Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mode of feeding and growth of Nephotettix virescens (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) on selected resistant and susceptible rice varieties.

The feeding activity of a leafhopper, Nephotettix virescens (Distant), on nine genetically diverse rice varieties was monitored with an electronic recording device. The varieties tested were the leafhopper resistant ‘Pankhari 203’ ( Glh 1), ‘ASD7’ ( Glh 2), ‘IR8’ ( Glh 3), ‘Ptb 8’ ( Glh 4), ‘ASD8’ ( Glh 5), ‘IR36’ ( Glh 6), ‘Moddai Karuppan’ ( Glh 7), the highly resistant ‘IR29’ (resistance gene not identified), and the susceptible ‘Taichung Native 1’ (TN1) (no resistance gene). Distinct differences in waveforms for probing, salivation, phloem feeding, and xylem drinking were recorded on resistant and susceptible rice plants. The waveforms indicated that the insect fed primarily from the phloem of susceptible ‘TN1’ plants, but switched to the xylem on resistant varieties. N. virescens made a significantly higher number of brief and repeated probes on resistant varieties than on susceptible ‘TN1’ plants. However, differences in the mean duration of salivation on resistant and susceptible varieties were not associated with resistance. Bulk seedling screening of the test varieties and the insect‘s growth on them were used as criteria for evaluation of resistance to N. virescens for comparison with results of electronic recording.
Herbicide-tolerant canola: weed control and yield comparisons in western Canada.

Field experiments were conducted at five western Canadian locations in 1996 and 1997 to compare weed control and canola (Brassica napus L.) seed yields in the three major her-bicide-tolerant canola (HTC) systems. The main objective of this study was to determine if significant weed control and yield advantages could be expected by using herbicides "designated" for HTC compared to a more "standard" application of sethoxydim plus ethametsulfuron. In 3 of 10 site-years, glyphosate in Quest canola and imazethapyr/imazamox in 45A71 canola provided a yield advantage over the standard treatment. The yield advantages were restricted to the Lacombe and Lethbridge sites and ranged from 13 to 39% increases over the sethoxydim plus ethametsulfuron treatments. Among the HTC, weed control was usually greatest with glyphosate, followed by imazethapyr/imazamox, and then glufosinate. Glufosinate efficacy was often restricted due to advanced growth stages on some weeds. The standard treatment of sethoxydim plus ethametsulf.
Potential use of Rhizobium spp. to improve fitness of non-nitrogen-fixing plants

Abstract Plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPR) stimulate plant growth by producing and/or inducing the plant to release secondary metabolites facilitating the uptake of nutrients and/or inhibiting plant pathogenic organisms in the rhizosphere. Recently, legume bacteria (Rhizobium spp.) have been reported to act as PGPR. In this study, we investigated the potential use of legume bacteria as PGPR in nonlegumes by inoculating eight different rhizobial strains onto mixtures of six botanically different non-nitrogen-fixing plant species. Each seed mixture was inoculated before sowing with the same concentration of the respective rhizobial strain. The results showed that inoculation with certain rhizobial strains increased plant biomass. In a follow-up experiment, we investigated the importance of cell density of the rhizobial inoculant by inoculating seeds of one species (Linum usitatissimum) with only one rhizobial strain, but at different concentrations. A concentration of level 104 c.f. u. (colony-forming units) mL−1 proved to be the best for successful growth. A supplementary in vitro study investigating potential mechanisms behind the plant stimulatory effect of rhizobia found that some rhizobial strains have a capability to dissolve the fungal mycelium at the initial stage. These results demonstrate that certain rhizobial strains have interesting features that deserve further attention when evaluating and developing biological plant-protection systems and/or plant-stimulating agents.
The effects of substrate and vertebral number on locomotion in the garter snake Thamnophis elegans

1. Locomotor performance of limbless vertebrates depends on the substrate through which individuals move and may result in selection on vertebral number in different habitats. To evaluate the effect of push-point density on snake locomotion, the density of vegetation and other potential push-points was quantified at two sites in California (coastal and inland), where conspecific snakes differed greatly in vertebral number (230 and 256 average total vertebrae, respectively; Arnold 1988). The coastal site had significantly higher push-point densities than the inland site. 2. Five experimental push-point densities that fell within the natural range of push-point densities were employed in laboratory trials of juvenile snake locomotion. Density of push-points significantly affected both crawling speed and head-to-tail distance (HTD), an indirect measure of lateral bending. The fastest speed was achieved at an intermediate push-point density. The shortest HTD occurred when snakes moved through the lowest push-point density. 3. Sex, total number of vertebrae and total length significantly affected HTD, regardless of push-point density. Snakes with relatively more vertebrae had a shorter HTD, suggesting they were able to achieve greater lateral bending than snakes with fewer vertebrae. Coastal and inland populations did not differ in HTD during locomotion. 4. Numbers of body and tail vertebrae significantly influenced speed at different push-point densities. In general, snakes with more body vertebrae were slower than those with fewer, while snakes with more tail vertebrae were faster than those with fewer. Snakes of greater total length were faster at all densities. Coastal snakes crawled faster than inland snakes at all push-point densities.
Effects of Crop Residue and Nitrogen Rates on Yield and Yield Components of Two Dryland Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Cultivars

