Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human-Imprinted Northern Bobwhite Chicks and Indexing Arthropod Foods in Habitat Patches

Arthropods are an important diet resource for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) chicks. Estimates of arthropod abundance using standard entomological sampling techniques may lack biological relevance for assessing potential foraging value of habitat patches because they do not incorporate a realistic availability measure of arthropods to bobwhite chicks. Assuming that human-imprinted (hereafter, imprinted) bobwhite chicks foraged similarly to wild bobwhite chicks, we estimated foraging rates (arthropods [g] consumed/30 min/chick) and mass (g) changes of imprinted chicks foraging in different habitat patches, and used these measures to index arthropod abundance. Ranks of arthropod abundance in soybean fields (n = 8) based on foraging rates of imprinted chicks were different from ranks based on arthropod counts from sweepnet sampling. Ranks of arthropod abundance in soybean fields (n = 10) based on mass changes of imprinted chicks were different from ranks based on dry mass (g) of arthropods collected by sweepnetting and pitfall trapping. However, ranks of habitat patches based on foraging rates and mass changes of imprinted chicks were similar. Estimated sample sizes for comparing chick foraging rates of 2 agricultural habitats, with power (1-β) = 0.8 and α = 0.05, were reasonable (n ≤ 11) at observed levels of sampling error. Foraging rates of imprinted chicks in randomly selected, conventionally tilled soybean and corn fields were low (range 0.09-0.12 g/30 min/chick), but foraging rates were 2.1 and 3.8 times greater along field edges and in no-tilled fields, respectively. Our results suggest that using estimates of arthropod abundance to rank the foraging value of habitats may be unreliable without information on availability of arthropods to chicks. Indices of the foraging value of habitat patches based on imprinted bobwhite chicks were more biologically relevant than arthropod abundance information.
Genetic analysis of the low-amylose characteristics of rice cultivars Oborozuki and Hokkai-PL9

Control of the amylose content is a major strategy for breeding rice with improved eating quality. To identify the low-amylose gene of the low-amylose rice cultivar Oborozuki, quantitative trait loci (QTL) and sequence analyses were conducted on 90 progeny obtained by crossing the two japonica cultivars Hokka287 (a donor parent of Oborozuki) and Hokkai-PL9. One QTL for low amylose content was detected on the WX1 locus on the short arm of chromosome 6. This gene was designated Wx1-1 for the Hokkai287 allele, and is a novel allelic gene for the WX1 locus with a 37-bp deletion in intron 10. Homozygote genotype for Wx1-1 decreased the amylose content by 7.8%. Primer sets Wx-U1L3 designed to amplify the genome region containing the deletion clearly differentiated cultivars containing Wx1-1 from others. This DNA marker is useful for breeding cultivars with low amylose contents. Another QTL, qAC9.3, was detected on the short arm of chromosome 9. Hokkai-PL9-homozygote allele for qAC9.3 decreased the amylose content by 2.6%. QTL analyses showed that Wx1-1 and the Hokkai-PL9 allele of qAC9.3 have an additive effect in decreasing the amylose content. The two genes are useful tools in marker-assisted selection when breeding rice with a controlled amylose content for improved eating quality.
Thysanoptera and the Pollination of Flowers

INTRODUCTION THE problem of insect transmission of pollen is one which frequently arises in carrying on breeding tests and experimental work involving control of cross-pollination of flowers. During experimental breeding of sugar beets in Colorado during the years of 1920 and 1921, Thysanoptera of various species were noticed frequenting sugar beet flowers in numbers and moving freely from flower to flower. The possibility of pollen being carried and cross-pollination being secured in this way led to the experimental work which is reported in this paper. The larger part of the work was carried on at Stanford University but was completed at Fort Collins, Colorado, at the Colorado Agricultural College. Thysanoptera or thrips are minute insects, for the most part winged, many species of which spend almost their entire adult and larval life in flowers of various species. These species of thrips feed on nectar and pollen and may be found crawling actively about in the corolla of almost any flower. They are extremely small, the species varying from . 75 mm to 1.50 mm in length, and are well able to penetrate almost any covering used in breeding work. Unless paper bags, when they are used, are tied tightly around the stem, thrips can easily get in where it would be impossible for other insects to enter. They are very active and frequently fly from flower to flower of their own accord. The adults are fairly good fliers in still weather and may be carried some distance in a light wind. Although small in size, they often occur in large numbers and would be capable of carrying considerable pollen if each insect carried only a single grain.
Combined dyeing and antioxidative properties of some plant by-products

