Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Fire, Competition and Soil Disturbances on Regeneration of a Carnivorous Plant (Drosera capillaris)

Abstract Although chronically low soil fertility is widely recognized as an important selection pressure on carnivorous plants, the effects of other potentially important selection pressures, such as natural disturbances, have largely been ignored. In this study, I examined the effects of fire and removal of live plants and litter on seedling establishment of Drosera capillaris (pink sundew), a small insectivorous plant common to wet, nutrient-poor pine savannas of the southeastern United States. I also examined the effects of soil disturbances associated with crayfish burrows on mortality. Fires occurring during the winter of 1996/1997 increased the density, growth and establishment of seedlings during the growing season of 1997. In addition to fires, local removal of established plants and their associated litter greatly increased seedling density and growth within savannas. The proportion of rosettes that flowered at sites not burned recently (>1 year before) was nearly twice that at sites burned more recently (<1 year before; 0.183 vs. 0.107, respectively). Between May and August of 1997, mortality of sundews at recently-burned sites resulted in nearly equivalent densities at all sites by August 1997. Most of this mortality was caused by burial by shifting sediment associated with erosion of crayfish chimneys, rather than by competition from resprouting vegetation. Smaller rosettes were disproportionately buried by sediment and killed. These results suggest that frequent burial of sundews, with its disproportionate effects on juvenile mortality, selects for rapid growth and establishment. I hypothesize that fire and carnivory permit rapid growth of juveniles and facilitate establishment of sundews in nutrient-poor wet savannas.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MORPHOLOGICAL ADAPTATION TO GRAZING, CARBON BALANCE AND WATERLOGGING TOLERANCE IN CLONES OF DACTYLIS GLOMERATA L.

Summary Clonally-propagated individuals of Dactylis glomerata L. derived from two contrasted habitats, respectively, moist soil with no grazing and drought-prone soil under intense grazing, were tested for tolerance of waterlogging in soil culture. The clone of dry soil unexpectedly proved much more tolerant than the clone of moist soil. Measurements of 24 populations of D. glomerate grown in an experimental garden showed that the grazing pressure in the original habitat is reflected very strongly in the morphology of the garden-grown plants. Adaptation to grazing comprises a short and narrow-leaved, prolific tillering habit with production of very short inflorescences. Heavy grazing, or the cutting regime imposed in the waterlogging trial, is likely to do more damage to the upright, long-leaved morphs of the ungrazed site. Measurements of carbon balance in intact plants and in defoliated tillers support this interpretation and also suggest that the larger oxygen consumption of the massive leaf bases of the ungrazed form might limit root penetration in oxygen deficient conditions. The greater length of roots in the dry soil clone is also discussed as a possible adaptation to water shortage in its cliff ledge habitat.
A Pilot Study on Auditory Brainstem Response Evoked with Randomized Stimulation Rate

Comparing with pure tone audiometry which is recognized as the gold standard in clinical hearing assessments, auditory brainstem response (ABR) that is a kind of electric brain activity evoked by acoustic stimuli can achieve objective hearing screening without the needs of patients' response. However, the traditionally used click approach generates relatively poor ABR waveforms for high stimulation rates, due to the contamination of the auditory evoked potentials (AEP) during the averaging of epochs. To resolve this issue, this study proposed a randomized stimulate rate (RSR) method to mitigate interferences from AEP via the introduction of a random interval between two consecutive stimuli. The performance of the method was compared with the commonly used fixed-rate method and the swept tone method. Results showed that the ABR waveform of the proposed method was rather consistent with that of the commonly applied fixed-rate click method for low stimulation rate, but showed significantly better waveform differentiation for high stimulation rate. Moreover, the proposed RSR method showed comparable performance when compared with the swept tone method under different stimulus levels. The findings of this study would potentially improve the reliability of the existing methods to aid a more accurate hearing loss screening and diagnosis.
Assessment and Calibration of Wearable Heart Rate Sensors Using a Fully Automated System

Heart Rate (HR) monitors have become pervasive tools, with a great impact on fitness as well as on healthcare. The development of smart wearable systems to monitor physiological parameters addresses the need to manage real-time data for both personal and medical needs. Therefore, it is fundamental to assess and improve the reliability of these devices in HR measurement. The objective of this study was to evaluate the overall performance of a commercial chest-strap HR monitor and perform a calibration procedure. A DAQ-based system was developed to acquire and process raw signals from the sensor. When tested using a highly stable generated ECG signal, the device showed very small measurements errors with low standard deviation, granting high accuracy and good performance that improved even more after calibrating it.
Use of training with BCI (Brain Computer Interface) in the management of impulsivity.

