Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Beta Casein Genotypes on Milk Production Traits in Sahiwal Cattle

The study was conducted to find the association of -casein locus with the milk performance traits in Sahiwal cattle (n=157). Two different variants of β -casein were detected from DNA by ARMS-PCR. It was found that the frequency of A allele was predominantly high (0. 98±0.01) than that of B allele (0.02±0.01) in the population studied. The least square means showed that cows with β -casein produced higher fat yield in AB genotype (0.60±0.10 kg) than the AA (0.33±0.02 kg). The cows with β -casein AB genotype also produced more yields of SNF (1.07±0.19 kg) and milk (11.81±2.10 kg) than those with AA genotype whose values were 0.59±0.04 and 6.48±0.41 kg, respectively. Therefore, ! -casein locus can be useful in the selection of animals for higher yields of fat, SNF and milk. DNA based markers are of the better choice since animals can be screened at very early age instead of waiting for animals to come in milking stage.
Trophic ecology of the blue shark (Prionace glauca) based on stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) and stomach content

Occupying the upper levels of trophic webs and thus regulating prey at lower levels, sharks play an important role in the trophic structure and energy dynamics of marine ecosystems. In recent years, the removal of these individuals from upper trophic levels as a result of overfishing has negatively affected ecosystems. We analysed the diet of blue sharks (Prionace glauca) caught off the west coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico, during the months of February–June in 2001, 2005 and 2006. We employed both stomach content and stable isotope analyses as each method provides distinct yet important information regarding the role of blue sharks in marine food webs, allowing us to estimate the relative contribution of different prey items to this predator's diet. Of the 368 stomachs analysed, 210 contained food (57%) and 158 (43%) were empty. Based on stomach contents and the index of relative importance (IRI), the pelagic red crab (Pleuroncodes planipes) was the most important prey, followed by the squids Gonatus californiensis (34.1%) and Ancistrocheirus lesueurii (10.4%). The mean (±SD) values for δ15N (16.48 ± 0.94‰) and δ13C (−18.48 ± 0.63‰) suggest that blue sharks prefer feeding in oceanic waters. The trophic level based on stomach content analysis was 4.05, while that based on the stable isotope analysis was 3.8, making blue sharks top consumers in the marine ecosystem of Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Variación genética de dos áreas semilleras de pino establecidas en el estado de Michoacán

En Mexico se han establecido mas de 200 areas semilleras; sin embargo, muchas de ellas estan abandonadas o sin manejo. Elconocimiento genetico de arboles productores de semillas es esencial en la obtencion de planta de mejor calidad para las actividadesde reforestacion y conservacion de los recursos. El objetivo central del presente trabajo fue evaluar los niveles de variacion geneticaen dos areas semilleras de Pinus montezumae y Pinus pseudostrobus establecidas en el estado de Michoacan, con base en el uso de cinco microsatelitesnucleares. Los resultados indican que P. pseudostrobus contiene un mayor numero de alelos (A= 19) que P. montezumae (A= 18). En el primero,el promedio de la heterocigosis observada fue superior a la esperada (Ho= 0.290, He= 0.277); por el contario, en P. montezumae la heterocigosispromedio resulto mas alta (Ho= 0.246, He= 0.274). Para ambas especies ninguno de los valores se desvio significativamente del equilibrio Hardy-Weinberg.P. pseudostrobus presento el tamano efectivo mas grande (Ne= 805) que P. montezumae (Ne= 492), con un nivel de endogamia nosignificativo (F = -0.031 en P. pseudostrobus y F= 0.103 en P. montezumae). Por tanto, se considera que no existe ningun efecto importante deconsanguinidad entre los arboles de cada area semillera y que contienen individuos con el acervo genetico representativo de los dos taxa.Finalmente, se plantea una propuesta para recolectar semillas de arboles especificos para cada taxon.
Conservation genetics of the critically endangered Round Island bottle palm, Hyophorbe lagenicaulis (Arecaceae): can cultivated stocks supplement a residual wild population?

The amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technique was used to examine genetic variation among old and newly emerged individuals of Hyophorbe lagenicaulis (the Round Island bottle palm) on Round Island to assess surviving levels of diversity in the wild population and to evaluate the suitability of old cultivated stocks on Mauritius as a source of seed for reintroduction. The analysis of AFLP data for 48 individuals of H. lagenicaulis (individuals from Round Island and elsewhere), two H. verschaffeltii, two H. vaughanii, one H. amaricaulis and one H. indica yielded 81 variable and six monomorphic bands. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) and Shannon's indices showed a high level of genetic variation within the wild population on Round Island and a smaller amount of genetic variation among cultivated individuals. A neighbor joining analysis resulted in an unrooted network of genetic distances in which the five Hyophorbe spp. were separated and much variation within H. lagenicaulis was recovered. The Round Island populations of H. lagenicaulis contain representatives of the genetic variation found within the species as a whole. However, a few individuals, both wild and cultivated, represent apparently rare AFLP profiles, and thus, if a more representative distribution of genotypes is wanted for the wild population, cultivated sources could be introduced to Round Island from Mauritian gardens and plantings. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 167, 301–310.
Random Amplified Polymorphic Primer-Generated Embryo DNA Polymorphisms among 16 North American Malting Barley Cultivars

Development of a simple, accurate, and rapid method for identifying malting barley cultivars is important for the malting, brewing, and seed-processing industries. Recently reported methods that have been developed for using DNA to “fingerprint” barley utilize DNA that is extracted from leaf tissue. For this study, we used the polymerase chain reaction-random amplified polymorphic DNA (PCR-RAPD) technique with a selected set of 10-mer primers and DNA that was extracted from mature imbibed embryos. We were able to differentiate 16 malting barley cultivars or breeding lines that are commonly grown in North America, including the two-rowed cultivars Crystal, Garnet, Galena, Harrington, and B1202 and the six-rowed cultivars Robust, Stander, Morex, Excel, Lacey, Foster, Drummond, Russell, 88Ab536-B, B2601, and B2978. This method is simple to use and can be accomplished in 12–16 hr, since it bypasses the time-consuming germination and seedling growth steps. PCR results using embryo DNA samples are comparable to those obtained with leaf tissue DNA. The rapid and simple procedure that we have developed can be adapted by industry to maintain cultivar purity and to check the integrity of purchased seed lots.
New interactive keys to New Zealand weeds.

New interactive keys are being developed for rapid and accurate identification and management of New Zealand weeds and pest plants. These powerful but simple to use plant identification tools are created using LucidTM software. The first key, completed in July 2009, is for the identification of all 150 National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA) species banned from sale, propagation and distribution in New Zealand (Dawson et al. 2010). In addition to the NPPA species, a further 150 similar and related species are included. This key is comprehensively illustrated with >5000 images. The key links to an electronic version of the naturalised plants flora (Webb et al. 1988) and other New Zealand plant resources (MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAF-BNZ), Ng Tipu o Aotearoa – New Zealand Plants, and the Weedbusters websites). The NPPA key is currently being extended to include all 328 species on the Department of Conservation Consolidated List of Environmental Weeds in New Zealand (Howell 2008). This project is scheduled for completion in March 2011. The combined key covers more than 500 weed species and we hope to add further weeds in the future. These new keys include some 50 characters and more than 200 character states and are freely available from the Landcare Research website. For consistency they share data with and are closely modelled on three keys to Australian weeds developed and distributed by the Centre for Biological Information Technology (CBIT) (Navie 2004, 2009, Navie and Adkins 2008). In the course of this work, the correct names following the most up-to-date botanical treatments were resolved for many weed taxa. These updated names have been incorporated into the interactive keys, the Landcare Research Plant Names database, the new edition of An Illustrated Guide to Common Weeds of New Zealand (Popay et al. 2010), and the MAF-BNZ NPPA list. This provides an important consistency of usage of weed names in New Zealand. New interactive keys to New Zealand weeds
Genetic Relatedness and Spatial Associations of Jointly Captured Alabama Beach Mice (Peromyscus polionotus ammobates)

