Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased rhizosphere populations of Trichoderma asperellum strain T34 caused by secretion pattern of root exudates in tomato plants inoculated with Botrytis cinerea

&NA; Root exudates secreted from plants can modify rhizosphere microbiota by enhancing or inhibiting the growth of biological control agents (BCAs) and/or pathogens. Similarly, microorganisms can modify the secretion of plant root exudates. The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of a Botrytis cinerea leaf infection on the secretion of tomato root exudates and on the populations of the BCA Trichoderma asperellum strain T34 (T34). This study found that the secretion pattern of root exudates in tomato plants was influenced by B. cinerea infection in plant leaves. An increase in the levels of gluconic acid was observed, while levels of sucrose and inositol decreased. A decrease in the severity of B. cinerea by the induction of systemic resistance triggered by T34 was also observed. Tomato plants infected with B. cinerea maintained the populations of T34 in the roots, while populations of T34 decreased in plants not inoculated with the pathogen. Samples exposed to media containing gluconic acid (as the only carbon source or at the same concentration found in roots exudates) saw an increase in the in vitro growth of T34 compared to media without gluconic acid. In conclusion, a change in the secretion pattern of root exudates caused by B. cinerea, together with the enhanced growth of T34 in the presence of gluconic acid, indicates the existence of leaf to root communication. The result of this is enhanced populations of T34, and in turn induced disease resistance and a consequential reduction in disease severity.
Habenaria malipoensis (Orchidaceae: Orchidoideae: Orchidinae), a new orchid species from Yunnan, China

Habenaria Willd. (1805: 544) is one of the largest genera of terrestrial orchids, with approximately 880 species (Zhang et al . 2015; Kolanowska et al . 2015; Kumar et al . 2016; Govaerts et al . 2017) well represented in both the New and Old World tropics and subtropics, with a few species extending into temperate areas, particularly in eastern Asia (Pridgeon et al . 2001). The main centers of diversity of the genus are in Brazil, southern and central Africa, and East Asia (Kurzweil & Weber 1992; Batista et al . 2006). The generic delimitation of Habenaria is very difficult from a morphological point of view, and many species originally described in the genus have been transferred to other genera in its alliance, and there are also a lot of intermediate species between them (Lang 1998, 1999; Jin et al . 2012). Recent results of molecular phylogenetics indicated that Habenaria is currently defined is polyphyletic and perhaps would be further divided into smaller genera (Bateman et al . 2003; Jin et al . 2014).
Bolstering Species Delimitation in Difficult Species Complexes by Analyzing Herbarium and Common Garden Morphological Data: A Case Study Using the New Zealand Native Myosotis pygmaea Species Group (Boraginaceae)

Abstract Species delimitation in recent radiations is challenging because these species often display overlap in their expression of morphological characters. Here we analyze morphological characters measured from field-collected herbarium specimens and compare them to measurements from live plants grown in a common garden to determine reliable characters that could be used to delimit species in the Myosotis pygmaea (Boraginaceae) species group in New Zealand. This species complex is of primary interest because it includes many threatened species as well as several taxonomically indeterminate entities. The common garden experiment revealed high levels of morphological plasticity within the M. pygmaea species group, as plants in the common garden grew to be strikingly larger than those in the field. The M. pygmaea species complex was found to be a morphologically definable group, and several taxonomically indeterminate entities were placed as being either morphologically similar to the M. pygmaea species group or to other species complexes. In multidimensional scaling analyses of morphological data, of the five named species that make up the M. pygmaea species group, three formed separate clusters (M. pygmaea, M. glauca, and M. brevis), and the two others were indistinguishable from each other (M. antarctica and M. drucei). This study represents an important step towards a planned integrative taxonomic revision of the M. pygmaea species group, and highlights the value of morphological data collected from a common garden experiment.
Hormones and behavior: the biology of thirst and sodium appetite

