Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wood anatomy of the Neotropical Melastomataceae

The wood anatomy of 47 genera of the neotropical Melastomataceae is described in detail. The wood anatomy of the neotropical part of this pantropical family supports the subdivision into two groups: the subfamily Memecyloideae (the genus Mouriri) and the subfamily Melastomatoideae (all other genera). A relationship of Mouriri with other representatives of the family is not supported by the wood anatomical characters, because of differences in fibre type, vessel distribution, and the fibre length/vessel member length ratio, and the presence of included phloem in Mouriri. The subfamily Melastomatoideae is a fairly homogeneous group. Although some characters are very pronounced in some tribes and scarce or absent in other tribes, most tribes show a wide overlap in their wood anatomical features. An important means to distinguish to a certain extent between tribes is the size and shape of the intervascular pits combined with the size and shape of the vessel—ray and vessel—parenchyma pits. Three groups can be recognized: type 1. all pits round to slightly oval; type 2. intervascular pits round to oval, and the vessel—ray and vessel—parenchyma pits more elongated, oblong to scalariform; type 3. all pits round to oblong and scalariform. Other diagnostic characters are the parenchyma distribution, and the distribution of the fibre pits. The tribe Blakeeae can be separated from the other tribes due to the presence of druses and 2-4-seriate rays. The relationship between wood anatomical characters and habit and habitat, as well as possible phylogenetic trends in the family and classification of the neotropical tribes are discussed.
Establishment of protoplast culture of Solanum sisymbriifolium

The optimal culture conditions were studied for plant regeneration from mesophyll protoplasts of Solanum sisymbrizfolium. Aseptic seedlings ofS. sisymbrizfolium were used as a material for protoplast culture. Many viable protoplasts were isolated by incubating leaf slices in an enzyme solution containing 0.250/0 Meiserase and 0.050/0 Macerozyme for 16 h at 25 'C wlthout shaking. Protoplast density of 5.0 X 10*/ml in Kao medium containing 5.0mg/1 NM, 1.0mgfl 2,4-D and 1.0mg/1 BA was optimal for colony formation. Most colonies formed when protoplasts were cultured at 25 'C after initial culture at 30'C for one week. On the MS agar medium with 1.0mg/1 zeatin, 38.50/0 of protoplast~lerived calli differentiated shoots. These shoots rooted on 1/2 MS medium with 5.0mg/1 sucrose and 2.5g/1 gellan gum, and developed into whole plants.
Investigation into the interaction between resveratrol and whey proteins using fluorescence spectroscopy

Summary Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to investigate the interaction between resveratrol and whey proteins. The whey proteins examined were lactoferrin, holo-lactoferrin, apo-lactoferrin, whey protein isolate (WPI) and the β-lactoglobulin- and α-lactalbumin-rich fractions of WPI. Both an analytical-grade and food-grade resveratrol were examined. In all the systems studied, it was found that resveratrol interacted with the whey proteins to form a 1:1 complex. The binding constant, Ks, for the protein–resveratrol complex for all the proteins examined varied from 1.7 × 104 to 1.2 × 105 m−1. Furthermore, the interaction between the whey proteins and resveratrol did not affect the secondary structure of the proteins.
240 GESTATION LENGTH AND BIRTH WEIGHT OF IN VITRO PRODUCED EMBRYOS FROM ZEBU DAIRY CATTLE

