Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vegetative Growth, Flowering and Seed Characters of African Marigold (Tagetes Erecta Linn.) As Influenced by Different Growth Substances During Mild off Seasons

Field experiments were conducted to find out the effect of GA3 and NAA on vegetative growth, flowering and seed characters of African marigold (Tagets erecta Linn.) cv. Pusa Narangi Gainda, at the Research Farm of Division of Floriculture and Landscaping, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, during early winter and early summer seasons of 2005–2006. Among the seven different treatments each of GA3 and NAA viz., 100, 200 and 300 ppm with one control tried, GA3 @300 ppm recorded the maximum plant height (81.91 cm), fresh weight of single flower (6.49 g), number of seeds per flower (272.25), flower (359.83 g) and seed yield per plant (12.36g) during both the seasons. However, plant height (79.05 cm), number of flowers per plant (41.66), single flower weight (6.23 g) and flower yield per plant (357.50 g) were recorded statistically at par when plants were sprayed with NAA @ 300 ppm during both seasons.
Adaptabilidade e estabilidade de cultivares de alfafa em relação a diferentes épocas de corte

An experiment was carried out at the Animal Science Experimental Station of Sertaozinho, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The experimental design was a randomized block design, with three replications. Plots were constituted of 5 rows, with 5m long, separated by 0.2m. Thirty-five alfalfa cultivars were evaluated for dry matter yield in 29 yielding
The response of sea bream following abrupt hyposmotic exposure

The response of a marine teleost, silver sea bream Sparus sarba, to abrupt hyposmotic exposure was investigated over a 120-h period following direct exposure from sea water (SW, 33‰) to a hyposmotic environment of 6‰. Aspects of serum chemistry, stored metabolites and gill morphology were used to gain further insight into the biochemical, physiological and morphological alterations that take place following low salinity exposure of a marine fish. Rapid (<1 h) reductions in serum [Cl−] occurred while serum [Na+] exhibited only transient perturbations during initial exposure. Serum total [Ca] declined 24 h after exposure and returned to pre-exposure levels by 120 h. Despite a tendency for muscle moisture to increase during the early stages of low salinity exposure to significant change could be detected. The response of the branchial chloride cell (CC) was rapid, with apical and fractional exposure area increasing after 6 h. The number of CCs exposed at the branchial surface reduced after 6 h but subsequently increased to elevated levels. Serum cortisol levels had increased three fold 1 h after hyposmotic exposure and stabilised at pre-exposure levels within 12–24 h. Serum triiodothyronine (T3) levels exhibited a biphasic response, significantly elevating and decreasing after 3 and 6 h respectively. Significant post-hyposmotic exposure elevations in serum glucose and protein occurred after 1 h, peaking at 3 h and returning to lower levels after 6 h. Total free ninhydrin reactive substances were significantly elevated 3 h post-hyposmotic exposure, a phenomenon attributable to elevated levels of ammonia, alanine, arginine, glycine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, serine, taurine, threonine and valine. Of these substances, glycine, lysine, serine and taurine remained elevated for up to 12 h or longer. Serum urea levels elevated 1 h after exposure to 6%‰ and returned to SW levels 3 h post-exposure. The relevance of these results is discussed within the context of current knowledge on the effects of hyposomotic adaptation on marine fish.
Les Dacini(Diptera: Tephritidae) inféodés aux Cucurbitaceae à la Réunion: Gamme de plantes-hôtes et stades phénologiques preferentiels des fruits au moment de la piqûre pour des espèces cultivées

Durant une annee, un echantillonnage regulier de Cucurbitaceae infestees par les Tephritidae a la Reunion a permis de mettre en evidence 16 especes de plantes attaquees appartenant a 10 genres: Citrullus, Cucumis, Cucurbita, Coccinia, Cyclanthera, Lagenaria, Luffa, Momordica, Sechium et Trichosanthes. Parmi ces 16 especes figurent 4 especes de Cucurbitaceae exotiques naturalisees et constituant des plantes reservoirs sur la cote ouest et sud de l'ile toute l'annee: Momordica charantia L. , Coccinia grandis L. , Cucumis anguria L. et Lagenaria sphaerica N. Les stades phenologiques de developpement des fruits ont par ailleurs ete etudies afin de connaitre les stades les plus communement piques par les femelles de Dacini pour 4 Cucurbitaceae cultivees. Les premiers resultats montrent que la courgette (Cucurbita pepo L.) et la citrouille (C. pepo L.) sont piquees en moyenne 2 jours avant la nouaison; la pasteque (Citrullus lanatus T.) l'est en moyenne 2 a 6 jours apres la nouaison et le concombre (Cucumis sativus L.) 4 a 10 jours apres. Des applications au niveau des methodes de lutte en decoulent et devront etre validees chez les agriculteurs.
Molecular phylogeny among Triticum-Aegilops species and of the tribe Triticeae

