Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arthropod assemblages in tree canopies: a comparison of orders on box mistletoe (Amyema miquelii) and its host eucalypts

Parasitic plants, such as mistletoes, are important components of tree canopies, providing food and shelter for a range of vertebrates and invertebrates. Arthropods from several orders are known to inhabit mistletoes but no direct comparisons between these plants and their host plants have been conducted until present. In this study, the composition and abundance of arthropods occurring on hemi-parasitic box mistletoe, Amyema miquelii ((Lehm. ex Miq.) Tiegh. , Loranthaceae), on Eucalyptus (L., Myrtaceae) trees from the south-west slopes region of eastern Australia were investigated. Here a comparison of the arthropod assemblages at the ordinal level is presented. Specimens of Insecta and Arachnida were sampled from box mistletoe and three of its most common host species, using restricted canopy fogging, in two consecutive years, in nine remnants of grassy-box woodlands. The same 10 arthropod orders were sampled from the mistletoes and their eucalypt hosts but the total density of arthropods was greater on the eucalypt foliage. The latter result might be attributed to the significantly greater nitrogen content of the eucalypt foliage than the mistletoe foliage. One year after de-faunation, all but one of the arthropod orders had re-colonised the mistletoe plants. The total abundance of arthropods (particularly Hemiptera and Hymenoptera) on the mistletoes was greater in the second year of sampling, in which drought conditions occurred. Future research of arthropod assemblages in tree canopies should be more inclusive of the full range of substrates or habitats within canopies. Furthermore, investigation of the nutritional quality of mistletoe foliage compared with their host trees is required for a better understanding of the factors driving variation in community composition of arthropod assemblages.
CHERRY CHLOROTIC RUSTY SPOT AND CHERRY LEAF SCORCH: TWO SIMILAR DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH MYCOVIRUSES AND DOUBLE STRANDED RNAs

SUMMARY Cherry chlorotic rusty spot (CCRS) is a disease of unknown etiology affecting sweet and sour cherry in Southern Italy. CCRS has constantly been associated with the presence of an unidentified fungus, double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) from mycoviruses of the genera Chrysovirus, Partitivirus and Totivirus and two small circular RNAs (cscRNAs) that may be satellite RNAs of one of the mycoviruses. The similarity of CCRS and Cherry leaf scorch (CLS), a disease caused by the perithecial ascomycete Apiognomonia erythrostoma, is discussed in the light of symptomatology, fungal fructifications, nucleotide sequence analysis of fungal genes, including the 18S rDNA amplified by PCR from infected leaves, and isolated mycelia. Comparison of mycoviral dsRNAs isolated from plants affected by both diseases further supports the view that CCRS and CLS are closely related. This is the first report showing the presence of CCRSlike mycoviral dsRNAs in CLS-infected cherry trees from Spain, indicating that CCRS-associated mycoviruses are more widely spread than though before.
The proximate analysis of wheat flour carbohydrates. III.—the estimation of the hemicellulose fraction

The composition of the hemicellulose fractions of wholemeal and flours of about 70% extraction in terms of anhydro-arabinose, xylose and uronic acid units has been investigated. It has been shown that the hemicelluloses, on distillation with hydrochloric acid, behave in the same manner as an equimolecular mixture of arabinose and xylose. Xylose is a suitable standard for the distillation process, and the ‘xylose equivalent’ of a wheat fraction multiplied by 0.97 is a quantitative measure of the hemicellulose present, provided this is not less than 1.8%.
Notes on New Zealand mammals

