Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Allelopathic activity of the norharmane-producing cyanobacterium Synechocystis aquatilis against cyanobacteria and microalgae

The cyanobacterium Synechocystis aquatilis was observed growing as a monospecies in enriched phytoplankton samples in the laboratory, indicating its allelopathic activity on coexisting phytoplankton species. Therefore, the present study screened the culture medium of an axenic strain of this cyanobacterium for the presence of allelechemicals with algicidal properties by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The allelopathic effect of S. aquatilis was evaluated by co-cultivation of target species of toxic cyanobacteria and green algae with this cyanobacterium, as well as by evaluation of norharmane (β-carboline 9H-pyrido(3,4-b) indole) crude extract prepared from the culture medium of Synechocystis. The growth of target algal species was measured as a cell density after 6 days incubation. The results showed that S. aquatilis produced the indole alkaloid norharmane with large quantities in the culture medium (86 μg l−1). In co-cultivation experiments, S. aquatilis inhibited the growth of all tested cyanobacteria and green algae. Norharmane crude extract exhibited stronger inhibition of cyanobacteria (EC50 = 4.6–4.8 μg ml−1) than green algae (EC50= 6.3–6.4 μg ml−1) in a concentration-dependent manner, indicating its apparent role in the allelopathic activity of S. aquatilis. The possible applicability of the allelochemical, norharmane, as an algicide to prevent the formation of harmful algal bloom was discussed.
Microhabitat and rhythmic behavior of tiger beetle Callytron yuasai okinawense larvae in a mangrove forest in Japan

Mangrove forests are regularly flooded by tides at intervals of approximately 12.4 h (tidal rhythm). Larvae of the tiger beetle Callytron yuasai okinawense in a mangrove forest made shallow burrows in mounds up to 1 m in height constructed by the mud lobster Thalassina anomala. No larval burrows were observed on the forest floor, which was very muddy even during low tide. Some larvae plugged the burrow openings before they were submerged at high tide. The mean interval between consecutive burrow plugging events was 12.37 h, which is similar to the period of tidal cycles. Nine out of 30 larvae plugged the burrow openings even when the burrows did not become submerged. Plugging behavior may be governed by an endogenous biological clock, or may be a response to exogenous information about tidal level (e.g. moisture seeping through the ground).
Preliminary study on broodstock rearing, induced breeding and grow-out culture of the sea cucumber Holothuria scabra in Sri Lanka

Experiments were conducted to identify suitable methods for broodstock rearing, induced breeding and grow-out culture of Holothuria scabra in Sri Lanka. Two hundred and seventy-two brooders (500–600 g) collected from off Mannar were individually packed in oxygen-filled polythene bags with and without sea water and transported to a sea cucumber hatchery at Kalpitiya. Lagoon pens, sand-filled fibreglass tanks and bare tanks were used in triplicates to maintain brooders. Spawning was initiated using air dry, water jet and thermal-stimulation methods. Hatchery produced juveniles with an average weight of 11 ± 5 g were reared (2 individuals m−2) in lagoon pens, mud ponds and fibreglass tanks in triplicates. The significantly high evisceration rate was observed when brooders were transported without sea water (t-test, P < 0.05). Brooders maintained in bare tanks showed a significant weight reduction than the brooders in sand-filled tanks and lagoon pens (anova, P < 0.05, d.f. = 2). Thermal stimulation (ambient temperature ± 3–5°C) was found to be the most successful method of spawning initiation of H. scabra. The mean (±SD) percentage males and females participated for spawning per trial was 9.2 (±10) and 4.6 (±5.6) respectively. On an average, 1.16 millions of eggs (±1.03 SD, n = 5) were obtained per spawning trial. H. scabra juveniles reared in tanks showed significantly lower growth rate than the juveniles in pens and ponds (anova, P < 0.05). Lagoon pens and sand-filled tanks are suitable to maintain brooders and lagoon pens can be successfully used for mass rearing of juveniles.
Environmental and ontogenetic constraints on developmental stability in the spatangoid sea urchin Echinocardium (Echinoidea)

Biogeosciences, UMR-CNRS 5561, Universite de Bourgogne, 6 bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, FranceReceived 25 June 2004; accepted for publication 25 July 2005Spatangoid irregular sea urchins are detritivorous benthic organisms particularly prone to variations of environ-ment, and their mode of growth and plate morphology make them an appropriate model to assess the effects of envi-ronmental variations. Two populations of Echinocardium ﬂavescens were sampled in two sites of the Norwegiancoast characterized by contrasted environmental conditions. Different morphological descriptors (plate areas, inter-landmarks distances, overall size, and shape of the posterior ambulacra) were used to appraise interindividual vari-ations, and ﬂuctuating asymmetry. The comparisons were carried out using classical ﬂuctuating asymmetry (FA)methods, as well as Procrustean approaches. The population suspected to be less inﬂuenced by anthropic activitiesexhibits lower levels of FA for the size parameters (plate surfaces, interlandmarks distances, and centroid size) thanthe population located in a polluted area. Conversely, it shows higher FA values for the shape parameters (land-marks conﬁguration). Interindividual variations appear to be correlated to FA. Variations are orientated accordingto the main growth axis of the ambulacra, and their intensity is stronger in the large posterior plates, which are alsothe youngest. These results are discussed with respect to architectural constraints involved in the sea urchin growth. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 88, 165–177.
A Rapid Seedling Based Screening Technique to Assay Tobacco for Resistance to Phytophthora nicotianae