Impulsivity represents one of the risk factors strongly related to dependent behavior in subjects with a diagnosis of substance dependence. The risk appetite, in particular, represents a construct connected with other components such as jumping to conclusion and risk taking.There are several forms of treatment used with subjects who have problems related to impulsivity. A good part of these is aimed at subjects with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), in the form of training or exercises implemented on software. This work aims to evaluate the use of training for concentration, attention and meditation on reducing risk appetite. The experimental design, of a pre-post type, involves assessing the risk appetite before and after training, to be carried out in six sessions over two weeks. The comparison between the experimental group and the control groups showed significant efficacy in reducing the levels of impulsivity in subjects with addiction.This work represents a pilot study on the possible use of meditation, concentration, and training exercises and demonstrates how these can be considered as excellent forms of training for the reduction of impulsiveness and risk appetite, showing their feasibility in the contexts of intervention and cure for addictions.
Centralized vs Decentralized Targeted Brute-Force Attacks: Guessing With Side-Information

According to recent empirical studies, a majority of users have the same, or very similar, passwords across multiple password-secured online services. This practice can have disastrous consequences, as one password being compromised puts all the other accounts at much higher risk. Generally, an adversary may use any side-information he/she possesses about the user, be it demographic information, password reuse on a previously compromised account, or any other relevant information to devise a better brute-force strategy (so called targeted attack). In this work, we consider a distributed brute-force attack scenario in which <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$m$ </tex-math></inline-formula> adversaries, each observing some side information, attempt breaching a password secured system. We compare two strategies: an uncoordinated attack in which the adversaries query the system based on their own side-information until they find the correct password, and a fully coordinated attack in which the adversaries pool their side-information and query the system together. For passwords X of length <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$n$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, generated independently and identically from a distribution <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$P_{X}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, we establish an asymptotic closed-form expression for the uncoordinated and coordinated strategies when the side-information <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathrm {Y}_{(m)}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> are generated independently from passing X through a memoryless channel <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$P_{Y|X}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, as the length of the password <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$n$ </tex-math></inline-formula> goes to infinity. We illustrate our results for binary symmetric channels and binary erasure channels, two families of side-information channels which model password reuse. We demonstrate that two coordinated agents perform asymptotically better than any finite number of uncoordinated agents for these channels, meaning that sharing side-information is very valuable in distributed attacks.
Geologic and Biologic Controls on the Evolution of Reefs

The shallow, tropical reef environment differs from other marine environments in its more intense competition for space, more limited nutrient concentrations, proliferation of clonal animals, and greater habitat complexity. The evolutionary consequences of these ecologic peculiarities are still poorly understood, but they seem to cause greater turnover rates of reef taxa than nonreef taxa and an especially volatile record of reefs on geologic timescales. The boom and bust pattern of Phanerozoic reef construction is impossible to explain by linear responses to physicochemical changes. Threshold effects appear to be involved not only in reef crises but also in reef expansions. Long-term climate change seems to influence the biotic composition of reefs, but neither climate nor sea-level nor chemical changes in the oceans can elucidate the waxing and waning of reefs. Biological factors affecting spatial competition are thus probably more important than geologic controls on reef evolution.
Measurement of leaf epidermal transmittance of UV radiation by chlorophyll fluorescence