Many animals are difficult to observe in the field, especially the smaller or nocturnal species. But people who often work or play in the outdoors sometimes get a lucky chance, and observe an animal behaving naturally in an especially interesting way, or an interaction between more than one animal that would be impossible to set up deliberately. If a lot of related observations can be put together, they can be built into an intriguing picture of natural behaviour that parallels the results of more conventional studies. For example, although stoats are spotted in the wild only rarely by any one person, in the middle 1970s a co-ordinated system of collecting observations of stoats by visitors to National Parks produced 1747 sightings of stoats or weasels in two specified years. The results (King 1982) confirmed a lot of what was already known about the hunting behaviour and breeding season of stoats deduced from carcase analyses, but added a wealth of other details that could only come from watching live animals in the wild. For example, stoats were seen running with their tails held high, or swimming across rivers, or rummaging in rubbish bins; one was seen being kicked in the head by a large rabbit, and conversely, another rabbit was seen being attacked by a stoat outside the Mount Cook Post Office (and was rescued by the postmistress). The significant increase in numbers of stoats in beech forest after a mast year, well documented from many trapping studies, is certainly not only a matter of increased willingness to enter traps, because it was noticed and reported by dozens of visitors to beech forest parks in the summer of 1976/77.
Antiphytoviral activity of heterometallic copper containing amine complexes

Five chemicals were evaluated for their antiphytoviral activity in TMV-tissue culture test system. For deriving healthy plants using the way their regeneration from callus or tip meristem the explants were treated with the compounds. The growing of plants on medium with the experimental complexes was the next step. Among other substances the most successive were the compound 1 and 2. No effect of substances 3, 4 on the TMV infection in this model system was found. The substance 5 had a severe toxic effect and reduced callus appearance from treated explants. Our investigation proves that heterometallic complexes which contain copper, chlorine and amino alcohols can be perspective antiphytoviral agents.
Some properties of methane oxidation in a thermally stratified lake

Profiles of 14CH4 and 14CO oxidation and concentrations of CH4, NH4+ , and nitrogen oxides (N2O, NH2- , NH3- ) were studied in Lake St. George, Ontario, during late summer stratification. Metalimnetic maxima of the nitrogen oxides occurred and high rates of oxidation of CH4 and CO were limited to a narrow band (<1 m) below the nitrogen oxide peaks at the oxic-anoxic interface. Oxidation of CH4 and CO was strongly inhibited by the nitrification inhibitor allylthiourea. The affinity of the oxidizers for CH4 (approximate Km = 4.6 µM), their sensitivity to picolinic acid, and the ratio of CH4 oxidation to allylthiourea-sensitive CO oxidation together suggest that methanotrophs were responsible for the observed CH4 oxidation. Pure cultures of Nitrosomonas europaea, although less sensitive to picolinic acid than the CH4 oxidizers of Lake St. George, were affected by the inhibitor (approximate Ki for inhibition of NH4+ oxidation = 51 µM).
Surface exposure dating of moraines and alluvial fans in the Southern Central Andes

(1) University of Bern, Institute of Geography and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, Bern, Switzerland (carla.terrizzano@giub.unibe.ch), (2) Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ), Geological Institute, Zurich, Switzerland, (3) IDEAN, Univesity of Buenos Aires-CONICET, Argentina, (4) Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ), Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, Zurich, Switzerland, (5) Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Application of seminested PCR for detection of larval stages of Spirocerca lupi in garden lizards (Calotes versicolor).

________________________________________________________________________________________ RAVINDRAN, R. , M. APARNA, J. JOHNS, U. C. MITHIN, S. VARGHESE, G. JYOTHIMOL, L. CHANDRASEKHAR, K. G. AJITHKUMAR: Application of seminested PCR for detection of larval stages of Spirocerca lupi in garden lizards (Calotes versicolor). Vet. arhiv 84, 305-310, 2014. ABSTRACT The study reveals the usefulness of semi-nested PCR as a tool to identify larval stages of Spirocerca lupi in garden lizards (Calotes versicolor), the paratenic host for the parasite. Creamy white cysts present in the superfi cial muscles of seven out of thirteen garden lizards on the veterinary college campus, Pookode, were recovered and observed for the presence of live larvae. DNA isolated from these cysts and S. lupi worms recovered during postmortem examination of an infected dog were used for semi-nested PCR for amplifying an internal region of the S. lupi Cox-I gene, producing a specifi c 400 bp fragment. Thus the semi-nested PCR may be utilized for specifi c detection of larval stages of S. lupi in a paratenic host.
Effects of red versus white wheat bran on rate of growth and feeding of some stored-product beetles