Black shank caused by Phytophthora nicotianae is a serious root and stem disease of cultivated tobacco worldwide. In this study, a rapid seedling-based screening technique was developed to evaluate tobacco cultivars for resistance to P. nicotianae. This technique was compared with a stem inoculation technique commonly used on adult plants. The overall aim was to develop an improved and rapid technique that could also be used to characterize races of P. nicotianae. A strong positive correlation was found between results of the seedling assay and adult plant trials for all isolates and cultivars tested. Furthermore, P. nicotianae isolates could be characterized as race 0 or 1 using both stem inoculation and the rapid seedling assay. This assay will facilitate rapid and large-scale screening for black shank resistance and therefore has the potential to reduce yield losses because of this disease in the field.
Cultivation of Agaricus bisporus on some compost formulas and locally available casing materials. Part I: Wheat straw based compost formulas and locally available casing materials

Three compost formulas (formula I, formula II, and formula III) based waste tea leaves and using some activator materials such as wheat bran, chicken manure and pigeon manure were studied for Agaricus bisporus cultivation. Some locally available peats such as peat of Bolu, peat of Agacbasi, peat of Caykara and theirs mixture (80:20; volume : volume) with perlite were used. Temperature values of all compost formulas during composting process were measured to determine the compostability level. According to results, compost temparature steadily increased until the 8th, 9th, and 9th day of composting for formula I, formula II, and formula III, respectively. The maximum compost temperature values were measured for all compost formulas at the second turning stage of composting process. The highest compost temperature values were measured prepared from a mixture of waste tea leaves and wheat bran (formula I). The best mushroom yield was obtained by a mixture of waste tea leaves and pigeon manure with the peat of Caykara and perlite mixture as casing material. Peat of Caykara gave higher mushroom yield than those of other peats.
Rationale and Design of a Multicenter Study of Selegiline and α-Tocopherol in the Treatment of Alzheimer Disease Using Novel Clinical Outcomes

Summary:This report describes the rationale and design of a clinical trial using selegiline (10 mg/day) and α-tocopherol (2,000 IU/day) to slow the progression of dementia in Alzheimer disease (AD). This study was developed by the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS), a consortium of clinical research centers actively involved in AD research. The major goal of the consortium is to design and conduct clinical investigations leading to the development of treatments for AD. This study uses a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2×2 factorial, parallel group design to test two drugs for the treatment of AD. The primary outcome of the study is the time to reach any one of the following four endpoints: death, institutionalization, loss of two of three basic activities of daily living, and progression of Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) stage from 2 to 3. Patients with moderately severe disease (CDR=2) were enrolled and evaluated 10 times over a period of 2 years to determine if these agents reduce the time to reach any endpoint. A database from the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease indicated adequate power analyses to observe a treatment effect on this clinically meaningful outcome measure. Recruitment and baseline characteristics of the population are provided. The rationale for the choice of a factorial design, the use of a novel, clinically meaningful endpoint, and the selection of a cohort of patients with AD of moderate severity are discussed.
Transplant Timing Affects First-season Root Growth of Turkish Hazelnut (Corylus colurna L.)

Rapid posttransplant root growth is often a determining component of successful establishment. This study tested the effect of transplant timing on first-season root growth dynamics of bare-root Turkish hazelnut trees. Trees were either harvested and planted in the fall (F-F), harvested in the fall and planted in the spring after holding in refrigerated storage (F-S), or harvested and planted in the spring (S-S). All trees were transplanted into 51-L containers, adapted with root observation windows. Root growth began in F-F and F-S trees 1-2 weeks before spring budbreak, but was delayed in S-S trees until =3 weeks after budbreak. Budbreak was 6 days earlier for fall-harvested than for spring-harvested trees. No new roots were observed before spring. Root length accumulation against observation windows (RL) was delayed for S-S trees, but rate of increase was similar to F-F and F-S trees soon after growth began. Seasonal height, trunk diameter growth, and RL were similar among treatments. Surface area of two-dimensional pictures of entire rootballs was not correlated with seasonal RL.
Characterization of Brassica nigra chromosomes and of blackleg resistance in B. napus–B. nigra addition lines