The tribe Triticeae includes some of the world’s most important cereal crops, such as wheat, barley, and rye. It also includes important, mostly perennial, fodder grasses such as Agropyron, Elymus, Leymus, Psathyrostachys, and others. Many wild annual grasses of the tribe Triticeae belong to a highly valuable gene pool for cereal breeding—Triticum, Aegilops, Secale, Hordeum, Dasypyrum, etc., and some are interesting ephemeral plants of deserts, including Eremopyrum, Crithopsis, and Heteranthelium. Another group is interesting taxonomically, because they are on the border or just beyond the limit of the tribe, such as Brachypodium and Henrardia. Triticeae is a taxonomically controversial group at both the species and generic level. One extreme is considering Triticum to be the only genus of Triticeae, and an opposite extreme is accepting of a huge amount of often monotypic genera. Therefore, it seemed appropriate to review here several issues of the taxonomy and phylogeny of the tribe Triticeae.
Herbivorous animals can mitigate unfavourable ratios of energy and material supplies by enhancing nutrient recycling

Recent evidence shows that high supply ratios of light and nutrients limit planktonic herbivore growth by lowering the nutritional quality of algae. Over longer time scales, however, grazers may ameliorate this effect by their impact on nutrient cycling. We examine this possibility using two species of the herbivorous zooplankter Daphnia and its algal prey under different light intensities and low phosphorus supply in laboratory microcosms. At high light, Daphnia biomass was limited for a substantial period because of low P content of algal cells. However, a gradual increase in Daphnia density eventually improved food quality through grazing and nutrient cycling and via a novel process involving positive density dependence. Competitive exclusion of one of the two Daphnia species occurred under low light but not under high light when algae were nutritionally unsuitable. Such stoichiometrically mediated interactions among herbivorous animals may represent important mechanisms that affect community structure and material flows in ecosystems.
Phytosterol structure and its impact on feeding behaviour in the generalist grasshopper
 Schistocerca americana

Abstract.Sixth‐stadium nymphs of the grasshopper Schistocerca americana (Drury) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) were observed in a series of experiments designed to measure feeding behaviour in response to suitable and unsuitable phytosterols. In the first experiment, grasshoppers were presented with artificial diet that contained either sitosterol, a suitable phytosterol, or a spinach lipid extract which contained only unsuitable sterols as well as other spinach lipids. The diet with the spinach lipid extract, but not the sitosterol diet, evoked a deterrent response. To determine if the spinach sterols were responsible for the deterrent response, a second experiment was performed where the spinach lipid extract was separated into three lipid classes, including desmethyl sterols, dimethyl sterols and the remaining spinach lipids. Grasshoppers presented with artificial diet containing the desmethyl sterols (the end‐product sterols in spinach) exhibited deterrent responses. Finally, feeding behaviour to a suite of different sterols, including cholesterol (suitable), stigmasterol (unsuitable), and lathosterol (unsuitable), was observed; these sterols were selected because they show variation in the position of double bonds. Grasshoppers presented with diets containing unsuitable sterols again exhibited deterrent responses. Overall, the deterrent effect was strongest when sterols with a double bond at position 22 were in the diet.
Chance versus determinism in canopy gap regeneration in coastal scarp forest in South Africa

