Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of reproductive status, magnetic field exposure and photoperiod on temporal organization in air-gulping activity in Clarias batrachus

The present study examined effects of pulsed magnetic field exposure (daily one hour magnetic field exposure at two times, 08:00–09:00 h and 16:00–17:00 h, 4000 Gauss) and continuous magnetic field exposure (4000 Gauss) for 30 days under LD (12:12), LL, and DD on temporal organization in air gulping activity in Indian freshwater catfish, Clarias batrachus, during different phases of its annual reproductive cycle. The air-gulping activity was monitored manually for about 15 minutes at four time-points (08:00 h, 12:00 h, 14:00 h, and 16:00 h) in each group. Time of day, photoperiod and magnetic field exposure all produced statistically significant effects on air-gulping activity during different phases of the annual reproductive cycle, excluding the spawning phase. The changes due to magnetic field exposure did not depend upon photoperiod. During most of the phases of the reproductive cycle, an increase or decrease in air-gulping activity was observed under DD and LL, respectively. It is concluded that air-gulping activity in C. batrachus exhibits daily variation, and that magnetic field exposure and photoperiod both produce modulatory effects on such activity.
TGF‐β‐induced cell‐cycle arrest through the p21WAF1/CIP1‐G1 cyclin/Cdks‐p130 pathway in gastric‐carcinoma cells

Transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β) inhibits cell‐cycle progression of many types of cells by arresting them in G1/S phase through inhibition of the active cyclin‐Cdk complexes that lead to inhibition of Rb phosphorylation. In gastric‐cancer cells, SNU16, TGF‐β treatment induced enhanced expression of p21WAF1/CIP1 (p21), which inhibited the kinase activity of cyclin‐D‐ and cyclin‐E‐associated Cdks and blocked p130 phosphorylation. TGF‐β also enhanced the stability of p130, suggesting that hypophosphorylation of p130 and increased stability of p130 contribute to p130‐mediated G1 arrest in gastric‐cancer cells. Our results demonstrate that p21 and p130 are major downstream targets of TGF‐β in gastric‐cancer cells and that a p21‐G1 cyclin/Cdks‐p130/E2F pathway mediates growth inhibition by TGF‐β in these cells. Int. J. Cancer 83:512–517, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Leaf litter effect on plant species composition of deciduous forest treefall pits

In deciduous forests of central New York, treefall pits have rich soil, but low plant species richness. To test whether leaf litter limited species distributions, we removed litter in 10 randomly chosen pits in 1983 and compared them with controls over 3 years. Wire cages prevented litter accumulation in experimental plots. By year 1 (1984) litterless pits were significantly warmer and less moist than controls. From years 1 to 3 the average Coefficient of Community (CC) index between experimental mounds and pits increased 10-fold. No changes occurred in controls. Species composition of experimental pits became different from the controls. Species richness increased in litterless pits, with no change in other plots. Experimental and control mounds were similar in species composition all years, indicating no effect of the cage. Species responses to litter removal included: (i) enhanced germination, (ii) establishment, and (or) (iii) no change. All herbs showing increased germination or establishment were sp.
Controls on water balance of shallow thermokarst lakes and their relations with catchment characteristics: a multi‐year, landscape‐scale assessment based on water isotope tracers and remote sensing in Old Crow Flats, Yukon (Canada)

