Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The vacuferm process: A new approach to fermentation alcohol

A Vacuferm process is envisaged in which full-strength clarified molasses is fed continuously to the fermentor - still along with a recycled cell cream of aerobically grown yeast. The yeast would then need no added sterols or oleic acid. Since it is probably impractical to use an expensive vacuum fermentor to remove the last traces of sugar and alcohol from spent beer, the latter could be aerated at atmosphere pressure to provide additional yeast growth. After centrifuging, a portion of the aerated yeast cream could be returned to the fermentor as continuous inocolum; the remainder would be dried for sale as an animal feed. Alternatively, use of a crude nutritional supplement, such as wheat germ oil, would make it unnecessary to install a separate aerobic cell propagator. An obvious process improvement would be to use thermotolerant yeasts that can ferment at >45/sup 0/. Their use would permit higher pressures in the fermentor. The heat of fermentation in this process is used directly for distilling off alcohol, unlike the conventional process where it must be removed with cooling water. This saving in energy represents about 7% of the latent heat required for distilling off the alcohol. However, in the Vacuferm processmore » a 3-fold higher sugar concentration can be fermented in only 1/3 more time needed in a conventional process. « less
Atividade antimicrobiana de extratos hidroalcoolicos das folhas de alecrim- pimenta, aroeira, barbatimão, erva baleeira e do farelo da casca de pequi

This study evaluated the phytochemical profile of standardized hydroalcoholic extracts (EAPs) obtained from leafs of rosemary (Lippia sidoides), peppertree (Myracrodruon urundeuva), barbatimao (Stryphnodendron adstringens), erva baleeira (Cordia verbenacea) and from the meal of pequi fruit peel (Caryocar brasiliense) and the activity of different levels of these EAPs against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. After collection and identification of the species, plant leaves and pequi peel were separated to prepare the EAPs. The EAPs underwent phytochemical screening. The antimicrobial activity of the EAPs at different dilutions (200, 300, 400 and 500mg mL-1) was tested using the disk diffusion method. The phytochemical screening detected components with antimicrobial potential in the EAPs tested. The disk diffusion test showed that peppertree (≥200mg mL-1), barbatimao (≥300mg mL-1) and erva-baleeira (≥400mg mL-1) extracts inhibited S. aureus growth, but not E. coli development. The EAPs did not affect E. coli development, but the leaves from peppertree, barbatimao and erva-baleeira exhibited potential to inhibit S. aureus growth. The leaves and bark of the studied plants may consist in a sustainable, affordable and feasible alternative to treat microbial infections.
Radio‐transmitted electromyogram signals as indicators of swimming speed in lake trout and brown trout

Swimming speed and average electromyogram (EMG) pulse intervals were highly correlated in individual lake trout Salvelinus namaycush (r 2 =0.52-0.89) and brown trout Salmo trutta (r 2 =0.45-0.96). High correlations were found also for pooled data in both lake trout (r 2 =0.90) and brown trout of the Ema stock (r 2 =0.96) and Laerdal stock (r 2 =0.96). The linear relationship between swimming speed and average EMG pulse intervals differed significantly among lake trout and the brown trout stocks. This successful calibration of EMGs to swimming speed opens the possibility of recording swimming speed of free swimming lake trout and brown trout in situ. EMGs can also be calibrated to oxygen consumption to record energy expenditure.
Postfire Insect Succession in Southern California Chaparral