D iscussions of how hormones influence behavior have generally been limited to the effects of gonadal hor mones on reproductive behavior and have emphasized the parsimonious arrangement whereby the same hor mones involved in the biology of reproduction also influence sexual behavior. It now has become clear, however, that other hormones, in addition to their recognized influence on biological functions, can affect behavior. Specifically, peptide and steroid hormones involved in maintaining the physio logical balance, or homeostasis, of body fluids also appear to play an important role in the control of water and salt consumption. As Claude Bernard noted in the
Emergence and morphophysiology of Sunki mandarin and other citrus genotypes seedlings under saline stress

The scarcity of good quality water is a limiting factor for irrigated agriculture, especially in arid and semiarid regions, where water sources generally contain high concentrations of ions. In such conditions, it is essential to cultivate genotypes with economic potential and tolerance to salinity. Considering the importance of citrus and the need to identify genetic materials that adapt to saline stress, this study evaluates the salinity tolerance of 10 genotypes with rootstock potential. For the irrigation water, five levels of electrical conductivity (ECw: 0.8, 1.6, 2.4, 3.2 and 4.0 dS/m at 25 °C) were used in a randomized block design with three replications, and seed germination and growth variables, as well as physiological plant parameters, were evaluated. The germination rate of the hybrid TSKC × CTARG – 019 was the best under salt conditions, as it was the genotype with the highest tolerance to salinity in the germination stage. Salinity reduced the growth of the citrus genotypes, with the possibility of using water with EC of up to 1.6 dS/m in the rootstock formation stage. Salt stress affected the photosynthetic rate of the genotypes ‘San Diego’ citrandarin and TSKC × CTSW – 018 by reducing the stomatal conductance, restricting the diffusion of CO 2 into the substomatal camera. The genotypes TSKC × CTARG – 019, TSKC × CTTR – 012 and TSKC × TRBK – 007 have the greatest potential for growth and photosynthetic apparatus efficiency when subjected to salinity.
A Review of the Scientific Literature on Fungus Gnats (Diptera: Sciaridae) in the Genus Bradysia2

The majority of the literature concerning fungus gnats in the genus Bradysia (Family Sciaridae) can be divided into two groups, addressing their cytogenetics or their role as economically important pests. Cytological anomalies in sciarids are recognized in (1) chromosome complement, (2) differential chromosome contributions of the sperm and egg, (3) alteration of chromosome complement during embryogenesis, (4) and alteration during gametogenesis. The literature concerning these cytological events is reviewed within the context of the development of the science of cytogenetics and as they relate to the taxonomy and systematics of this group. Although species of Bradysia were recognized as pests of various seedling plants over a century ago, their economic importance in plant and mushroom production was largely overlooked until recently. A review of the scientific literature on the biology and management of the sciarids indicates that members of the genus Bradysia may be especially pestiferous in greenhouse.
Single-Cell Transcriptome Analysis of Lineage Diversity and Microenvironment in High-Grade Glioma

Background Despite extensive molecular characterization, we lack a comprehensive understanding of lineage identity, differentiation, and proliferation in high-grade gliomas (HGGs). We sampled the cellular milieu of HGGs with massively-parallel single-cell RNA-Seq. Results While HGG cells can resemble glia or even immature neurons and form branched lineage structures, mesenchymal transformation results in unstructured populations. Glioma cells in a subset of mesenchymal tumors lose their neural lineage identity, express inflammatory genes, and co-exist with marked myeloid infiltration, reminiscent of molecular interactions between glioma and immune cells established in animal models. Additionally, we discovered a tight coupling between lineage resemblance and proliferation among malignantly transformed cells. Glioma cells that resemble oligodendrocyte progenitors, which proliferate in the brain, are often found in the cell cycle. Conversely, glioma cells that resemble astrocytes, neuroblasts, and oligodendrocytes, which are non-proliferative in the brain, are generally non-cycling in tumors. Conclusions These studies reveal a relationship between cellular identity and proliferation in HGG and distinct population structures that reflects the extent of neural and non-neural lineage resemblance among malignantly transformed cells.
In vitro shoot proliferation of Passiflora caerulea L. via cotyledonary node and shoot tip explants

