Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morphological Variability, Heritability and Correlation Studies within an Argan Tree Population ( Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels) Preserved in situ

Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels is an endemic tree to Morocco, that produce a high-quality oil used for both cosmetic and culinary purposes. In this study, the morphological diversity of argan trees was investigated in an in situ preserved population, at Admine reserve in southwestern Morocco over three years. A total of 122 trees were characterized using 30 quantitative traits. Significant differences among genotypes and among years were seen for all traits. Correlation analysis between traits showed that vigor traits (leaf and shoot sizes) were positively correlated with fruit traits. Broad-sense heritability estimates were high for clustered leaf traits and thorn numbers (H²>0.90) and for most of the fruit, stone and almond traits (H²>0.70). Cluster analysis using Euclidian distances was used to establish the relationships among the argan germplasm and grouped the genotypes into five relatively homogenous clusters. The relationship among the traits was also analyzed by principal component analysis. Highly discriminating traits were those related to fruit, stone and almond morphologies, as well as clustered leaf size, shoot length, and glomeruli density.
Enough space in a warmer world? Microhabitat diversity and small‐scale distribution of alpine plants on mountain summits

Global warming is predicted to shift distributions of mountain species upwards, driven by a release from climatic restrictions at their upper distribution limit and increased biotic pressure at their lower distribution limit. In alpine ecosystems, which are characterized by large microclimatic diversity and sparse vegetation cover, the relative importance of abiotic and biotic drivers for species distribution is poorly understood. To disentangle abiotic and biotic mechanisms affecting distributions of alpine species, we investigated how alpine plant species with differing elevational ranges and frequency trends over the past century differ in their microhabitat distribution, and how they respond to neighbouring vegetation.
Diversificação dos Fundos de Investimento Imobiliário brasileiros

Os Fundos de Investimento Imobiliario (FII) sao uma classe de ativos recente no mercado de capitais brasileiro, que, apesar de poderem ser negociados na bolsa tal como acoes, sao bem distintos das mesmas. Os investidores e academicos deveriam se inteirar dessas particularidades. No Brasil, a academia apenas recentemente tem se dedicado a estuda-los. Uma das questoes que se coloca, e que norteia o objetivo do presente estudo, e a de quais fatores levam os FII listados em bolsa a serem mais ou menos diversificados, ou seja, apresentarem menor ou maior risco diversificavel. As hipoteses testadas consideram que (i) o tamanho do fundo de investimento imobiliario, (ii) o numero de imoveis ou (iii) a concentracao dos imoveis explicam a maior ou menor diversificacao do fundo. Estudou-se 22 FII multiativos listados na Bolsa de Valores, Mercadorias e Futuros (BM&FBOVESPA) em dezembro de 2015. Os resultados indicam que os fundos maiores sao mais diversificados. A quantidade de imoveis e a concentracao dos imoveis nao foram significantes na explicacao da diversificacao dos FII. As limitacoes do estudo sao a pequena quantidade de fundos analisados (apenas 24 dos 127 fundos listados sao multiativos, 2 deles considerados outliers ) e a analise em apenas um periodo (devido ao pequeno historico dos FII). Palavras-chave: fundo de investimento imobiliario, diversificacao, tamanho.
Root growth of containerized lodgepole pine seedlings in response to Ascophyllum nodosum extract application during nursery culture

MacDonald, J. E. , Hacking, J., Weng, Y. and Norrie, J. 2012. Root growth of containerized lodgepole pine seedlings in response to Ascophyllum nodosum extract application during nursery culture. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 1207-1212. Vigorous root growth immediately after spring planting is crucial to ensure a well-developed root system before the occurrence of drought events associated with climate change. The objective of this study was to enhance spring root growth of containerized lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm.) seedlings. Seedling culture began in April. In September, seedlings were root drenched with an extract of the brown marine alga Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) Le Jolis in finisher fertilizer at rates of 1:750, 1:500, and 1:250. Finisher fertilizer alone served as control. Applications were made three or six times. Seedling culture continued until lifting in December, and then seedlings were freezer stored. Frequency of application had no effect on root growth, whereas rate of application had a significant effect. Compared with control, the 1:750, 1:500, and 1:250 rates significantly reduced total length of the root system in mid October. After overwintering and growing under favorable environmental conditions for 21 d, the 1:500 rate significantly increased the total number of white roots, as well as the number of both short and long white roots. These results suggest that application of Ascophyllum nodosum extract may be a valuable nursery practice to increase spring root growth, thereby enhancing drought resistance.
Tropical‐temperate comparison of landscape‐scale arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal species distributions