In higher plants one of the important functions of the leaf epidermis is the effective screening of ultraviolet-B (280–320 nm, UV-B) radiation, due mostly to phenolic compounds. The assessment of the contribution of this function is necessary for an evaluation of the impact of increasing UV-B radiation. A method is proposed to estimate epidermal transmittance on the basis of chlorophyll fluorescence measurements. Fluorescence of chlorophyll induced by UV-A (320–400 nm, measuring beam centered at 366 nm, half band width 32 nm) or UV-B (measuring beam centered at 314 nm, half band width 18 nm) is compared to that induced by a blue-green measuring light (475 nm, half band width 140 nm). It is shown that the ratios of UV-and blue-green (BG)-induced fluorescence, F(UV-A)/F(BG) and F(UV-B)/F(BG), are relatively constant among leaf samples of various species (Vicia faba, Spinacia oleracea, Rumex scutatus) from which the epidermis was removed. In epidermis-free leaves no significant differences were found between adaxial and abaxial leaf sides, suggesting that leaf structure has negligible influence on the F(UV)/F(BG) ratios. On the other hand, fluorescence excitation ratios varied over a vast range when intact leaves from different species and habitats were investigated. Ratios were low in sun leaves and relatively high in shade- and greenhouse-grown leaves. By relating these results to those obtained with epidermis-free leaves, epidermal transmittances for UV-B radiation could be estimated, with values ranging between 1 and 45%. The data demonstrate a large adaptability of epidermal UV-A and UV-B transmittance in higher plants. The proposed method may prove a versatile and relatively simple tool for investigating epidermal UV transmittance complementing established methods.
Mating type, mefenoxam sensitivity, and pathotype diversity in Phytophthora infestans isolates from tomato in Brazil

The objective of this work was to characterize 79 Phytophthora infestans isolates collected in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fields, as to mating type, mefenoxam sensitivity, and pathotype composition. The isolates were sampled in 2006 and 2007 in seven Brazilian states as well as in the Distrito Federal. They were characterised as to mating type (n=79), sensitivity to fungicide mefenoxam (n=79), and virulence to three major resistance genes Ph‑1, Ph‑2, and Ph‑3/Ph‑4 (n=62). All isolates were of the mating type A1. Resistant isolates were detected in all sampled states, and its average frequency was superior to 50%. No difference was detected in pathotype diversity, neither between subpopulations collected in 2006 and 2007 nor between isolates grouped as resistant or intermediately sensitive to mefenoxam. All major resistance genes were overcome at different frequencies: Ph‑1, 88.7%; Ph‑2, 64.5%; and Ph‑3/Ph‑4, 25.8%. Isolates with virulence genes able to overcome all major resistance genes were detected at low frequencies. Tomato breeding programs in Brazil must avoid the development of cultivars with resistance based exclusively on major genes. Grupo de compatibilidade, sensibilidade ao mefenoxam e diversidade de patotipos de isolados de Phytophthora infestans de tomate no Brasil Resumo − O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar 79 isolados de Phytophthora infestans, coletados em campos de tomate (Solanum lycopersicum), quanto ao grupo de compatibilidade, a sensibilidade ao mefenoxan, e a diversidade de patotipos. Os isolados foram obtidos em coletas realizadas nos anos de 2006 e 2007, em sete Estados do Brasil e no Distrito Federal. Os isolados foram usados para determinacao do grupo de compatibilidade sexual (n=79), resistencia ao fungicida mefenoxam (n=79) e espectro de virulencia aos genes de efeito principal Ph‑1, Ph‑2 e Ph‑3/Ph‑4 (n=62). Todos os isolados foram classificados no grupo de compatibilidade A1. Isolados insensiveis ao fungicida mefenoxam foram detectados em todos os Estados amostrados, e apresentaram frequencia media superior a 50%. Nao houve diferenca de diversidade de patotipos entre as subpopulacoes coletadas em 2006 e 2007, e nem entre os isolados agrupados como resistentes ou intermediariamente sensiveis ao mefenoxam. Os genes de resistencia foram suplantados em diferentes frequencias: Ph‑1, 88,7%; Ph‑2, 64,5%; e Ph‑3/Ph‑4, 25,8%. Isolados complexos capazes de suplantar a resistencia dos quatro genes de resistencia foram encontrados em baixa frequencia. Programas de melhoramento de tomate no Brasil devem evitar o desenvolvimento de cultivares com resistencia baseada exclusivamente em genes de efeito principal. Termos para indexacao: Lycopersicon esculentum, Solanum lycopersicum, manejo de doencas, resistencia a fungicida, requeima, variabilidade do patogeno.
An Analysis of the Phylogenetic Relationships in the Wintergreen Group (Diplycosia, Gaultheria, Pernettya, Tepuia; Ericaceae)