The red pigment in the seed coat of hard red spring wheat is produced by phenolics. Most of the wheats grown in western Canada are hard red spring varieties; however cultivars with a whiter seed coat are being developed for their better milling and baking attributes. Because phenolics serve to protect some plants against insect attack, we compared the susceptibility of white and red spring wheat to attack by stored-product insects. Tenebrio molitor (Tenebrionidae) larvae reared on red wheat bran gained less weight than larvae reared on white wheat bran but this insect has a long developmental period and does not attack sound grain. Tribolium castaneum (Tenebrionidae) pupal weights were not affected by the type of wheat milled products on which the larvae fed. A feeding bioassay showed that red bran did not act as an antifeedant for T. molitor, T. castaneum, or Sitophilus oryzae (Curculionidae). However, it acted as a feeding stimulant for Rhyzopertha dominica (Bostrichidae), which is related to wood-borin.
Historical biogeography of the Brazilian Atlantic forest and the Carnaval–Moritz model of Pleistocene refugia: what do phylogeographical studies tell us?

The present study uses published phylogeographical studies to test the Carnaval–Moritz (CM) model of forest dynamics in the Atlantic forest of Brazil. The model predicts that a large forested area in the north–central region of this biome has remained stable during the last glacial maximum, and only relicts in its current southernmost distributions. All available sequences for phylogeographical studies on vertebrates on the Atlantic forest were obtained from GenBank. All datasets consisted of mitochondrial sequences and were submitted to the same analyses, including time of divergence and migration rates between phylogeographical lineages, as well as historical demography analyses, including neutrality tests and Ne estimates. The species studied showed different degrees of phylogeographical structure. Two contact zones are defined: one very heterogeneous in south-east Brazil that was largely congruent with the CM model and one around the Doce river further north. Population genetics analyses showed a smaller effective number on southern population, and most of these southern populations showed evidence for recent demographic expansion. These features are also in agreement with the CM model. Additionally, divergence/expansion events dated back to the Pleistocene epoch in all but one organism. According to hierarchical approximate Bayesian computation analysis, most of the data can be attributed to a single event. The results highlight the need for more finescale studies in the Atlantic forest. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 104, 499–509.
Leaf traits influencing oviposition preference and larval performance of Cameraria ohridella on native and novel host plants

Leaf traits are known to influence the preference and performance of phytophagous insects. Traits that influence oviposition can differ from traits that favour larval development, but in native hosts the association between traits usually leads to positive preference‐performance relationships. However, when herbivores interact with novel hosts, traits that influence oviposition and successful larval development can become decoupled, leading to poor preference‐performance relationships. We investigated traits associated with preference and performance of the horse‐chestnut leaf miner, Cameraria ohridella Deschka & Dimic (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), on its native host, Aesculus hippocastanum L. (Sapindaceae), and on other species of Aesculus that are novel hosts for the leaf miner. Cameraria ohridella laid eggs on all species of Aesculus, but showed preferences for A. hippocastanum and the phylogenetically closely related Japanese horse‐chestnut, Aesculus turbinata Blume. Successful mine development, however, was observed only on A. hippocastanum and A. turbinata, which indicates a partial mismatch between female oviposition and larval performance. The two susceptible Aesculus species were very similar in their leaf traits, which might explain why larvae performed equally well on these species. In contrast, species resistant to C. ohridella [Aesculus chinensis Bunge, Aesculus indica (Camb) Hook, and Aesculus flava Aiton] showed considerable variation in leaf traits, which suggests that different species of Aesculus might have different mechanisms of resistance to C. ohridella, supporting the idea of different defensive syndromes in different species of plants.
Understanding decision making about balancing two stocks: the faculty gender balancing task

