Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Daily flight activity of the western flower thrips (Thysan., Thripidae) in nectarine orchards in British Columbia, Canada

Abstract: Hourly flight patterns of western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysan., Thripidae) were assessed over a 24 h period in two nectarine orchards located in the Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, on 13 separate occasions between March and October 1994. The numbers of western flower thrips (male or female, dark or pale morphs) trapped per hour at between four to eight heights (0.25–2.00 m) were compared with temperature, wind speed, time of year and location of trap placement. Traps were placed within orchards, at the border of orchards and adjacent wild land, and within wildlands. Temperature and wind speed thresholds are defined, although the effect of wind speed varied with height of flight. Height of flight was affected by both the height of prevalent vegetation and temperature, with mean height of flight increasing linearly with temperature. Numbers of thrips in flight decreased with height of sticky trap from the ground. The pale morph was generally more common than the dark morph of western flower thrips. Males were not present until after emergence of the first generation in May, and were found at an approximate ratio of 4 : 1 (F : M) for the rest of the year. There were no differences between sexes or morphs of western flower thrips for location, height or daily patterns of flight.
Fluxo de seiva pelo método do balanço de calor: base teórica, qualidade das medidas e aspectos práticos

ABSTRACTSAP FLOW BY HEAT BALANCE METHOD: THEORETICAL BASIS, DATAQUALITY AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS The stem heat balance method has become an important technique in plant physiology,agrometeorology and irrigation science. Its application has increased in the last years due to thedevelopment of less expensive automatic data acquisition systems that are widespread. Important advancesin several research areas have been reached by quantifying the water consumption by isolated plants indifferent temporal scales. Based on the theory of the method, this review aims to present and discuss theprocedures of installation and maintenance, and data analysis and processing, giving elements to improvethe user’s criticism about data quality. Aspects related to the impact of environmental conditions onsensor performance are presented, as well as the practical recommendations found in literature are criticallydiscussed. The method is a useful tool for research and experimentation, but it seems to be inadequatefor use in practical conditions. Difficulties involving its operational and practical aspects - installationand maintenance in field conditions – in addition to data analysis and processing are the main obstaclesto the users of this technique.Key words: instrumentation, transpiration, water consumption.
Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Some Nigerian Traditional Fermented Foods

A total of 104 lactic acid bacteria were isolated from ogi, wara, fermenting cassava mash for local food product gari and raw milk for nono. They were characterized phenotypically and divided into six main groups, which are facultative heterofermentative rods, obligate heterofermentative rods, tetrad-forming homofermentative cocci, homofermentative cocci, heterofermentative cocci, and an unidentified group. A total of 40 strains with good acidification, hydrogen peroxide production, and fermentation of indigestible sugar such as raffinose were selected. They were further characterized employing genotypic fingerprinting techniques, such as RAPD-PCR with primer M13, rep-PCR with primer (GTG)5 and sequencing of the 16S rDNA genes for starter culture development. RAPD-PCR did not give accurate delineation of the strains, but with the combination of rep-PCR fingerprinting and 16S rDNA sequencing, representative strains from rep-PCR clusters at 80% Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) grouped the organisms to nine (9) clusters. These were identified as Lactobacillus fermentum (7), Lactobacillus plantarum (6), Lactobacillus pentosus (2), Pediococcus pentosaceus (10), Pediococcus acidilactici (4), Enterococcus faecium (7), and the unidentified Lactobacillus species (4) were assigned into Lactobacillus fermentum group. A polyphasic taxonomic approach for characterization proved useful in the accurate typing of the LAB strains.
Fructan and fructan‐metabolizing enzymes in the growth zone of barley leaves