Abstract Aqueous extracts of plant by—products (carrot, onion, black carrot, sage, spinach and thyme) were investigated for dyeing capacity on fibres and for both colorant and antioxidant potential using colorimetric and chromatographic tools, and FTC assay, respectively. Regarding fibres, classical correlations between measured colours and phytochemical patterns of dyeing extracts were verified. Light fastness of onion, sage and thyme samples, evaluated following a normalised test, was very promising considering industrial restrictions; moreover, antioxidative activities of those aqueous plant extracts were very attractive when compared to the three others and to α-tocopherol used as standard. Our results were of great interest underlining new complementary valorisations for plant by-products, becoming in this way new and inexpensive natural resources for various industries.
BREADING NEW LOCAL TOMATO HYBRIDS AT WEST-DELTA REGION OF EGYPT

During successive late summer seasons of 2007 to 2010, this study was conducted at Burg El-Arab area, West-Delta region, Egypt. A 7 x 7 half-diallel mating design was used to determine combining ability as well as top and standard heterosis for six characters in tomato. Preponderance of the non-additive gene action was evident in controlling number of branches, leaves per plant and total yield. While, the analysis of variance revealed the predominance of additive gene action for average fruit weight and fruit firmness. Top heterosis was noticed for number of branches, leaves and total yield, while appreciable amount of standard heterosis was detected for all traits studied. The promising hybrids “S.15 x RIG-10”, “S.60 x S.2” and “S.106 x RIG.10” were selected on the basis of their performances and standard heterosis manifested in them. These three crosses could be used commercially to improve yield in tomato in Burg El-Arab, West-Delta region in Egypt as local hybrids. The hybrid breeding method and the actual high productivity which depended on standard heterosis amount can be used efficiently to improve yield in tomato by breeding local hybrids.
Measurement of the underlying event in jet events from 7 TeV proton–proton collisions with the ATLAS detector

Distributions sensitive to the underlying event in QCD jet events have been measured with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, based on of proton-proton collision data collected at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 . Charged-particle mean and densities of all-particle and charged-particle multiplicity and have been measured in regions azimuthally transverse to the hardest jet in each event. These are presented both as one-dimensional distributions and with their mean values as functions of the leading-jet transverse momentum from 20 to 800 . The correlation of charged-particle mean with charged-particle multiplicity is also studied, and the densities include the forward rapidity region; these features provide extra data constraints for Monte Carlo modelling of colour reconnection and beam-remnant effects respectively. For the first time, underlying event observables have been computed separately for inclusive jet and exclusive dijet event selections, allowing more detailed study of the interplay of multiple partonic scattering and QCD radiation contributions to the underlying event. Comparisons to the predictions of different Monte Carlo models show a need for further model tuning, but the standard approach is found to generally reproduce the features of the underlying event in both types of event selection.
Fractionation and characterization of guava pectic substances

Summary Guava pectic substances were fractionated into water soluble, oxalate soluble and sodium hydroxide soluble fractions in two canned guava cultivars as well as in fresh samples treated with calcium chloride. The results indicated that there is a gradual conversion of protopectin into soluble pectin which diffuses into the syrup. Guava pectic substances were characterized for equivalent weight, methoxyl, free carboxyl, esterified carboxyl, degree of esterification, anhydrogalacturonic acid, weight average molecular weight and ash content in the fresh fruit and in the fresh fruit treated with calcium ions for both cultivars. Calcium ions appear to lower free carboxyl acid content and increase the weight average molecular weight of pectin.
Competition among pasture plants. II. The influence of density on flowering and seed production in annual pasture plants.

Inflorescence and seed production were studied in swards of varying 5 density of two annual Mediterranean pasture plants, Trifolium subterraneum L. and Lolium rigidum Gaud. , each in pure culture. While the maximum level of dry matter production, achieved at moderate densities, was maintained at all higher densities, seed production showed a peak at moderate densities and thereafter a progressive decline. The greatest number of inflorescences was produced at densities exceeding those of peak seed production. Although the most widely spaced plants had the greatest numbers of inflorescences and seeds per plant, they had smaller seeds and fewer seeds per inflorescence than did substantially denser swards, apparently owing to intense intra-plant (inter-inflorescence) competition at the widest spacings. It is suggested that the results can be explained in terms of the changing competitive relationships between and within the plants of the sward at the times of initiation of flower primordia, of floral development, and of seed production. Dense swards give most of the attributes needed in the use of these plants for grazing purposes; for seed multiplication swards of moderate densities give the highest yields of seed per unit area.
Studies On the Sexual Dimorphism in the Freshwater Prawn Macrobrachium Dayanum (Henderson, 1893) (Decapoda, Caridea) Part I