There is a renewed interest in ecological succession within natural communities. It is curious how problems like this are all but forgotten-perhaps even considered solved-only to emerge again when someone questions the validity of the entire concept. For a time most ecologists were convinced that succession was the orderly progression of developmental stages in a community beginning with a very pristine, simple, perhaps harsh situation with few or no organisms. Development was thought to proceed, step by step, to a final stage called the "'climax," where certain species dominated, and which was more complex (contained more species) and less physically rigorous than earlier stages, more organized, permanent, and stable. These successional changes appeared to be directional and predictable. Recently Drury and Nisbet (1973), Colinvaux (1973), Horn (1974, 1976), Connell and Slatyer (1977), and others have made an effort to clarify this classical, stereotyped image of community development. Horn (1976), especially, has attempted to analyze succession from available data (most of which involves temperate-climate plants), and suggests that (1) the process of succession shows a variety of patterns; (2) succession occurs because of adaptations of individuals or populations within a community, and not because of any intrinsic properties that communities themselves may have; (3) the concept of the establishment or reestablishment of convergent, stable communities as a matter of course in nature is more often than not illusory. Concerning secondary succession, Horn (1974) concludes that (1) no single theory of the process fits all cases; (2) the pattern of species replacement appears to follow the r-selected (early) to K-selected (late) sequence; (3) as succession progresses productivity tends to decline, diversity increases for a time but must eventually decrease again, and stability depends upon how one defines the term. It appears, then, that the "new" succession may have certain directional characteristics, but that it is certainly not as predictable as once envisioned. Postfire succession of plants in California chaparral has been studied by a number of authors (Horton and Kraebel 1955; Sweeney 1956; Patric and Hanes 1964; Hanes and Jones 1967; Hanes 1971; Vogl and Schorr 1972; Biswell 1974; Keeley 1977; Keeley and Zedler 1978). Most of these studies have dealt with shrub species only, but several have involved the herbaceous element as well. Although Hanes (1971) commented on the unusual qualities of postfire succession in the shrub component of chaparral, the fact that the total flora (both shrubs and herbs) exhibits unusual replacement characteristics has largely been ignored, especially in literature pertaining to succession as a process. Fires in California chaparral appear to conform with what Horn (1976) refers to as regular devastation-type disturbances. Horn explains, "this schedule gives a competitive advantage to early successional species whose lifespans match the intervals between catastrophes" (p. 199). This description fits the shrublike flora in this type
Extensive chromosome variation in the stick insect genus Sipyloidea Brunner von Wattenwyl (Phylliidae : Necrosciinae) within Australia, and descriptions of three new species

Combined cytological and morphological analyses of stick insects belonging to the genus Sipyloidea Brunner from a limited geographical area in southern and south-western Australia serve to identify three new species, designated as the Nelida group. All three live on species of Acacia and are nocturnal, with micropterous females but fully winged males. Bisexual members of S. nelida, sp. nov., are characterised by 2n = 37 male XO, 38 female XX, but females with counts of 58 XX, 57 XX and 69 XX, 68 XX have been identified within the species. A second species, S. similis, sp. nov., has bisexual forms with 2n = 35 male XO, 36 female XX, as well as females with counts of 58 XX or 57 XX. In both species the females with the higher chromosome counts are capable of parthenogenetic reproduction. Both deposit their eggs under the bark of host plants and shortly after oviposition these liberate a ring of stellate hairs around the opercular region of the egg. The third species, S. ovabdita, sp. nov., is apparently purely bisexual with 2n = 35 male XO, 36 female XX. It is distinctive in its morphological characteristics from both S. nelida and S. similis and lays its eggs in soil, lacking the opercular ring of hairs which characterises the other two species.
Survival of daphnia magna and hyalella azteca in cadmium‐spiked water and sediment

Freshwater sediments and water were spiked with cadmium (Cd) in the laboratory, and toxicity tests were conducted with the cladoceran Daphnia magna and the amphipod Hyalella azteca to determine if Cd in the sediment would cause increased toxicity. The 48-h LC50 values for Daphnia in tests without sediment were 36, 33, 24, and 40 micrograms/L total Cd. Calculated free-ion (Cd/sup 2 +/)LC50 values for the same tests were 28, 25, 18 and 31 micrograms/L. LC50 values (48-h) determined for total Cd(uncentrifuged water sample) in the sediment-containing beakers were 252, 69, and 122 micrograms/L for Daphnia. LC50 values for dissolved Cd(centrifuged 10,000 rpm) in the sediment-containing beakers were 61, 27, and 100 micrograms/L for Daphnia. Higher total Cd LC50 values indicate that Cd adsorbed to soluble organic material was not biologically available. No significant mortality of Daphnia or Hyalella occurred in the flow-through tests in which sediment contained the same levels of Cd as in the static tests. Mortality was similar in beakers with and without Cd-spiked sediment, indicating that Cd in the sediment and adsorbed to organic materials was not available to cause increased mortality.
Do euglossine males (Apidae, Euglossini) leave tropical rainforest to collect fragrances in sugarcane monocultures?