Abstract Question: Is tree regeneration in canopy gaps characterized by chance or predictable establishment. Location: Coastal scarp forests, Umzimvubu district, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Methods: Estimation of richness of gap-filling species across canopy gaps of different size. Data are compared with regeneration under the canopy. Probability of self-replacement of gap forming species is calculated. Results: Forest area under natural gap phase was 7.8%, caused mostly by windthrow (54%). The abundance and average size of gaps (87.8 m2) suggests that species diversity may be maintained by gap dynamics. However, only four of 53 gap-filler species displayed gap size specialization and these were pioneer species. An additional 13 species were more common in larger gaps but there was no gradient in composition of gap-filler species across gap size (p = 0.61). Probabilities of self-replacement in a gap were low (< 0.3) and common canopy species were equally abundant in gaps and the understorey. Species composition in gaps showed no pattern of variation, i.e. was unpredictable, which suggests absence of a successional sequence within tree-fall gaps. There was also only a slight increase in species richness in gaps at intermediate levels of disturbance. Conclusions: Coastal scarp forest appears not to comprise tightly co-evolved, niche-differentiated tree species. Unpredictable species composition in gaps may be a chance effect of recruitment limitation of species from the species pool. Chance establishment slows competitive exclusion and may maintain tree diversity in these forests. These data suggest that current levels (⩽ 3 gaps per ha) of selective tree harvesting may not cause a reduction in species richness in this forest. Nomenclature: Arnold & de Wet (1993). Abbreviation: IDH = Intermediate disturbance hypothesis.
Polyamine metabolism and gene regulation during the transition of autonomous sugar beet cells in suspension culture from quiescence to division

Sugar beet cells grown in batch suspension culture have been used to study the regulation of polyamine levels during the transition from a quiescent to a proliferating state. The quiescent state was achieved by maintenance of the phytohormone autonomous cells in the stationary phase of the batch culture cycle. After subculture into fresh medium there was an increase in DNA synthesis which was accompanied by a dramatic increase in cellular polyamine levels. The levels of both free and bound cellular putrescine and spermidine within the cells reached a peak before the onset of the first synchronous division. The levels of putrescine, spermidine and to some extent spermine in the culture medium also increased dramatically shortly after subculture. The increase in polyamines was preceded by a rapid but transient increase in omithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17) and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.50). Arginine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.19) and S-adenosylmethionine synthetase (EC 2.5.1.6) activity did not show the same pattern of cell division-related variation. Inhibition of S-adenosylmethionine biosynthesis with methylglyoxal bis-(guanylhydra-zone) (MGBG) reduced cell division in the suspension culture. Inhibitors of ornithine decarboxylase and arginine decarboxylase individually had little effect on cell division, but in combination led to a reduction in cell division. Addition of polyamines and their precursors to cells in the stationary phase of a batch culture cycle led to the induction of expression of a mitotic cyclin sequence (BvcycII).
Diversity of fungal symbionts in arbuscular mycorrhizas from a natural community

summary The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) association between fungi in the order Glomales and the roots of a very wide range of vascular plants is of global ecological significance but has proved particularly intractable to study in the field. We have developed a reliable technique to identify the fungal symbionts in roots taken directly from natural communities. Selective Enrichment of Amplified DNA combines the use of recently-developed specific DNA primers with a novel method based on the principle of subtractive hybridization to remove interfering plant-derived DNA after amplification with the polymerase chain reaction. Using this technique we have shown that endomycorrhizas of bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) sampled directly from a woodland habitat are multispceies communities of varying composition which contain at least three genera of mycorrhizal fungi. The technique works well on a range of plant species and should have wide application to the identification of other symbionts, including pathogens. A spore survey has indicated that two particular AM types are associated with bluebells and this observation corroborates the molecular data. The presence of a Glomus species in bluebell roots was not expected from the spore data.
The omnivorous collared peccary negates an insectivore-generated trophic cascade in Costa Rican wet tropical forest understorey

