Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Micropropagation Technology of Bambusa bambos through Shoot Proliferation

Bamboos arc versatile multipurpose forest produce which playa vital role in our domestic economy. Bambusa bambos is the principle source for paper and pulp besides being used for constructional purposes and provides food materials. The conventional methods of its propagation have a lot of problems which restrict its multiplication on a large scale. A tissue culture technology is developed for large scale multiplication of Bambusa bambos which is discussed.
Observations on a breeding pair of Black Falcons Falco subniger in southern Victoria

Successful breeding activity is described for a pair of Black Falcons Falco subniger in southern Victoria (south of 37°S) in 2014 and 2015 (brood of two fledglings in each year), among the few confirmed or recent such records for the region (agricultural land and remnant woodland west of Melbourne). Courtship (supplementary) feeding at the nest, male brooding of downy chicks, growth and development of chicks, and other novel aspects of breeding behaviour and vocalisations are described. One nestling period lasted 40 days, and the post-fledging period at least a month. Prey included birds and small mammals. The fledglings and adults appeared vulnerable to vehicle- and train-strike; a roadkilled specimen is described for the district. The breeding adults were cryptic, suggesting the need for further survey for nests in the region. They were also wary and susceptible to disturbance, indicating a need for caution when approaching and observing active nests at all stages of the breeding cycle.
Store-operated Ca2+ channels in human glomerular mesangial cells

Experiments were performed to identify the biophysical properties of store-operated Ca2+ channels (SOC) in cultured human glomerular mesangial cells (MC). A fluorometric technique (fura 2) was utilized to monitor the change in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) evoked by elevating external [Ca2+] from 10 nM to 1 mM (Δ[Ca2+]). Under control conditions, Δ[Ca2+] averaged 6 nM and was unaffected by elevating bath [K+]. After treatment with 1 μM thapsigargin to deplete the intracellular Ca2+ store, the change in [Ca2+]i(Δ[Ca2+]th) averaged 147 ± 16 nM. In thapsigargin-treated MC studied under depolarizing conditions (75 mM bath K+), Δ[Ca2+]th was 45 ± 7 nM. The Δ[Ca2+]th response of thapsigargin-treated cells was inhibited by La3+(IC50 = 335 nM) but was unaffected by 5 μM Cd2+. In patch clamp studies, inward currents were observed in cell-attached patches with either 90 mM Ba2+ or Ca2+ in the pipette and 140 mM KCl in the bathing solution. The single-channel conductance was 2.1 pS with Ba2+ and 0.7 .
Progress on the phylogeny of caddisflies (Trichoptera)

We present our current phylogenetic hypothesis on the phylogeny of Trichoptera, generated from an analysis of over 7000 nucleotides from 18S and 28S rRNA, EF-1α, COI, and CAD. We corroborate our earlier hypotheses, with results that include a monophyletic Annulipalpia, Integripalpia, Brevitentoria, and Plenitentoria. Monophyly of Psychomyioidea, Pseudoneureclipsidae, and Grumichellinae were confirmed. The "Spicipalpian" families were again found to be paraphyletic, and most closely related to Integripalpia. Ptilocolepidae was not found to be monophyletic, but support for its paraphyly was so weak that we interpret our results as unresolved. We interpret our measures of branch support, and present a collapsed phylogeny that more conservatively represents our current hypothesis. We discuss how these data can eventually be merged into other sources of data, such as COI barcode data and transcriptomes, and suggest that a single huge analysis of all data, with all taxa, is unnecessary if analyses can be phylogenetically subdivided into many separate parts, using transcriptome data to fix the deepest nodes, and allowing faster evolving data to be more appropriately targeted to nodes closer to the tips of the tree.
Community assembly in time and space: the case of Lepidoptera in a Quercus ilex L. savannah‐like landscape