Mycorrhizas are among the most common symbioses on Earth, impacting plant community structure and ecosystem functioning, yet little landscape‐scale data linking mycorrhizal fungal diversity to biotic and abiotic properties exist to inform conservation. We examined arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal diversity in tropical and temperate locations and identified potential drivers of species distributions and diversity for use as proxy indicators in biodiversity conservation.
The evolutionary history of the current global Ramularia collo-cygni epidemic

Ramularia Leaf Spot (RLS) has emerged as a threat for barley production in many regions of the world. Late appearance of unspecific symptoms caused that Ramularia collo-cygni could only by molecular diagnostics be detected as the causal agent of RLS. Although recent research has shed more light on the biology and genomics of the pathogen, the cause of the recent global spread remains unclear. To address urgent questions, especially on the emergence to a major disease, life-cycle, transmission, and quick adaptation to control measures, we de-novo sequenced the genome of R. collo-cygni (urug2 isolate). Additionally, we sequenced fungal RNA from 6 different conditions, which allowed for an improved genome annotation. This resulted in a high quality draft assembly of about 32 Mb, with only 78 scaffolds with an N50 of 2.1 Mb. The overall annotation enabled the prediction of 12.346 high confidence genes. Genomic comparison revealed that R. collo-cygni has significantly diverged from related Dothidiomycetes, including gain and loss of putative effectors, however without obtaining species-specific genome features. To evaluate the species-wide genetic diversity, we sequenced the genomes of 19 R. collo-cygni isolates from multiple geographic locations and diverse hosts and mapped sequences to our reference genome. Admixture analyses show that R. collo-cygni is world-wide genetically uniform and that samples do not show a strong clustering on either geographical location or host species. To date, the teleomorph of R. collo-cygni has not been observed. Analysis of linkage disequilibrium shows that in the world-wide sample set there are clear signals of recombination and thus sexual reproduction, however these signals largely disappear when excluding three outliers samples, suggesting that the main global expansion of R. collo-cygni comes from mixed or clonally propagating populations. We further analysed the historic population size (Ne) of R. collo-cygni using Bayesian simulations. We discuss how our genomic data and population genetics analysis can help understand the current R. collo-cygni epidemic and provide different hypothesis that are supported by our data. We specifically highlight how recombination, clonal spreading and lack of host-specificity could further support global epidemics of this increasingly recognized plant disease and suggest specific approaches to combat this pathogen.
The role of phenotypic plasticity in the invasiveness of three Taraxacum species

Biological invasion is a global phenomenon that has caused great damage to ecosystems as well as to the economy. Many factors have been found to be associated with and contributed to the success of invasive species. Phenotypic plasticity, the ability of a plant genotype to respond to different environmental conditions by producing different phenotypes, might play an important role in biological invasion, but more empirical studies are needed before a general pattern emerges that can be used in predicting the invasive potential of a species. This dissertation describes studies that investigated the role of phenotypic plasticity in the success of invasive plants using three dandelion species (Taraxacum, Asteraceae) as model system. Taraxacum officinale is an aggressive weed, while T. laevigatum only has limited distribution in North America. T. kok-saghyz has been introduced as a potential crop, but its potential invasiveness is unknown. In three major experiments, I tested the hypothesis that the invasive T. officinale and non-invasive T. laevigatum will exhibit different phenotypic plasticity in germination, growth, and reproduction in various lab, greenhouse, and field environments. I also proposed that their responses in
Functional Properties and Maillard Reaction Product Formation in Rye-Buckwheat Ginger Cakes Enhanced with Rutin

