Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morphological and physiological analysis of cleistogamy in barley (Hordeum vulgare)

We previously reported that cleistogamy/chasmogamy (CL/CH) of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is controlled by either two tightly linked genes or one gene with multiple alleles. To clarify the morphological and physiological mechanisms of barley CL, we analysed the lodicule size and auxin response of two cultivars whose CL/CH was controlled by two different genes, cly1 and Cly2. In both cases, lodicules of the CL parent were smaller than those of the CH parent. Analyses of lodicule size and flowering phenotype of f, plants and segregation analyses of the mapping population indicated that lodicule size co-segregated with the flowering phenotype. Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and other synthetic auxins, such as 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, induced abnormal flowering in CH ears, in which florets remained open for a few days instead of the normal hour or so, but not in CL ears. This auxin effect also co-segregated with the flowering phenotype. Analyses of auxin-related compounds in the floret organs revealed that the anther contained high levels of IAA, whereas indole-3-carboxylic acid, a putative decarboxylated metabolite of IAA, accumulated only in lodicules of CH plants just at flowering. These results indicate that lodicule size and auxin response are pleiotropic effects of the CL gene, which may play a role in auxin response or metabolism.
Finance and Growth in the EU: New Evidence from the Liberalisation and Harmonisation of the Banking Industry

This paper analyses the link between finance and growth by studying the effect that the process of financial deregulation and harmonisation of banking laws at the EU level has brought about on growth over the last 40 years. Our main findings point to the existence of a positive long-run growth impact from the liberalisation of capital controls and the harmonisation of banking legislation. Both policy changes affect growth even after controlling for other pro-growth policies implemented around the same time and they are robust to business cycle effects that could spuriously drive the relation. The analysis of the main channels through which our policy changes may have affected growth indicates that the harmonisation process has impacted growth through the increase in the level and efficiency of financial intermediation and the liberalisation of capital controls has mainly affected growth through improvements in the degree of efficiency in financial intermediation.
The effect of light and nitrogen availability on the caffeine, theophylline and allantoin contents in the leaves of Coffea arabica L.

Caffeine is the most abundant and important purine alkaloid derived from several important crop, such as coffee, tea, cocoa, guarana, and other plants. In tea and coffee plants, caffeine is predominantly produced in the young buds of leaves and in immature fruits. The effect of light-stimulating caffeine biosynthesis is uncertain, but our results clearly show that light, independent of N-availability, increases caffeine (26%), allantoin (47%), and theophylline (8%) content in plants compared with those grown in a shaded (50% solar irradiation) environment. Caffeine is the major low-molecular-weight nitrogenous compound in coffee plants, and at times, it functions as a chemical defense for new bud leaves. Therefore, the primary question that remains is whether caffeine can serve as a nitrogen source for other metabolic pathways. If so, plants grown under a low nitrogen concentration should promote caffeine degradation, with the consequent use of nitrogen atoms (e.g., in NH3) for the construction of other nitrogen compounds that are used for the plant's metabolism. Our results provide strong evidence that caffeine is degraded into allantoin at low rates in N-deficient plants but not in N-enriched ones. By contrast, this degradation may represent a significant N-source in N-deficient plants.
Inland spruce cone rust of black spruce: Effect on cone and seed yield, and seed quality

This paper is a follow-up of an earlier article on inland spruce cone rust published by the author in 1981. It discusses the impact of the disease on cone and seed production, and seed quality, including seed viability. The cone and seed production and seed viability were reduced to a lesser or greater degree depending on the severity of infection; in severely infected cones practically no seeds were produced.
Does Government Debt Promote Economic Growth? An Empirical Analysis with Structural Breaks for the Economy of China

This paper investigates the relationship between economic growth and government debt for one of the biggest economies in the world, the economy of China. The data were fitted into a regression equation using econometric techniques such as unit root tests and Granger causality. Regarding unit root tests we are using three kind of tests: i) The conventional unit tests, which do not take into account structural breaks, ii) the unit root tests that take into account one structural break and iii) tests that take into account multiple structural breaks. The analysis is based on data over the period 1984 to 2011 for China. The results reveal that there are structural breaks in the economy of China but no Granger causality between the variables.
Raising the Inflation Target: How Much Extra Room Does it Really Give?