Gir cattle are a popular zebu dairy breed in tropical and subtropical regions because of their tolerance of heat stress and resistance to tick-borne disease. The use of in vitro embryo production (IVP) technology may help accelerate genetic improvement of this breed. However, in general, IVP systems have been implicated in the production of large offspring and a greater proportion of male calves. Natural breeding results in newborn Gir calves weighing around 25 kg despite the fact that dams may weigh over 500 kg. It is unknown whether in vitro-produced Gir embryos also result in large offspring. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of in vitro embryo production on gestation length, birth weight, and sex ratio in Gir cattle. COCs were harvested by oocyte pickup from mature non-lactating Gir cows and in vitro-matured in TCM 199 medium (Gibco, Sao Paulo, Brazil) with 10% inactivated estrous cow serum for 24 h under 5% CO2 at 38.5°C in air. Gir spermatozoa were obtained through the swim-up method and co-incubated with oocytes in Fert-TALP media (Parrish JJ et al. 1988 Biol. Reprod. 38, 1171–1180) with 10 μg/mL heparin (Sigma, Sao Paulo, Brazil) and 6 mg/mL fatty acid-free bovine albumin (Sigma) for 18 h in 5% CO2 at 38.5°C in air. Presumptive zygotes were co-cultured with their own cumulus cells in CR2aa medium (Wilkinson RF et al. 1996 Theriogenology 45, 41–49) with 10% fetal calf serum in humid atmosphere of 5% CO2 at 38.5°C in air. Fresh Day 7 blastocysts were transferred to synchronized B. indicus × B. taurus crossbred recipients. Data of gestation length, birth weight, and gender ratio from 26 IVP calves (IVP group) were recorded and compared to data obtained from Gir calves produced by artificial insemination or natural mating (n = 24; control group) using ANOVA or chi-square analysis. There was no difference (P > 0.05) in gestation length between pregnancies of the IVP and control groups (mean ± SEM, 285.4 ± 1.5 vs. 284.4 ± 1.1 days, respectively). IVP and control calves showed similar (P > 0.05) weight at calving (29.6 ± 0.9 vs. 26.9 ± 1.2 kg for IVP and control male calves, and 27.0 ± 2.5 vs. 25.2 ± 0.5 kg for IVP and control female calves, respectively). The percentage of male calves was greater (P < 0.05) in the IVP group than in the control group (76.9% vs. 43.4%, respectively). IVP calves did not show abnormalities associated with Large Offspring Syndrome, such as breathing difficulty and perinatal death. These data suggest that in vitro production may affect the development of Gir embryos, biasing the sex ratio in a manner similar to previously reported for in vitro-produced embryos from Bos taurus breeds. This work was supported by FAPEMIG and CNPq.
Effects of increased autumn temperatures and sub-acute levels of ammonia on post-winter development of four cultivars of winter oilseed rape ( Brassica napus L.)

Early planting dates, warm autumns and increased N mineralisation rates may advance the growth of winter crops and also a high supply of nitrogen poses risks of excess biomass accumulation before the winter leading to reduced frost hardiness and excessive leaf loss. Although the number of frost days is currently declining in temperate Europe, events of frost may still create damage in the future in winter crops that have accumulated too much biomass in the preceding autumn. Here we report on a study in which the responses of four cultivars of winter oilseed rape (OSR) to elevated autumn temperatures and subacute levels of ammonia (NH 3 ) were compared. It has been suggested that high concentrations of the gas, e.g. in livestock intensive regions may both act as an airborne fertiliser and reduce the frost hardiness of plants. Advancing treatments were imposed for 88 days in the autumn and consisted of pot grown plants kept in greenhouses without (ELVT) and with elevated concentrations of ammonia (ELVT+A; 195 μg m -3 NH 3 ). Reference plants (AMB) were raised outdoors, where temperatures were 1.4°C lower than in the greenhouses. After the treatments plants were all overwintered outside to study whether the pre-winter growth advancement was still discernible in the following spring. Shed leaves were collected weekly to follow how much shoot biomass was lost during and after the winter. Cultivars responded differently to warming and exposure to ammonia. Up to the winter shoot biomass was strongly increased by the advancing treatments. However, fi nal shoot mass in the following summer did not differ between cultivars and was unaffected by the higher temperatures in the preceding autumn. Nevertheless, significantly more biomass was observed in ammonia fumigated plants. Higher autumn temperatures increased leaf shedding and advanced fl owering and senescence in the next spring so that plants showed a signifi cantly reduced seed mass, harvest index and oil yield at the fi nal harvest. Obviously, the growth advancement in the preceding autumn by elevated temperatures negatively affected the availability of resources in the following spring. In contrast, plants that were grown at both elevated ammonia and temperature in the autumn showed a delayed fl owering, higher shoot and seed mass, increased harvest index and oil yield. We conclude that growth advancement by elevated autumn temperatures without the re-supply of nutrients increases leaf shedding during winter. Nevertheless, the loss of resources in winter for re-growth in spring will certainly be of minor importance for yield formation as compared to the frost damage resulting from late spring frosts.
Current status of cattle shelters in livestock enterprises and breeder demands in Kars: II. Breeder demands.