A study of functional properties and Maillard reaction progress in rye-buckwheat ginger cakes supplemented with low and high rutin amount was conducted. The cakes were formulated on rye flour substituted by flour from husked buckwheat or flour from roasted buckwheat groats at 30 % level. The dough was either spontaneously fermented for 72 h at 21 °C, or the fermentation step was omitted. The cakes were baked at 180 °C for 18 min. Fortification of rye-buckwheat ginger cakes by low and high level of rutin was associated with the beneficial progress of the Maillard reaction towards the formation of melanoidins, while furosine formation at the early stage of Maillard reaction was decreased. However, loss of the nutritional value due to the formation of high amount of fluorescent (carboxymethyllysine (CML)) and fluorescent-intermediate compounds was observed. It has also been proved that rye-buckwheat ginger cakes fortified with low and high rutin doses are a rich source of biologically active compounds. Therefore, the cakes showed a high ability to inhibit the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in vitro and revealed high antioxidant potential. These findings may be important factors in complete evaluation of functional properties of ginger cakes. Stronger influence of rutin enrichment was observed in cakes baked from fermented-like dough than without this process.
White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus parental care and chick growth rates assessed by camera traps and morphometric measurements§

Persistent vulture declines across Africa are a cause for concern as the number of species threatened with extinction increases. The White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus was, until recently, considered abundant but has been declining rapidly in recent years due to various threats including decreasing food availability. We used camera traps to investigate nest attendance and food provision at the nests of White-backed Vultures in north-eastern Swaziland. Chick age influenced brooding behaviour of the parents, with a reduction in brooding time as the chick aged. Mean food provision rate by parents to the nestling was 0.7 bouts d−1, which was mostly delivered between 09:00 and 15:00. Contrary to expectations, provisioning rates did not increase with age of the chick despite both adults delivering food. The growth of chicks showed a curvilinear relationship with age for the first 100 d with the tarsus and bill reaching maximum length after 80 d. We recommend further research into the availability of food for breeding vultures in order to understand the emerging threat of declining food availability in Africa.
Distribution, seasonal movements and habitat utilisation of an endangered shark, Glyphis glyphis, from northern Australia

Euryhaline and freshwater elasmobranchs are considered amongst the most threatened groups of aquatic animals. The speartooth shark Glyphis glyphis has a distribution restricted to estuaries and rivers in northern Australia and Papua New Guinea. Due to this restricted range and threats from fisheries and habitat degradation, the species is currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. To inform and direct conservation management actions, we investigated the distribution and habitat utilisation of G. glyphis in the Wenlock River system, Queensland, Australia. Using acoustic transmitters and a network of fixed underwater acoustic hydrophones, the movements of 40 sharks (63 to 131.5 cm total length) were tracked over 22 mo, throughout 137 km of river and adjacent coastal embayment. Three broad zones were utilised by tagged G. glyphis, comprising a lower (0 to 23 km), mid (20 to 50 km) and upper (35 to 68 km upstream) estuary zone. Individual-based occupancy of these zones changed with seasonal changes in freshwater inflow. These results provide new insight into the habitat requirements of G. glyphis, the importance of natural eco-hydrological flows for the species, and the significance of the Wenlock River as a G. glyphis natal area.
Comparative Studies in the Functional Morphology of Lizard Feeding: Kinematics, Behavior, and Biomechanics

3 Acknowledgements.5 List of Tables . 8 List of Figures.9 General Introduction . 10 Literature Cited.13 Chapter 1 Testing amniote models of prey transport kinematics: a quantitative analysis of mouth opening patterns in lizards.14 Materials and Methods.17 Results . 22 Discussion.24 Literature Cited.32 Chapter 2 Prey processing in lizards: Behavioral variation in sit-and-wait and wide foraging taxa.43 Materials and Methods.45 Results . 48 Discussion.52 Conclusions.56 Literature Cited.59 Chapter 3 The relationship between skull morphology, biting performance and foraging mode in Kalahari lacertid lizards . 74 Materials and Methods.77 Results . 84 Discussion.88 Literature Cited.95 Chapter 4 Preliminary analyses of lizard skull design and biting performance.112 Materials and Methods.116 Results . 119 Discussion.121 Literature Cited.129 Conclusions and Future Work.146 Appendix A: . 148
Impact of number of stems per stool on mechanical harvesting of a Eucalyptus globulus coppiced plantation in south-west Western Australia