Passiflora caerulea L. is a herbaceous climber that belongs to the Passifloraceae family. One of the most important techniques used in plant biotechnology is tissue culture, which allows for the mass production of pathogenfree plants. Cotyledonary nodes have a great potential for shoot proliferation; however, to the best of our knowledge there are no reports regarding plant regeneration from cotyledonary nodes of P. caerulea. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the potential of two different types of explants (shoot tips and cotyledonary nodes) to obtain shoot multiplication of P. caerulea. Various concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) (0.5, 1, and 1.5 mg/l), 6-furfurylaminopurine (kinetin, KIN) (1 and 2 mg/l), and thidiazuron (TDZ) (0.25, 0.5, and 1 mg/l) in combination with indole butyric acid (IBA) were used in a completely randomized design, in three replications. The results showed that the highest percentage of regeneration frequency (90%) and a maximum number of shoots (8.86) in cotyledonary node explants were obtained on MS medium supplemented with 1.5 mg/l BAP along with 0.15 mg/l IBA. Furthermore, in the shoot tip explants, the percentage of regeneration rate (96.66%) and the highest number of shoots (9.86) were obtained in the above-mentioned medium. In rooting experiments, the maximum rooting percentage (90%) was obtained on MS medium containing 1 mg/l IBA. In vitro-raised plantlets were placed in pots and were stored in soil under room temperature for 20 to 30 days before planting, and it showed more than 90% survival rate. Based on our results, the protocol described in this study has a high potential to be used in the micropropagation of this valuable plant.
Drought tolerance studies in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum MILL.)

Drought tolerance studies in tomato were undertaken at K.R. C. College of Horticulture Arabhavi during 2003-2005. Initially, 50 tomato genotypes were screened for drought tolerance based on the per cent reduction in 0.4 over 1.2 IW/CPE for biophysical, biochemical and morphological characters. Based on the 1 st year results 11 genotypes consisting of eight tolerant two susceptible and one check were selected for detailed investigation under stress with above traits in addition to root studies during second year. Results of pooled analysis indicated that, under the sever moisture stress of 0.4 IW/CPE ratio, higher yield was noticed in the genotype S-22 (40.43 t.ha -1 ) as compared to susceptible genotype L-28 (17.88 t.ha -1 ). Least per cent reduction in yield per plant at 0.4 over 1.2 IW/CPE ratio was found in the genotype L-38-1 (11.45%) whereas maximum yield reduction was observed in the genotype L-28 (67.18%). Biomass production was significantly higher in the genotypes L-10 (P), S-22 and L-30 at all the growth stages as compared to local check Arka Meghali and other susceptible genotypes. Among the biochemical traits, chlorophyll ‘a’ and proline content was maximum in the genotype L 10 (P) whereas, chlorophyll b total chlorophyll and ascorbic acid content were higher in the genotype L-30. TSS content was more in the genotype GK-3 while lycopene was higher in IIHR 2274. Number of pubescence on adaxial and abaxial surface was significantly higher in the L-30. Significantly higher root to shoot ratio, root length and root density at 45 DAT, including higher pollen viability at 30 0 C in the drought tolerant genotype IIHR 2274. However, maximum pollen viability at 25 0 C was recorded in the genotype L-30 and at 35 0 C it was in the genotype L-40-1. Hence, considering pollen viability, biochemical, growth, yield and quality parameters it can be inferred that genotypes S-22, L-10 (P), L-40-3, IIHR 2274, L-38-1 and L-30 performed better under drought conditions and could be catagorised as drought tolerant genotypes compared to genotypes L-17 and L-28.
Herbaceous competition and browsing may induce arrested succession in central European forests