The factors governing community assemblages in fragmented habitats remain a challenging topic in ecology, especially in the present context of global change. We studied the colonisation of holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) woodland by specialist Lepidoptera in an afforested savannah‐like landscape that has emerged as a result of the abandonment of croplands. We sampled herbivorous caterpillars for 5 years to assess the interplay between tree age and structure (canopy size and connectivity) on Lepidoptera species abundance, richness, diversity and composition. 1336 individuals belonging to 24 species of Lepidoptera were collected. Species abundance, richness and diversity increased in the best connected large trees and in the best connected young ones, probably because of the greater likelihood of colonisation and the existence of colonisation credits, respectively. Although species abundance, richness and diversity varied significantly between years in all trees, there were no effects for tree age, canopy size, or connectivity. Although tree age and structure had little effect on species composition (alpha and beta diversity), thereby revealing a predominant random effect, the relative abundance of Noctuids and Pyralids was significantly affected by tree age, suggesting that differences in dispersal abilities exist between these families. These findings suggest that habitat age and structural interactions play a significant role in the accumulation of Lepidoptera species but have little importance in determining their identities. From a conservation point of view, the results highlight the need to preserve old, large and well‐connected holm oak trees in agricultural landscapes as refuges for specialist insects.
Effect of piglet birth weight on weights at weaning and 42 days post weaning

Materials and methods: Individual birth-weight and weaning-weight records of 2467 pigs weaned at 14 to 21 days old were partitioned into nine categories incrementally increasing or decreasing by 0.5 SD (0.16 and 0.68 kg, respectively) from the mean (1.57 and 5.80 kg, respectively). To study the effect of birth weight on weight at subsequent phases, fixed effects of birth-weight category and parity of dam were included in the model for weights at weaning and 42 days post weaning. To evaluate the effect of weaning weight on weight at 42 days post weaning, fixed effects of weaning-weight category and parity of dam were included.
Length–weight relationship of six deep-sea fish species from the shelf regions of western Bay of Bengal and Andaman waters

Summary Length–weight relationships for six deep-sea fish species inhabiting the shelf regions of the western Bay of Bengal and the waters of Andaman and Nicobar of India are presented. Samples were collected using high-speed demersal trawl and expo demersal trawl nets at depths of 31–514 m in August and September 2010. The b values in the analyses ranged from 3.05 to 3.31, showing a mean and median value of 3.21 (SE ± 0.039, SD ± 0.097) and 3.2, respectively. Comparisons of b values with earlier estimations confirm the presence of spatial and temporal variations in the length–weight relations among the species. Coefficient of determination scores ranged from 0.94 to 0.97, indicating robustness of the samples analysed. This study provides the first estimates of length–weight relationships for four of the deep-sea fishes, enriching the understanding of the growth patterns and population dynamics of these less-studied deep-sea fishery resources in Indian Ocean waters.
REGULATION OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM BY SYNTHETIC POLYNUCLEOTIDES

Addition of polyadenylic-polyuridylic acid in complex form (poly A:U) without antigen to a suspension of spleen cells obtained from BALB/Aj mice primed 6 wk previously with human γ-globulin (HGG) resulted in an immediate fourfold increase over background number of anti-HGG rosette-forming cells (RFC). Culture of similar cells in the presence of puromycin for 1–6 hr before poly A:U did not significantly reduce the response. Continued culture of primed spleen cells in the presence of poly A:U, resulted in a decrease of RFC to background levels within an hour followed by an increase again 6 hr later. This later increase in RFC was inhibited by addition of puromycin to the culture medium. The nonspecific stimulation by poly A:U of antibody production by primed spleen cells also was induced in vivo. Increases in splenic RFC were detectable 6 hr after intravenous injection of poly A:U alone, without antigen, into primed mice. The response peaked at 18 hr and had dissipated completely within 3 days. A second injection of poly A:U 24 hr or later after the first injection resulted in a second response, similar to the first with respect to kinetics and intensity. Rosette formation by poly A:U-stimulated cells could not be inhibited by mitotic poisons, but was inhibited by treatment of the cells with goat anti-mouse γ-globulin serum, suggesting that the antibody involved was a 7S γ-globulin. The decrease in RFC induced by culture of primed cells for 1 hr in poly A:U paralleled a decrease in secondary responsiveness of the cells to antigen. This poly A:U-induced inhibition of secondary responsiveness could be reversed by suspending the treated cells in supernatant fluids derived from poly A:U-stimulated cultures. The reversal was specific in that supernatant fluids removed from bovine serum albumin (BSA)-primed cells by poly A:U did not stimulate the response of HGG-primed cells to HGG. However supernatant fluids from BSA-primed cells caused the production of anti-HGG RFC if BSA rather than HGG was used as triggering antigen. The active factor in the supernatant fluids appeared to be a 7S γ-globulin since activity was lost after 45 min incubation of the supernatant fluids in the presence of goat anti-mouse 7S γ-globulin serum.
Growth, morphology and life history traits of a cool-water European population of pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus

We examined attributes of growth, reproduction, morphology and diet of a population of pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus introduced into a cool-water pond (Cottesmore) in southern England, and compared them with available data on warm-water European populations. Morphologically, Cottesmore pumpkinseed appear to have a more streamlined body than the two southerly populations for which data are available, but this may be due to the small body size of the Cottesmore population. Ontogenetically, 11 morphological characters grew isometrically, 12 allometrically, and 3 split-isometrically (i.e. a significant shift in proportional growth rate); however, the split 'break points' (between 49 and 60 mm SL) do not appear to correspond with any change in resource use or in biological process. Juvenile and age-specific growth were the lowest reported of any European population, and mean GSI was also low. Growth rate was highest in May and June, with condition highest in June, and with peak GSI in June and July. Mean age at maturity in the Cottesmore population was the highest reported in Europe. Dietary overlap was high amongst most age classes, and there was evidence of cannibalism in the population. Late maturity of the Cottesmore population was probably the result of relatively low temperatures during the growing season, slow growth, poor condition at age 3 (due to limited food resources), and intensive egg predation by high numbers of juveniles, giving a fitness advantage to late-maturing females.
Effect of Pollen Source on Fruit Characteristics of Low-chilling Highbush Type Blueberries

The effects of pollen source on fruit set, berry size, seed characteristics, and potential pollen fertility were evaluated for low-chilling highbush type blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) pollinated in the greenhouse. Self-pollination of each clone, except for US79 which has low pollen viability, resulted in fruit set equal to or better than any type of cross. Berry weight and number of viable seeds per berry were not significantly higher for fruit produced from half-sib crosses than selling. Outcrosses generally produced the greatest berry weight and seed number.
Epidemiological study of mountain sickness complicated with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau: report of 103 cases.

Department of High Altitude Disease, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China. Key Laboratory of High Altitude Medicine (Third Military Medical University), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400038, China. Department of Mountain Sickness, General Hospital of Tibet Military Command of the Chinese PLA, Lhasa 850003, P. R. China. Institute of High Altitude Diseases; the 18th Hospital of the Chinese PLA, Yecheng 844900, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Laboratory of Thoracic Surgery, General Hospital of Lanzhou Military Command of the Chinese PLA, Lanzhou 730070, China.
Beetle diversity in timberline forests: a comparison between old-growth and regeneration areas in Finnish Lapland

We compared beetle fauna among six types of forests: (1) old-growth pine, (2) old-growth spruce and (3) old-growth mixed forests; (4) 1-year-old and (5) 15-year-old seed-tree cut pine forests, and (6) 15-year-old clear-cut spruce forests using window trapping. In the old-growth forests, species richness was explained by site productivity, amount and quality of coarse woody debris (CWD), and tree species composition. Many of the explaining variables, e.g., site productivity, volume of living timber and volume of CWD were intercorrelated. Beetle assemblages varied according to the site fertility and successional stage. The species compositions of non-saproxylic species were rather similar in the seed-tree-cut areas and in the old-growth pine forests, but the species composition of saproxylics differed between the two forest types. On the contrary, the species compositions of both saproxylics and non-saproxylics differed distinctly between the old-growth spruce forest and clear-cut sites. Species colonising recently died trees, soil-dwelling open-habitat species and some polypore-living cisids were more abundant in regeneration areas than in old-growth forests, whereas species of many other mycetophagous beetle families were practically absent from the logged sites. Compared with old-growth forests, the proportion of nationally rare saproxylic species was high at the recently cut sites, but clearly lower at the old regeneration sites. This indicates that in the long run the changes in the amount and quality of CWD may have detrimental effects to rare saproxylic species in the regeneration areas.
BRIEF COMMUNICATION FADS2 genotype influences whole-body resting fat oxidation in young adult men