Coppice regeneration of eucalypt plantations is increasingly being used in Australia to reduce re-establishment costs. However, little is known about the impact of early coppice reduction regimes on harvester performance during clearfelling. The trial compared the productivity, time consumption, cost and fuel use of a single-grip harvester (Hyundai 210LC-9 base and SP 591LX harvesting head) clearfelling a 10.5-year-old, second-rotation coppiced Eucalyptus globulus stand in south-west Western Australia for chip logs. Coppice stems had been reduced to one stem or two stems per stool or left untreated. Time and piece counts were used to determine harvester productivity. Harvester cycle and elemental times and the number of logs and harvester head passes per stem were obtained from video recordings. Harvester fuel use was determined by refilling the fuel tank to the same point each day. Stem size was the major factor influencing harvester productivity (20.8 m3 per productive machine hour without delays [PMH0], 11.8 m3 PMH0−1 and 8.6 m3 PMH0−1 in the single-stem (mean stem volume [MSV] 0.21 m3), two-stem (MSV 0.09 m3) and untreated trial areas (MSV 0.06 m3), respectively. Estimated harvester cost (AU$ m–3) was considerably greater for the two-stem and untreated trial areas, which reflected the lower harvester productivity in these areas. Processing time represented over 60% of the total cycle time for all trial areas. Coppice characteristics resulted in significantly different moving/positioning times between trial areas. However, this difference had no impact on cycle times. Number of logs per stem was a significant variable in cycle and processing time regressions for all trial areas and felling time for the single-stem trial area. Number of harvester head passes was a significant variable in cycle and processing time regressions for the single-stem trial area and processing times for the two-stem trial area, although its effect was less than that of the number of logs per stem. Fuel consumption (L PMH0−1) was relatively constant between the trial areas, hence harvester energy intensity (L m−3) reflected the harvester productivity in each trial area.
Pattern wavelengths and transport characteristics in three-dimensional bioconvection generated by chemotactic bacteria

Abstract We conducted a three-dimensional numerical simulation of bioconvection generated by oxygen-reactive chemotactic bacteria. This study investigated the bioconvection patterns, interference between plumes, and the wavelength of bioconvection patterns. In addition, we clarified the transport characteristics of cells and oxygen in the bioconvection. Multiple plumes occur in the suspension, and three-dimensional bioconvection is formed around the plumes by the cells with vortex rings arising around the plumes. Even if bioconvection at a high Rayleigh number is disturbed, the bioconvection is strongly stable with respect to disturbances, and the pattern does not change due to disturbances. Bioconvection changes depending on the physical properties of bacteria and oxygen, and in particular, the rate of oxygen consumption by bacteria significantly affects the strength of bioconvection. Bioconvection patterns with different plume arrangements and shapes are formed for different Rayleigh numbers or initial disturbances of the cell concentration. As a result, the wavelengths of the patterns also vary. As the Rayleigh number increases, interference between plumes is strengthened by the shortening of the pattern wavelength, so the velocities of both upward and downward flows increase. Many cells are located under the plumes, and a strong shear flow occurs in these regions. As the pattern wavelength decreases, the cells are affected by high shear stress. Then the convective transport of the entire suspension strengthens and the transport characteristics of cells and oxygen improve. When the chamber boundary is changed to side walls, bacteria adhere to the wall surface, and plumes are arranged regularly along the side walls.
Isolation and Regeneration of Protoplasts from Laccaria fraterna - an Ectomycorrhizal Fungus