SUMMARY To study the role of fructan in leaf development of barley seedlings, fructan contents and the activities of enzymes involved in fructan metabolism were measured in segments of the third leaf at the stage of maximal growth. Fructans amounted to more than 100% of the d. wt in the growth zone at the base of the developing leaf and decreased sharply in the zone above. The specific activities of sucrose: sucrose 1 -fructosyltransferase (1 -SST) and sucrose: fructan 6-fructosyltransferase (6-S FT), two key enzymes in fructan synthesis, also peaked in the growth zone but decreased more slowly in the zone above. By contrast, the specific activities of invertase and fructan exohydrolase (FEH) were low in the growth zone at the leaf base and had their peak just above it. The specific activity of fructan: fructan 1 -fructosyltransferase (1 -FFT) was approx. constant over the whole leaf. These results indicate that transitory accumulation of fructans in the growth zone plays a key role in the development of barley leaves.
Growth Patterns of the Japanese Mitten Crab Eriocheir japonica (De Haan) In Its River Phase In Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan

Abstract Size composition and growth pattern of the Japanese mitten crab Eriocheir japonica (de Haan, 1835), Varunidae, in their natural habitat was investigated. Crabs were collected using hand-held nets in the Saigo River and the adjacent seacoast in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The dynamics of carapace width (CW) frequency distribution were analyzed and cohorts were identified from polymodal size distribution using Bhattacharya's method. In the lower tidal river and seacoast (Area I, reproductive area of the crabs), adult crabs comprising at least four cohorts were collected. From monthly data for 29 months (January 1997-May 1999) collected from the upper tidal to the lower freshwater area (Area II, growth area of the crabs), two cohorts that had settled in different seasons (fall and early summer) were confirmed for each year. Both cohorts reached minimum adult size (ca. 35 mm < CW and 45 mm < CW, average) in fall 2 years after settlement. This suggests that adult crabs in the tidal area (Area I) mostly comprise two cohorts of 2-year-olds (ca. 24 and 29 months) and two cohorts of 3-year-olds (ca. 36 and 41 months) after settlement.
The Role of Putative Fibrinogen Aα-, Bβ-, and γA-chain Integrin Binding Sites in Endothelial Cell-mediated Clot Retraction*

In this study, endothelial cell-mediated clot retraction was supported by fibrin generated from several purified fractions of plasma fibrinogen, purified proteolytic fragments of plasma fibrinogen, recombinant normal fibrinogen, and recombinant variant fibrinogen. These results were surprising because some of these fibrinogens lack domains that are known binding sites for the integrin receptors that support clot retraction. Specifically, fibrinogens lacking Aα-chain RGD residues at 572–574 or lacking the γ-chain residues AGDV 408–411 supported endothelial cell-mediated clot retraction as well as intact fibrinogen. Thus, clot retraction mediated by endothelial cells is not dependent on either of these sites. A variety of monoclonal antibodies against the integrin αvβ3 partially inhibited the endothelial cell-mediated retraction of clots formed from plasma fibrinogen. As expected, an antibody to the platelet integrin αIIbβ3 did not inhibit endothelial cell-mediated clot retraction. These results indicate that this retraction is mediated at least in part by αvβ3. These results support the conclusion that (a) neither of the two fibrinogen cell binding sites described above is required to support clot retraction or that (b) either site alone or in conjunction with other fibrin(ogen) region(s) can support clot retraction. Thus, endothelial cell-mediated clot retraction appears to be dependent on fibrinogen cell binding sites other than those required to support adhesion of resting platelets to immobilized fibrinogen and platelet aggregation.
Systematics of the North American beetle subgenus Pseudoperyphus (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Bembidion) based upon morphological, chromosomal, and molecular data

