Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dormancy and Germination of Seed of Eight Populations of Themeda australis

Seed of eight populations of Themeda australis (R.Br.) Stapf from sites nith the widest range of climates in Australia and Papua New Guinea (P.N.G.) was tested for its dormancy status and germination responses to different temperature and moisture regimes. The populations were from Lae. P.N. G. Katherine. N.T. Mundubbera. Qld. Alice Springs. N.T. Tantangara. N.S. W. Adelaide Hills. S.A. Bunbury, W.A. and Hobart. Tas. Dormancy of fresh seed was negligible in Lae and Mundubbera populations. considerable in the Alice Springs population and intermediate in populations from Katherine and all temperate sites. Addition of gibberellic acid hastened the release from dormancy of seed from Katherine and Bunbury. Exposure of plants to three different temperature regimes during seed formation had an effect on dormancy of the Katherine population. Stratification at 4°C and high alternating daily temperatures (45 20°C) hastened the loss of dormancy of fresh seeds of some populations. Germination of non-dormant seed of the different populations was relatively unaffected b) temperatures between 20 and 40°C. Germination of the Alice Springs population was the most sensitive to increasing water stress and that from Lae the least sensitive. Radicle elongation of seedlings from Alice Springs was significantly greater than that of most other populations at a water potential of - I . 0 MPa. The differences reported for seed dormancy and germination characteristics of T. australis populations do not reflect a strong physiological adaptation to the climatic characteristics of the sites from which they were collected.
Genetic Variation and Population Structure of the Feral American Mink (Neovison vison) in Nagano, Japan, Revealed by Microsatellite Analysis

Abstract. The American mink (Neovison vison) as invasive alien species has spread along the Chikuma River in Nagano Prefecture, central Honshu, Japan, through naturalization of animals escaped from fur farms in the past. To clarify genetic structures of the naturalized populations, we genotyped ten microsatellite loci on 126 wild-caught animals from this region. Consequently, the genetic variations of American minks in Nagano were relatively low, and no correlations between genetic distances and geographical distances were observed. Based on the genotype data, animals examined were divided to four genetically different clusters. The results suggest that the genetic characters of the American mink populations around the Chikuma River were not formed after naturalization, but during or before breeding in fur farms. In addition, the present study indicated their migration between localities which may bring gene flow and promote random mating, resulting in genetic structure change in the future populations.
Proposal of an udder health genetic index for the Italian Holstein Friesian based on first lactation data

Genetic correlations between udder conformation traits and SCS were estimated in Italian Holstein Friesian data. A total of 1,268,762 first parity Italian Holstein cows had information both on conformation traits and SCC. Test day SCC were transformed to SCS and they were geometrically averaged from 5 to 305 days to obtain a lactation measure (LSCS). Two data sets were analysed. The first data set included 11.203 records and was used in 8 two-trait analyses, considering information on LSCS, and one conformation trait at a time. Models used included the fixed effect of herd-year-season for LSCS, and for conformation traits the fixed effect of herd-year-date of scoring and the interaction of age at calving in months by season of calving. Heritabilities ranged from 0.05 (udder balance) to 0.24 (udder depth) for conformation traits and 0.14 for LSCS. Genetic correlations with LSCS were -0.31 for udder depth and 0.28 for rear udder width. Other genet- ic correlations for conformation traits and LSCS varied from -0.16 to -0.03. A second data set, including 4398 records was extracted to estimate genetic correlations between 5 traits that are being considered for inclu- sion in an udder health index. Using these estimates, and literature estimates for direct mastitis resistance, an udder health index (UHI) for the Italian Holstein was proposed : UHI = -15 EBV SCS + 1.5 EBVFUA + 0.15 EBV UDD, where EBV are the estimated breeding values for SCS, fore udder attachment (FUA), and udder depth (UDD). Selection for lower value of SCS, shallow udder with stronger fore attachment should result in increased mastitis resistance. The inclusion of milking speed in the udder health index was not proposed because of its non-linear relationship with SCS and the low reliability of data collection in Italy for this trait.
Factors affecting the clotting properties of sheep milk

