Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression of Klebsiella sp. lactonase ahlK gene is growth-phase, cell-population density and N-acylhomoserine lactone independent

It has been previously reported that Klebsiella sp. strain Se14 possessed broad degradation activity against various types of N-acyl homoserine lactone molecules which are used by most proteobacteria as quorum sensing molecules. In this work, the quorum quenching gene of Klebsiella sp. strain Se14, ahlK, has been studied. It is reported here for the first time that the expression of Klebsiella sp. strain Se14 ahlK gene is independent on the growth phase, bacterial population density, or addition or repletion of N-(3-oxo-hexanoyl) homoserine lactone into the growth medium.
Genetic analyses of juvenile steelhead, coastal cutthroat trout, and their hybrids differ substantially from field identifications

Abstract Because of their similar appearance and frequent hybridization, juvenile steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss and coastal cutthroat trout O. clarkii clarkii are difficult to distinguish visually. Nevertheless, field biologists often use visual methods to classify juvenile individuals. This study investigated hybridization between these species and determined the accuracy of field identification where hybridization occurred. Using a five-point classification system, two evaluators identified 500 fish collected from three watersheds in Humboldt County, California. Individuals were then genotyped at seven single-copy nuclear DNA genes and one mitochondrial gene, all assumed to be diagnostic for each species. Single-locus Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, pairwise genotypic disequilibrium, and cytonuclear disequilibrium calculations revealed that subpopulations of these species were mating assortatively. Presumptive F1 hybrid individuals were rare, whereas introgressed individuals were more common. These presumpt.
Ultraviolet‐B radiation effects on plants: induction of morphogenic responses

Plants raised under field conditions are acclimated to ambient levels of solar UV-B radiation. Morphogenic responses are part of the UV-B acclimation process and have been hypothesized to contribute to UV avoidance. UV-B induced morphogenic responses include inhibition of hypocotyl and stem elongation, leaf curling, leaf thickening and increased axillary branching. So far, neither the photosensory nor the signal transduction mechanism involved in UV-B mediated morphogenesis has been identified. The combination of classical photobiological techniques and Arabidopsis genetic resources comprises a powerful tool for the analysis of morphogenic responses. However, no morphogenic mutants, specifically altered in their response to UV-B, have yet been identified. In this paper we discuss the possibility that some UV-B driven morphogenic responses do not involve a dedicated photosensory system, but rather are a consequence of UV-B induced changes in secondary metabolism. UV-B induced flavonoid aglycones and phenol-oxidizing peroxidases can affect, respectively, polar auxin transport and auxin catabolism, and hence plant architecture. Integration of genetic, photobiological, biochemical and physiological approaches is necessary to fully appraise the ecophysiological role of UV-B radiation in controlling plant architecture.
Genetic Diversity of Iranian Isolates of Barley Scald Pathogen (Rhynchosporium secalis) Making Use of Molecular Markers

Leaf blotch disease of barley, caused by Rhynchosporium secalis is a major disease of barley in Iran. Its worldwide occurrence and economic importance in barley production has motivated studies on the population genetic structure of this pathogen. Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) method was utilized to investigate the genetic diversity of populations of R. secalis isolated from barley leaves. A total of 94 isolates, representing five geographically distinct populations, were collected from diverse climatic regions in Iran. Genetic diversity was studied using eleven RAPD primers. Out of a total of 119 fragments generated by random decamer primers, 89 (75.1%) were polymorphic with an average of 8.1 polymorphic fragments per primer. Cluster analysis of RAPD data using UPGMA and simple matching coefficient method distinguished 33 main groups at 75% similarity level. The similarity between isolates ranged from 0.62 to 0.89. In total, 42 molecular phenotypes (haplotype) were distinguished among the 94 isolates by 11 RAPD primers. Haplotype one was found in all the five regions of Iran surveyed. Some haplotypes were specific to a single region while others found in several regions. There was little correlation observed between genetic vs. geographical distance suggesting that they were independent of each other.
Effect of density on growth, development, yield and quality of kabocha (Cucurbita maxima)