ABSTRACT The subgenus Pseudoperyphus Hatch of Bembidion latreille is revised. External structure, male genitalia, chromosome number, and DNA sequences from seven genes (28S rDNA, 18S rDNA, cytochrome oxidase I, wingless, CAD, arginine kinase, and RNA polymerase II) reveal the presence of nine species. Five of the species belong to the B. chalceum subgroup: B. chalceum Dejean, B. rothfelsi, new species (type locality: bridgewater, Vermont), B. bellorum, new species (type locality: Tygart Valley River near Valley head, West Virginia), B. antiquum Dejean, and B. louisella, new species (type locality: North aspy river near cape North, Nova Scotia). The remaining species belong to the B. honestum subgroup: B. honestum Say, B. arenobilis, new species (type locality: Danville, Virginia), B. integrum Casey, and B. rufotinctum chaudoir. The group is most diverse in Vermont, where seven species live. The geographic ranges of many species overlap: of the 36 possible species pairings, 28 are found in sympatry. The morphological character system most closely correlated with species boundaries, as indicated by DNA sequences, is shape of the flagellum of the male genitalia, and it is likely involved in reproductive isolation. The shape of the pronotum is also implicated as important for species recognition. Two species, B. chalceum and B. rothfelsi, show derived haploid chromosome numbers distinct from the typical n=12 found in other Pseudoperyphus and most other Bembidion, with n=13 and n=17 respectively. Each of the nine species is inferred to be monophyletic in the bayesian gene tree of at least one gene, but five of the species are paraphyletic for at least one gene, with two species (B. antiquum and B. arenobilis) being paraphyletic for as many genes as they are monophyletic. Evidence for nuclear copies of cytochrome oxidase I (COI) in several species makes inference of the COI gene tree difficult, and is one reason that COI is not the gene of choice to identify Pseudoperyphus specimens, contrary to standard DNA barcoding protocols. The best single gene for species identification is 28S rDNA; the two worst are COI and wingless. A key to species and geographic distribution maps are provided.
Rare species habitat suitability assessment and reliability evaluation of an expert-based model: A case study of the insectivorous plant Pinguicula crystallina Sibth. et Smith subsp. hirtiflora (Ten.) Strid (Lentibulariaceae)

The development of habitat suitability models requires a large amount of data which are rarely available. In this case, researchers need to get information on the ecological features of the studied species, based on the opinion of experts or on the literature, to construct a qualitative model. However, such models cannot be rigorously evaluated, as in most cases absence points are not available. In this paper, we assess the habitat suitability for a vulnerable insectivorous plant, Pinguicula crystallina Sibth. et Smith subsp. hirtiflora (Ten.) Strid (Lentibulariaceae) in the Campania region. Our aim was to develop an expert-based, presence-only model in support of possible conservation actions. Topographic and geological features of this species suggested by the literature were used in our model. Both the Boyce index and field surveys were chosen to evaluate the model's reliability. During field surveys, 31 absence sites and 1 new presence site were identified, and differences between sites with regard to water chemistry and quality were investigated, water being an element in the species habitat. Factors that affect reliability of the model, such as the lack of a large amount of information on the species and the limited spatial resolution of geographical information system data, are discussed.
SEASONAL PRIMARY PRODUCTION OF UNDERSTORY RHODOPHYTA IN AN UPWELLING SYSTEM 1

The in situ primary production of three common under‐story members of the Rhodophyta in South African west coast kelp beds was determined monthly for a year using dissolved oxygen techniques. Strong seasonal patterns of photosynthesis and respiration were evident in all three species. Net photosynthesis of all three species was greatest in spring (October) and lowest in winter (June). Increasing photosynthesis in late winter coincided with increasing ambient irradiance and photoperiod, whereas decreasing photosynthesis in summer was not explained by changes in the environmental parameters measured. We suggest that this may he due to an innate pattern related to some other seasonal plant activity such as reproduction. Seasonal Pmax and Ik values reveal that the obligate understory species, B. prolifera and E. obtusa, are shade‐adapted whereas G. radula, a low intertidal and shallow subtidal dominant, is sun‐adapted. Low C: X ratios consistent with a high nutrient environment and high rates of productivity were found in all three species. Net photosynthesis to respiration (Pn:R) ratios were fairly constant for B. prolifera and E. obtusa, implying that then photosynthetic processes were governed more by seasonal variations in irradiance than by instantaneous light availability. The Pn: R ratio of G. radula was variable, suggesting that this species is more responsive to rapid fluctuations in irradiance and may therefore be adapted for rapid growth during periods of high irradiance.
Enzymatic Characterisation of Novamyl®, a Thermostable α‐Amylase