Euglossine bees are known to be long-distance pollinators in tropical rainforests. But there is controversy concerning to the flight ranges of these bees between forest fragments. In an isolated fragment of Atlantic Rainforest in Pernambuco, NE Brazil, surrounded by sugarcane monocultures, it was examined if euglossine males leave closed rainforest to collect fragrances. In a straight-line transect leading from forest into a sugarcane plantation, euglossine males were simultaneously captured by scent baits at seven distinct points: inside the forest, forest edge, outside the forest in the sugarcane fields at distances of 10 m, 50 m, 100 m, 250 m and 500 m from the forest edge. A total of 945 euglossine bees of 16 species were recorded. The results demonstrate different relations of the Euglossini species to the closed forest. Males of 11 species did not leave the forest. Such species, together with the plants they are linked to, seem to be the most threatened by habitat fragmentation. Only bees of five species were found at the scent baits in the sugarcane fields. Already the 10 m sampling point outside the forest showed a drastic reduction in species richness, indicating that the forest edge functions as a barrier for most euglossine species.
Preliminary survey for insects associated with Bursaphelenchus xylophilus in Portugal

The detection of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus in Pinus pinaster trees in Portugal in 1999 led the official services to implement exceptional and urgent control measures to prevent the spread of the pest. Because the pest is vector-transmitted, special attention was paid to the insects associated with infested trees. A survey comprising 21 species of insects, from six families, with a total of 1367 specimens, was made in order to evaluate their possible role as vectors of the nematode in Portugal. Five insect species were found to carry other Bursaphelenchus spp. , but only Monochamus galloprovincialis was associated with B. xylophilus.
EDTA-Facilitated Phytoremediation of Soil with Heavy Metals from Sewage Sludge

ABSTRACT The objective of this research was to determine the effect of the chelate EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), which is used in phytoremediation, on plant availability of heavy metals in liquid sewage sludge applied to soil. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) was grown under greenhouse conditions in a commercial potting soil; the tetrasodium salt of EDTA (EDTA Na4) was added at a rate of 1 g kg-1 to half the pots. Immediately after seeds were planted, half of the pots with each soil (with or without EDTA) were irrigated with 60 ml sludge, and half were irrigated with 60 ml tap water. For the subsequent five irrigations, plants in soil with EDTA received either sludge or tap water containing 0.5 g EDTA Na4 per 1000 ml, and plants in soil without EDTA received sludge or tap water without EDTA. Of the four heavy metals whose extractable concentrations in the soil were measured (Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn), only Zn had a higher concentration in sludge-treated soil with EDTA compared to sludge-treated soil without EDTA. The concentrations of Fe, Cu, and Mn were similar in sludge-treated soil with and without EDTA. Of the three heavy metals whose total concentrations in the soil were measured (Cd, Pb, Cr), Pb (<10 mg kg-1) and Cd (< 1 mg kg-1) were below detection limits, and Cr was unaffected by treatment. The concentration of all measured elements in plants (Cd, Cu, Fe, Zn, Pb) was higher than the concentrations measured in the soil. With no EDTA, sludge-treated plants had a higher concentration of the five heavy elements than plants grown without sludge. Cadmium was lower in sludge-treated plants with EDTA than plants with EDTA and no sludge. After treatment with EDTA, the concentrations of Cu, Fe, and Zn were similar in plants with and without sludge. Lead was higher in plants with EDTA than plants without EDTA, showing that EDTA can facilitate phytoremediation of soil with Pb from sewage sludge.
The “Callose Stage” of the Generative Cells in Pollen Grains

Abstract The temporary occurrence of the callose plate between the generative and vegetative cells in pollen grains was observed in 82 angiosperm species and 4 gymnosperm species. The period of isolation of the generative cell by callose, determined as the “callose stage”, includes the early interphase of the generative nucleus. The significance of the “callose stage” in the differentiation process of generative cells is discussed. The opinion is expressed that the temporary occurrence of a callose plate may explain why some authors only observe a double plasma membrane separating the generative and vegetative cells of the pollen grain, while others observe a wall-like structure between these membranes.
AC Impedance Measurements on Chara corallina.I. Characterisation of the Static Cytoplasm

