Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of uranium mining and milling effluents on juvenile fish bioenergetics, growth and overwinter survival

To assess potential impacts of effluents from Key Lake and McClean Lake uranium operations on freshwater systems, morphometric (weight, length, condition factor) and biochemical (total body lipids and triglycerides, liver triglycerides, muscle protein, muscle RNA/DNA ratio) measures of growth and bioenergetics were determined in young-of-the-year (YOY) fishes collected in fall and spring. It was predicted that fishes exposed to mining and milling effluents would be in poorer condition relative to fishes from reference sites and that fishes would be depleted in lipids and triglycerides in the spring compared to the previous fall following a northern winter. Various total body lipid and triglyceride measurement methods were initially compared and validated. Lakes receiving effluent at Key Lake (in operation > 20 years) were higher in metals, ions and ammonia compared to exposure sites at McClean Lake (in operation < 10 years). At Key Lake, there were site and season differences in total body lipids and triglycerides in YOY northern pike (Esox lucius) and burbot (Lota lota), with fishes being fattier at exposure sites compared to fishes at the reference site, and fish being fattier in spring relative to fall. A local prey item, spottail shiners (Notropis hudsonius), from an exposure lake were higher in triglycerides compared to shiners from a reference site, suggesting an indirect effect of uranium operation effluent on pike and burbot bioenergetics via food web enrichment. At McClean Lake, there were site and season increases in lipids and triglycerides in burbot from the exposure site, however there were no site differences in any morphometric or biochemical endpoint for northern pike. Slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus) were the only species with lower triglyceride content in the spring following winter.
Protective Role of Omega-3 Fish Oil against the Toxicity of Ifosfamide in Male Rats

Ifosfamide IFO) is a cytotoxic alkylating drug used for the treatment of a variety of cancers but has reported to cause certain hematological, hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic side effects. For protection against these side effects, different antioxidants were used. This study is performed to evaluate the ability of omega-3 fatty acids (Omega-3 FAs) to attenuate ifosfamide (IFO) toxicity. Thirty male albino rats were randomly divided into six groups. Group 1: control, Group 2: omega-3 (4gm/kg diet), Group 3: IFO (50mg/kg b.wt.), Group 4: IFO(80mg/kg b.wt.), Group 5: IFO (50mg/kg b.wt.) plus omega-3, Group 6: IFO (80mg/kg b.wt.) plus omega-3. Ifosfamide was administrated intraperitoneally (i.p.), while omega-3 was given with the diet. The duration was five consecutive days for IFO, and six consecutive days for omega-3 oil. A significant increase in the body weight gain of the rats has been recorded after applying omega-3 to both doses of IFO when compared to each IFO group. In the IFO group, the levels of serum creatinine, phosphorous, glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamate-pyruvate transaminase (GPT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were increased, while serum glucose decreased significantly. In the Omega-3 and IFO plus omega-3 groups, these variations didn’t show significant changes. Hematologically, Omega-3 has recovered the decrease in WBC, RBC and blood platelets caused by IFO after giving omega-3 to the IFO treated rats. IFO has induced many histological alterations in the liver such as degeneration of the cells, inflammatory cells infiltration and dilation in the sinusoidal lumen, while it caused severe inflammation, degeneration in the kidney tubule lining cells and hypertrophy of these tubules. The histological structure of liver and kidney was found to be protected from this effect of IFO when a combination of Omega-3 FAs and IFO was administrated. Interestingly, Omega-3 didn’t interfere with the antimitotic property of IFO, suggesting a very important role of this oil in the future of cancer chemotherapy.
Relationship between IAA, sugar content and fruit-set in snake fruit (Zalacca salacca)

The main problem of snake fruit production in Indonesia is high fluctuation of fruit production between different harvesting seasons, due to fruit-set failure in some parts of the year. The objective of this research was to find out the relationship between IAA and sugar content of leaves and flowers in relations to the failure of fruit-set in three flowering seasons of snake fruit (April, July, and October). The study was conducted at the production center of snake fruit in Bali (Karangasem Regency) by using Completely Randomized Design. The results showed that fruit-set in April, July and October was 54.16, 47.00 and 70.10%, respectively. Low fruit-set was found associated with low IAA content both in leaves and flowers. The lowest percentage of fruit-set found in July (47.00%) was related to the lowest IAA content in the leaves (10.06 ng g-1) and flowers (20.60 ng g-1). However, the highest percentage of fruit-set in October (70.10%) was correlated to the highest IAA content in the leaves (29.67 ng g-1) and flowers (52.56 ng g-1). Low fruit-set was also closely related to the low content of sugar in the leaves. The lowest percentage of fruit-set in July was caused by the lowest total sugar (24.54%) and reducing sugar (6.56%) content in the leaves, whereas the highest percentage of fruit-set on October related to high total sugar (30.58%) and reducing sugar (12.22%) content in the leaves. It can be concluded that failure of fruit-set in snake fruit was associated with low IAA and sugar content in leaves and flowers.
Do What You Did Four Quarters Ago: Trends and Implications of Quarterly Dividends