Many northern lake‐rich regions are undergoing pronounced hydrological change, yet inadequate knowledge of the drivers of these landscape‐scale responses hampers our ability to predict future conditions. We address this challenge in the thermokarst landscape of Old Crow Flats (OCF) using a combination of remote sensing imagery and monitoring of stable isotope compositions of lake waters over three thaw seasons (2007–2009). Quantitative analysis confirmed that the hydrological behavior of lakes is strongly influenced by catchment vegetation and physiography. Catchments of snowmelt‐dominated lakes, typically located in southern peripheral areas of OCF, encompass high proportions of woodland/forest and tall shrub vegetation (mean percent land cover = ca. 60%). These land cover types effectively capture snow and generate abundant snowmelt runoff that offsets lake water evaporation. Rainfall‐dominated lakes that are not strongly influenced by evaporation are typically located in eastern and northern OCF where their catchments have higher proportions of dwarf shrub/herbaceous and sparse vegetation (ca. 45%), as well as surface water (ca. 20%). Evaporation‐dominated lakes, are located in the OCF interior where their catchments are distinguished by substantially higher lake area to catchment area ratios (LA/CA = ca. 29%) compared to low evaporation‐influenced rainfall‐dominated (ca. 10%) and snowmelt‐dominated (ca. 4%) lakes. Lakes whose catchments contain >75% combined dwarf shrub/herbaceous vegetation and surface water are most susceptible to evaporative lake‐level drawdown, especially following periods of low precipitation. Findings indicate that multiple hydrological trajectories are probable in response to climate‐driven changes in precipitation amount and seasonality, vegetation composition, and thermokarst processes. These will likely include a shift to greater snowmelt influence in catchments experiencing expansion of tall shrubs, greater influence from evaporation in catchments having higher proportions of surface water, and an increase in the rate of thermokarst lake expansion and probability of drainage. Local observations suggest that some of these changes are already underway.
Changes in white pine blister rust infection and mortality in limber pine over time

Limber pine (Pinus flexilis E. James) is under threat from white pine blister rust (WPBR), mountain pine beetle, drought, and fire suppression across its range in western North America. In 2003–2004, we established 85 plots to assess the mortality and incidence of WPBR on limber pine, and remeasured them in 2009. Infection was evident in 74% of the plots in 2003–2004 and 88% of the plots in 2009. The proportion of dead trees increased from 32% in 2003–2004 to 35% in 2009. The percentage of live trees infected increased from 33% in 2003–2004 to 43% in 2009. Mean live limber pine basal area in 2009 ranged from 0.03 to 77.8 m2/ha per plot. Twenty (24%) of the plots had no seedlings in the first measurement, but only 15% in the second measurement. Seedling infection was low (8% in 2003–2004 and 4% in 2009). In 12 plots that were measured three times, mortality increased from 30% of all trees in 1996 to 50% in 2003, then decreased to 46% in 2009. Infection decreased from 73% of live trees in 1996 to 46% in 200.
Genetic Diversity and Dispersal Potential of the Stonefly Dinocras cephalotes in a Central European Low Mountain Range

Abstract: Aquatic insects are widely used as indicator taxa to assess the ecological state of streams and to evaluate the success of stream restoration projects. Information on intraspecific genetic diversity and population connectivity is often lacking for such indicator taxa. However, these parameters are of critical importance for restoration plans and conservation management because: 1) species sometimes consist of several cryptic species and 2) species can recolonize only those restored habitats within a reachable distance from their source populations. Gene flow generally cannot be observed directly, and molecular markers provide a reasonable alternative to assess the dispersal potential and evaluate species' genetic diversity. We investigated the genetic diversity and dispersal potential of the predatory stonefly Dinocras cephalotes using 323 specimens from 29 populations in the Sauerland, a low mountain range in Germany. We used a 658 base pair (bp) fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI) and found 2 distinct and diverse haplotype groups, which were shared across most populations. The groups were separated by a minimum intraspecific P-distance of 4.3%, suggesting historic isolation and possible presence of cryptic species. However, complementing analyses of the nuclear Wingless gene and 3 newly developed microsatellite markers clearly showed that individuals from both COI haplotype groups are interbreeding, and therefore, D. cephalotes is considered a single valid species. Population comparisons indicated high connectivity among all populations, with only a few individual populations showing signatures of isolation. Based on the molecular data, we conclude that dispersal is primarily achieved by the adult females of D. cephalotes.
The homopurine–homopyrimidine DNA sequence flanking the thyroglobulin gene does not behave as a transcriptional diode in living cells