Brassica napus-B. nigra addition lines were previously created using the variety ‘Darmor’ as the oilseed rape genetic background. Two isozyme loci and 46 RAPD markers were added on five different B. nigra chromosomes. The oilseed rape variety used was highly susceptible to blackleg at the cotyledon stage and only the addition of chromosome 4 gave the same level of blackleg resistance as B. nigra. This resistance was efficient whatever the isolates used. A significant effect on the development of stem canker under field conditions was observed only for the line carrying chromosome 4 which was more resistant than the susceptible control. The potential effects of two other chromosomes have to be confirmed. F1 hybrids obtained by crosses between two highly susceptible lines and the monosomic addition line carrying chromosome 4 were examined under field conditions. No effect of the oilseed rape genetic background on the expression of resistance was detected. The introduction of this resistance and mapping of the gene(s) into oilseed rape varieties are discussed.
Efficient Control of Spatial Variation in Yield Trials Using Neighbour Plot Residuals

SUMMARY The effect of spatial variation on experimental error variance and the significance of differences between genetic entries was evaluated in five performance trials. A significant portion of spatial variation could be detected in all the experiments investigated and various neighbour plot residuals were applied to adjust for local field trends. Neighbour plot adjustment was clearly more efficient than the randomized complete block design in reducing error variance and in detecting significant differences between entries. It was also more efficient than lattice designs in trial fields exhibiting short distance trends, which could not be covered efficiently by incomplete blocks. In most experiments with long and narrow plots, longitudinal adjustment using two neighbours at each side of a test plot was superior to adjustment by only one ‘nearest’ neighbour.
Saccharification of Lignocellulosic Materials by the Cellulases of Bacillus subtilis

Cellulases produced by Bacillus (B.) subtilis were used for the saccharification of wheat straw, rice straw and bagasse. Pretreatment of these substrates with 2% NaOH was found to be more effective for increasing the saccharification. The saccharification rates of 33.0, 25.5 and 35.5% were obtained with 2% NaOH pretreated wheat straw, rice straw and bagasse, respectively. The saccharification of wheat straw was 33, 26 and 16.9% after 20 h at 50oC when 4, 6 and 10% substrate was used, respectively. The per cent conversion reduced with increasing substrate concentration. Same trend in the hydrolysis rates of pretreated rice straw and bagasse were observed when used at increased concentrations. The per cent saccharification of these substrates decreased when the concentration was increased to 10%. It was observed that the per cent saccharification of these substrates increased with increasing enzyme concentration.
Effects of temperature, salinity and irradiance on carposporeling development of Hidropuntia caudata (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta)

The success of seaweed cultivation depends on the scientific control of the tolerance limits and the optimal physiological conditions that affect the spore germination and the early development of algal species. In order to establish cultivation techniques for spores of Hidropuntia caudata (J. Agardh) Gurgel & Fredericq, the effects of irradiance, salinity, and temperature on the carpospore germination and carposporeling development were evaluated under laboratory conditions. Five photon flux densities (PFD, from 18 to 200 µmol photons m-2s-1), six salinity values (from 7 to 55 psu), and four temperatures (from 20 oC to 35 oC) were investigated. The level of irradiance caused significant differences in the growth, in the following order: 200±5 > 100±5 62.5±2.5 > 30±1.5 > 18±1 µmol of photons m-2s-1, but they did not inhibit the carposporeling development. Maximum growth occurred under 35 psu, while at 15 psu the formation of carposporeling erect axis was limited. The optimal temperature for growth was 25 oC, while at 35 oC the spores died. These results show the importance of previous knowledge on the tolerance limits and optimal conditions for sporeling development of H. caudata for the implementation of an aquaculture program.
A new genus and species of Athericidae (Diptera: Tabanoidea) from Cape York Peninsula

The new athericid Suraginella macalpinei n.gen., n.sp. is described on specimens from the Claudie River and Jardine River systems in the north of Cape York Peninsula. This distinctive taxon is compared with the widespread Old World genus Suragina Walker, 1858, to which it has some misleading resemblances. Many differences are detailed between these genera. In the closure of wing cell m 3 , and in having dorsal setae on certain radial and cubito-anal veins in the female, Suraginella resembles the rare monotypic Brazilian genus Xeritha Stuckenberg, 1966. Although these conditions are apomorphies, they are considered unreliable for cladistic analysis. A survey of the occurrence of such setose veins in other Athericidae and in the sister-group Tabanidae shows them to be sporadic, variably developed, and probably subject to homoplasy. No sister-group of Suraginella can be identified. The presence of a hard, dark mass in the abdomen of half of the available females indicates with high probability that S. macalpinei takes bloodmeals from a vertebrate host. A test of gut contents for the presence of blood, using urological test strips, gave a strong positive result but is not conclusive. Biological considerations suggest that Suraginella, although occurring in both "tip-of-peninsula" and "mid-peninsula" rainforest regions of Cape York Peninsula, may be independent of the forest biome. The preferred range of the aquatic larval stages in river profiles may determine distribution. Present information suggests that Suraginella may be part of the old "autochthonous" element in Australia.
Sequestration vs. Emissions: On the Carbon Sequestration Potential of the Natural Areas of the City of Austin, Texas