[Eine biometrische Studie ist durchgefuhrt worden uber morphometrische Daten von verschiedenen Segmenten der ersten und zweiten Chelipeden einer Population von Macrobrachium dayanum (Henderson, 1893). Die Population entstammt dem Dhakuria See, Kalkutta. Ziel der Studie war, zu prufen, ob ein signifikanter Sexualdimorphism in dieser Art besteht. Die multiple Regressionsanalyse und ein anschliesender Test der Gleichheit der Regressionskoeffizienten zwischen Mannchen und Weibchen ergab den Nachweis eines Sexualmorphismus in den Segmenten des ersten und zweiten Chelipeds. Die Koeffizienten der multiplen Determination, welche durch die multiple Regressionsanalyse erhalten wurden, ergaben eine gute, lineare Beziehung zwischen Cephalothorax und verschiedenen Segmenten des ersten oder des zweiten Chelipeds fur beide Geschlechter, obgleich der Wert ganz allgemein bei den Weibchen hoher lag als bei den Mannchen. Der niedrigere Wert bei den Mannchen ist zuruckzufuhren auf eine signifikante Variabilitat zwischen den juvenilen und adulten Mannchen der Probe. , Eine biometrische Studie ist durchgefuhrt worden uber morphometrische Daten von verschiedenen Segmenten der ersten und zweiten Chelipeden einer Population von Macrobrachium dayanum (Henderson, 1893). Die Population entstammt dem Dhakuria See, Kalkutta. Ziel der Studie war, zu prufen, ob ein signifikanter Sexualdimorphism in dieser Art besteht. Die multiple Regressionsanalyse und ein anschliesender Test der Gleichheit der Regressionskoeffizienten zwischen Mannchen und Weibchen ergab den Nachweis eines Sexualmorphismus in den Segmenten des ersten und zweiten Chelipeds. Die Koeffizienten der multiplen Determination, welche durch die multiple Regressionsanalyse erhalten wurden, ergaben eine gute, lineare Beziehung zwischen Cephalothorax und verschiedenen Segmenten des ersten oder des zweiten Chelipeds fur beide Geschlechter, obgleich der Wert ganz allgemein bei den Weibchen hoher lag als bei den Mannchen. Der niedrigere Wert bei den Mannchen ist zuruckzufuhren auf eine signifikante Variabilitat zwischen den juvenilen und adulten Mannchen der Probe. ]
Growth and yield response of winter wheat to soil warming and rainfall patterns

SUMMARY It is predicted that climate change will increase not only seasonal air and soil temperatures in northern Europe but also the variability of rainfall patterns. This may influence temporal soil moisture regimes and the growth and yield of winter wheat. A lysimeter experiment was carried out in 2008/09 with three factors: rainfall amount, rainfall frequency and soil warming (two levels in each factor), on sandy loam soil in Denmark. The soil warming treatment included non-heated as the control and an increase in soil temperature by 5°C at 100 mm depth as heated. The rainfall treatment included the site mean for 1961–90 as the control and the projected monthly mean change for 2071–2100 under the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) A2 scenario for the climate change treatment. Projected monthly mean changes in rainfall compared to the reference period 1961–90 show, on average, 31% increase during winter (November–March) and 24% decrease during summer (July–September) with no changes during spring (April–June). The rainfall frequency treatment included mean monthly rainy days for 1961–90 as the control and a reduced frequency treatment with only half the number of rainy days of the control treatment, without altering the monthly mean rainfall amount. Mobile rain-out shelters, automated irrigation system and insulated heating cables were used to impose the treatments. Soil warming hastened crop development during early stages (until stem elongation) and shortened the total crop growing season by 12 days without reducing the period taken for later development stages. Soil warming increased green leaf area index (GLAI) and above-ground biomass during early growth, which was accompanied by an increased amount of nitrogen (N) in plants. However, the plant N concentration and its dilution pattern during later developmental stages followed the same pattern in both heated and control plots. Increased soil moisture deficit was observed only during the period when crop growth was significantly enhanced by soil warming. However, soil warming reduced N concentration in above-ground biomass during the entire growing period, except at harvest, by advancing crop development. Soil warming had no effect on the number of tillers, but reduced ear number and increased 1000 grain weight. This did not affect grain yield and total above-ground biomass compared with control. This suggests that genotypes with a longer vegetative period would probably be better adapted to future warmer conditions. The rainfall pattern treatments imposed in the present study did not influence either soil moisture regimes or performance of winter wheat, though the crop receiving future rainfall amount tended to retain more green leaf area. There was no significant interaction between the soil warming and rainfall treatments on crop growth.
Biological markers of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects cognition, behavior, and function. The etiology of the disease is unknown; however, the primary risk factors for AD are aging and family history. Neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) and amyloid‐bearing neuritic plaques in the limbic and cerebral cortices are the characteristic neuropathologic lesions in brains of patients with AD. The NFT is mainly composed of hyperphosphorylated tau, whereas the major component of the neuritic plaques is the amyloid beta (Aβ) protein. The clinical diagnosis of probable AD is based on history, physical examination, neuropsychological testing, laboratory studies, and neuroimaging techniques. However, there is no laboratory marker to support the diagnosis of definite AD or monitoring the progression of the disease. Several biochemical markers related to neuropathology have been identified in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We describe the studies of CSF or blood levels of tau protein, amyloid β protein, amyloid precursor protein isoforms, neuronal thread protein, and iron‐binding protein (p97) in patients with AD and age‐matched nondemented controls. Due to the heterogeneity and complex nature of the disease, it is highly unlikely that a single marker specific for AD will be found. However, a panel of biomarkers may help to discriminate different subgroups of AD with distinct genetic backgrounds. Drug Dev. Res. 56: 74–84, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Microbial Conversion of DL-5-Substituted Hydantoins to the Corresponding L-Amino Acids by Pseudomonas sp. Strain NS671