: Homopurine–homopyrimidine DNA sequences are found at higher than expected frequency around gene promoters in mammalian genomes. They were reported to act as a transcriptional diode in in vitro assays, as only the homopurine DNA strand was transcribed. We show here that the homopurine–homopyrimidine upstream element of the thyroglobulin gene promoter is able to reduce transcription initiated from different promoters, both on transiently transfected plasmids or when integrated into the genome of rat thyroid cells. In living cells, this homopurine–homopyrimidine sequence inhibits transcription of both DNA strands.
Gender representation on Canadian forest sector advisory committees

This paper presents a gender-based analysis of a national survey of 102 Canadian forest sector advisory committees. We consider both nominal and effective participation of participants and pay particular attention to how participants gained access to committees, what values they held, and what kinds of experiences they reported. Our analysis revealed that women comprise less than 20 percent of the membership of advisory committees, they hold significantly different values, and they rate their experiences less favourably than men. Consequently, exclusion of women has likely reinforced a timber extraction bias and has restricted women's contributions to advancing the aims of sustainable forestry. Key words: forest sector advisory committees, gender, public participation, forestry
Biometerical study on foetal spleen of Indian buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

The present study was conducted on buffalo foetuses (15) from 5.0-11.06 em crown rump length (CRL) to study the morphogenesis and biometry of spleen during prenatal development. The spleen was observed at dorsolateral aspect of fore aspect of forestomach. The colour of foetal spleen was creamish during initial development and changed to dark red during terminal stages. The gross dimensions of spleen i.e. weight, length, breadth and volume of spleen increased with progression offaetal age. There was remarkable increase after mid gestation.
Physicochemical properties of sweetpotato starch

Sweetpotato starch is high-yielding, but has limited development and uses. In this study, physicochemical properties of sweetpotato starch from 11 representative genotypes with diverse geographic origins in China were characterized and showed wide variations. Apparent amylose contents measured by iodine binding ranged from 23.3 to 26.5%, by gel permeation chromatography after debranching from 17.5 to 23.9%, and true amylose content by concanavalin A binding from 15.9 to 22.5%. In vitro digestibility varied from 29.5 to 41.2%. Swelling power and water solubility index were highly correlated (r2 = 0.88). Gelatinization peak temperature and enthalpy ranged from 75.4 to 79.7°C, and 7.6 to 13.6 J/g, respectively. Pasting peak and cold paste viscosities varied from 268 to 469 RVU, and 170 to 284 RVU. Amylose contents were highly correlated to digestibility, pasting, and thermal parameters.
Competition between roots and soil micro‐organisms for nutrients from nitrogen‐rich patches of varying complexity

1 We used Lolium perenne plants grown in microcosms to investigate the responses of root demography, plant N capture, soil fauna populations and microbial community profiles to five organic patches containing the same amount of N but differing in their chemical and physical complexity and C : N ratio. All patches were dual labelled with 15N/13C. Control patches contained the background sand : soil mix only.
Beech bark disease: spatial patterns of thicket formation and disease spread in an aftermath forest in the northeastern United States

Beech bark disease (BBD) has affected the composition, structure, and function of forests containing a significant proportion of American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) across North America. BBD spread has been investigated at landscape and regional scales, but few studies have examined spatial patterns of disease severity and spread within stands where forest management mitigation measures can be implemented. We analyzed changes in forest composition between 1985 and 2009 and fine-scale spatial patterns of BBD between 2000 and 2009 in a ∼2 ha northern hardwood stand in the Adirondack Mountains of New York using location and disease severity of beech trees. A bivariate point pattern analysis was implemented to examine spatial patterns of beech thicket formation and BBD spread to beech saplings. Abundance of beech saplings increased near highly diseased canopy beech trees and around dead beech and sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.). Disease severity of beech saplings was highest in close proximity to hig.
EFFECTS OF AVIAN PREDATION ON GRASSHOPPER POPULATIONS IN NORTH DAKOTA GRASSLANDS