This paper contributes to the understanding of dynamic decision making by exploring how people understand the dynamic system underlying a task with modest dynamic complexity. Using the faculty gender balancing task, we experimentally test the extent to which participants correctly estimate the inflow needed to balance two unbalanced stocks and how they substantiate their decision. The results, based on performance data for 133 participants, show that people have difficulty determining the correct hiring percentage. Three-quarters of the participants recommended a hiring percentage that was too low to balance the stocks in time or to balance them at all. Analysis of the substantiations showed that nearly half of the participants underpinned their decision with calculations, while 45 percent used intuitive estimations. The calculations seem to be based on three heuristics, reasoning patterns on which participants erroneously relied to assess dynamic behavior. Contrary to what has been found so far, the participants who used intuitive estimations to support their decisions performed relatively better on the task.
The Influence of Explant Types and Orientation on in Vitro Culture

Inflorescence, apical and lateral buds of Musa balbisiana ‘Kluai Hin’ (BBB group) were used to culture on MS medium supplemented with 22 μM BA and 15% (v/v) coconut water. Comparison of bud orientation showed that the best response of in vitro shoot tip proliferation was obtained with abaxial surface of buds lying down i.e. one side touching the medium (tilt). Mass propagation of shoot tips was obtained when cultured buds on MS medium containing 44 μM BA. Rooting was achieved by transferring the isolated shoots to MS basal medium without growth regulators. Rooted plantlets were acclimatized and successfully established in soil.
Cell fractionation - an important tool for compartment proteomics

In order to maximize coverage in proteome studies, a successful approach is the fractionation of cellular compartments. For providing evidence for the most reliable and efficient separation technique, we compared four different procedures for subcellular fractionation of Jurkat cells. The analysis of fractions by LTQ-Orbitrap yielded between 559 and 1195 unambiguously identified unique proteins. The assumed correct localisation of the proteins was defined using Scaffold3 according to GO annotations, with the highest reliability (~80%) for the cytoplasmic fraction and the lowest (~20%) for the cytoskeletal fraction. This comparison revealed evidence for the efficiencies of separating subcellular fractions and will thereby facilitate the decision on which procedure might be the best match to a specific research question and contribute to the emerging field of compartment proteomics.
The Potential of Using Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) Technology as the Cell Disruption Method to Extract Lipid from Microalgae for Biodiesel Production

For the past few years, there has been an explosive growth of interest in biodiesel production from algae based crops. Feedstock from microalgae is a highly promising resource and can be used as an alternative for sustainable and renewable energy since; lipid from microalgae can be converted to biodiesel. The study brief reviews of the processes related to microalgae for biodiesel production. This includes the process of microalgae cultivation, microalgae harvesting, extracting microalgae lipid and conversion of biodiesel from microalgae. Biodiesel yield is dependable on the amount of lipid extracted which is affected by the technology and method of extraction. The microalgae lipid extraction using traditional methods is primarily discussed and followed by the latest technology of microalgae cell disruption based on electroporation concept. Pulsed electric fields (PEF) Technology as the potential method to extract microalgae lipid is proposed in this work. Treatment of PEF associated with conventional extraction, such as solvent extraction is demonstrated to improve the extraction efficiency of lipid and other valuable intracellular components from microalgae. The paper also described the electroporation mechanism occurred in a cell membrane and the factors that affect the mechanism. Several of PEF chamber designs were discussed which adapted from food industries, biotechnology and engineering perspective view. The benefits and limitation of PEF in the microalgae lipid extraction are also mentioned in this work for the purpose of the future improvement of the PEF extraction system.
Influences on the Distribution of Carex Exilis: An Experimental Approach

Carex exilis occurs in bogs and fens along the Atlantic coast, but only in fens in the midcontinent. I experimentally tested five hypotheses explaining this pattern. Reciprocal transplants were made, and no differences were found among populations, implying that there are no bog—adapted ecotypes. Instead, C. exilis growth and reproduction depended most on conditions under which plants were grown. Plants from all populations studied could complete their life cycle in coastal bogs, coastal fens, and midcontinental fens, but not in midcondinental bogs. Greenhouse experiments showed that salinity and acidity had no significant effect on germination and growth; increased nutrient supply and water table level did. Seedlings of C. exilis grew vigorously on peat from a midcontinental bog when the water table was kept artificially near the moss surface, but most died when the water table was at its natural level, 20 cm or more below the moss surface. The water table of coastal bogs is normally high. Water level af.
Activation of human natural killer cells by Plasmodium falciparum