Abstract Genetic relatedness estimates and capture records were used to examine population ecology of endangered Alabama beach mice (Peromyscus polionotus ammobates). Because of their monogamous mating strategy, biparental natal care, and limited dispersal patterns, we hypothesized that beach mice form gamodemes with family groups representing the core units. Under this hypothesis, we predicted that groups of related individuals would utilize common habitat spaces and that nonrandom age or sex associations could occur. To test these predictions, livetrapping data from an 8-year study were used to examine demography and relatedness of mice involved in joint and single captures (4,683 capture events involving 1,404 individuals, of which 949 were genotyped using microsatellite data). Mice were observed in joint captures nonrandomly with respect to age and sex, implying that there are nonrandom spatial associations among beach mice. Specifically, adult females were captured more often than expected with adult males and subadults were involved in joint captures more often than expected. Subadults captured with adults were the most related cocaptures, which, along with parental assignment, provided evidence of familial clustering. Adult male–female cocaptures were among the least related pairings, suggesting that inbreeding avoidance may play a role in mate choice.
Einfluss der Configuration auf die Wirkung der Enzyme

Das die Spaltung der Glucoside durch die Enzyme der Hefe und das Emulsin in hohem Grade von der Konfiguration des Molekuls abhangig ist, habe ich bereits an zahlreichen Beispielen gezeigt.1) Von den Aldosiden waren nur die Derivate des Traubenzuckers angreifbar und auch bei diesen bestand ein scharfer Unterschied zwischen α- und β-Verbindungen. Derselbe Gegensatz trat bei Maltose und Milchzucker zutage. Die neueren Versuche, welche ein viel groseres synthetisches Material umfassen, haben das allgemeine Prinzip durchaus bestatigt, machen aber eine beachtenswerte Erweiterung der Spezialsatze notwendig. Als wichtigstes Ergebnis derselben ist die Spaltung des β-Methylgalactosids2) durch Emulsin hervorzuheben. Der Versuch ist interessant genug, um ausfuhrlich mitgeteilt zu werden. 1 Teil des Galactosids wurde in 10 Teilen Wasser gelost, mit 0,2 Teilen Emulsin versetzt und wahrend 3 Tagen auf 33° erwarmt. Es waren dann 35 pCt. des Materials in Zucker verwandelt. Bei Anwendung der doppelten Menge Emulsin stieg die Spaltung auf 60 pCt.
Micronized fluorescent dusts for marking Drosophila adults

Summary Seven micronized fluorescent dusts were tested for their effect on viability of D. simulans males and for their persistence in time. No single dust, nor any tested combination of dusts, lowered viability significantly. Except for one, all single dusts were still easily detectable after 28 days. Some combinations of dusts produced fluorescences which were distinctively different from any produced by single dusts.
Antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity of stem bark of two common plants of Bangladesh

Aim: The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance is a growing problem in both developing and developed countries and threatens to become a global crisis. In recent years, attempts have been made to investigate indigenous medicines used against infectious diseases, to help in developing safer antimicrobial and anticancer drugs. As part of the further advancement of this research arena, an attempt has been made to study the stem barks of Carica papaya Linn. (C. papaya; family: Caricaceae) and Tamarindus indica Linn. (T. indica; family: Fabaceae), two common plants of Bangladesh. The petroleum-ether, chloroform, and ethyl acetate extracts of the stem bark of both plants were investigated for their antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity. Materials and Methods: The antibacterial activity was evaluated using the disk diffusion method. Cytotoxicity was determined against brine shrimp nauplii. In addition, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using the serial dilution technique to evaluate antibacterial potency. Results: All crude extracts of T. indica and the chloroform extract of C. papaya appeared very potent in terms of both zones of inhibition and spectrum of activity. However, all the extractives were also subjected to brine shrimp lethality bioassay for preliminary cytotoxicity evaluation. Here, the chloroform extract of C. papaya revealed the strongest cytotoxicity, LC 50 of 10.46 μg/mL. Conclusion: The stem barks of both C. papaya and T. indica show broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and may be potential sources of natural antimicrobial compounds and anticancer agents to be used in the treatment of various infectious diseases caused by resistant microorganisms and of cancer, respectively.
Physiological Mechanism of Salt Tolerance in Suaeda fruticosa Collected from High Saline Fields of Khyber Pukhtoon-Khwa, Pakistan