We experimentally studied the effects of avian predation on grasshopper abundance in western North Dakota during the summers of 1988 and 1989. Grasshopper densities in 15 x 15 m plots from which birds were excluded (NO BIRDS) were compared with similar-sized plots where birds were allowed to forage (BIRDS). Plots were established in early June at 16 sites (8 per year), and grasshopper densities were estimated from hoop counts in NO BIRDS and BIRDS plots at 2-wk intervals until the end of July. There were significantly more grasshoppers in NO BIRDS plots than in BIRDS plots in 1989 (P .388). After the final hoop count each year, sweep-net sampling was also used to estimate grasshopper densities. By this method, average grasshopper density in late July was 26% and 37% lower in BIRDS plots than in NO BIRDS plots in 1988 and 1989, respectively. Average length, total biomass of grasshoppers, species richness, and species diversity, however, did not differ between the treatments. In 1988, 2 of 15 grasshopper species were significantly more abundant in the NO BIRDS plots. There was no difference between the treatments among 16 species identified in the 1989 samples, but the power of our tests to detect differences for individual species was low. Our results support the hypothesis that avian predation reduces insect populations at low and moderate densities.
Relationships within the Australo-Papuan Fairy-wrens (Aves : Malurinae) : an Evaluation of the Utility of Allozyme Data

Allozyme variation at 39 presumptive loci was screened across 180 specimens representing 18 species of Australo-Papuan fairy-wrens (Maluridae). The results identified two major clusters within Malurus. One comprised M. cyaneus, M. splendens, M. coronatus, M. melanocephalus, M. leucopterus and M. alboscapulatus. The other comprisedM. lamberti, M. amabilis, M. pulcherrimus and M. elegans. M. grayi and M. cyanocephalus were variously associated with these two assemblages. Most analyses aligned Clytomias with Malurus relative to Stipiturus. The findings from the present study indicate that allozyme data are well suited to phylogenetic inference whether analysed as distances or as discrete characters, provided that only relatively robust branches are accepted. When only such branches were considered there was complete congruence between the analyses. Nevertheless, congruence per se between analyses was not necessarily a reflection of robust branching patterns, as illustrated by the position of Clytomias. Of analyses with discrete characters, those that treated loci as characters and the commonest allele as the state appeared to be a particularly effective approach, provided that the distribution of discarded alleles in the initial topology is considered a posteriori. The allozyme data confirmed several previously accepted lineages, and identified surprising new links between several taxa as well. These links were supported biogeographically and, in some aspects, morphologically. Those phylogenetic nodes that were poorly resolved can now be tested by more sensitive DNA-based approaches. By using allozymes to establish robust clades and then to identify areas in need of further resolution, DNA-based studies can be focused better on phylogenetic problem areas, thereby promoting more efficient use of time and resources.
The Role of Cellulose Fibers in Gnetum gnemon Leaf Hydraulics

Premise of research. Leaves of Gnetum are strikingly similar to angiosperm leaves with their reticulate venation in a broad elliptic lamina. Despite this superficial resemblance, their leaf vein density—a parameter that has been shown to be a key determinant of hydraulic and photosynthetic capacity—is well below what might be expected for an angiosperm tree in humid tropical forests, and Gnetum vein placement within the leaf tissue is similarly problematic given its relatively high stomatal conductance. Methodology. We used a combination of basic physiology with scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy to study the distribution and properties of G. gnemon leaf fibers to determine whether they play a direct role in water transport and leaf hydration. Pivotal results. We show that cellulosic fibers penetrating the leaf mesophyll actively participate in water distribution in G. gnemon leaves, providing a hydraulic supplement to vein-based water distribution. Conclusions. Presence of this alternative water supply path explains high stomatal conductance and stomatal pore indices that are inconsistent with their low vein densities. These fibers act in a way that is analogous to the transfusion tissue of some cycads and conifers, although the mechanism involved is unique since conductance is via thick hydrophilic cell walls rather than via cell lumens, as in lignified tracheids. Thus, the superficial convergence of Gnetum leaves with overall angiosperm morphology obscures the fact that, functionally, they are still very much gymnospermous.
Tuber production, dormancy and resistance against Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) in wild potato species