The thermostable -amylase Novamyl® is used in the baking industry as an antistaling agent due to its ability to reduce retrogradation of amylopectin. We have studied its enzymatic properties at pH 5.0. We make two main conclusions: (1) Novamyl® shows sequence homology to cycloglycosyl transferases (CGTases); like these enzymes, Novamyl® cleaves cyclodextrins, forms transglycosylation products and is subject to product inhibition by maltose. Novamyl® has 5 subsites in the active site and is also subject to substrate inhibition. (2) Novamyl® is clearly different from exoglucanases like β-amylase and glucoamylase. It is able to hydrolyse a pentasaccharide with bulky substituents at both ends (INdp5) and is inhibited by the α-amylase inhibitor Trestatin A. Although Novamyl® appears unable to hydrolyse α-1,6-linkages, it is able to degrade amylopectin to a greater extent than β-amylase as well as β-limit dextrins. Novamyl® degrades amylose in such a manner that initially the molecular weight is drastically reduced while β-amylase does not show any detectable effect on the molecular weight of this substrate. Products of the degradation of amylopectin and amylose by Novamyl® are maltose and oligosaccharides, whereas β-amylase and glucoamylase produce only maltose and glucose, respectively. This was shown in baking experiments as well. The new data presented here clearly show that unlike exoamylases, Novamyl® does not require a non-reducing end and attacks amylose, Indp5 and cyclodextrins in an endo-like manner. Based on these results Novamyl® should be reclassified.
Induction of disease resistance in Norway spruce (Picea abies) by necrotizing fungi

Norway spruce trees (Picea abies) preinoculated with the root rot fungus Heterobasidion annosum, Nectria fuckeliana or a pathogenic strain of the blue-stain fungus Ceratocystis polonica were more efficiently protected against a subsequent massive inoculation with pathogenic C. polonica than trees pretreated with nonpathogenic C. polonica or sterile malt agar. Control trees that received no pretreatment were extensively colonized by the mass inoculation. There was a strong negative correlation between the length of the phloem necroses induced by the pretreatment inoculations and the extent of host symptoms caused by mass inoculation with pathogenic C. polonica. The degree of induced resistance in Norway spruce thus depended on the amount of host tissue destroyed by the pretreatment.
Varietal differences in resistance to spread of Fusarium head blight and its relation with grain mycotoxin accumulation in western Japanese wheat

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is the most serious disease affecting wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) because of its impact on yield and grain quality and its associated mycotoxin accumulation. This study was conducted (1) to develop efficient methods to evaluate varietal resistance against fungal spread after infection, (2) to investigate varietal differences in resistance to FHB infection, FHB spread, and mycotoxin accumulation in 23 Asian varieties, and (3) to analyze relations among FHB-resistant types. Inoculation of Fusarium graminearum isolate, causing virulence to detached spikes, enabled evaluation of FHB spread in a shorter period and smaller space than conventional methods. Among the varieties, the FHB spread differed significantly. ‘Sumai 3’ and its derivatives showed higher resistance to FHB spread than other varieties. The FHB spread showed no significant correlation with FHB infection. It showed significant positive correlation with DON, but some varieties with high resistance to FHB spread showed moderately high DON. Results show that improved methods to evaluate FHB spread can be effective to screen numerous materials. The FHB resistance of western Japanese varieties depends mainly on resistance to FHB spread. For development of FHB resistant varieties, due attention should be devoted to DON.
Response of a Hyporheic Invertebrate Assemblage to Drying Disturbance in a Desert Stream

The effects of flow variation on surface invertebrates have been well documented; however, studies involving the subsurface (hyporheic) environment are rare. We assessed the response of hyporheic invertebrates to drying by sampling 5 sets of wells (30, 50, and 100 cm deep) from 8 May 1995 to 4 August 1995 in an intermittent desert stream undergoing drying. Drying began with discontinuity of surface water, and continued through loss of surface flow to recession of the water table (at a rate of 11 cm/wk) to >1 m depth by August. Twenty taxa were collected during the study. Shallow (30- and 50-cm) assemblages consisted mainly of insect larvae and cyclopoid copepods whereas bathynellaceans, isopods, and harpacticoid copepods were the major taxa in deeper (100-cm) sediments. Total abundance of all taxa combined and abundance of many individual taxa differed between depths, but also changed significantly over time. The interaction between date and depth was also significant, indicating that the direction of temporal change was not consistent among well depths. Once surface-water dried, total invertebrate abundance began to increase in wells that remained inundated. Thereafter, as the water table continued to recede, abundance in the 100-cm wells increased while numbers in shallow wells decreased. This pattern supports the hypothesis that the hyporheos migrates into deeper sediments to avoid conditions associated with drying.
Does Venting Promote Survival of Released Fish