A Formagraph was used to test the effects of some of the exogenous factors that can affect the processing properties of milk (pH, soluble calcium, rennet concentration, coagulation temperature), and two of the endogenous factors (protein and fat concentration), on the comparative clotting properties of sheep and cows' milk, namely renneting time (r), rate of firming (k20) and curd consistency (A30). A lower pH decreased r and k20 and increased A30 in both sheep and cows' milk. The addition of calcium chloride did not affect the clotting properties of sheep milk, but in cows' milk it decreased r and k20 and increased A30. Increasing the concentration of rennet decreased r and k20 and increased A30 for both sheep and cows' milk. Increasing the coagulation temperature from 30 to 38 °C decreased r for both sheep and cows' milk, but it decreased k20 and increased A30 only in cows' milk. Increasing the protein concentration decreased r in both sheep and cows' milk; it did not affect k20 of sheep milk, but it decreased that of cows' milk and increased A30 in both milks. Increasing the fat concentration had little effect on r and k20 in either sheep cows' milk, but it decreased A30 in both milks. In general, sheep milk had faster renneting times and rates of firming and greater curd consistency than cows' milk, and its clotting properties tended to be less affected by changes in the clotting conditions. Cette etude evalue quelques facteurs exogenes qui peuvent influencer les proprietes technologiques (pH, calcium soluble, concentration en presure, temperature de coagulation), et de 2 facteurs endogenes (proteines et concentration en matieres grasses), sur les proprietes coagulantes de laits de brebis et de vache: temps de coagulation, taux de fermete et consistance du caille. En general, le lait de brebis a des proprietes coagulantes superieures et plus stables que le lait de vache.
Sustainable Weed Management in Rice-Rice Cropping System

The of f-season land management practices as well as the cultural measures during cropping significantly influenced the weed flora and yield of rice in both the seasons. Ploughing the land twice, during of f-season followed by twice hand weeding in the crop, recorded the least weed counts and highest weed control indices of 78.8 and 81.6%, favouring higher grain yield of 5.91 and 5.54 t ha-1 during first and second seasons, respectively. Raising green manure of Sesbania aculeata was observed to reduce the weed competition in succeeding rice. Incorporation of pressmud at 10 t ha−1+azolla inoculation at 1 t ha−1 was comparable with twice hand weeding and better than butachlor, regarding weed control and yield in rice-rice sequence. Integrating the of f-season land management with crop weed control measures of fered significant carryover effect of weed control in suppressing the weed competition during succeeding crops.
Climate‐driven trends and ecological implications of event‐scale upwelling in the California Current System

Eastern boundary current systems are among the most productive and lucrative ecosystems on Earth because they benefit from upwelling currents. Upwelling currents subsidize the base of the coastal food web by bringing deep, cold and nutrient‐rich water to the surface. As upwelling is driven by large‐scale atmospheric patterns, global climate change has the potential to affect a wide range of significant ecological processes through changes in water chemistry, water temperature, and the transport processes that influence species dispersal and recruitment. We examined long‐term trends in the frequency, duration, and strength of continuous upwelling events for the Oregon and California regions of the California Current System in the eastern Pacific Ocean. We then associated event‐scale upwelling with up to 21 years of barnacle and mussel recruitment, and water temperature data measured at rocky intertidal field sites along the Oregon coast. Our analyses suggest that upwelling events are changing in ways that are consistent with climate change predictions: upwelling events are becoming less frequent, stronger, and longer in duration. In addition, upwelling events have a quasi‐instantaneous and cumulative effect on rocky intertidal water temperatures, with longer events leading to colder temperatures. Longer, more persistent upwelling events were negatively associated with barnacle recruitment but positively associated with mussel recruitment. However, since barnacles facilitate mussel recruitment by providing attachment sites, increased upwelling persistence could have indirect negative impacts on mussel populations. Overall, our results indicate that changes in coastal upwelling that are consistent with climate change predictions are altering the tempo and the mode of environmental forcing in near‐shore ecosystems, with potentially severe and discontinuous ramifications for ecosystem structure and functioning.
First record of Litarachna caribica (Acari, Pontarachnidae) from the Pacific coast of Panama

We documented the existence of a population of the southern Caribbean pontarachnid mite Litarachna caribica for the first time on the Pacific coast of Panama. Based on morphological observations, this is the first record of a pontarachnid mite with a trans-isthmian distribution, which can be explained by either modern biological dispersal or historical vicariance hypotheses. Litarachna caribica had either passed through the Panama Canal, successfully colonizing the opposite coast, or previously continuously distributed populations had become disjunct after the rise of the Central American land.
Effects of Short-term Water Stress, Hydrophilic Polymer Amendment, and Antitranspirant on Stomatal Status, Transpiration, Water Loss, and Growth in `Better Boy' Tomato Plants