Arrested succession, that is, an ecosystem permanently halted in an early successional, typically non‐forested state, has been suggested to result from intense competition by understorey vegetation, high browsing pressure and additional disturbances, but the relative importance of these factors is unclear. In addition, distinguishing between permanently arrested succession or merely delayed succession may be highly challenging, if not impossible, due to the large time‐scales involved. We used the dynamic vegetation model LandClim to systematically explore the effect of multiple factors on delayed and arrested succession over a time span of 1,000 years, starting from an unforested state. We included abiotic and biotic factors as well as large‐scale overstorey disturbance, in four Central European landscapes. Arrested succession occurred in 1%–14% of the simulations. Among the non‐arrested simulations, 95% reached a forested state (defined as ≥10% canopy cover) within 100 years. Large herbaceous biomass was the most important predictor for arrested succession, followed by browsing and large‐scale disturbances. Combinations of factors were important at particular locations in the landscape, where understorey competition and browsing jointly induced a strong establishment filter. Abiotic conditions consistently influenced the probability of arrested succession, with a low probability under mesic conditions and increased likelihood in more xeric parts of the landscapes. Synthesis. We demonstrated that permanently arrested succession has the potential to occur in temperate forests, particularly under a combination of high amounts of herbaceous biomass and ungulate browsing in drought‐constrained landscape positions. We thus conclude that considering environmental heterogeneity at the landscape scale is key for understanding the conditions that lead to delayed and arrested succession.
Promotion of Vegetative Growth in Force-ventilated Protea cynaroides L. Explants Cultured in Modified Temporary Immersion Culture Vessels

Temporary immersion culture vessels were modiﬁed to culture Protea cynaroides L. microshoots on semisolid growth medium. The effects of different ventilation treatments and sucrose concentrations on the vegetative growth and physiological characteristics of P. cynaroides L. microshoots were investigated. Three ventilation treatments were used: microshoots were either ventilated naturally or forced ventilated for 2 minutes/2 hours or 2 minutes/4 hours. In addition, two sucrose concentrations were used in the growth medium: 30 and 10 g · L L 1 . Signiﬁcant interaction effects were found between ventilation and sucrose in the number of shoots formed. When cultured on growth medium with 10 g · L L 1 sucrose, microshoots force-ventilated for 2 minutes/2 hours produced signiﬁcantly higher number of shoots than those naturally ventilated or force-ventilated for 2 minutes/4 hours. In the 30 g · L L 1 sucrose treatment, no signiﬁcant differences in shoot numbers were observed among all ventilation treatments. The highest leaf areas were found in microshoots cultured in the 2 minutes/4 hours forced ventilation treatment, which were signiﬁcantly higher than microshoots in the other ventilation treatments, irrespective of the sucrose concentration. Chlorophyll content was signiﬁcantly higher in leaves of microshoots that were cultured in 30 g · L L 1 sucrose compared with those grown in 10 g · L L 1 sucrose in all ventilation treatments. Analysis of chlorophyll P. microshoots. temporary immersion a forced P. cynaroides microshoots their introduces a simple novel temporary immersion systems into force ventilation systems.
Studies on the molecular underpinnings of sex determination mechanism evolution and molecular sexing tools in turtles

Sex determination mechanisms (SDMs) direct the development of individuals towards a male or female fate, and in vertebrates they are typically controlled by an individual’s genotypic content (genotypic sex determination, GSD) or through an environmental cue experienced during development, mainly temperature (temperaturedependent sex determination, TSD). Among vertebrates, SDMs are surprisingly labile, transitioning between different forms of TSD and GSD in some lineages more than others. Turtles represent a model clade to study SDM evolution, as multiple independent transitions between TSD and GSD have occurred throughout their evolution and a growing number of genomic datasets have become available. This dissertation examines the molecular underpinnings of SDM evolution in turtles while also providing tools that enable studies of sex determination across taxa and of sexspecific traits. In Chapter 2, I examine the molecular evolution of a suite of vertebrate sex determining genes in turtles, contrasting their evolutionary rates to those of other major vertebrate clades and also among turtle lineages. Furthermore, I compare the evolutionary rates of turtle lineages which have undergone SDM transitions versus those that have not. I then compare the relative evolutionary rates of turtles that have transitioned from TSD-toGSD against lineages which have possibly transitioned from GSD-to-TSD. Finally, I discuss amino acid substitutions which occur in the functional domains of key sex determining genes along transitional branches, providing targets for future research. In Chapter 3, I present an analytical pipeline which can diagnose sex with 100% accuracy in the ZZ/ZW spiny softshell turtle Apalone spinifera by leveraging a previously described sex-biased copy number
Influence of nitrogen fertilizer forms and crop straw biochars on soil exchange properties and maize growth on an acidic Ultisol