Abstract Fishes captured and brought to the surface by commercial and recreational fishers may suffer a variety of injuries that collectively are referred to as barotrauma. To relieve barotrauma symptoms, particularly those associated with an expanded swim bladder, some anglers deflate, or vent, the swim bladder (or body cavity when the swim bladder has ruptured) of fishes before releasing them. I compiled 17 studies that assessed the potential benefits of venting in 21 fish species and 1 composite group. These studies provided 39 sample estimates that compare survival (N = 18) and recapture rates (N = 21) of vented and unvented fish. I used relative risk to summarize results of individual studies, which allowed me to combine results from experimental and capture-recapture studies. Overall, there was little evidence that venting benefited fish survival. Venting was equally ineffective for freshwater and marine fishes and its efficacy was unaffected based on whether venting was performed by fishery biologi.
Effects of boron on growth of tomato cell suspensions

The effects of various B levels in the culture medium on the biomass production and B concentrations of cells were studied using tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Rodeo) cell suspensions in three separate experiments. In the initial study, no increase in cell biomass was observed after day 4 in the absence of B in the medium. These cells had lost their viability by day 6. Cells grown at a B level of 0.09 or 0.55 mM in the medium had the highest biomasses (doubled by day 6). Cells grown at 0.92 or 1.85 mM B had lower biomasses (doubled by day 8). In the other two studies, both under low (0.005–0.07 mM) and high (2.30–4.15 mM) concentrations of B in the media, there was only a slight increase in biomass and the cultures failed to double their biomasses even by day 10. Cells grown with 3.70 or 4.15 mM in the medium showed a black discolouration by day 6 and were no longer viable. Except in the high B study, the B concentrations in the cells did not vary after day 2. With increasing B levels in the medium, the B concentrations of cells were in near equilibrium with the media B. Due to increasing toxicity which may have altered the membrane properties of the cell, this relationship did not continue with B levels of 1.85 mM or higher. These results indicate that B enters the tomato cells through passive transport and that a passive equilibrium exists between B concentrations in the cells and in the media.
A comparison of spring barley grown in England and in Scotland. 2. Yield and its components

Summary Yields of two spring barley varieties, Golden Promise and Maris Mink, were greater at the Scottish Plant Breeding Station (SPBS) than at the Plant Breeding Institute (PBI) in both 1976 and 1977. In both seasons more ears per plant were produced and the number of grains per ear was greater at the SPBS. Weight per grain was greater at the Scottish Plant Breeding Station in both 1976 and 1977, but the distribution of grain size along the ears differed between seasons. Grain at the tip of the ears of plants grown at SPBS in 1976 was lighter than the corresponding grain on the Cambridge-grown plants. In 1977 the SPBS-grown plants had heavier grains at all the main shoot spikelet positions. At the SPBS the relative difference between main shoot and tillers 1 and 2 was smaller than at the PBI. These results are taken to indicate that the combination of climatic factors in Scotland affects plant development in such a way that intraplant competition is reduced and more spikelet primordia survive to form grains and more tillers produce fertile ears.
The Morphology, Growth and Reproduction of Unionidae (Bivalvia) in a Fenland Waterway

The shell morphology and population dynamics of the ﬁve British Unionidae are compared within a sympatric population. Pseudanodonta complanata is distinguished from Anodonta anatina and A. cygnea by the hinge length—shell length relationship; this morphological distinction may serve as a useful tool in the identiﬁcation of this threatened species. The shell length at a given annulus was remarkably similar for all ﬁve species, although the asymptotic length is reached most quickly in P. complanata and Unio pictorum. P. complanata is relatively short-lived and attains the lowest maximum length, while A. cygnea lives more than twice as long and attains almost double the length of P. complanata. Unio spp. have a short gravid season over the summer, while Anodonta spp. have a long gravid period, lasting from Autumn through to Spring. Unlike other members of the Anodontinae, P. complanata has a short breeding season, overlapping with that of the Unio spp.