Abstract: Insectivorous birds and bats often protect plants through density- and trait-mediated cascades, but the degree to which insectivores reduce herbivorous arthropods and leaf damage varies among systems. Top-down interaction strength may be influenced by the biotic and abiotic context, including the presence of vegetation-disturbing animals. We tested two hypotheses: (1) insectivorous birds and bats initiate trophic cascades in tropical rain-forest understorey; and (2) the native, omnivorous collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) negates these cascades via non-trophic effects. We studied the top-down effects of birds and bats on understorey plants in north-eastern Costa Rica using 60 netted exclosures within and outside existing peccary exclosures. Excluding birds and bats increased total arthropod densities by half, both with and without peccaries. Bird/bat exclosures increased Diptera density by 28% and leaf damage by 24% without peccaries, consistent with a trophic cascade. However, bird/bat exclosures decreased Diptera density by 32% and leaf damage by 34% with peccaries, a negation of the trophic cascade. Excluding peccaries increased leaf damage by 43% on plants without birds and bats. This is the first study, to our knowledge, to demonstrate that the non-trophic activity of an omnivorous ungulate can reverse a trophic cascade.
Estimativas de herdabilidade e correlações para escores visuais, peso e altura ao sobreano em rebanhos da raça Nelore

Os objetivos neste trabalho foram avaliar as relacoes entre os escores visuais de estrutura corporal, precocidade e musculosidade ao sobreano (aproximadamente 550 dias de idade) com caracteristicas de crescimento para verificar as possibilidades de utilizar essas caracteristicas como criterios de selecao. Foram obtidas estimativas dos componentes de covariâncias por maxima verossimilhanca restrita empregando-se um modelo animal com o efeito fixo de grupo contemporâneo e a idade como covariavel (efeitos linear e quadratico). Os grupos contemporâneos foram definidos pelas variaveis: sexo; ano, estacao e fazenda de nascimento; e fazenda e grupo de manejo aos 120, 210, 365 e 550 dias de idade. Foram utilizadas 1.367 observacoes de estrutura corporal, precocidade e musculosidade. As estimativas de herdabilidade foram de 0,24 ± 0,09 para estrutura corporal; 0,63 ± 0,12 para precocidade e 0,48 ± 0,11 para musculosidade, e as estimativas de correlacoes geneticas entre os escores foram 0,49 entre estrutura corporal e precocidade; 0,63 entre estrutura corporal e musculosidade; e 0,90 entre precocidade e musculosidade. As correlacoes geneticas entre os escores de estrutura corporal, precocidade e musculosidade, e o peso ao sobreano foram todas positivas (0,83; 0,42 e 0,50, respectivamente), enquanto as estimativas de correlacoes geneticas entre altura de posterior e os escores de estrutura corporal, precocidade e musculosidade, respectivamente, foram 0,57, -0,29 e -0,33. As caracteristicas estrutura corporal, precocidade e musculosidade ao sobreano apresentaram variacao genetica aditiva de moderada a alta. As correlacoes geneticas dos escores com altura do posterior indicam que a selecao de animais mais altos, ainda que indireta, pode ocasionar aumento da estrutura corporal media dos animais, que poderao ser menos precoces e menos musculosos ao sobreano. A selecao para os escores visuais, principalmente para estrutura corporal, deve promover aumento no peso ao sobreano dos animais.
PALEOBIOLOGIC FEATURES OF TRABECULITES MACULATUS (TABULATA, LATE ORDOVICIAN, SOUTHERN MANITOBA)

Abstract Detailed analysis of certain growth characteristics in Trabeculites maculatus contributes to an understanding of the paleobiology and phylogeny of early tabulate corals. Some coralla of T. maculatus contain peculiar, vertically oriented cylindrical lacunae (open areas) that are lenticular, or in one case circular, in cross section. The nature of these structures and their relation to adjacent corallites suggest that they were formed by the coral in response to soft-bodied biotic associates of unknown taxonomic affinity. Trabeculites maculatus is an unusual tabulate coral featuring both axial and lateral modes of corallite increase. Axial increase was common, often occurring in association with rejuvenation following injury and less commonly involving normal, undamaged corallites. Lateral increase of normal corallites was typical, but this form of increase could also be involved in the termination of lacunae and occurred in response to a divergent growth pattern around the circular lacuna. Corallite decrease was fairly common, usually taking place adjacent to lenticular lacunae but in some cases involving normal corallites not associated with lacunae. Corallite fusion was uncommon; it could be either temporary or permanent. Conspicuous relocation of corallites and restructuring of corallite arrangement generally involved mass rejuvenation and/or regeneration, usually over a large surface area of the corallum. The growth features in T. maculatus are fundamentally the same as those in the co-occurring Saffordophyllum newcombae, including types of axial increase unknown in other tabulate corals. The basic paleobiologic similarity of these species supports the interpretation that the genera they represent are closely related phylogenetically. The relationship of these taxa to other tabulates, however, remains unresolved.
Reformulation of Malthus-Verhulst equation for black gram seeds pretreated with magnetic field