The purpose of work described in this thesis was to (i) determine the contribution of innate immune responses to the early pro-inflammatory cytokine response to Plasmodium falciparum, (ii) describe the kinetics and cellular sources ofIFN-y production by human PBMC in response to activation by intact, infected erythrocytes (iRBC) or freeze-thawed schizont lysate (PfSL) and (iii) determine the activation requirements for innate immune cells responding to P. falciparum. Infected erythrocytes induce a more rapid and intense IFN-y response from malaria naive PBMC than does PfSL, correlating with rapid iRBC activation of CD3-CD56+ natural killer (NK) cells to produce IFN-y. There is marked heterogeneity between donors in the magnitude of the NK-IFN-y response not correlating with mitogen or cytokine-induced NK activation or prior malaria exposure. The NK-IFN-y response is highly IL-I2 dependent, partly IL-I8 dependent and highly dependent on direct contact between the NK cell and the parasitized erythrocyte. Exogenous rIL-I2 or rIL-I8 did not augment NK-IFN-y responses indicating that IL-I2 and IL-18 production is not the limiting factor explaining differences in NK cell reactivity between live and dead parasites or between donors. The possibility that donor heterogeneity is due to genetic variation in killer immunoglobulin- like receptors (KIR) and/or differential expression of C-type lectin receptors was also investigated. A significant up-regulation ofCD94 and NKG2A was observed in IFN-y+ NK cells of responding donors, suggesting that the inhibitory CD94:NKG2A heterodimer may serve a regulatory function on P. falciparum activated NK cells. Collectively, these data indicate that NK cells may represent an important early source oflFN-y, a cytokine implicated in induction of various anti-parasitic effector mechanisms. The heterogeneity of this early IFN-y response between donors suggests variation in their ability to mount a rapid pro-inflammatory cytokine response to malaria that may, in turn, influence their innate susceptibility to malaria infection, malaria-related morbidity or death from malaria
Integration of AFLP markers into an RFLP-based map of durum wheat

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) is a powerful technique which can readily be applied to a wide range of species for mapping purposes. AFLPs were added to a linkage map of durum wheat constructed using restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs). The mapping population included 65 recombinant inbred lines derived from a cross between the durum wheat cultivar 'Messapia' and accession 'MG4343' of the wild Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides (Korn.). Genomic DNA was digested with MseI (4-cutter) and Sse8387I (8-cutter). Using a silver-staining protocol, 14 primer combinations revealed 421 clearly scorable amplicons including 100 polymorphisms. The presence of nine pairs of bands linked in repulsion phase with each pair generated by one primer combination suggested the presence of codominant alleles; sequence analysis of four band pairs confirmed their codominant nature. The integration of 80 AFLP loci extended the map in several telomeric regions, reduced the size of four large gaps present in the previous map, and eliminated one gap. The new map obtained after the inclusion of the 80 AFLP loci and eight additional RFLP loci spans 2063 cM which represent a 52.6% increment compared with the previous map. Compared with the distribution of RFLPs, no significant clustering of AFLP markers was observed.
Species: towards new, well-grounded practices

Velasco recently criticized our formal definition of the species concept, arguing for its inappropriateness both in fundamental and practical aspects [Velasco JD (2008) Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 93, 865–869]. Here, we clarify some misunderstandings that are at the basis of Velasco's paper. First, we show why and how the definition of the species concept can be grounded in the theory of evolution and what that implies. Then, we explain why Velasco's formal criticisms are unjustified. Finally, we point out the practical and methodological consequences of a rigorous conceptual framework for species study, and we show that today's development of species delimitation methods fully agrees with our proposal. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 97, 217–222.