Some, but less than intended. The reason is a shift in the behavior of the private sector: Prices adjust more frequently, lowering the potency of monetary policy. We quantitatively investigate this channel across different models, based on a calibration using micro data. By raising the target from 2 percent to 4 percent, the monetary authority gets only between 0.51 and 1.60 percentage points of effective extra policy room for monetary policy (not 2 percentage points as intended). Getting 2 percentage points of effective extra room requires raising the target to more than 4 percent. Taking this channel into consideration raises the optimal inflation target by roughly 1 percentage points relative to earlier computations.
Mudanças na estrutura da vegetação lenhosa em três porções da mata de galeria do Córrego Bacaba (1999-2006), Nova Xavantina-MT

The study was carried out on the gallery forest of the Bacaba Stream (14o41'S and 52o20'W) in Nova Xavantina-MT. It evaluated the changes in the structure of the vegetation from 1999 to 2006. In 1999, it was delimited 141 permanent plots in three portions of the gallery forest (upper, middle and lower), in a topographic gradient, and all individuals with breast height circumference > 15cm were measured. In the 2006 inventory, it was sampled 135 species, 113 genera and 49 families. The hierarchical position of the species showed significant changes in comparison to 1999. In the upper portion the most important species (IV) were: Astrocaryum vulgare, Diospyros guianensis and Calophyllum brasiliense. This portion could have been the most affected by the fire which occurred in 2001 inasmuch as one typical species of anthropic system occupied the first VI place. In the middle, the most important species in 2006 were: Aspidosperma subincanum, Tetragastris altissima and Hymenaea courbaril. In the lower, only Mauritia flexuosa maintained the same hierarchical position in the previous hierarchical inventory, the greatest hierarchical change was presented by the pioneer species, suggesting a vegetation closure. Of the 10 species with the greatest IV in 2006, none was common to the three forest portions. Distinct vegetation structure traits among areas geographically so close may be related to environmental heterogeneity. Changes in IV recorded in species of the three forest portions reinforce the idea that this one presents a high dynamics.
Microgeographical population structure and adaptation in Atlantic cod Gadus morhua: spatio-temporal insights from gene-associated DNA markers

Recent technical advances have stimulated studies on spatial scales of adaptive genetic variation in marine fishes. However, very few studies have combined spatial and temporal sampling to investigate adaptive genetic structuring at local and microgeographical scales, i.e. scales at which neutral genetic markers have typically revealed very limited levels of population structure. In the present study we analyzed 92 gene-associated single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in Atlantic cod Gadus morhua from several sampling sites within the North Sea and adjacent areas. To test for temporal stability, we included longand short-term (i.e. from 24 to 38 and from 8 to 11 yr, respectively) temporally replicated samples from a subset of populations. As expected, we found very low levels of neutral genetic population structure (FST = 0.003). Three specific loci, however, showed highly elevated levels of genetic differentiation. Interestingly, these loci were identical to loci previously found to display signals of adaptive evolution on larger spatial scales. Analysis of historical samples revealed long-term temporally stable patterns of both neutral and adaptive divergence between some populations, indicating long-term temporal adaptive stability driven by strong local selection. In an environmentally dynamic area, on the other hand, patterns of genetic structuring were more variable. Overall, our results not only suggest separation of populations under both evolutionary and ecological paradigms, but also illustrate the usefulness of the spatio-temporal approach for making inferences about the dynamics and geographical distribution of adaptive genetic variation in natural populations.
Rapid Evolutionary Responses to Selection in Heterogeneous Environments among Agricultural and Nonagricultural Weeds

Agricultural settings are hypothesized to impose strong selection on invading weed species, and the direction of selection can be consistent across many generations, depending on crop‐rotation schedules. Because the history of selection is often known, agricultural environments provide a useful experimental setting for studies testing mechanisms of adaptation and rates of evolutionary response. Here, two populations of Abutilon theophrasti with known evolutionary histories of competing either in agricultural or nonagricultural settings were reciprocally transplanted across experimental treatments simulating the site of origin (rotating corn and soybean cultivation, local weeds, or no‐competition control). Consistent with hypotheses of local adaptation, the agricultural population had higher fitness than the nonagricultural population in the cornfield treatment. The nonagricultural population had higher fitness in the no‐competition control. Because weedy, nonagricultural sites are typically patchy and consist of both high‐ and low‐density (i.e., noncompetitive) microsites, the observed population differences in fitness in the no‐competition control also indicate local adaptation. In addition to fitness, the two populations differed in the expression of life‐history traits such that the life‐history of the agricultural population was accelerated relative to the nonagricultural population. The observed life‐history differences probably reflect adaptive synchronization of life‐history events to the shorter growth season duration of agricultural relative to nonagricultural sites. Because the two experimental populations have histories of only 10–50 yr in the site of origin, the results provide evidence of rapid differentiation.
R&D Expenditure as a Response to Peer Influence

We identify the endogenous social effects proposed by Manski (1993) in firm R&D spending. By using state-level Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA) enactments as exogenous shocks, we find that focal firms respond positively to peers’ R&D expenditure. The results suggest that managerial learning and relative-wealth concerns are dominating economic mechanisms. This peer effect on R&D spending is more prominent for firms with tighter financial constraints, in higher competitive industries, and having more innovative peers. JEL classification: G31, G32, G34, G41
Effects of Natural‐Channel‐Design Restoration on Habitat Quality in Catskill Mountain Streams, New York