Abstract In most southern parts of Iran, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) residues have been traditionally burned or removed; that is often criticized for soil organic and nutrient losses, reducing soil microbial activity and increasing CO2 emission. A 2-years (2005−2007) field study was carried out at the College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran, to evaluate the influence of crop residues management and nitrogen (N) rates on dryland wheat. The experiment was conducted as strip split plot with four replications. Horizontal plots were three crop residues rates (0, 500 and 1000 kg ha-1), vertical plots consisted of two dryland current wheat cultivars (CVs) (Azar 2 and Nicknejad), and sub-plots were three N rates (0, 35, and 70 kg N ha-1). Increasing crop residue rates increased soil organic carbon. Number of spike per plant, grains per spike, grains per plant and 1000-grain weight of both CVs significantly increased with increased N and residue rates in both years. The lowest grain yield was obtained from 1000 kg ha-1 residue incorporation without N application showing the soil N imbalance. The optimum crop growth and the highest grain yield was achieved from the highest crop residues and N rates, indicating that the most reliable system for dryland wheat production in the region is complete residues incorporation into the soil following disking, seeding with chisel seeder and application of 70 kg N ha-1.
Is there a single stock of Merluccius paradoxus in the Benguela ecosystem?

The deep-water Cape hake, Merluccius paradoxus, is one of two hake species found off South Africa and Namibia. In the past it was assumed that there were separate stocks of M. paradoxus off Namibia, and off the west and south coasts of South Africa, but there were also indications that the assumption might not be true. In this study, the stock integrity of M. paradoxus in the Benguela was investigated using a holistic stock identification approach. The approach involved analyses of the temporal and spatial distribution of M. paradoxus off Namibia and the South African west coast. It also involved an investigation of published characteristics of M. paradoxus such as genetic identification, distribution of eggs and larvae, and of parasites, etc. From this information, it was suggested that the Benguela supports a single stock of M. paradoxus, which spawns on the Agulhas Bank and with nursery areas off the South African west coast and southern Namibia. Adults of the species are widespread throughout the region. If there is a single stock in the Benguela, management strategies and assessment by South Africa and Namibia could need revisiting, for the stock is currently treated as two national entities, and is assessed and managed independently.
Calorimetric evidence for site-adapted biosynthetic metabolism in coast redwood (Sequoiasempervirens)

Uses of recently available calorimetry technology are explored for measurement of metabolic activity–temperature relations in coast redwoods (Sequoiasempervirens (D. Don) Endl. ). These redwoods were collected from different parts of the native range and grown in a common-garden plantation. Analysis of metabolic activity from 10 to 55 °C was used to examine site adaptedness of respiratory metabolism in 16 representative clones of coast redwood. Apparent activation energies changed markedly over the range 12–52 °C, but the patterns of change were similar for clones from five geographical regions and thus appear to be general for the species. However, high-temperature stability, the temperature of peak activity, and the peak metabolic heat rate differed substantially among samples from the five regions. Additional variability in high temperature stability and the temperature of peak activity was measured between trees from the same stands within regions. We suggest that the observed regional and clonal varia.
Financial Statements and Positive Accounting Theory: The Early Contribution of Aldo Amaduzzi

Abstract This paper examines some of the accounting ideas that were developed in the late 1940s by an Italian professor, Aldo Amaduzzi, with regards to positive accounting studies and the content of financial statements. The paper briefly reviews the aim, methodological assumptions and key findings of the so-called ‘positive accounting theory’ based on the works of the Rochester school of accounting. A content analysis of the early work of Amaduzzi, in relation to his view that the contents of financial statements can be seen as the equilibrium outcome of a conflict of interests between corporate stakeholders, shows that many of the methodological issues on accounting theory stressed by the ‘Rochester school of accounting’ were raised by Amaduzzi (1947, 1949). The paper concludes that although some key differences between the two approaches do exist, Amaduzzi may be considered as a forerunner of positive accounting theory.
Spectral Absorption and Fluorescence of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter in Shallow Lakes in the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River