Considerable evidence supports an association between fatty acid desaturase 2 (FADS2) polymorphisms and the efficiency of converting alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) via the desaturation-elongation pathway. However, ALA conversion into EPA represents only 1 of the metabolic fates for this essential fatty acid, as ALA is also highly oxidized. This study demonstrates for the first time that genetic variation in FADS2 (rs174576) is not only associated with the activity of the desaturation-elongation pathway, but also whole-body fat oxidation.
Effects of the availability of herbaceous food on vole attacks on birch seedlings

Abstract According to the optimal diet theory, predators should consume low-quality prey only when the availability of better-quality prey is low. The model of short-term apparent competition predicts, somewhat contradictorily, that low-quality prey co-occurring in the same patches with high-quality prey should be attacked more than low-quality prey in patches containing no high-quality prey. The prediction should apply, in particular, to poor environments. We compared vole attacks on experimental birch seedlings (low-quality prey) in patches with and without herbs (high-quality prey) in experimental enclosures with non-depleted or depleted herbaceous vegetation. Voles attacked fewer birch seedlings in the non-depleted enclosures compared to the depleted ones. They attacked more birch seedlings in patches with herbs than in patches without herbs independently of food depletion in the enclosure. Tree-seedling predation increased with vole density, but the increase was more pronounced in the depleted enclosures. These results may be useful for explaining and controlling natural predation of tree seedlings by voles.
Effect of thermal processing on in vitro antioxidant potential of Capsicum (Capsicum annuum) of different ripening stages

Background: Capsicum (Capsicum annuum) is a very important vegetable consumed in most parts of India, not only for they impart color or flavor in cuisines, but also for their pharmacological activities. The cooking processes are different in the different part of this country, and therefore, the present study was designed to analyze their in vitro antioxidant profile before and after thermal processing in water, i.e pressure cooking and microwave treatment, which resemble cooking processes. Methods: The assays performed included ABTS and DPPH radical decolorization assays, reducing power assay, determination of total polyphenols as well as monomeric anthocyanin contents and assay for ascorbic acid contents of the red, yellow and green coloured capsicum of different ripening stages. Results and Discussion: The study indicated that yellow capsicum was better among the three regarding antioxidant profile as well as polyphenolics and ascorbic acid contents. Monomeric anthocyanin content, however, was found to be least in this variant. Upon microwave treatment, red and yellow variants showed improvement in their antioxidant potentials. Pressure cooking showed deterioration in antioxidant potential in some assay protocols. Conclusion: The improvement of antioxidant profiles of red and yellow capsicum could well be correlated with increase in total polyphenolics contents upon thermal treatment, which indicated probable solublization of otherwise less soluble bioactives in water on thermal treatment. The study indicated a systematic approach to ascertain antioxidant quality of capsicum of different ripening stages before and after thermal treatment with water.
New species of the genus Corynoneura Winnertz (Diptera, Chironomidae) from Brazil

Seven new species of the genus Corynoneura Winnertz from small streams in the Atlantic Forest are described; Corynoneura fortispicula sp. n. , Corynoneura hermanni sp. n. , Corynoneura mediaspicula sp. n. , Corynoneura mineira sp. n. , Corynoneura septadentata sp. n. , Corynoneura sertaodaquina sp. n. , Corynoneura unicapsulata sp. n. , as male, female, pupa and larva. Diagnosis and drawings of other two morphotypes based on female, pupa and larva are given. Larvae were collected from rocks, leaves and debris near the water surface and were reared. Males here described are defined by the phallapodeme sclerotized on posterior margin, females usually have labia fused as funnel.
Importance des paramètres hydrologiques dans la distribution des oeufs et des larves des petits pélagiques du sud de l'Atlantique marocain