Abstract Stream restoration has received much attention in recent years, yet there has been little effort to evaluate its impacts on physical habitat, stability, and biota. A popular but controversial stream restoration approach is natural channel design (NCD), which cannot be adequately evaluated without a long-term, independent assessment of its effects on stream habitat. Six reaches of five Catskill Mountain streams in southeastern New York were restored during 2000–2003 following NCD techniques to decrease bed and bank degradation, decrease sediment loads, and improve water quality. Habitat surveys were conducted during summer low flows from 2001 to 2007. The effects of the NCD projects on stream condition were assessed via a before–after–control–impact study design to quantify the net changes in stream and bank habitat variables relative to those in unaltered control reaches. Analysis of variance tests of three different measures of bank stability show that on average stream stability increased at tr.
Management Control System Design and Employees’ Autonomous Motivation

Using an online survey of 468 U.S. employees from diverse industries and professions, we provide empirical evidence that management control system design choices can affect autonomous motivation in employees. Drawing on self-determination theory and the levers of control framework, we predict and find that employee autonomous motivation is positively associated with the use of beliefs control systems and interactive control systems and negatively associated with the use of diagnostic control systems. Moreover, we find that the joint use of diagnostic and interactive controls is positively associated with autonomous motivation. We also find a positive association between employees’ autonomous motivation and individual self-reported effort, job performance, and creativity. Additional analyses examine the sources of motivation behind these results, focusing on identified motivation. The theory and results of our study provide a potential explanation for the recent trend in practice of organizations increasingly emphasizing their values and higher purposes.
Leaf emergence and leaf duration related to thermal time calculations in Ceres-Maize

In the CERES-Maize model, maize (Zea mays L.) leaf initiation and appearance are modeled using thermal time derived from air temperature. Prior to the elevation of the culm apex, soil temperature, which is calculated by the model from air temperature, is used to calculate thermal time. No provision is made for response differences in leaf appearance rate due to cultivar or daylength. This research compares predicted with actual leaf development for up to 10 hybrids in five experiments for 4 yr. It also compares calculated versus measured soil temperatures in 1 yr (.)
Electron transfer reactions for the reduction of NADP+ in Methanosphaera stadtmanae

Methanosphaera stadtmanae, a member of the Methanobacteriales reduces methanol, but not CO2 with H2 or 2-propanol to produce methane. In cell-free extracts of M. stadtmanae the activities of several enzymes involved in electron transfer were measured. The activities of an F420-nonreactive hydrogenase, NADP+: F420 oxidoreductase, NADP+-dependent 2-propanol dehydrogenase, and a methyl viologen dependent F420 dehydrogenase were observed. Based on the presence of these particular enzyme activities, their cofactor requirements and the absence of F420-dependent hydrogenase activity, a model of the electron transport pathway through the coenzyme F420 to provide electrons for biosynthesis, was formulated.
Reduced Oil Accumulation in Cottonseeds Transformed with a Brassica Nonfunctional Allele of a Delta-12 Fatty Acid Desaturase ( FAD2 )

In an effort to better understand the mechanisms that regulate oil accumulation and packaging in seeds, transgenic cotton lines were generated using a Brassica napus nonfunctional delta-12 fatty acid desaturase (FAD2) gene under control of the phaseolin promoter. Seeds of numerous transgenic plant lines had reduced oil content compared with null-segregating siblings or nontransformed seeds. Seed oil content was quantified by 1H-NMR, and was reduced to 12% or less of seed weight in transgenics from 20% by weight in nontransformed controls. Light- and electron-microscopic analyses of severely lowered lines, showed a reduction in overall cotyledon thickness and a disruption in cellular and subcellular organization. Lipid bodies and protein bodies were fewer in transgenics, and their size and distribution in cells was different than that in nontransformed seeds. Coincident with reduced storage reserves, sucrose levels were elevated in transgenic seeds. The overall effect of oil suppression was to selectively reduce the size of the embryo, but the seed coat and fiber properties remained unaffected in seeds. In fact there was a significant increase in lint percentage in all oil-suppressed lines examined. Overall we propose that expression of the nonfunctional Bnfad2 allele in cottonseeds disrupts normal oil biosynthesis and provides for redirection of carbon reserves.
Forecasting Intraday Trading Volume: A Kalman Filter Approach

An accurate forecast of intraday volume is a key aspect of algorithmic trading. This manuscript proposes a state-space model to forecast intraday trading volume via the Kalman filter and derives closed-form expectation-maximization (EM) solutions for model calibration. The model is extended to handle outliers in real-time market data by applying a sparse regularization technique. Empirical studies using thirty securities on eight exchanges show that the proposed model substantially outperforms the rolling means (RM) and the state-of-the-art Component Multiplicative Error Model (CMEM) by 64% and 29%, respectively, in volume prediction and by 15% and 9%, respectively, in Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP) trading.
The Effect of Capital Structure and Ownership Structure on Firm Performance: A Test of the Reverse Causality Hypothesis in ASEAN Countries