Summary. The effect of plant density on growth, development, yield and quality of kabocha (buttercup squash) (Cucurbita maxima) was examined during 1992–93, at a field site in Cambridge, Tasmania. Plant densities ranged between 0.5 and 4.7 plants/m2. Marketable and total yields were fitted to a yield–density model. Total yield followed an asymptotic trend, approaching 33 t/ha at 4.7 plants/m2, while marketable yield had a parabolic relationship with density. Marketable yield increased to a maximum of 18 t/ha at 1.1 plants/m2, while declining at higher densities because of increased numbers of undersized fruit. Yield of vine marked and callused fruit did not vary with density, but represented a significant proportion of the total yield at all densities. High plant density reduced vegetative growth per plant due to competition for limited resources; as shown by decreased leaf area, number and length of vines, and plant dry weight. Yield tended to decline at high densities because of fewer female flowers and increased fruit abortion per plant. Plants at low densities had more vegetative growth but decreased yields, as increased abortion of fruit relative to the higher plant densities left only 1–2 large fruit per plant. Economic returns varied with plant density. At high densities, variable costs increased (particularly due to high seed cost) while gross income declined reflecting the relationship between marketable yield and plant density. The gross margin therefore declined at high densities.
Impact of pugging by dairy cows on pastures and indicators of pugging damage to pasture soil in south-western Victoria

Pugging damage by cows in wet winters is an important limitation for dairying in Victoria and Tasmania. A grazing trial was conducted to identify the effects of pugging by dairy cows on pasture yield and utilisation in south-western Victoria, Australia. A series of pugging severity treatments (no pugging, light, medium, and heavy pugging) were imposed by varying stocking density at different soil moisture levels. Medium-heavy pugging in winter reduced pasture yield in the following spring by 40-42%, pasture utilisation by 34-40%, and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) tiller density by 39-54%. Light pugging had no effect on pasture yield, utilisation, and perennial ryegrass tiller density. Pasture growth rate showed a similar pattern between treatments; however, the impact was greater in the first 9 weeks after pugging than later (9-14 weeks). With heavy stocking density, there could be a potential risk of pugging damage when soil strength is <700 kPa. Indicators of pugging severity (pugging score, depth, and soil surface roughness) were highly correlated. The relationship between pugging severity and pasture yield, utilisation, and ryegrass tiller density was best described by a negative linear regression when pugging scores were 0-2.
Potassium Level and Physiological Response and Fruit Quality in Hydroponically Grown Tomato

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is a popular vegetable in many parts of the world. The role of potassium in plant metabolism, growth, and development and its significance in production of marketable fruit and on fruit flavor and visual appearance are known. It is not clear how hybrids and nonhybrids, which differ greatly in growth and yield, respond to potassium. The tomato cvs. Pant T-3 (nonhybrid) and Avinash-2 (hybrid) were treated with three levels of potassium at 200, 300, and 400 mg·L−1 in Hoagland nutrient solution culture. ‘Avinash-2’ produced more fruit than the nonhybrid cv. Pant T-3. Fruit production increased as potassium concentration increased in both cvs. , but magnitude of yield was greater for the nonhybrid cultivar. The highest leaf chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, and potassium contents were in plants treated with 300 mg·L−1 K in both cultivars. There was significant improvement in protein, ascorbic acid, lycopene, total soluble solids, reducing sugar levels, and titratable acidity in fruit as K concentration increased up to 300 mg·L−1. The cv. Pant T-3 responded better to K concentration than did ‘Avinash-2’. Application of adequate potassium is necessary to improve yield and quality of tomato and K availability had a role in improving fruit production and quality of a nonhybrid tomato more so than in a hybrid tomato cultivar.
Protein, amino acid, ash and mineral contents in Brassica spp. grown in Northwest Spain