A b s t r a c t. The effect of magnetic field on germination of black gram (Cicer arietinum L.) seeds is presented. Experiment were performed in the magnetic field of 0.060, 0.116, 0.168 and 0.2T. The germination behaviour of black gram seeds strongly depends on the strength of applied magnetic field. The germination kinetics of seeds stimulated with a magnetic field before sowing is most often described using the Malthus-Verhulst equation. This equation is reformulated and verified experimentally for any (initial) number of seeds germinated at initial time. The double differential equation related to germination rate used by other authors is also corrected. When magnetic field is applied, data shows that there is linear decrease in mean germination time and maximum time (when germination rate is maximum). K e y w o r d s: magnetic field, black gram, presowing treatment, germination rate, germination time
The effect of shipwrecks on associated fish assemblages in the central Mediterranean Sea

Understanding the role played by sunken vessels in Mediterranean marine ecosystems is acquiring increasing importance. The aim of this research was to study the fish communities associated with four shipwrecks, by means of underwater visual censuses performed by a remotely operated vehicle, and to test the differences in composition of fish assemblages between these shipwrecks and the adjacent soft bottoms, considered as control sites. Multivariate analysis on the total fish assemblage showed significant differences between wrecks and controls. Results also showed higher levels of species richness and abundance near all wrecks than at a short distance from them on soft bottoms, thus indicating that these sunken vessels, thanks to their higher habitat complexity, act as artificial reefs, attracting aggregations of fish species and leading to a greater diversification of the local fish assemblage. Nevertheless, shipwrecks, which are an ideal target for recreational fishermen, could contribute to the over-exploitation of some high-value fish species, such as Mycteroperca rubra, Dentex dentex and Diplodus spp. , attracted by the artificial hard substrate of the vessel-reefs. The recent European directives suggest an urgent need for a better understanding of the crucial role played by these potential sources of pollutants on marine environments and ecosystems. An ecosystem approach to study and monitor these pollutant sources is, therefore, mandatory for appropriate remediation and/or mitigation of the potential negative effects on a productive and healthy ocean.
Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella spp isolated from retail chicken, turkey, and ostrich by-products in Iran

SUMMARY The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence, the corresponding serotypes and the antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella spp isolated from retail chicken, turkey and ostrich by-products in Iran. A total of 300 samples from chicken (n = 150), turkey (n = 105) and ostrich (n = 45) by-products (liver, gizzard and heart) were purchased from 14 randomly selected retail outlets in Isfahan and Shahrekord from June 2009 to February 2011 for Salmonella isolation, serotyping and determination of antimicrobial susceptibility. The overall Salmonella prevalence was 7.3% (22/300). The contamination rates were significantly higher for chickens (9.3%) and turkeys (6.7%) than for ostriches (2.2%) and in livers (12.0%) and hearts (7.0%) than in gizzards (3.0%). Among the 4 serotypes identified, S. enteritidis was the predominant type (50.0%) following by S. typhimurium (27.3%) and S. agona (13.6%). The Newport type was isolated only once and the serotype was not established for one isolate. All isolates were susceptible to amoxicillin, gentamicin, kanamycin, ceftizoxime and cefotaxine but 50.0% and 45.5% of isolates were resistant to nalidixic acid and tetracycline, respectively. These results indicate that poultry by-products could be considered as an important potential source for human contamination in Iran.
Effect on lamb meat of supplementing with calcium soap fatty acids.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of calcium soap of fatty acids (CSFA) on meat quality traits of lambs when included in a finishing diet. Cooking loss was reduced in CSFA fed lambs, but there was no effect on any other traits. Samples of longissimus muscle were evaluated at 0 and 10 days postmortem. Shear force was significantly reduced by ageing, and this was matched by an increase in myofibrillar fragmentation index values with ageing. L*, b* and pH values increased with ageing. There was no detrimental effect of feeding CSFA on the measured traits.