Bu araştırmada; Kars ili merkez ilçe, Akyaka, Arpaçay, Digor, Kağızman, Sarıkamış, Selim ve Susuz ilçeleri ve bağlı köylerinde yer alan sığır işletmelerinin genel yapısı incelenmiş, işletmelerin modernize edilmesi ve/veya yeni yapılması durumunda yetiştiricilerin talepleri değerlendirilmiştir. Araştırmanın verilerini Kars Merkez ilçe dâhil toplam 8 ilçesi ve bağlı 189 köylerindeki 412 süt sığırı işletme sahibi ile yüzyüze uygulanan anket çalışması oluşturmuştur. Araştırma kapsamında incelenen işletmelerin toplam sığır varlığı 16.066 baş olup, bu değer 2010 yılı TÜİK verilerine göre Kars ili sığır varlığının yaklaşık %4’ünü oluşturmaktadır. Anket yapılan işletmelerde kullanılan ahır tipleri içerisinde en yaygın “kapalı bağlı ahır”lar olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Yetiştiriciler gelecekte de “kapalı bağlı ahır” tipini tercih edeceklerini bildirmişlerdir. Kapalı bağlı ahırları tercih edenlerin oranı %79.13 olarak tespit edilmiştir. Ancak burada mevcut durumdan farklı olarak kapalı serbest dolaşımlı ahır talebinin (%16.26), ahır tipleri arasındaki oranının %14.32 puan yükseldiği belirlenmiştir. Bölgede ve ilde eski ahırların geliştirilmesi, modernize edilmesi ve tespit edilecek olan aksaklıkların giderilmesi, yeni ahırların yapılması amacıyla; sektör paydaşları ile ortak çalışmalar yapılması faydalı olacaktır. Ayrıca bölgede oldukça yaygın olan kapalı bağlı ahırlarda belirlenen olumsuzluklar ve yetersizliklerinden dolayı, yeni yapılacak ya da modernize edilebilecek kapalı bağlı ahırların yerine, serbest duraklı ahırların yapılmasının daha uygun olacağı kanaatine varılmıştır.
Toxic effects of Carbofuran on Duttaphrynus Melanostictus Larvae

This study investigated effects of the carbamate pesticide carbofuran on larvae of the Asian Common Toad Duttaphrynus melanostictus. Tadpoles were continuously exposed to four concentrations of carbofuran (50 -500 μgl−1) for 15 days during which mortality, growth, development, and swimming activity were monitored. In a separate trial, the liver and tail muscle tissues were examined for histopathological changes after one week of exposure to 250 and 500 μgl−1. The study revealed that carbofuran at the tested concentrations induced significantly high levels of mortality in D. melanostictus tadpoles. Trends in mortality depicted a bellshaped curve indicating a hormetic response. The LC501–15 days ranged from 1865 – 152 μgl−1. Effects on growth, development and swimming were transient. A few tadpoles exposed to 250 μgl 1 and above showed swelling of the head region. Exposure to carbofuran also caused severe histological alterations in the tail muscle tissues, while the liver tissue was also affected, but to a lesser extent. Greater vacuolation in hepatocytes, sinusoidal dilations and the formation of bile plugs were observed in the liver of treated larvae whilst tail muscles were substantially disintegrated as a result of exposure to carbofuran. The observed harmful effects induced by carbofuran in the present study suggest that D. melanostictus populations may face detrimental consequences as a result of exposure to this pesticide.
Avian biodiversity and conservation in Malaysian oil palm production areas.