An efficient method for high yields of protoplast isolation and regeneration and viability was achieved in Laccaria fraterna, an ectomycorrhizal fungus. In this study, we standardized the optimal conditions such as mycelial age, temperature, pH and osmotic stabilizers for the release and regeneration of protoplasts in L. fraterna. Maximum number of protoplasts (5.1 × 108) was isolated from 4 day old mycelia suspended in an osmotically stabilized MMC buffer (pH 5.0) with 0.5 M man- nitol and 10 mg/mL Novozyme 234. Maximum yields of protoplasts were released from the mycelium using Novozyme 234 after 3 h. Protoplasts exhibited two kinds of regeneration patterns in liquid media and one in solid medium. Almost all the protoplasts were nucleated and viable as observed by acridine orange and fluorescein diacetate staining. The regeneration frequency was as high as 36% under optimal conditions. When colonies from regenerated protoplasts were inoculated with Eucalyptus globulus, few plants showed ectomycorrhizal association. Results of this study indicate that this fungus could be potentially used in transformation, protoplast fusion and other genetic studies.
Understanding the Roles of Telomeric Proteins in Telomere Length Regulation and Telomeric DNA Replication

iii List of Abbreviations v List of Figures vi List of Tables vii Acknowledgments viii Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Chapter 2: Materials and methods 28 Chapter 3: Genetic methods to determine if phosphorylation or sumoylation of Rif1 regulates its inhibition of telomerase. 42 3a. Regulatory role of Rif1 is not controlled by Tel1-dependent phosphorylation 42 3b. Regulatory role of Rif1 does not appear to be controlled by sumoylation 49 Chapter 4: Attempts to use mass spec to examine post-translational modification of Rif1. 54 Chapter 5: Determination of factors that affect semi-conservative replication of telomeric DNA. 59 5a. Testing the hypothesis that Rif1 affects fork progression through telomeric DNA 59 5b. Replication at INTEL can be monitored using ChIP/qPCR of DNA Pol2-Myc 61 5c. Absence of Rif1 does not exacerbate the natural replication fork pausing within INTEL 64 Chapter 6: Role of telomeric proteins in telomeric DNA replication. 67 6a. Cdc13 promotes replication progression at INTEL 67 6a-1. Cdc13 introduction 67 6a-2. Depleting Cdc13 using a temperature degradable system 68 6a-3. Evidence for depletion of Cdc13 69 6a-4. Cdc13 binds INTEL 72 6a-5. Cdc13 promotes replication and suppresses DNA damage at INTEL 74 6a-6. Cdc13 may promote replication of telomeric DNA by preventing the formation of G4 structures on lagging-strand template of telomeric DNA 78
The effects of dietary and skeletal calcium availability on reproductive performance of mammals

ii Acknowledgements.iv List of Tables.vii List of Figures.ix Introduction.1 References.4 I. Bone loss as a physiological cost of reproduction in white-footed mice . 8 Abstract.8 Introduction.8 Materials and Methods.11 Results.14 Discussion.17 References.21 II. Patterns of calcium and mineral investment into offspring production in response to calcium intake . 29 Abstract.29 Introduction.30 Materials and Methods.33 Results.36 Discussion.38 References.41 vi III. The effects of litter size and parity on bone metabolism during gestation and lactation.54 Abstract.54 Introduction.55 Materials and Methods.59 Results.61 Discussion.63 References.66 IV. Reproductive strategies to maximize lifetime reproductive success in response to calcium availability.75 Abstract.75 Introduction.76 Materials and Methods.79 Results.82 Discussion.83 References.87
Proper bunch management of the French-type superplantain (Musa acuminata x M. balbisiana, AAB) in Puerto Rico

Soon after flowering, bunches of the Musa AAB clone 'Superplatano' (Superplantain) were trimmed to 4, 5 or 6 hands to determine the effect of pruning on fruit grade and marketable yields. Unpruned bunches of the horn-type 'Maricongo' plantain were included as control. Fruits in bunches pruned to 4 and 5 hands exceeded the mean weight of 270 g, a criterion used locally to render horn-type plantains marketable. 'Superplatano' bunches trimmed to 4 and 5 hands yielded 146,800 and 180,200 marketable fruits/ha, respectively, This represented a yield increase of about 26,000 and 59,400 fruits/ha, over the unpruned horn-type 'Maricongo' cultivar. The reduction of hands in the 'Superplatano' bunch significantly increased length, thickness and weight of fruits in the proximal and distal hands.