The present investigation was aimed to evaluate the physiological mechanism of adaptation of salt tolerance in Suaeda fruticosa at various phenological stages with varying levels of soil salinity of the selected districts via determining ion accumulation, growth response, osmolyte accumulation, and antioxidant enzyme activities. Randomized complete block design in the selected districts was used with plots sized 6 m × 9 m2, having 5 rows that were 2 m long and 30 cm apart, in triplicate. Suaeda fruticosa maintained its chlorophyll a/b ratio even at the greater electrical conductivity of rhizospheric soil at Peshawar, which is indicative of its better adaptability. For Suaeda fruticosa it has been concluded that the species collected from District Peshawar exhibited a significant increase in contents of sugar, proline, and protein as compared to the species collected from other districts, whereas superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and carotenoid content was maximum for the species collected from District Mardan.
Natural levels of colour polymorphism reduce performance of visual predators searching for camouflaged prey

Polymorphism, the coexistence of two or more variants within a population, has served as a classic model system to address questions about the evolution and maintenance of intraspecific variation. It has been hypothesized that a natural level of colour polymorphism may impair the search efficiency of visually orientated predators. To test this polymorphism protects hypothesis, we asked human participants to search for images of natural black, striped or grey Tetrix subulata grasshopper colour morphs presented against photographs of their natural habitat on computer screens. Fewer grasshoppers were detected when morphs were presented in mixed than in uniform sequences. All three morphs benefited to comparable degrees, in terms of reduced detection, from being presented in polymorphic sequences. Our findings demonstrate that natural levels of polymorphic variation can impede the efficiency of visually orientated predators and increase survival of prey. This protective effect supports the limited attention hypothesis, explains why predators develop ‘search images’, may account for the spread and establishment of novel colour variants, and contributes to maintenance of polymorphisms. © 2014 The Authors. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 112, 546–555.
Epidemiology Of Listeria Monocytogenes On A New York State Dairy Farm

A longitudinal study aimed to detect Listeria monocytogenes on a New York State dairy farm was conducted between February 2004 and July 2007. Fecal samples were collected every 6 months from all lactating cows. Approximately 20 environmental samples were obtained every 3 months. Bulk tank milk samples and in-line milk filter samples were obtained weekly. Samples from milking equipment and the milking parlor environment were obtained in May 2007. Fifty-one of 715 fecal samples (7.1%) and 22 of 303 environmental samples (7.3%) were positive for L. monocytogenes. A total of 73 of 108 in-line milk filter samples (67.6%) and 34 of 172 bulk tank milk samples (19.7%) were positive for L. monocytogenes. Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from 6 of 40 (15%) sampling sites in the milking parlor and milking equipment. In-line milk filter samples had a greater proportion of L. monocytogenes than did bulk tank milk samples (P < 0.05) and samples from other sources (P < 0.05). The proportion of L. monocytogenes-positive samples was greater among bulk tank * Latorre, A. A. , J. S. Van Kessel, J. S. Karns, M. J. Zurakowski, A. K. Pradhan, R. N. Zadoks, K. J. Boor, and Y. H. Schukken. 2009. Molecular ecology of Listeria monocytogenes: evidence for a reservoir in milking equipment on a dairy farm. J. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 1315–1323.
Effects of rearing conditions on the developmental physiology of smolting coho salmon