The diversification of resistant potato varieties at a landscape level could slow adaptation by Phthorimaea operculella to potato resistance and promote sustainable crop protection. In this study, we assessed wild potato species as novel sources of foliage and tuber resistance against P. operculella. Tuber resistance was quantified for 136 and foliage resistance for 54 potato accessions representing 14 and nine potato species, respectively. Several accessions were highly resistant to moth damage in tubers and/or foliage. In particular, Solanum chiquidenum and Solanum sandemanii were highly resistant to damage in tubers. Several accessions of Solanum multiinterruptum and a small number of accessions of Solanum bukasovii, Solanum berthaultii, Solanum sparsipilum and Solanum wittmackii also had highly resistant tubers. Larval survival on foliage of S. bukasovii and S. chiquidenum was generally low. New resistance sources are listed, and insect performance on the plants is described with possible resistance mechanisms. The study also examined potential trade‐offs associated with resistance. Tuber resistance was negatively correlated with the number and weight of tubers produced per plant, but positively correlated with the length of dormancy across accessions, indicating that, although long dormancy is not a prerequisite for resistance, species and accessions with extended dormancy will have more resistant tubers. Tuber and foliage resistance were generally positively correlated across all accessions; however, among accessions from within a potato species, there were negative (S. berthaultii), positive (S. chiquidenum) and non‐significant (S. bukasovii) relations. These results indicate that, besides identifying novel resistance sources, an improved understanding of the mechanisms and inherent trade‐offs associated with tuber and foliage resistance will improve the efficiency of potato breeding programmes aimed at enhancing resistance against P. operculella.
Simulating the effects of saline and sodic subsoils on wheat crops growing on Vertosols

Soils with high levels of chloride and/or sodium in their subsurface layers are often referred to as having subsoil constraints (SSCs). There is growing evidence that SSCs affect wheat yields by increasing the lower limit of a crop's available soil water (CLL) and thus reducing the soil's plant-available water capacity (PAWC). This proposal was tested by simulation of 33 farmers' paddocks in south-western Queensland and north-western New South Wales. The simulated results accounted for 79% of observed variation in grain yield, with a root mean squared deviation (RMSD) of 0.50 t/ha. This result was as close as any achieved from sites without SSCs, thus providing strong support for the proposed mechanism that SSCs affect wheat yields by increasing the CLL and thus reducing the soil's PAWC. In order to reduce the need to measure CLL of every paddock or management zone, two additional approaches to simulating the effects of SSCs were tested. In the first approach the CLL of soils was predicted from the 0.3-0.5 m soil layer, which was taken as the reference CLL of a soil regardless of its level of SSCs, while the CLL values of soil layers below 0.5 m depth were calculated as a function of these soils' 0.3-0.5 m CLL values as well as of soil depth plus one of the SSC indices EC, Cl, ESP, or Na. The best estimates of subsoil CLL values were obtained when the effects of SSCs were described by an ESP-dependent function. In the second approach, depth-dependent CLL values were also derived from the CLL values of the 0.3-0.5 m soil layer. However, instead of using SSC indices to further modify CLL, the default values of the water-extraction coefficient (kl) of each depth layer were modified as a function of the SSC indices. The strength of this approach was evaluated on the basis of correlation of observed and simulated grain yields. In this approach the best estimates were obtained when the default kl values were multiplied by a Cl-determined function. The kl approach was also evaluated with respect to simulated soil moisture at anthesis and at grain maturity. Results using this approach were highly correlated with soil moisture results obtained from simulations based on the measured CLL values. This research provides strong evidence that the effects of SSCs on wheat yields are accounted for by the effects of these constraints on wheat CLL values. The study also produced two satisfactory methods for simulating the effects of SSCs on CLL and on grain yield. While Cl and ESP proved to be effective indices of SSCs, EC was not effective due to the confounding effect of the presence of gypsum in some of these soils. This study provides the tools necessary for investigating the effects of SSCs on wheat crop yields and natural resource management (NRM) issues such as runoff, recharge, and nutrient loss through simulation studies. It also facilitates investigation of suggested agronomic adaptations to SSCs.