Summary The protein, amino acid, ash, and mineral composition of different Brassica spp. grown in several areas of Galicia (Northwest Spain) were studied. The highest protein values were observed in Galega kales (crude protein: 29.66 g per 100 g) and turnip greens and turnip tops (27.74–31.46 g per 100 g), whereas the leaves showed higher protein contents than the stems. Glutamic acid was the most abundant amino acid present (14.53% in turnip greens to 18.45% in white cabbage). Other amino acids such as arginine, aspartic acid, lysine, alanine and glycine were also observed in higher quantities. The stems contained the same amino acid as the leaves but at a lower level. Furthermore, differences in amino acid contents were observed among varieties. The proportion of essential amino acids was high (41% in leaves of turnip top to 47% in external leaves of oxheart cabbage). The studied varieties are also a good source of some minerals, which include as main element potassium (27.24–37.57 mg g−1 in whole plants), followed by calcium (4.27–17.48 mg g−1 in whole plants) and magnesium (1.62–2.92 mg g−1 in whole plants). Significant differences among varieties and edible portions were found concerning ash and mineral contents.
Fall Armyworm Symposium: Classification and Distribution of Fall Armyworm Parasites

Fifty-three species of parasites from 43 genera and 10 families have been reared from larvae of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith). Only 24% of the collection records identify the host plant from which the fall armyworm larvae were gathered. Parasite distributions indicate that importations from Central and South America into Florida and Texas may significantly reduce the overwintering fall armyworm populations. Apanteles marginiventris (Cresson) and Chelonus texanus (Cresson) are the most frequently recovered parasites.
Evaluation of Selected Commercial Starter Feeds for Sunfish Fry Culture

Abstract Sunfishes Lepomis spp. are cultivated as sport fish, and recently interest has been shown in culturing them as a food fish based on commercially available feeds that vary in composition according to the life stage of the fish. We evaluated seven commercial larval starter feeds with northern bluegill L. macrochirus macrochirus and redear sunfish L. microlophus in the effort to relate growth performance to diet nutrient composition. The dependent variables were production weight, survival rate, feed conversion ratio, and mean individual weight and length. The proximate composition and fatty acid and amino acid compositions of feeds were related to the dependent variables. Survival rate ranged from 84% to 96% for bluegills and from 15% to 35% for redear sunfish, and individual mean weights ranged from 67 to 238 mg and from 31 to 78 mg for these two species. Relating the compositional analysis of feeds to the dependent variables indicated that isoleucine influenced mean individual weight for both spe.
Dietary prebiotics improve memory and social interactions while reducing anxiety when provided early in life to normally developing rodents (637.5)

Modifying the intestinal microbiome has been shown to influence behavior and brain development in selected rodent models. This study assessed the impact of consuming dietary prebiotics polydextrose (PDX) and galactooligosaccharide (GOS) during normal early postnatal development on cognition, social‐ and anxiety‐related behaviors in rodents. Weanling male C57BL/6J mice, SD and LE rats (N=12 each) were fed control or prebiotic diet (7 g/kg and 15 g/kg PDX‐GOS for rat and mouse, respectively) from postnatal day (pd) 21 throughout the behavioral testing at pd 50. Memory was assessed using the time‐dependent version of novel object recognition. Social behavior was evaluated using the social interaction test and anxiety was assessed using the marble burying test. Mice fed the prebiotic diet buried fewer marbles (P<0.05) and prebiotic fed SD rats displayed more positive social interactions (P<0.01) than the control groups. The novel object recognition test revealed that prebiotic fed LE rats had a significantly higher recognition index than rats fed control diet (P<0.05). Body weight, water and food intake did not differ between the diet groups. These results indicate that dietary prebiotics have the potential to improve memory and social behaviors while reducing anxiety‐like behaviors in normally developing animals. Assessment of the gut microbiome is underway to probe possible mechanisms behind these effects.
The determinants of innovative performance : a study of SMEs in a developing country