A bacterial strain, NS671, which converts DL-5-(2-methylthioethyl)hydantoin stereospecifically to L-methionine, was isolated from soil and was classified into the genus Pseudomonas. With growing cells of Pseudomonas sp. strain NS671, DL-5-(2-methylthioethyl)hydantoin was effectively converted to L-methionine. Under adequate conditions, 34g of L-methionine per liter was produced with a molar yield of 93% from DL-5-(2-methylthioethyl)hydantoin added successively. In addition to L-methionine, other amino acids such as L-valine, L-leucine, L-isoleucine, and L-phenylalanine were also produced from the corresponding 5- substituted hydantoins, but these L-amino acids produced were partially consumed by strain NS671. The hydantoinase, by which 5-substituted hydantoin rings are opened, was ATP-dependent. The N-carbamylamino acid amidohydrolase was found to be strictly L-specific, and its activity was inhibited by high concentration of ATP.
Modulation of SAMDC expression in Arabidopsis thaliana alters in vitro shoot organogenesis

S-Adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC, EC 4.1.4.50) is a rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of polyamines (PAs) from putrescine. To gain more insight into the role of PAs in shoot organogenesis, a reverse genetic approach has been used to study in vitro shoot organogenesis by manipulating SAMDC expression in Arabidopsis. Up- and downregulation of SAMDC expression was achieved by transferring sense, antisense and double-stranded Arabidopsis SAMDC complementary DNA constructs back into Arabidopsis via Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Results show that the biosynthesis of PAs and ethylene is mutually antagonistic by manipulation of SAMDC expression. Further results demonstrate that increased shoot organogenesis seems to be directly related to PA accumulation. This effect of PA may be further enhanced with reduced ethylene. It also suggests that spermidine is involved in the process of acquiring organogenesis competence through downregulation of ethylene production and shoot organogenesis, which might result from the concerted action of PAs and plant hormones such as auxin, cytokinins and ethylene.
Distribution and species richness of woody dryland legumes in Baja California, Mexico

Abstract We analysed the biogeographic patterns of woody legumes in the Baja California peninsula, NW Mexico. From the specimen labels of eight herbaria, we digitized 4205 records from 78 species, and projected them onto a grid of 205 cartographic cells (20′ longitude × 15′ latitude). Most species followed distribution patterns that coincide with floristic subdivisions of the peninsula. Endemism is high, reaching 60 - 70% in the centre of the peninsula, where the driest deserts are found and where significant floristic changes took place during Pleistocene glacial events. The number of cartographic cells (i.e. their geographic ranges) were log-normally distributed, as has been reported for many other taxa. Floristic richness was found to be clumped around some cells where the observed richness is significantly higher than could be expected from chance variation. We tested the hypothesis that these ‘hotspots’ could be attributable to great collection efforts or to large land surfaces, but we still found 16 cells where richness is significantly high once these two factors are accounted for. Species richness and micro-endemism increase towards the south, conforming to Rapoport's rule that predicts that species ranges become smaller towards the equator while richness increases. The floristic hotspots for woody legumes in Baja California occur in the Cape Region and along the Sierra de la Giganta in the southern Gulf Coast, where 77% of the total peninsular legume flora can be found. These hotspots are mostly unprotected, and should be considered priority areas for future conservation efforts. Nomenclature: Wiggins (1980); Hickman (1993); Skinner & Pavlik (1994); International Legume Database & Information Service, www.ildis. org/legumes.html