By analyzing the inter-temporal structure of quarterly dividends, we show that as more firms announce dividend increases exactly every four quarters, dividend policy has become more persistent and more predictable. Recently, nearly 60% of all dividend increases have been announced in four-quarter cycles. Valuation, earnings stability, and size are positively related to the propensity to adopt four-quarter cycles. More importantly, we provide evidence that this structure is incorporated into market participants' expectations about future dividend announcements. These findings may provide an explanation for two phenomena described in the literature: the declining information content of dividends and the higher degree of dividend smoothing.
Generalized analysis of spatial variation in yield monitor data

Australian lupin and cotton yield monitor data were analysed using spatial models from the Matérn class of spatial covariance functions. Despite difficulties with the spatial disposition of the data, the analysis supports the statistical model in which the variation is a linear combination of white noise and the de Wijs process. The de Wijs process, also called the logarithmic covariance function, is a generalized covariance function that is conformally invariant and suggests that there is variation at all spatial scales. The present work also indicates that anisotropy and convolution are properties of yield monitor data and that it is hard to distinguish the two. The degree and causes of anisotropy require further investigation. Fitting this model is relatively easy for small, precision-agriculture datasets and open source software is available to this end. Comparing the de Wijs model with more general models in the Matérn class is computationally intensive for precision-agriculture datasets.
Pollination of ‘Hortblue Petite’ Blueberry: Evidence of Metaxenia in a New Ornamental Home-garden Cultivar

Hortblue Petite' (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) is a compact, small-statured tetraploid blueberry that was introduced to the New Zealand retail sector as a garden ornamental in 2005. Pollination requirements for 'Hortblue Petite' have not previously been investigated and this study was undertaken to better understand compatibility with other blueberry cultivars. Pollen donor effects on fruit weight were significant; pollen from large fruiting cultivars produced bigger fruit in 'Hortblue Petite', adding support toward metaxenia occurring in blueberry. Outcrossing with other tetraploids was most successful in terms of fruit set, berry weight, and yield potential. Number of viable seeds per berry was less with self-pollination and with crosses using pollen from a hexaploid rabbiteye type. The data indicated that the best yields would be obtained from using either open-pollinated flowers or a large-fruited cultivar such as 'Nui'.
Mitochondrial DNA Structure of Pyganodon grandis (Bivalvia: Unionidae) from the Lake Erie Watershed and Selected Locations in its Northern Distribution

Abstract: The distribution of Pyganodon grandis (Say, 1829) and the entire community of unionid freshwater mussels within the Laurentian Great Lakes became greatly reduced following invasion of dreissenid mussels. While some populations remain, how much gene flow still occurs is not known, nor has the level of population structure been examined within a large lake subsequent to dreissenid infestation. Pyganodon grandis is a common and relatively abundant lacustrine species that utilizes diverse host fish, and, therefore, it may disperse as much as or more than any other unionid species in the region. To test for population structure, we examined a fragment of the maternal mtDNA COI gene from 300 individuals encompassing shallow areas from Lake Erie's western and central basins, Sandusky Bay, Lake St. Clair, and the upper Niagara River. Another 94 individuals from the upper Great Lakes and upper Mississippi River watersheds were added to the analysis. A total of 34 different haplotypes were found for P. grandis in the Lake Erie watershed, but just one was common and composed > 80% of all individuals. No other haplotype exceeded a frequency of 2% and most were found only once. Just thirteen haplotypes were found west of Lake Erie, and only the common haplotype and one other were shared with the Lake Erie watershed. However, structure in haplotype frequencies and the presence of one very different clade were limited to samples abutting the Red River of the North. Thus recent population declines in Lake Erie appear not to have significantly impacted levels of genetic variation.
Parametric analysis of the stability of a bicycle taking into account geometrical, mass and compliance properties

Some studies of bicycle dynamics have applied the Whipple Carvallo bicycle model (WCBM) for the stability analysis. The WCBM is limited, since structural elements are assumed to be rigid bodies. In this paper, the WCBM is extended to include the front assembly lateral compliance, and analysis focuses on the study of the open loop stability of a benchmark bicycle. Experimental tests to identify fork and wheel properties are performed, this data is used in the stability analysis for ranking the influence of design parameters. Indexes from the eigenvalues analysis are applied in a full factorial approach. The results show that introducing front assembly compliance generates a wobble mode with little effect on self-stability. The forward displacement of the centre of mass of the rear frame and the increment in trail lead to large increments in the self-stability, whereas increments in front wheel radius and wheelbase reduce stability.
Dispersal and predation of Eschweilera ovata seeds in the Atlantic Forest of Southern Bahia, Brazil