ABSTRACT The optical properties of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in shallow lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River were investigated. Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) ranged from 2.7 to 10.1 mg/L with an average of 5.65±1.70 mg/L. All spectra of CDOM had a common shape with maximal absorption in shorter wavelength and minimal absorption in longer wavelength. CDOM absorption coefficients at 280 nm and 355 nm were in the range 3.52–24.22 m−1 (average 8.69±4.76 m−1) and 0.53–8.08 m−1 (average 2.03±1.65 m−1), respectively. The values of the DOC-specific absorption coefficient at 355 nm ranged from 0.09 to 0.80 L(mg org.C)−1m−1. The exponential slope coefficient ranged from 0.015 to 0.023 nm−1 with a mean value 0.020±0.002 nm−1 over the 280–400 nm interval. Fluorescence emission at 450 nm, excited at 355 nm, had a mean value of 0.86 nm−1. CDOM fluorescence and absorption were significantly and positively correlated. The coefficient of variation between CDOM absorption and DOC concentration decreased with the increase of wavelength from 280 to 800nm. The CDOM absorption measurements are of use to study regional distribution of CDOM, contribution of CDOM to light attenuation, and development of regional models for the optical properties of CDOM which allow higher precision in remote sensing applications of water quality monitoring.
Extracellular ATP Triggers Tumor Necrosis Factor‐α Release from Rat Microglia

Abstract: Brain microglia are a major source of inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), which have been implicated in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, microglia were revealed to be highly responsive to ATP, which is released from nerve terminals, activated immune cells, or damaged cells. It is not clear, however, whether released ATP can regulate TNF‐α secretion from microglia. Here we demonstrate that ATP potently stimulates TNF‐α release, resulting from TNF‐α mRNA expression in rat cultured brain microglia. The TNF‐α release was maximally elicited by 1 mM ATP and also induced by a P2X7 receptor‐selective agonist, 2′‐ and 3′‐O‐(4‐benzoylbenzoyl)adenosine 5′‐triphosphate, suggesting the involvement of P2X7 receptor. ATP‐induced TNF‐α release was Ca2+‐dependent, and a sustained Ca2+ influx correlated with the TNF‐α release in ATP‐stimulated microglia. ATP‐induced TNF‐α release was inhibited by PD 098059, an inhibitor of extracellular signal‐regulated protein kinase (ERK) kinase 1 (MEK1), which activates ERK, and also by SB 203580, an inhibitor of p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase. ATP rapidly activated both ERK and p38 even in the absence of extracellular Ca2+. These results indicate that extracellular ATP triggers TNF‐α release in rat microglia via a P2 receptor, likely to be the P2X7 subtype, by a mechanism that is dependent on both the sustained Ca2+ influx and ERK/p38 cascade, regulated independently of Ca2+ influx.
Genetic analysis of coleoptile length and diameter in wheat

Lack of moisture near the soil surface commonly delays sowing, reducing grain yields of Australian wheat (Triticum aestivum) crops. Deep sowing would allow growers to make use of soil moisture lying below the drying topsoil, but the short coleoptiles of semidwarf wheats reduce emergence when sowing at depths greater than 5 cm. Selection of longer, thicker coleoptiles would help in improving emergence in hard or crusted soils, or when deep sowing, yet little is known of genetic control of coleoptile size in wheat. A diallel mating design was generated from crosses between 12 Australian and overseas wheats, and assessed for coleoptile size at different temperatures (11, 15, 19, and 23°C). Repeatabilities for coleoptile diameter and length were moderate to high on an entry-mean basis (R2 = 0.48 and 0.77, respectively), reflecting large genotype and small genotype × temperature interaction variances. Genotypic variation among parents translated into large and significant (P < 0.01) differences among F1 progeny (94–142 mm and 1.56–1.84 mm for length and diameter, respectively). General (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA), and reciprocal effects were significant (P < 0.01) for length and diameter. Baker’s GCA/SCA ratio was high (0.62–0.77) for coleoptile length but intermediate for diameter (0.38–0.64), indicating strong additive genetic control for length. Further, GCA effects and parental means were strongly correlated (r = 0.81–0.91, P < 0.01) indicating parent length to be a useful predictor of progeny performance. Coleoptile lengths for progeny derived from Rht8, Rht9, and Rht12 dwarfing gene donors were generally shorter (c. –7 to –13%) but were still an average 47% longer than coleoptiles of Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b controls. The genetic correlation for coleoptile length and diameter was small (rg = –0.25 ± 0.15n.s.) suggesting that the two traits are genetically independent. Development of wheats with longer, thicker coleoptiles should be readily achieved in selection among partially inbred families from crosses targetting improved establishment.
The Use of Case Studies in an Undergraduate Biochemistry Course