Seedling plugs of 'Better Boy' tomato plants ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) were potted in 60% processed fiber : 40% perlite (by volume) media amended or nonamended with either crystalline or powdered hydrophilic polymer (2.4 kg·m -3 ), and treated with one of several concentrations (0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10%) of antitranspirant GLK-8924, at the four true-leaf stage. Plants were either well-irrigated or subjected to short-term water stress, withholding water for 3 days, after antitranspirant GLK-8924 application. Leaf stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, whole-plant transpirational water loss, and growth were depressed by short-term water stress and antitranspirant GLK-8924. In contrast, hydrophilic polymer amendment increased plant growth, resulting in higher transpirational water loss. The depression of stomatal conductance and transpiration rate by short-term water stress was reversed completely in 2 days after rewatering while the reduction of plant growth rate diminished immediately. The effects of antitranspirant GLK-8924 were nearly proportional to its concentration and lasted 8 days on stomatal conductance and transpiration rate, 4 days on plant growth rate, and throughout the experimental period on plant height and transpirational water loss. Plant growth was reduced by antitranspirant GLK-8924 possibly by closing leaf stomata. In contrast, hydrophilic polymer amendment resulted in larger plants by factors other than influences attributed to stomatal status. Hydrophilic polymer amendment did not interact with antitranspirant GLK-8924 on all variables measured. The application of antitranspirant GLK-8924 was demonstrated to be useful for regulating plant water status, plant growth, and protecting plants from short-term water stress.
Discrimination of Three Highly Toxic Alexandrium tamarense (Dinophyceae) Isolates Using FITC-conjugated Lectin Probes

A lectin binding assay was conducted on three Alexandrium tamarense isolates (AT-A, AT-2 and AT-6). The fatty acid composition of all three isolates was analyzed, and the total carotenoid content and � -carotene were also determined. When treated with different lectins in this study, AT-A and AT-2 showed a positive response, whereas the potentially toxic AT-6 did not bind the lectin Dolchis biflorus agglutinin (DBA), regardless of growth phase, but conjugated concanavalin A (ConA), peanut agglutinin (PNA), Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA), soybean agglutinin (SBA), Ulex europaeus agglutinin (UEA) and wheatgerm agglutinin (WGA). It is possible that the use of DBA is a desirable method for rapid and easy discrimination of highly toxic A. tamarense. AT-A, AT-2 and AT-6 comprised saturated fatty acids (49.0‐61.9%), monounsaturated fatty acids (8.0‐20.5%) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (23.2‐30.5%). In particular, 22:6 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid had a high abundance in AT-6 compared with AT-A and AT-2. However, carotenoid content and � -carotene did not contribute to the discrimination of each isolate. Owing to variability in the biochemical composition of different isolates, possibly DBA and 22:6 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid provide good information for the discrimination of AT-6.
Aluminum bioconcentration at the gill surface of juvenile Atlantic salmon in acidic media

Aluminum uptake by Atlantic salmon was examined in the laboratory at pH 4.5, under conditions similar to those found in running waters on the Canadian Precambrian Shield during spring snowmelt. Gill uptake of Al was slow, approaching steady state only after 3 d of exposure. The greatest fraction of gill-associated Al was sorbed not to the gill surface itself, but to the gill mucus. Mucus appears to retard Al transport from solution to the membrane surface, thus delaying the acute biological response of the fish. Strongly associated gill [Al] was never greater than 10% of total gill Al in the early stages (<3 d) of the experiment; however, longer experiments (7 d) indicated that this Al fraction could eventually exceed 50% of the total gill Al. In contrast to uptake, depuration of Al was extremely rapid; total gill [Al] of fish exposed to Al (pH 4.5) for 2 d decreased by 60% after only 2 h in an Al-free medium (t1/2 = 0.9 h). The effect of fluoride complexation on Al bio-concentration was also examined. For equivalent Al3+ concentrations, sorption of Al to the gill surface was higher in the presence of fluoride than in its absence, which suggests the formation of mixed ligand [F-Al-L-gill] complexes at the gill surface.
Biophysical Model of Xylem Conductance in Tracheids of the Fern Pteris vittata

Calkin, H. W. , Gibson, A. C. and Nobel, P. S. 1986. Biophysical model of xylem conductance in tracheids of the fern Pteris vittata. —J. exp. Bot. 37: 1054-1064. Water movement in the xylem is often analysed with the Hagen-Poiseuille equation, which applies to capillaries of specific diameters. However, the predicted hydraulic conductances per unit length (Kh) are generally much higher than measured values and important anatomical details, such as the pits of tracheids, are ignored. Here, a previous model based on the Hagen-Poiseuille analysis for water flow in the stipes of Pteris vittata is improved by incorporating the actual lumen transectional shape (usually elliptical or ovate) and the tapering that occurs at the ends of its tracheids, as well as using a better method for analysing the electrical circuit analogues for the pits (pit cavities plus pit membranes). The measured Kb was similar to that predicted by the Hagen-Poiseuille equation for narrow stipes with their small tracheids, but was only about half the measured Kh for large stipes. Correcting for the actual shape changed Kb 2- to 3-fold for tracheids with elliptic and ovate transections. For the smaller diameter tracheids, most of the flow resistance was from the lumens but for the larger tracheids most was from the pit membranes. For all stipes the pit cavities accounted for 12-22% of the total resistance. When the pit membranes were partially digested away with cellulase, Kh increased about 66%, consistent with the deduced resistance of this part of the pathway. The present model incorporating realistic anatomical details allowed reasonable predictions of the hydraulic conductance per unit length over a wide size range of stipes for this fern.
Prospect of beneficial microorganisms applied in potato cultivation for sustainable agriculture