Measurements of impedance (or admittance) of Chara corallina at frequencies of 1-102 Hz have revealed conduction, dielectric, geometrical and phenomenological properties of the plasmalemma and tonoplast. At much higher frequencies, 102-104 Hz, the impedance of these membranes is mainly capacitative and small. Thus, measurements of the overall impedance of these frequencies largely reflect the electrical properties of regions in series with the membranes. The data and arguments presented indicate impedance measurements at these frequencies derive substantially from the static cytoplasm. Results indicated the conductance of the static cytoplasm ranged from 0.5 to 300 S m-2. Conductance was strongly dependent on temperature; a 10oC rise in temperature produced more than a 2-fold increase in conductance.
Are different species of Dinophysis selected by climatological conditions?

Dinophysis acuminata and D. acuta, the main agents of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning outbreaks in the Galician Rías Baixas, North-West Spain, appear segregated in time and/or space and exhibit considerable interannual variability. To explore the specific requirements of the two species and the causes of their alternation in late-summer outbreaks, the meteorologically driven structure of the water column was examined in relation to Dinophysis populations from monthly transects in Ría de Vigo and weekly sampling at a pilot station in Ría de Pontevedra during 2002 and 2003 — two years with contrasting meteorology. D. acuminata had a longer growth season and reached higher concentrations in parallel with higher standing stocks of diatoms and dinoflagellates during 2002 compared with 2003. Its summer maxima were associated with thermohaline stratification and persistent northerly winds of daily mean velocities of 2.5–4.0m s−1. In contrast, during 2003, when the summer was very hot and the upwelling index was the lowest for the past 50 years, and the stratification was more intensively thermally driven, the late-summer populations of D. acuminata were replaced by those of D. acuta. The relationship between Dinophysis spp. and climatological conditions, as well as the more severe socio-economic impacts of 2003 relative to 2002, are discussed.
First-instar morphology and sexual dimorphism in the gall-inducing scale insect Apiomorpha Rubsaamen (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Eriococcidae)

Sexual dimorphism among crawlers of the scale insect family Eriococcidae is reported for the first time. The general morphology of crawlers of the gall-inducing genus Apiomorpha (Eriococcidae) is presented and sexual dimorphism described. Sexual dimorphism appears to be associated with differential dispersal and settling-site preference of the sexes during the crawler stage. First-instar males of the A. pharetrata and A. munita species-groups settle only on the galls induced by their mothers or, in the case of A. munita, also galls of nearby females, whereas female crawlers disperse. Female crawlers of all species of Apiomorpha, and male crawlers of most species, are well suited for air-borne dispersal. It is suggested that sexual dimorphism among crawlers of Apiomorpha, and some other scale insects, is the result of loss or reduction of those morphological features associated with dispersal. In addition, male crawlers of some species of Apiomorpha have sensory structures which may assist in the detection of sex-specific settling sites.
Malaria Elicits Type 1 Cytokines in the Human Placenta: IFN-γ and TNF-α Associated with Pregnancy Outcomes

Pregnant women, especially primigravidas, are highly susceptible to malaria infection, resulting in maternal anemia and low birth weight infants. Because circulating parasitemia is rare in the newborn, the cause of poor fetal outcomes has been unclear. We measured cytokine concentrations in placentas collected from women delivering in urban hospitals in malaria-holoendemic or nonendemic areas of Kenya. Normal placentas displayed a bias toward type 2 cytokines; type 1 cytokines IFN-γ and IL-2 were absent in placentas not exposed to malaria but present in a large proportion of placentas from a holoendemic area. TNF-α and TGF-β concentrations were significantly higher, and IL-10 concentrations significantly lower, in placentas from the holoendemic area. Among primigravidas, placental TNF-α concentrations were significantly higher in the presence of severe maternal anemia, and both IFN-γ and TNF-α were significantly elevated when a low birth weight, rather than normal weight, infant was delivered. We conclude that maternal malaria decreases IL-10 concentrations and elicits IFN-γ, IL-2, and TNF-α in the placenta, shifting the balance toward type 1 cytokines. This is the first demonstration that these placental cytokine changes are associated with poor pregnancy outcomes in humans.
Metabolic expenditure of waleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) as determined by rate of oxgen consumption