This study aims to investigate the effect of capital structure and ownership structure on firm performance. In addition, this study also examines the existence of reverse causality using firm-level data from three industries of three ASEAN countries, i.e., Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. It applies a two-stage estimation method. First, we measure the effect of capital structure and ownership structure on firm performance, which is measured using the non-parametric approach of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Second, we test the reverse causality hypothesis of firm performance to capital structure, which is viewed in light of two competing hypotheses: the efficiency-risk hypothesis and franchise-value hypothesis. Findings from this study reveal that, in general, a firm’s capital structure positively and significantly affected firm performance, except for the Indonesian firms. In addition, results showed a positive effect of ownership concentration on firm performance. Finally, results from this study support the efficiency-risk hypothesis that suggests a positive relation between firm performance and capital structure.
Fluxo de biomassa em capim-tanzânia pastejado por ovinos sob três períodos de descanso

The biomass flow in Panicum maximum cv. Tanzânia pasture grazed by sheep under three resting periods (PD), defined by the expansion of 1.5; 2.5 and 3.5 new leaves per tiller (1.5F; 2.5F and 3.5F, respectively) was evaluated in a randomized completely design with two replicates (paddocks). It was determined the leaf elongation rate (TAlF), the residual leaf senescence rate (TSFA), the post-grazing leaf senescence rate (TSFP) and the total leaf senescence rate (TSFT), the stem elongation rate (TAlH), the TAlF of leaves 1 and 2 ratio (TALF1/2), the tiller population density (DPP), the phylochron and the crop growth (TCC) and accumulation (TAC) rates. The TAlF1/2 ratio was not affected by the PD, however, it decreased over the cycles at the 3.5F PD pasture. The TAlF was not affected by the PD. The TAlH was inferior at the 1.5F PD pasture, as well as the TSFA and the TSFT. There was TSFP only at the 3.5F PD pasture. The phylochron of the 1.5F PD pasture was superior to the others. The DPP of the 2.5F PD pasture was similar to that of the 1.5F PD pasture, and it was superior to the 3.5F PD pasture. There was reduction of the DPP following the cycles at the 3.5F PD pasture. The TCC and the TAC of the 2.5F PD pasture were superior than the others. The extension of the PD raised the TAlH and the TSFT and reduced the DPP and the TAC. As a conclusion, the resting period should not exceed the time necessary to the expansion of 2.5 leaves on the tiller for tanzaniagrass pastures grazed by sheep.
Secondary metabolite production facilitates establishment of rhizobacteria by reducing both protozoan predation and the competitive effects of indigenous bacteria

Summary 1. Rhizosphere bacteria live in close contact to plant roots feeding on root exudates and rhizodeposits. By producing toxic exoproducts rhizobacteria may inhibit plant pathogens thereby functioning as biocontrol agents and increasing plant fitness. However, the evolutionary basis why rhizobacteria protect plants is little understood. To persist toxin production needs to improve the competitiveness of the bacteria themselves. 2. We investigated the importance of secondary metabolite production for the establishment of the model soil biocontrol bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens CHAO in the rhizosphere of rice. We compared the performance of this toxin-producing strain and its isogenic gacS deficient mutant defective in secondary metabolite production. The bacteria were added to the rhizosphere of rice, where they had to compete with the indigenous flora for resources and to resist pr? dation by the protist Acanthamoeba castellana. 3. Secondary metabolite production strongly enhanced the establishment of the inoculated bacteria by improving competitive strength and predator resistance. The fitness gain due to attenuation of pr? dation exceeded that due to competition by a factor of 2-3, confirming the importance of grazing resistance for rhizosphere bacteria. 4. Biocontrol properties of Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria such as P. fluor escens therefore gain a new dimension. Toxicity primary plays a role in the interaction with competitors and especially predators, and not in the protection of the host plant. Thus, establishment and efficiency of bio control bacteria may be improved by fostering predator defence via toxin production.
Asset Diversification versus Climate Action

Asset pricing and climate policy are analyzed in a global economy where consumption goods are produced by both a green and a carbon-intensive sector. We allow for endogenous growth and three types of damages from global warming. It is shown that, initially, the desire to diversify assets complements the attempt to mitigate economic damages from climate change. In the longer run, however, a trade-off between diversification and climate action emerges. We derive the optimal carbon price, the equilibrium risk-free rate, and risk premia. Climate disasters, which are more likely to occur sooner as temperature rises, significantly increase risk premia.