A majority of Neotropical rain-forest trees have fruits evolved for animal consumption suggesting that seed-dispersal mutualisms are fundamental interactions structuring these ecosystems (Howe 1986, Howe & Smallwood 1982, van Roosmalen 1985). However, whether frugivores act as seed dispersers or predators of particular plant species is unknown for most tropical trees. Trees of the family Lecythidaceae are widespread in Neotropical rain forests forming an important component of the plant community (Aparecida Lopes 2007, Mori 1990, Mori et al. 2001, Sabatier & Prevost 1990), yet studies of plant–animal interactions are few (Jorge & Peres 2005, Silvius & Fragoso 2003, Trivedi et al. 2004). Results suggest that Lecythidaceae trees with zoochoric fruits are principally dispersed by bats, birds, rodents and primates (Prance & Mori 1983), although we know little about animal interactions with Eschweilera seeds.
Genetic variation in incidence of daggy sheep - an indicator of genetic resistance to parasites?

About 4ooo ewes born over 3 years to single sire matings were repeatedly scored for incidence and severity of dags. Dag scores were analysed for evidence of genetic variation and relationship to structural and performance characteristics. Perendales were found to have lowest incidence of dags followed by Booroola x Perendales, Booroola x Romneys and then Romneys and Border Leicester x Romney ewes. There was no relationship between dag score and either wool or body weight characteristics, either within or between breeds. Among progeny of 6 Romney strains, daughters of Ruakura High Fertility rams had substantially lower incidence with little variation among the rest. It is suggested that long-term selection for fertility in this line has reduced incidence of dags through improved utilisation of forage, possibly as a result of resistance to internal parasites. The mean heritability for dag score was 0.31 with a range of 0.13 to 0.60, indicating that selection would be effective in reducing the incidence of dags and their associated costs to farmers.
Differential utilization of storage lipids and storage proteins by Northwest Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus harengus)

Utilization of storage lipids and storage proteins by non-feeding north-west Atlantic herring was assessed under conditions of: (1) concurrent gonad maturation and overwintering periods with differing rates of gonad development for males and females (spring-spawncrs); (2) overwintering, reproductively dormant and spent males and females (autumn-spawners); and (3) approximately equivalent rates of gonad development during late summer for males and females (autumn-spawners). Storage lipids were depleted by all non-feeding fish but storage proteins were depleted only by herring with measurable gonad development during the observation period independently of season (female spring-spawners, maturing male and female autumn-spawners). The analyses indicate that storage lipids sustain routine and active metabolism while storage proteins are utilized to develop gonad. Therefore, the relative investment into reproduction versus routine and active metabolism can be evaluated separately for non-feeding herring using readily obtainable tissue proximate composition data.
Efficacy of entomopathogenic fungi for the management of onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lind.

Different entomopathogens and insecticides were tested in field trials at Regional Research Station Salaru, Karnal (Haryana) for the management of Onion thrips (Thrips tabaci L.) in onion during Rabi season of 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09. Significantly lowest thrips papulation (17.0 nymph/ plant) were recorded with deltamethrin 2.8 EC (0.095%) and it was found to be at par with spinosad 45 SC (0.1%) at 7 days after last spray. The entomopathogenic fungus was less effective compared to chemical insecticide but among the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana performed better in respect of reducing thrips population as well as increasing yield. Significantly highest gross yield (277 q/ha) was recorded with deltamethrin 2.8 EC. However, among entomopathogenic fungi highest gross yield (226 q/ha) was recorded with B. bassiana. The highest benefit cost ratio (46.75) was recorded with deltamethrin 2.8 EC followed by B. bassiana. at the rate of 0.4 percent (20.20).
Studies of Ammonia in the Rainbow Trout:Physico-chemical Parameters, Acid-Base Behaviour and Respiratory Clearance

Ammonia (NH 3 ) is only slightly more soluble (+3.4%) in the plasma of rainbow trout than in water, and its pK9 is only 0.14 units higher than in fresh water at 15 °C. Determination of these physico-chemical parameters together with measurements of blood and water pH and total ammonia concentrations allowed calculation of the mean resting partial pressure gradient across the gills (54 × 10 −6 Torr) and estimation of the gill permeability coefficient (D = 1.3 × 10 −5 cm −1 ). Under normal resting conditions of low external NH 3 and pH, diffusive movement of NH 3 appears to account adequately for ammonia excretion in the rainbow trout; 90 ± 10% of the excreted ammonia appears to originate from the blood, rather than from de novo synthesis of ammonia in the gills. During the high external ammonia treatments, the fish reached a steady state with a net inward ammonia gradient, which could be accounted for by a counter-balancing Na + /NH 4 + exchange. Ammonium salt infusions or injections which stimulate Na + influx are not sufficient demonstrations of Na + /NH 4 + exchange, since acidosis is produced, and alternate interpretations of the Na + flux stimulation are possible, such as enhanced Na + /H + exchange.
A Rationale for Atrazine Stewardship in Corn