Energy expended by walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) for metabolism was assessed by measuring oxygen consumption of different size fish in respirometers under various conditions of temperature, activity, and ration. Standard metabolism was estimated as rate of oxygen consumption of unfed resting fish, and relationships to weight and temperature were expressed by simple and multiple regression equations. Although slopes for simple regressions did not differ significantly from slopes for analogous equations determined previously for walleye in maintenance feeding trials, the intercept or level of metabolism for a fish of unit weight at 20 °C computed from feeding experiments was over three times greater than that computed by respirometry. Heat increment, which was quantified from the difference in oxygen consumption of resting walleye fed and deprived of food at 20 °C, ranged from about 9 to 11% of the energy ingested and appeared independent of ration and fish size. Metabolism for swimming determined .
Changes of effective gene dispersal distances by pollen and seeds across successive life stages in a tropical tree

Pollen and seed dispersal are the two key processes in which plant genes move in space, mostly mediated by animal dispersal vectors in tropical forests. Due to the movement patterns of pollinators and seed dispersers and subsequent complex spatial patterns in the mortality of offspring, we have little knowledge of how pollinators and seed dispersers affect effective gene dispersal distances across successive recruitment stages. Using six highly polymorphic microsatellite loci and parentage analyses, we quantified pollen dispersal, seed dispersal, and effective paternal and maternal gene dispersal distances from pollen- and seed-donors to offspring across four recruitment stages within a population of the monoecious tropical tree Prunus africana in western Kenya. In general, pollen-dispersal and paternal gene dispersal distances were much longer than seed-dispersal and maternal gene dispersal distances, with the long-distance withinpopulation gene dispersal in P. africana being mostly mediated by pollinators. Seed dispersal, paternal and maternal gene dispersal distances increased significantly across recruitment stages, suggesting strong density- and distance-dependent mortality near the parent trees. Pollen dispersal distances also varied significantly, but inconsistently across recruitment stages. The mean dispersal distance was initially much (23-fold) farther for pollen than for seeds, yet the pollen-to-seed dispersal distance ratio diminished by an order of magnitude at later stages as maternal gene dispersal distances disproportionately increased. Our study elucidates the relative changes in the contribution of the two processes, pollen and seed dispersal, to effective gene dispersal across recruitment. Overall, complex sequential processes during recruitment contribute to the genetic make-up of tree populations. This highlights the importance of a multistage perspective for a comprehensive understanding of the impact of animal-mediated pollen and seed dispersal on small-scale spatial genetic patterns of long-lived tree species.
Determinants of preferred intertidal feeding habitat for Eastern Curlew: A study at two spatial scales

Broadscale habitat use by Eastern Curlews (Numenius madagascariensis) in their non-breeding range in eastern Australia was assessed using low tide surveys on feeding grounds, where 60 skilled volunteers made repeated counts of the birds on intertidal flats, across 41% (9500 ha) of the intertidal habitat within Moreton Bay, Australia. We analysed 32 defined sections of intertidal flat, of roughly equal area (mostly 200-400 ha), which varied greatly in their curlew density (2-47 birds per 100 ha) and also in substrate and other environmental features. Sites with the least resistant substrates had densities three times those with the most resistant substrates. Of 10 environmental characteristics measured for each site, substrate resistance was the best predictor of curlew density (r2 = 0.45). Characteristics that were poor predictors included distance to the nearest roost, level of human disturbance and distance to urban settlement. For a finer-scale assessment, microhabitat use and feeding behaviour were recorded during low tide within 12 intertidal flats, which varied in size (23-97 ha), substrate, topography and other features. Across all flats, curlews strongly preferred to feed relatively close (0-50 m) to the low-water line. They fed on a variety of substrates (including sand, sandy-mud, mud and seagrass) in broadly similar proportions to their occurrence in the habitat. There was a statistically significant preference for sand, although its magnitude was not strong. These results indicate that curlews select habitat most strongly at a between-flat rather than within-flat scale.