Abstract Evolutionary relationships within the wintergreen group (Gaultheria, Pernettya, Diplycosia, and Tepuia) are poorly understood and little studied. This study analyzes molecular data (matK, nrITS, and atpB-rbcL spacer) from 34 representatives of the wintergreen group and 19 outgroups in order to determine the phylogenetic position of the wintergreen group within the “Andromedeae” and examine phylogenetic relationships among taxa currently placed in Gaultheria, Pernettya, and Diplycosia. Results show that the wintergreen group is monophyletic and is sister to a clade that contains Chamadaphne and Eubotrys. Gaultheria is likely paraphyletic, with both Pernettya and Diplycosia derived from within it. Pernettya, as sampled, is not monophyletic, P. tasmanica does not form a clade with other species of Pernettya. Diplycosia is monophyletic and sister to G. cumingiana. Although the matK analysis suggests that Tepuia may be sister to the clade containing Gaultheria, Pernettya, and Diplycosia, bootstrap support for this relationship is low and the position of Tepuia is unresolved in the combined analysis. Increased taxon sampling, especially in South East Asia, and more variable DNA regions are recommended for future phylogenetic studies in the wintergreen group. Communicating Editor: Matt Lavin
PLANT WATER STRESS AND ITS CONSEQUENCES FOR HERBIVOROUS INSECTS: A NEW SYNTHESIS

Traditionally, herbivorous insects are thought to exhibit enhanced performance and outbreak dynamics on water-stressed host plants due to induced changes in plant physiology. Recent experimental studies, however, provide mixed support for this historical view. To test the plant-stress hypothesis (PSH), we employed two methods (the traditional vote-counting approach and meta-analysis) to assess published studies that investigated insect responses to experimentally induced water-deficit in plants. For insects, we examined how water deficit affects survivorship, fecundity, density, relative growth rate, and oviposition preference. Responses were analyzed by major feeding guild (sap-feeding insects and chewing insects) and for the subguilds of sap-feeders (phloem, mesophyll, and xylem feeders) and chewing insects (free-living chewers, borers, leaf miners, and gall-formers). Both vote counting and meta-analysis found strong negative effects of water stress on the performance of sap-feeding insects at large and.
CGRP REGULATES THE ACTIVITY OF MANTLE CELLS AND HEMOCYTES IN ABALONE PRIMARY CELL CULTURES (HALIOTIS TUBERCULATA)

Abstract Mollusc shell formation requires calcium (Ca++) and bicarbonate (CO3 −) ions, transported through the mantle via the hemolymph, and the secretion of an organic matrix that interacts with the mineral ions to form either the aragonite or calcite polymorph of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). The biomineralization process takes place in the extrapallial space, between inner shell and outer mantle epithelium, and is believed to be under the control of calcium-binding proteins and hormonal factors such as calcitonin-related molecules (CGRP-like peptides). Epithelial cells from the mantle are responsible from the secretion of matrix molecules whereas hemocytes are involved in ion transportation during shell formation and regeneration. To understand the biochemical and cellular events implied in the biomineralization process, we developed primary cell cultures from the nacreous gastropod Haliotis tuberculata. Mantle cells as well as hemocyte cell cultures were successfully maintained in vitro and evaluated for their viability and proliferation using semiautomated assays. The effect of calcitonin-related molecules (h-CGRP) on cellular activity and proliferation was evaluated in those primary cell cultures. The results indicate that human-CGRP modulates the activity of both mantle cells and hemocytes and increases carbonic anhydrase activity in vitro. These results are consistent with those obtained in vivo, supporting the hypothesis that CGRP-like molecules control the activity of target cells involved in the biomineralization process.
Evolutionary implications of bite mechanics and feeding ecology in bears