Abstract We determined the effects of rearing conditions on the physiological development of coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch during smoltification. Combinations of various levels of both rearing density and water inflow rate were used in this study. The experiments were performed at a production hatchery and at our laboratory. High rearing density resulted in reduced levels of plasma thyroid hormones in the fish, but no effect of water inflow rate on these hormones was recognized. Although rearing density and water inflow rate affected plasma cortisol and gill Na,K-ATPase activity, their effects on these physiological variables seemed to vary through time producing different developmental patterns of physiology during smoltification. Measurements of plasma corticosteroid clearance and in vitro activity of interrenal cells suggested that rearing density affected plasma cortisol levels primarily by altering the submaximal activity of the interrenal cells. Lowering the rearing density of fish from high to l.
Plant growth-promoting rhizobacterial mediated protection of tomato in the field against cucumber mosaic virus and its vector Aphis gossypii

Studies evaluated the effect of rhizobacterial interactions on a virus under natural conditions of high levels of vector–virus pressure on tomato plants. The rhizobacterium Bacillus subtilis was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of healthy tomato plant and the strain is referred to as BS3A25. The BS3A25 treatment of seeds significantly enhanced tomato seed germination rates to 99% compared to the control seeds at 78%. Combination of both seed and foliar spray treatments significantly protected the plants from cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and also significantly enhanced plant growth. Strain BS3A25 possesses many positive traits such as phosphate solubilization ability, ACC utilization as the sole source of nitrogen and production of significantly higher concentrations of indoles, IAA and the cytokinin, IPA. The growth parameters of the aphid Aphis gossypii Glover such as development time, time from birth to adult (tD) and prereproduction time (td) were longer, whereas the relative growth rate (RGR) and intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm), were found to be lower in the BS3A25 supernatant treatment compared to commercial insecticide imidacloprid treatment. Noticeably, the present study recorded higher activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase, Peroxidase, total phenols, and polyphenol oxidase in plants treated with BS3A25 generating the speculation of induced defence responses in plants. The results obtained in the field study showed that treatment by BS3A25 formulation as seed and foliar treatment proved highly effective in reducing the aphid population and CMV incidence compared to a commercially available insecticide. The highest cost:benefit ratio (1:2.5) was obtained in BS3A25 formulation treatment followed by imidacloprid (1:2.0) and control plants (1:1.4). These constitute an important step towards the production of BS3A25 as a commercially-available induced resistance agent.
Salinity, growth and root respiration in the grey mangrove, Avicennia marina

Relationships between growth parameters and root respiration under various conditions of salinity were investigated in seedlings of the grey mangrove Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. Growth, root/shoot ratios, leaf succulence and osmotic potential of leaves were measured for seedlings grown for 6–8 weeks in 100, 50, 25 and 0% seawater. Oxygen uptake of root segments, from distal to proximal ends of roots, was measured for all treatments. Total growth was maximal in 25% seawater, highest leaf succulence was obtained in 50% seawater, and highest leaf osmotic potential in 100% seawater. Oxygen uptake in distal root segments, as measured both by Clark oxygen electrode and Warburg manometry, showed a stimulation in the presence of salt that closely paralleled growth stimulation. The rates of respiration were highest in 25% seawater. The oxygen uptake was not stimulated by salt per se, since concentrations higher than 25% were associated with a decline in rate of oxygen uptake from the maximum. Values for the respiratory quotient approximated to one in all treatments. Avicennia marina has been reported to exclude from its roots about 90% of the salt in the surrounding medium. It might have been expected that increased concentrations of salt in the growth medium would be associated with a standard salt respiration response in the roots; however, this was not obtained.
The effect of extra food and cover on declining populations of Microtus townsendii

Microtus townsendii populations were supplied with extra food and extra cover during a spring decline in numbers in 1979. Compared with the control population, late-winter addition of food resulted in lower rates of decline of males and females. On the area with extra cover, the rate of decline was significantly lower in males, and females actually increased in number. Breeding was earlier in the population with extra cover, and four times as many females became pregnant during the spring. This resulted in twice as many young voles entering the population in early summer. Survival was higher in both experimental populations during the spring. Females with extra food and males with extra cover had the smallest home ranges for their sex group.The experiments were repeated in summer 1979, except that cover was reduced on one grid. Demography during the summer experiments was similar in all populations. This period coincided with a botfly (Cuterebra) larva infection which reduced survival of voles in all popu.