Our study demonstrated the persistence of avian biodiversity in established oil palm production areas. Here, the empirical evidence on avian species richness reflects explicitly that oil palm production areas are not merely a ‘green biological desert’. We investigated the relationships between bird species richness and different management regimes (plantations vs. smallholdings) and vegetation characteristics in 30 oil palm areas in the states of Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang. We recorded 72 bird species, comprising approximately 32% forest-dependent, 19% migratory and 10% wetland species. Our study showed that plantations and smallholdings supported a similar total number of bird species richness (P = 0.709). However, we found that a greater height of the ground vegetation cover had a positive effect on total species richness (P < 0.001). Similarly, there was no significant difference between plantations and smallholdings with respect to the total number of migratory species (P = 0.322). This number also increased when ground vegetation cover was higher (P = 0.010). We recommend the following appropriate conservation measures that may enhance avian biodiversity in oil palm production areas: (1) implementation of tree planting projects that benefit wild birds, (2) integration of oil palm with livestock grazing to phase out dangerous agrochemicals that are harmful to wild birds, and (3) continued promotion of ground vegetation cover to increase habitat heterogeneity on a local scale. Potentially oil palm can move towards becoming a sustainable and profitable commodity if production areas can be managed for conservation outcomes. * Department of Forest Management, Faculty of Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. E-mail: b_azhar@putra.upm. edu.my ** Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. ‡ TQEM & Sustainability, Sime Darby Research & Development Centre, 42700 Banting, Selangor, Malaysia. often linked to commercial agricultural areas in which some native fauna have been found to persist after land conversion (Krebs et al., 1999; Sekercioglu et al., 2007; Abrahamczyk et al., 2008; Fischer et al. 2008; Harvey et al., 2008; Perfecto and Vandermeer, 2008). It has been advocated that there is a need for better agricultural practices on farmlands that take into consideration the elements of biodiversity conservation. However, it remains questionable whether the idea of promoting oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) cultivation as being biodiversityfriendly can be accepted by consumers in the same way as is the case with other commodity crops (e.g. coffee and cacao) (Komar 2006; Fitzherbert et al., 2008; Rainforest Alliance Network, 2010). Industrial-scale expansion of oil palm has been INTRODUCTION Protecting biodiversity beyond that present in nature reserves is still a new conservation strategy, especially in developing countries (McNeely and Scherr, 2002; Sachs et al., 2010). Such a strategy is
The avifauna of Flores (Lesser Sunda Islands)

The avifauna of the island of Flores (Lesser Sunda Islands) is reviewed. Introductory sections, which include a chapter on the history of ornithological discovery, are followed by the main part, a systematic account in which each species and subspecies known from Flores is treated separately. A discussion of the zoogeography, a gazetteer, a list of references and an index complete the volume. At present 214 forms (210 species) are accepted as having been reliably recorded. Of these, ca. 160 are, or may be assumed to be, residents, and of ca. 100 the eggs have been collected and are described. The balance consists of visiting sea and freshwater birds, migrants from the North and migrants from the South. It is likely that few additions remain to be made to the list of residents, but migrants from the North and visiting seabirds have obviously been under-recorded, and in these two categories another 20 to 25 species are to be expected as regular visitors. Lonchura punctulata insulicola subspec. nov. is described from Mauritius, Reunion and Mahe (Seychelles Is.).
Effect of synchronization of ruminal energy and nitrogen supply on in vitro microbial protein synthesis and rumen fermentation*

Present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of synchronization of ruminal energy and nitrogen (N) supply on in vitro microbial protein synthesis (MPS) and rumen fermentation pattern. Commonly used tropical feeds and fodders(sorghum grain, maize grain, wheat bran, mustard cake, groundnut cake, maize fodder, oat fodder and wheat straw) were first evaluated in sacco for their organic matter and N degradation characteristics. The protein sources (mustard and groundnut-cake) had faster N degradation rate while energy source (sorghum grain) had faster whereas the other (maize grain) had slower rate of energy release. By varying the proportion of feed ingredients, 6 isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets were formulated and their synchrony index (SI) was calculated using in sacco degradability kinetic data. The diets were classified as high(HS), medium (MS) and low(LS) synchronous based on their SI with 2 diets in each category. These diets were evaluated for rumen fermentation parameters by in vitro gas production technique. The total gas production from HS and MS diets was significantly higher indicating higher fermentation while any specific trend in methane production was not observed. Degradability of HS and MS diets was significantly higher than that of LS diets. The NH3-N content in HS and MS diets was significantly lower indicating higher uptake of N from these diets while TCA-ppt N and total N content was significantly higher from these diets in comparison with LS diets. The TVFA and propionate production was higher in HS and MS diets while acetate production was higher in LS diets. Acetate: propionate ratio was significantly lower in HS and LS diets. The HS and MS diets produced significantly higher amount of microbial N with greater efficiency of MPS. It was concluded that due to synchronization of energy and N supply, the in vitro rumen fermentation was improved with higher MPS and efficiency of N capture.
Scale analysis and asymptotic solution for natural convection over a heated flat plate at high Prandtl numbers