Abstract In several European nations, including France and Germany, atrazine has been banned because of environmental concerns. However, in Canada, atrazine remains an important component of modern weed control in corn. The objectives of this study were to determine the value of atrazine to corn producers by examining weed control efficacy, yield of corn, adjusted gross return, and the variability associated with PRE and POST herbicides applied alone or in combination with atrazine. A randomized complete-block design experiment was conducted at two locations for 3 yr to evaluate the performance of selected PRE and POST herbicides with and without atrazine. The addition of atrazine to PRE herbicides increased weed control (25%), improved herbicide performance consistency, increased corn yields (8%), increased adjusted gross return (Can$59 ha−1), and reduced risk ($30 ha−1) over sites and years. Although improving weed control, the addition of atrazine to POST herbicides increased the risk of return compared with treatments without atrazine by about $20 ha−1 because the increased cost of atrazine was not always offset by higher corn yields. Our results clearly demonstrate a value of atrazine for broadleaf weed control in corn, both in terms of efficacy and economic return. From our findings, we estimated that the economic benefit of atrazine to Ontario, Canada, corn producers to be at least $26.1 million in 2004. Under current economic pressures facing agricultural producers, our findings show that a balance between the environmental effects and the benefits of atrazine to corn producers must be found because no alternative herbicide with equal economic and agronomic attributes is available at this time. To meet this balance, research on further reducing atrazine use rates while maintaining effective weed control in corn and on developing a sustainable stewardship plan is warranted. Nomenclature: Corn, Zea mays L.
Collection and Storage of Solar Gains Incident on a Radiant Floor in Highly Glazed Houses

Large amounts of south facing windows can help reduce heating demand in the winter and shoulder seasons by allowing high levels of solar radiation to enter the building. One problem that may arise from large areas of south facing glazing is overheating of the adjacent rooms, even in the winter. Cooling of the floors may provide a means to prevent overheating in such a situation. Cooling a floor prevents the portion of solar gains absorbed by the floor to be transferred to the space by convection or infrared radiation. This cooling can be achieved with the use of water pipes in the floor. The heat removed, and upgraded to a higher temperature with a heat pump, can then either be stored in a thermal storage tank for later use, sent to another zone that requires it, or used to preheat domestic hot water. Such a system has the potential to greatly reduce space heating and domestic heating requirements in houses in Canada. This thesis investigates such a system for a house in Canada. In periods of overheating, the solar gains are absorbed by the floor cover and collected by the cold pipes in the floor. The heat is upgraded by a heat pump and stored in a hot storage tank. Building simulation was used to evaluate the potential energy savings for such system. This active/passive radiant floor solar collection system was found to be able to reduce energy demands by as much as 27% compared to a typical house HVAC system. In order to model the system, existing models for embedded tube radiant floor systems were compared to a finite element simulation. Additionally, an above-floor tube and plate radiant floor model was developed and validated. A transient water-water heat pump model was also developed and validated. The controls of radiant floor heating under high solar gains variation was also studied for various floor constructions.
Breeding Advances in Passiflora spp. (Passionflower) Native to Argentina

Passiflora is the largest genus in the Passifloraceae family and comprises nearly 500 species. The genus is distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics and the majority of the species are endemic of Central and South America. In Argentina, 19 species grouped in four subgenera are present. P. alata , P. amethystina, P. cincinnata , P. edulis f. edulis and P. umbilicata are the most interesting species for ornamental use due to the size and colour of their flowers. The aim of our breeding program was to obtain new forms for ornamental use. It was also focused in cold tolerance selection. Interspecific crosses have been performed, providing information about the combinatory ability of some species of the genus (P. alata, P. cincinnata, P. caerulea, P. amethystina, P. edulis f. edulis and the hybrid P. ‘violacea’). P. alata and P. caerulea were crossed successfully in both directions, while the other combinations showed unilateral incompatibility. Pollen tube growth was arrested in the style in the crosses P. caerulea × P. amethystina and P. caerulea × P. alata. The knowledge of the site where incompatibility expresses allowed the design of complementary strategies in order to overcome the barriers to hybridization. The chromosome numbers found in parental species and hybrids was 2n=2x=18. Preliminary results about cold tolerance showed that P. caerulea tolerates low temperatures but P. alata and P. amethystina does not. This tolerance was reflected in their progeny.