ABSTRACT Effects of repeated application of urea (UN) and calcium nitrate (CN) singly and together with crop straw biochars on soil acidity and maize growth were investigated with greenhouse pot experiments for two consecutive seasons. Canola straw biochar (CB), peanut straw biochar (PB) and wheat straw biochar (WB) were applied at 1% of dried soil weight in the first season. N fertilizers were applied at 200 mg N kg−1. In UN treatments, an initial rise in pH was subjected to proton consumption through urea hydrolysis, afterwards nitrification of NH4+ caused drastic reductions in pH as single UN had soil pH of 3.70, even lower than control (4.27) after the 2nd crop season. Post-harvest soil analyses indicated that soil pH, soil exchangeable acidity, NH4+, NO3− and total base cations showed highly significant variation under N and biochar types (P < 0.05). Articulated growth of plants under combined application with biochars was expressed by 22.7%, 22.5%, and 35.7% higher root and 25.6%, 23.8%, and 35.9% higher shoot biomass by CB, PB and WB combined with CN over UN, respectively. Therefore, CN combined with biochars is a better choice to correct soil acidity and improve maize growth than UN combined with biochars.
Forest cover influences occurrence of mammalian carnivores within Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Habitat fragmentation reduces biodiversity and affects ecological processes that are fundamental for maintaining ecosystem services. We investigated how landscape structure—percent forest cover, patch density, percent cover by edge, perimeter-area ratio, and spatial heterogeneity—affects the diversity of mammalian carnivores at multiple extents within 22 Atlantic Forest landscapes. We hypothesized that 1) species richness of carnivores is positively related to forest cover; and 2) the occurrence of species will vary according to its sensitivity to forest loss and its preference for forest or open areas. Species richness, composition, and occurrence of mammalian carnivores were correlated with several landscape structure metrics. Due to a high correlation among the metrics, we adopted forest cover as the principal predictor variable. We compared a forest cover model to a null model using Akaike Information Criterion (AICc), and evaluated other fragmentation metrics using a redundancy analysis. Carnivore species richness was positively related to forest cover and negatively associated with other fragmentation metrics. However, the responses to landscape structure differed among species, possibly due to their differences in habitat use. Landscape configuration is an important factor influencing carnivore species composition. Forest cover can explain some, but not all, carnivore species occurrence. Our results reinforce the protection of forests as fundamental to the conservation of carnivore species and the ecological processes in which they participate.
Concentrations of Silver Nitrate in the In Vitro Development and Conservation of Passiflora gibertii N. E. Brown

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of silver nitrate in the in vitro development and conservation of passion fruit plants. Experiments were carried out at the Laboratory of Culture and Tissues, in the National Cassava and Fruits Research Center (EMBRAPA), using microcuttings of Passiflora gibertii N. E. Br. , previously cultivated in vitro. The microcuttings were placed in MS media supplemented with silver nitrate at concentrations of 0, 1, 2, 4 and 8 mg·L-1, and, during 30, 60 and 90 days, the following variables were identified: Shooting length (cm), number of roots, number and coloration of leaves. A completely randomized design with 30 replications in a split-plot scheme was employed. Polynomial regression equations were adjusted in analysis of variance to compare averages of treatments. The obtained results support the assumption of high sensitivity of passion fruit tissues to ethylene, which reflects in the lost of vigor and in the induction of culture senescence by its accumulation. Based on obtained results, and in order to mitigate this problem, it is possible to indicate an addition of 2 mg·L-1 of silver nitrate in culture media, for the micropropagation of passion fruit plant, allowing the controlling of the atmosphere inside the culture test tubes, during the establishment of explants and other steps of the process.