Most college biochemistry courses are taught in a format in which the professor lectures and the student memorizes. Although this is the best method for conveying large amounts of material, it puts the student in the position of passive learner. The lecture-based format has not been abandoned, but has been supplemented with case study projects assigned to the students upon completion of the intermediary metabolism unit. The case study assignment is modeled on similar exercises carried out in medical school biochemistry courses in the US and around the world. A description of the assignment follows: a group of 4-5 students is given a case study which gives the medical history of a patient with an inherited metabolic disease. The group is asked to provide biochemical explanations for the patient's symptoms and to suggest an effective course of treatment. The evaluation consists of a short paper that the students write as a group. The assignment provides the opportunity for small group interaction within a l.
Grouping and classification of wheat from organic and conventional production systems by combining three image forming methods

Using image forming methods, products from organic and conventional origin have been discriminated with high accuracy, but the meaning of these differences in terms of product quality is so far poorly understood. The aim of the presented study is therefore to gain further insights into the suitability of image forming methods for food quality evaluation based on wheat samples from a long-term field trial on the comparison of different organic and conventional production systems (DOC-trial). The images of the encoded samples were (1) grouped into pairs with similar image features, (2) characterized based on reference images (e.g. high resistance to degradation – low resistance to degradation), (3) ranked (according to the quality characterization), and (4) assigned to the different production methods (classified). The encoded samples from the production methods mineral fertilization, conventional production (combination of mineral fertilization and farmyard manure) and the class of organic production methods (biodynamic, bioorganic and unfertilized control) could be grouped and classified in both years. Within the class of organic production methods grouping (assigning of similar samples to image categories) and classification (assigning of categories to production methods) was partially possible. The correct grouping and classification of samples from organic and conventional production shows that different fertilization systems influence image structures in a typical and reproducible manner. The evaluation approach followed in the presented research can provide a considerable contribution to advance our understanding of quality differences between products from different farming systems or plant production measures.
Variation in flight morphology in a female polymorphic damselfly: intraspecific, intrasexual, and seasonal differences

In aerial animals, flight morphology needs to be designed to allow daily behavioural activities. Within species differences in behaviour can therefore be expected to relate to differences in flight morphology, not only between males and females but also between same-sex members when they use different behavioural strategies. In female polymorphic damselflies, one female morph is considered a male mimic that resembles the male’s body colour and behaviour (andromorph), whereas the other is dissimilar (gynomorph). Here, we questioned whether males, andromorphs, and gynomorphs of the damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum (Charpentier, 1840) differ in flight morphology, with andromorphs being more similar to males than gynomorphs. In addition, we evaluated whether differences in flight morphology are consistent or whether some morphs are more plastic in response to seasonal environmental fluctuations. Most morphometrics showed similar seasonal plasticity for males and both female morphs, which could only partly be e.
Effects of cytosolic calcium and limited, possible dual, effects of G protein modulators on guard cell inward potassium channels

Summary The cellular mechanisms that regulate potassium (K+) channels in guard cells have been the subject of recent research, as K+ channel modulation has been suggested to contribute to stomatal movements. Patch clamp studies have been pursued on guard cell protoplasts of Vicia faba to analyze the effects of physiological cytosolic free Ca2+ concentrations, Ca2+ buffers and GTP-binding protein modulators on inward-rectifying K+ channels. Ca2+ inhibition of inward-rectifying K+ currents depended strongly on the concentration and effectiveness of the Ca2+ buffer used, indicating a large Ca2+ buffering capacity and pH increases in guard calls. When the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration was buffered to micromolar levels using BAPTA, inward-rectifying K+ channels were strongly inhibited. However, when EGTA was used as the Ca2+ buffer, much less inhibition was observed, even when pipette solutions contained 1 µM free Ca2+. Under the imposed conditions, GTPγS did not significantly inhibit inward-rectifying K+ channel currents when cytosolic Ca2+ was buffered to low levels or when using EGTA as the Ca2+ buffer. Furthermore, GDPβS reduced inward K+ currents at low cytosolic Ca2+, indicating a novel mode of inward K+ channel regulation by G-protein modulators, which is opposite in effect to that from previous reports. On the other hand, when Ca2+ was effectively elevated in the cytosol to 1 µM using BAPTA, GTPγS produced an additional inhibition of the inward-rectifying K+ channel currents in a population of cells, indicating possible Ca2+-dependent action of GTP-binding protein modulators in K+ channel inhibition. Assays of stomatal opening show that 90% inhibition of inward K+ currents does not prohibit, but slows, stomatal opening and reduces stomatal apertures by only 34% after 2 h light exposure. These data suggest that limited K+ channel down-regulation alone may not be rate-limiting, and it is proposed that the concerted action of proton-pump inhibition and additional anion channel activation is likely required for inhibition of stomatal opening. Furthermore, G-protein modulators regulate inward K+ channels in a more complex and limited, possibly Ca2+-dependent, manner than previously proposed.