• A submitted manuscript is the author's version of the article upon submission and before peer-review. There can be important differences between the submitted version and the official published version of record. People interested in the research are advised to contact the author for the final version of the publication, or visit the DOI to the publisher's website. • The final author version and the galley proof are versions of the publication after peer review. • The final published version features the final layout of the paper including the volume, issue and page numbers.
Seed Dispersal by Birds and Bats in Lowland Philippine Forest Successional Area

In the tropical forests of SE Asia, only a few studies have dealt with the role animal dispersal plays in early forest succession and rehabilitation, and a comparison of bird and bat dispersal is even rarer. We investigated seed dispersal by birds and bats in a successional area in the lowland dipterocarp forest of the Subic Watershed Forest Reserve (SWFR) in Luzon Island, Philippines. Using pairs of day and night traps, we collected seeds during 3 mo of wet season and 3 mo of dry season in a 1.2‐ha study site. Bird‐dispersed seeds predominated over those dispersed by bats in terms of both seed abundance and number of seed species. The most abundant endozoochorous seed species were significantly biased toward either bird or bat dispersal. Birds and bats appeared to compete more strongly for fruit resources during the dry season than during the wet season, and bats responded more to changes in the seasons than birds did. GLM analyses showed that the factor that had the strongest influence on overall seed distribution was the number of fleshy‐fruited trees surrounding the traps, and that the distribution pattern of day‐dispersed seeds was affected by more physical factors (number of trees, size of trees, presence of fleshy‐fruited and conspecific trees) in the study site than the pattern of night‐dispersed seeds were. Given that birds are the more important dispersers in the study site, restoration efforts in SWFR might benefit by focusing on attracting these dispersers into its degraded habitats.
Antioxidant activity of flaxseed meal components

Barthet, V. J., Klensporf-Pawlik, D. and Przybylski, R. 2014. Antioxidant activity of flaxseed meal components. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 593–602. The meals of borage, hemp, Solin, golden, and brown flaxseed, including the meals of dehulled flaxseed and their corresponding hulls, were reconstituted with 40% of standard flaxseed oil and stored for 2 wk to assess if these meals had any antioxidant activity to protect in situ oil from oxidation. Weekly measured peroxide and aldehyde values showed that Solin, golden and brown flaxseed meals had more effective antioxidant activity than hemp and borage meals. Flaxseed hull showed very weak antioxidant potential, whereas dehulled meals maintained their antioxidant activity. This suggested that secoisolariciresinol diglucoside was not acting as the primary antioxidant of flaxseed meal. The seed antioxidant activity was greatly affected by water extraction, suggesting that the system contains water-soluble components. When flaxseed oil was recombined with the freeze-.
Totais decendiais de precipitação pluvial em Campinas, SP: persistência temporal, periodicidades e tendências climáticas

The aim of the study was to evaluate the presence of temporal persistence, periodicals components, and trends within the ten-day rainfall series (PRE), observed during 1890-2009 at the weather station of Campinas, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Based on the autocorrelation function and on the Run test it was observed no significant temporal persistence within the data sample. The spectral analysis carried on the time-frequency domain has shown no remarkable periodicity associated with the variance peaks in the temporal signal under evaluation. Based on non parametric methods and considering the significance levels commonly adopted in the scientific literature (10 and 5%) it was detected no important climate trend within the PRE series. However, during the end of the dry season and the beginning of the rainy season it was observed an unexpected high number of decreasing (negative) trends cases that may be an indication of changes in the climatic conditions observed during 1890-2009. This last feature may reveal a delay in the resumption of the rainy season.
High-Pressure Gelatinization of Wheat Starch and Properties of Pressure-Induced Gels