ABSTRACT: Organizations and governments at all levels have set goals for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and have begun to work toward achieving these goals in an effort to mitigate global climate change. The City of Austin, in Travis County, Texas, has set the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 20% below 1990 levels by the year 2010. The City's Carbon Dioxide Reduction Strategy, drafted in 1997, identified aggressive strategies for reducing GHG emissions; however, carbon sequestration in natural systems was not considered as an option. I conducted a literature review to assess the carbon sequestration potential of the City of Austin's municipally-owned natural areas with respect to Travis County CO2 emissions and to identify strategies for increasing rates of carbon capture while also meeting the federal permit or municipal bond obligations of some of these lands. An analysis of 22 studies indicates that the City of Austin's natural areas are likely functioning as carbon sinks but sequestration is minimal relative to regional emissions. Carbon sequestration by Austin's natural areas is not likely to offset more than 1.6% of Travis County's year-2007 emissions. Sequestration can be improved, however, while also achieving or enhancing primary ecological management goals. Protection of soil carbon pools via land conservation is a critical first step in preventing ecosystem carbon loss and assuring that ecological management can maintain and improve sequestration rates long-term. Ecosystem carbon management techniques include prescribed fire, afforestation, rotational grazing, and plant diversity improvement.
In vitro Antischistosomal and Cytotoxic Activities of Norneolignans from Styrax pohlii A. DC.

The schistosomicidal and cytotoxic activities of norneolignans isolated from Styrax pohlii are used to relieve fever. The norneolignans homoegonol [2] and homoegonol glucoside [4] provided the best results against S. mansoni adult worms. At 200 μM, compounds 2 and 4 killed 25% and 50% of the parasites in 120 h, while egonol [1], homoegonol gentiobioside [3], and egonol gentiobioside [5] reduced their motor activity to 12.5%, 12.5%, and 37.5% in 120 h, respectively. With respect to the cytotoxic activity, the IC50 values were greater than 800 μM for 1, 5, and 3 and 192.5 and 253.1 μM for 2 and 4, respectively.
Classifying Regional Variation in Thermal Regime Based on Stream Fish Community Patterns

Abstract Although the importance of water temperature to the ecology of stream fishes is well documented, relatively little information is available on the extent of regional variation in thermal regime and its influence on stream fish distribution and abundance patterns. In streams draining the heterogeneous glacial landscape of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, regional variation in summer mean temperature and temperature fluctuation is among the highest reported in the literature. We developed a habitat classification to simplify the description of thermal regimes and to describe the relationships between available thermal regimes and distribution patterns of stream fishes. Changes in community composition, species richness, and standing stocks of key fish species occurred across gradients in mean temperature and temperature fluctuation. These changes were used to identify three mean temperature categories (cold, <19°C; cool, 19–<22°C; and warm, ≥22°C) and three temperature fluctuation categories (stable, <5.
Influence of tree composition upon epiphytic macrolichens and bryophytes in old forests of Acadia National Park, Maine

Abstract To better understand associations between epiphytes and old forests, lichens and bryophytes that grow on tree bark were quantified in relatively undisturbed stands of Acadia National Park (ACAD). Four plots were dominated by hardwoods and eight by spruce. To obtain data from upper boles, we climbed four maple trees per plot (eight plots) and four spruce trees per plot (four of the eight plots). We found 85 macrolichen species and 62 bryophyte taxa (60 species, two varieties). Eight macrolichens are newly documented from ACAD. At the state-level, Acadia NP plots were notably species-rich including 15 species not found in 50 other plots in Maine surveyed using the USDA FS Forest Inventory and Analysis Program (FIA) lichen protocol. At the plot-level, the epiphyte flora of spruce-dominated plots differed significantly from that of hardwood-dominated plots, although species richness was comparable. At the tree-level, the epiphyte flora of maple trees was significantly influenced by tree composition within the surrounding stand. Mixed composition of tree species in the stand correlated with higher epiphyte diversity. Cyanolichens were more likely to occur on large hardwood trees in hardwood-dominated plots. Fruticose lichen occurrence was influenced by interactions between tree size, plot and tree species. Using comprehensive tree tally searches in combination with climbing of four maples per plot, we found that we missed an average of 15% of the macrolichen flora in the search area using only the two-hour timed survey required by the FIA protocol. This study serves as an important baseline for detecting future changes in the epiphyte flora of ACAD and further highlights the importance of mature mixed stands to epiphyte conservation in northern forests of eastern North America.