Les petits pelagiques constituent une ressource qui depasse 80% de la pecherie marocaine dans le sud de l'Atlantique marocain, entre le cap Blanc et le cap Boujdor (21°-26°30'N). Deux campagnes oceanographiques ont ete effectuees dans cette zone en mars (hiver) et en juillet (ete) 1998, au cours desquelles ont ete mesures des parametres hydrologiques et preleves des echantillons ichtyoplanctoniques. L'analyse des parametres hydrologiques a montre une separation entre les stations cotieres et les stations du large, dont la limite est l'isobathe 80 m, et a localise des zones d'upwelling. L'analyse de la distribution spatiale des densites (individu/10 m 2 ) des oeufs et des larves de la sardine, des sardinelles, de l'anchois, du maquereau et des chinchards a montre une aire de concentration localisee entre le cap Blanc et le cap Barbas, et dans la region de Dakhla (24°N). L'analyse simultanee des donnees hydrologiques et biologiques a montre que ces aires sont influencees par les faibles temperatures et la grande richesse en sels nutritifs qui resultent des courants ascendants (upwelling), quasi-permanents dans cette zone.
Biodiversity in European beech forests - a review with recommendations for sustainable forest management

In this review we compare stand-scale patterns of biodiversity in managed and unmanaged European beech Fagus sylvatica forests and discuss the implications for sustainable forest management. Beech forests managed with single stem or group harvest systems retain the multi-layered and multi-aged stand structure of old-growth beech forest, but old and senescent trees are removed and the amount of dead wood is significantly reduced. Shelterwood or clearcut management involves an additional change to large single-layered, even-aged stands. Beech forests managed with traditional shelterwood systems possess a relatively low value for the conservation of most species groups reviewed. The general sensitivity of different species groups to shelterwood forestry roughly increased in the following order: herbaceous plants 20 m 3 ha –1 dead wood are probably required to maintain a rich biodiversity in managed beech forests. The results suggest that only selectively harvested stands retaining many trees may approach the overall biodiversity of old-growth beech forests. Due to the patchy distribution of such forests, more knowledge on how rare beech forest species disperse between suitable habitats is necessary to design reliable concepts for biodiversity management at a landscape scale.
AN AXIOMATIC DESIGN SOFTWARE TOOL FOR DECISION MAKING DURING THE PRODUCT CONCEPTUAL DESIGN PHASE

The objective of the product conceptual design phase is to provide one or more product concepts in order to meet customer requirements, that are translated as wishes from identified problems or project requirements. These concepts, named alternative concepts, are most of the time the power of the design process due to the high quantity of them and on the other side, the weakness, due to the hard work to address the whole alternatives, because the criteria to evaluate them are not always evident. By means of a critical analysis of the decision making process regarding concept selection, it was verified that the different methods in literature claim for clarity and simplicity of the design and, most of them present design specifications as criteria that, logically will be different from project to project. Thus, one may conclude that there are criteria and orientations to be followed during the decision making process. However, they are almost always domain dependent, having no set of design specifications that could be used for all design fields. Through an axiomatic design analysis, was verified that the design axioms were considered as quality measures of the design being applicable for all design fields, (Suh, 1990) but the way they were presented, either to their definition or lack of measuring metric, became somehow difficult its application in some cases. These axioms, were then redefined into criteria or goals to be optimized and by adding new metrics was possible to perform suitable evaluations in order to check their meeting, providing a broader axiomatic design application. Therefore, in this work was proposed a decision process for selecting alternative concepts regarding the new established metric that, implemented in a computational tool provides better results for problems that come up during the product conceptual design phase.