Wheat starch suspensions of 5% dry matter were treated at 86 °C, 15 min, or with pressure at 600 MPa, 25 °C, 15 min. Both treatments were found to induce no further melting peak when differential scanning calorimetry was used. Under these previous conditions, starch suspensions subjected to pressure gave original products in terms of swelling index (water binding), amylose release and specific gravity. Pressure induced starch gelatinization with preservation of the granular structure. As a consequence, peculiar properties were expected for pressure-induced gels of 30% dry matter obtained at 600 MPa, 25 °C, 15 min. By using Young modulus measurements, calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, and drying kinetics experiments, results showed a limited retrogradation for gels obtained under pressure.
Relationship between mangrove forest and fish and prawn productivity

This study aims to clarify influence of mangrove coverage on fish and prawn productivity. Four estuaries in mangrove forests under different exploited stages were selected as research sites in west coast of Peninsular Malaysia: Selinsing and Sangga Rivers in Matang, Merbok River in Kedah, and Dinding River in Lumut. The ratios of the mangrove forest area to river area were 4.7 in Matang, 3.2 in Merbok and 1.0 in Lumut. Different values of water parameters suggest that the brackish water zone was most distinct in the Selinsing, followed by Sangga, Merbok and Dinding. Differences of catch composition in terms of fish species and abundance among the four brackish water mangrove ecosystems may be strongly affected by differences in water parameters, especially influenced by the seawater with higher salinity and lower turbidity.
Shelterbelts in agricultural landscapes suppress invertebrate pests

The homogenous nature of agricultural landscapes generally reduces biodiversity of invertebrate species, but this can be partly offset by developing refuges at field margins. In Australia, shelterbelts are widely planted to provide protection for livestock and to counter salinity problems associated with rising water tables. Shelterbelts may also play a role in acting as reservoirs for organisms that are beneficial to pastures, although this has rarely been directly evaluated. We sampled invertebrates along transects running from replicated shelterbelts into pastures, and in glasshouse trials we tested the impact of the beneficial organisms from the shelterbelts on the collected pests. Contrary to popular views, numbers of pest mites and lucerne fleas were low within shelterbelts. Moreover, numbers were typically lower adjacent to shelterbelts compared with >30 m into the pasture, an effect that was much more apparent when shelterbelts carried a groundcover of high (>30 cm) grass. Numbers of predatory mites and spiders were higher in shelterbelts and in adjacent pasture when there was taller grass and higher grass cover in the shelterbelts. Samples of potential predators collected from a shelterbelt were more effective at suppressing pest mite numbers than those collected in pasture. Shelterbelts with ground cover appear to harbour a diversity of beneficial organisms that suppress pest numbers in adjacent pastures.
Performance of four mosses in a reciprocal transplant experiment: implications for peatland succession in NE China

Abstract Sphagnum dominates the moss layer in northern peatlands, but its dominance has decreased while there has been an expansion of other moss genera in some peatlands of NE China since the 1960s. To discover the mechanisms underlying this succession, we performed a four-month reciprocal transplant experiment in Hani Peatland with three Sphagnum species, Sphagnum palustre, S. magellanicum, and S. fuscum and one other moss Polytrichum strictum. Performance of the four mosses and the environmental factors: height above water table (HWT), vascular plant cover and pH, electrical conductivity, base cations, and N and P concentrations in water in the four moss habitats were measured. Biomass production in S. palustre was negatively affected by HWT. Phosphorus had a positive effect on biomass production in S. magellanicum and Polytrichum. None of the environmental factors had any effect on S. fuscum. Overall, the three Sphagnum species deteriorated in P. strictum hummocks, while P. strictum exhibited a wider ecological amplitude and maintained or increased its vigour levels in Sphagnum hummocks. Biomass production in S. palustre and S. magellanicum was negatively affected by P. strictum indicating the competitive ability of P. strictum. Our results suggest that its wide ecological amplitude and competitive ability may explain why P. strictum can expand and replace Sphagnum in some northern peatlands.