This study presents a free convection flow over a heated flat plate using Bejan’s method of scale analysis for balancing forces. For Newtonian fluids of large Prandtl numbers, two different layers which are the thermal and velocity boundary layers exist. The thermal boundary layer is thinner than the velocity boundary layer. The method of matched asymptotic expansion is used to obtain the velocity and temperature within the two layers and these quantities are then matched at the interface. A 5–5 matching is used to obtain both inner and outer solutions for velocity and temperature. A natural small parameter in this problem is the inverse of the square root of the Prandtl number multiplying the highest derivative. In the Bejan formulation for large Prandtl number flows, the two dimensionless quantities that emerge are the Rayleigh and Prandtl numbers as opposed to the Grashof and Prandtl numbers obtained in previous works. The results of velocities, temperature, shear stress and Nusselt number presented in this study are for fluids that have Prandtl numbers ranging 10 to 100,000. The Nusselt number predicted as Prandtl number goes to infinity, approaches the same asymptote as in previous works, while there's about 30% difference in the skin friction predicted when the differences in scaling used are not taken into consideration.
The influence of the mass media on Australian primary students' understandings of genes and DNA

The research purpose was to investigate the influence of the mass media on 10-12 year olds' understandings of genes and DNA. Data were collected by media usage questionnaires (N=141) and genetics understandings interviews (n=62). Genetics content of the media was critically reviewed. Participants used media 5 hr/day, mostly television including crime shows. Children's understandings paralleled their media exposure, knowing more about DNA's use for crime-solving than DNA biology. More students knew of DNA than genes; and half believed DNA is only in forensic body parts. Primary schools could capitalize on students' interest to introduce fundamental genetics before misconceptions become entrenched.
Characterization of Seed Transmission of Soybean Mosaic Virus in Soybean

Published in a Conference proceeding) Bashar, T. , Belfrage, R. , McNeil, J., Bernards, M. & Wang, A. 2013. A Preliminary Study on Soybean mosaic virus transmission via soybean seeds. SORA-CPS annual meeting2013, London, Ontario, CANADA. Bashar, T. , Belfrage, R. , McNeil, J., Bernards, M. & Wang, A. 2013. Characterization of SetCD-binding sites in the integrating conjugative elements of the SXT/R391 family and the genomic islands they mobilize. asm2013, Denver, Colorado, USA. Poster presentation Bashar T. , Belfrage, R. , McNeil, J., Bernards, M. & Wang A.2013. A Preliminary Study on Soybean mosaic virus Transmission via Soybean Seeds. SORA-CPS Annual Meeting 2013, London, Ontario, CANADA. Poulin-Laprade, D. , Bashar, T. & Burrus, V. 2013.Characterization of SetCD-binding sites in the integrating conjugative elements of the SXT/R391 family and the genomic islands they mobilize. ASM 2013, Denver, Colorado, USA. Bashar T. , Islam, M.N. & Kersibom L.2009. Cloning of Wag31 gene: A putative cell division regulator in Mycobacteria. UGSBR symposium 2009, Uppsala, Sweden.
Fish Skin Type I Collagen

ABSTRACT The acid soluble collagens (ASC) and pepsin soluble col-lagens (PSC) of albacore tuna and silver-line grunt skin, by-products from frozen fish fillet industry, had been extracted, purified and characterized. Analysis of the collagens by SDS-PAGE indicated the absence of a disulfide bond, which is a characteristic of type I collagen. They also contained different subunits, a, β and ? At least two different a chains, a1 and a2, were presented. The proportion of ? trimer in ASC was higher than in PSC. This caused reduced solubility of ASC, whereas, PSC were lower molecular weight and had fewer crosslinks, which resulted in increased solubility. Collagen water solubility was lower than in 0.5 M acetic acid, but the solubility increased as the temperature increased. Denaturation temperature (Td) of silver-line grunt collagen was slightly higher than albacore tuna collagen, but about 7–9°C lower than calfskin collagen.