Bite forces (BFs) based on a dry skull static model were computed for 122 specimens of all eight species of extant ursids. It was found that the giant panda has high BFs for its body size, and large moment arms about the temporomandibular joint, both muscle inlever moment arms and outlever moment arms to the carnassial and canine. The insectivorous sloth bear and to some extent the omnivorous black bears were the opposite. The small sun bear has very large canines and high BFs, which are not well understood, but could potentially be related to its frequent opening of tropical hardwood trees in pursuit of insects. Force profiles along the lower jaw revealed significant differences among the various species, both related to diet and inferred applied BFs. The panda is the only specialized ursid with respect to craniodental morphology and BFs, but is still unspecialized for herbivory compared with other large, herbivorous mammals, probably owing to a rather short evolutionary history, but possibly its morphology is constrained by genealogy. The low BFs in the sloth bear and its mandibular force profiles are derived for a diet of insects and fruit, requiring only low BFs and largely dorsoventral bite moments. In contrast, the unspecialized morphology and moderate BFs relative to body size of the polar bear and spectacled bear are probably also a result of a short evolutionary history.
A revision of the genus Tamgrinia (Araneae : Amaurobiidae), with notes on amaurobiid spinnerets, tracheae and trichobothria

The spider genus Tamgrinia Lehtinen, 1967 currently includes three species from western China and the East Sikkim region of India: T. alveolifer (Schenkel, 1936), T. laticeps (Schenkel, 1936), and T. chhanguensis (Tikader, 1970). In this paper, two additional species are recognised: T. coelotiformis (Schenkel, 1963), which is removed from the synonymy of T. laticeps, and T. tulugouensis, sp. nov. The species Amaurobius potanini Schenkel, 1963 is newly synonymised with T. laticeps rather than with T. alveolifer. Both males and females of T. laticeps are described. The original female of T. laticeps described by Schenkel in 1963 is shown to be a species of the coelotine genus Paracoelotes Brignoli, 1982. A key to the species is provided. The spinneret, tracheae, and trichobothria morphology of the family Amaurobiidae are also described using representatives of eight genera from four of the five amaurobiid subfamilies. The sister-group relationship between Tamgrinia and Taira Lehtinen, 1967, and the subfamilial placement of the genus Tamgrinia are questioned.
Effect of Drip-Applied Herbicides on Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) in Plasticulture

Abstract Greenhouse and field studies were conducted to determine the effect of halosulfuron, imazosulfuron, and trifloxysulfuron applied through drip irrigation on yellow nutsedge. In greenhouse studies, yellow nutsedge control by halosulfuron, imazosulfuron, and trifloxysulfuron was greater (69 to 91%) than the nontreated control (0%). Yellow nutsedge treated with halosulfuron POST had a lower photosynthetic rate (0.6 to 22.6 µmol m−2 s−1) at 4, 7, and 14 d after treatment than the nontreated control (3.3 to 26.2 µmol m−2 s−1). Yellow nutsedge treated with trifloxysulfuron had lower photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance than the nontreated plants. In field studies at Clinton, NC, yellow nutsedge density increased from treatment (day 0) to 56 d after treatment in all treatments. Increase in yellow nutsedge density was 72 and 95% in drip-applied halosulfuron and imazosulfuron treatments compared with yellow nutsedge density increases of 876% for the same period in the nontreated plots. Yellow nutsedge density increased 69 and 57% at Clinton and Kinston, NC, respectively, in the drip-applied 15 g ha−1 trifloxysulfuron treatment compared with 876% in the nontreated control. In field studies at Clinton and Kinston, NC, suppression of yellow nutsedge emergence in POST and drip-applied herbicide treatments was similar. Emergence of yellow nutsedge was similar in the imazosulfuron POST and the nontreated yellow nutsedge. Based on these studies, drip-applied herbicides may be beneficial as a part of a yellow nutsedge control program, but additional measures, such as a POST herbicide, would be needed for effective control. Drip-applied herbicides may give growers an option for herbicide application after drip irrigation tape and polyethylene mulch have been installed in the current vegetable crops. This application method would also allow herbicide treatment under plastic mulch used for multicropping systems. Nomenclature: Halosulfuron; imazosulfuron; trifloxysulfuron; yellow nutsedge, Cyperus esculentus L.