and a classification scheme using subordination and phyletic sequencing. This study thus provides a phylogenetic framework for understanding the evolution of this diverse New World assemblage, and identifies many avenues for further systematic study.
Canadian and Japanese teachers' conceptions of critical thinking: a comparative study

Canadian and Japanese secondary teachers' conceptions of critical thinking were compared and contrasted. Significant cross‐cultural differences were found. While Canadian teachers tended to relate critical thinking to the cognitive domain, Japanese teachers emphasized the affective domain. The quantitative data, effectively reduced through factor analysis, showed a clear distinction and significant difference between Canadian and Japanese teachers on four of the five factors—Canadian teachers viewed critical thinking through Cognitive Strategizing and Relevance, while Japanese teachers favoured Conscientious Judgements and Intellectual Engagement. However, through further qualitative analysis, critical thinking was found to be a tacit and implicit teaching practice supported by most teachers surveyed, irrespective of gender, age, teaching experience, subject area and, most importantly, the cultures from which they came.
Economic Comparisons of Crop Rotations Inclluding Alfalfa, Soybean, and Corn 1

The increasing cost of N fertilizer and development of new alfalfa (L.) germplasm with increased storage of reduced N in roots and crowns have accentuated the importance of determining the economic value of 2-yr alfalfa-corn (L.) rotations. Our objectives were to (i) determine the economically optimum rotation/N-fertilization combination of corn following alfalfa at four Minnesota locations and (ii) compare the profitability of alfalfa-corn rotations with that of continuous corn and soybean [ (L.) Merr. ]-corn systems. Field studies were conducted in 1982 and 1983 at four Minnesota locations (soils were Udorthentic Haploborolls, Typic Haplaquolls, Aquic Haplustolls, and Typic Haplaquolls). Firstyear rotation components included alfalfa, corn, and soybean, and the 2nd-yr component was Corn. Alfalfas were subjected to two harvest systems. Four or five rates of N fertilizer were applied to corn. A linear programming model selected the optimum 2-yr rotation/N-fertilization combination at each location. A parametric procedure was used to determine changes in the optimum rotations as N costs varied ($0.26 to $2.25 kg−1). An alfalfa-corn sequence with alfalfa subjected to a three-cut system was the economically optimum rotation. Continuous corn and soybean-corn systems resulted in at least a $39 and $200 ha−1 decrease, respectively, in 2-yr gross margin. At three of four locations, ‘Saranac AR’ provided greater gross margins than ‘MN ROOT N’, an experimental alfalfa.Optimum rotations were determined more by the quantity and quality of alfalfa forage produced than by differences in second-phase corn grain yield. Our results suggest that management of alfalfa to increase production of high-quality forage will contribute to the economic viability of 2-yr alfalfa-corn rotations.
Spatial Scale or Amplitude of Predictors as Determinants of the Relative Importance of Environmental Factors to Plant Community Structure

The literature on tropical rain forest plant‐community relationships with environmental factors usually does not recognize that the relative importance of environmental factors recorded in each study might be due to their amplitude of variation within sites. Geographic scale, however, is recognized as an important modulator of this relative importance. To disentangle the effects of scale and environmental amplitude, ferns and trees in two landscapes of the same size (each 25 km2) with different soil‐fertility amplitudes but similar soil‐texture range were sampled in central Amazonia. We found that major determinants of community structure were the same for ferns and trees. Texture was the main predictor of community structure in the site with homogeneous soil fertility, while availability of exchangeable cations was the main predictor in the site with a wider fertility range. When both sites were analyzed together, soil fertility was the main predictor of community structure and soil texture segregated floristic subgroups within certain ranges of the soil‐fertility gradient. We conclude that: (1) floristic patterns for trees and ferns are congruent; (2) floristic variation depends on the amplitude of the studied gradients, more than on geographical scale; (3) limiting factors are not necessarily the most important predictors of compositional patterns; and (4) communities are structured hierarchically. Therefore, landscape structure (meaning which combinations of environmental factors, their amplitude of variation and which part of the gradient is found within the landscape) affect our perception of the relative importance that environmental factors will have as predictors of species composition.