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a widely planted crop. The primary obstacles for potato production are the high demands of fertilizers and the occurrence of widespread diseases. Traditional intensively managed agroecosystems depend on fertilizers and biocides, which could induce soil degradation and environmental problems. This review emphasizes the effects of inoculating crops with plant growth-promoting bacteria, endophytes, especially arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), as well as the potential application of these microbes in the establishment of a sustainable potatoes cultivation system. We concluded that it is worth to isolate the most efficient microbial strains during the process of microbial diversity investigations. And it is also worth to apply flavonoids and other stimulators to promoter beneficial microbes growth since emerging evidence implies that these compounds can stimulate native mycorrhizal activity and subsequent potato yield. In summary, more practical application of bio-fertilizers and bio-control methods should be encouraged to facilitate potato production. Key words: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, beneficial microbes, disease resistance, potato production, sustainable agriculture.
Cost effectiveness analysis of strategies to combat malaria in developing countries

Abstract Objective To determine the cost effectiveness of selected malaria control interventions in the context of reaching the millennium development goals for malaria. Design Generalised cost effectiveness analysis. Data sources Efficacy data came from the literature and authors' calculations supported by expert opinion. Quantities for resource inputs came from the literature and from expert opinion; prices came from the WHO-CHOICE database. Methods Costs were assessed in year 2000 international dollars, and effects were assessed as disability adjusted life years averted by a 10 year implementation programme. Analysis was restricted to sub-Saharan regions where the most deadly form of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, is most prevalent. The impact on population health for various interventions, and their combinations, was evaluated at selected coverage levels by using a state-transition model. Sensitivity analysis was done for age weights and discounting. Results High coverage with artemisinin based combination treatments was found to be the most cost effective strategy for control of malaria in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Conclusions A much larger infusion of resources than those currently available is needed to make headway in the fight to roll back malaria. On cost effectiveness grounds, in most areas in sub-Saharan Africa greater coverage with highly effective combination treatments should be the cornerstone of malaria control. However, treatment alone can achieve less than half the total benefit obtainable through a combination of interventions—scaling up the use of impregnated mosquito nets or indoor spraying with insecticides is also critical. Intermittent presumptive treatment of pregnant women can bring a small but important additional health gain at relatively low cost. This article is part of a series examining the cost effectiveness of strategies to achieve the millennium development goals for health
Ultrastructure, pigment composition, and 18S rRNA gene sequence for Nannochloropsis granulata sp. nov. (Monodopsidaceae, Eustigmatophyceae), a marine ultraplankter isolated from the Skagerrak, northeast Atlantic Ocean

Abstract A marine ultraplankter, Nannochloropsis granulata sp. nov. (Eustigmatophyceae), was isolated from 17 m depth at a position north of Skagen, Denmark, in the Skagerrak, adjacent to the North Sea. Its ultrastructure, pigment composition, and the 18S rRNA gene sequence was studied and compared with N. oculata (Droop) Hibberd and N. salina Hibberd. The new species lacked both a pyrenoid and the lamellate vesicles present in the chloroplasts of the other two species. N. granulata had electron-dense bodies in the cytoplasm that did not resemble structures found in the other species. The red body characteristic of N. oculata was not observed in N. granulata. Remains of cell walls were conspicuous in old cultures of all three species. The pigment composition in all three species was very similar, with violaxanthin and a vaucheriaxanthin-like pigment as the dominating carotenoids. Based upon the alignment presented for the 18S rRNA gene, there were 9 nucleotide substitutions and 2 insertions/deletions betw.
Economic and agronomic impact of commercialized GM crops: a meta-analysis

SUMMARY The present paper presents a meta-analysis of the economic and agronomic performance of genetically modified (GM) crops worldwide. Bayesian, classical and non-parametric approaches were used to evaluate the performance of GM crops v. their conventional counterparts. The two main GM crop traits (herbicide tolerant (HT) and insect resistant (Bt)) and three of the main GM crops produced worldwide (Bt cotton, HT soybean and Bt maize) were analysed in terms of yield, production cost and gross margin. The scope of the analysis covers developing and developed countries, six world regions, and all countries combined. Results from the statistical analyses indicate that GM crops perform better than their conventional counterparts in agronomic and economic (gross margin) terms. Regarding countries’ level of development, GM crops tend to perform better in developing countries than in developed countries, with Bt cotton being the most profitable crop grown.