Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
STUDIES ON THE MECHANISM OF FUNGICIDAL ACTION OF METALLIC ETHYLENEBISDITHIOCARBAMATES

The titration reactions between zinc, manganese, and iron sulphates and nabam were studied. Except for possibly those with manganese, they were found to involve more than simple precipitations. Manganese ethylenebisdithiocarbamate was found to be relatively water soluble and easily converted to ethylenethiuram monosulphide (E.T.M.) on aeration. The corresponding-pure zinc salt was highly insoluble in water. Aqueous suspensions were relatively non-fungicidal and failed to yield E.T. M. on aeration. Corresponding suspensions in dilute alkali, however, showed increased solubility and fungicidal activity. They converted readily on aeration to a yellow fungicidal product containing E.T. M. The conversion of E.T. M. to an isothiocyanate was demonstrated. It is concluded that the mode of fungicidal action of the zinc and manganese salts is the same as that of the parent nabam. The same mechanism is probably involved with the iron salts. The practical implications of the work and its bearing on the recent isothiocya.
The Australian Portunids (Crustacea: Portunidae). I. The Genus Thalamita

Twenty-one species are recorded from Australia, including 3 new species and 10 new records. These are described and illustrated, and a key is given for the known Indo-West Pacific species. First pleopods of the males are considered in greater detail than in past works, and a key based on their features is included. The relative breadth of basal antennal joints varies with sizes of specimens, and is of less taxonomic value than had been supposed. For this and other reasons some species have been relegated to the synonymy. The relationship of Thalamita to other genera, and the existence of species groups within the genus, are discussed and brief biogeographical comments are given.
Physiological attributes associated with drought resistance of wheat cultivars in a Mediterranean environment

Twelve spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars were planted in 16 trials which received seasonal rainfall (including irrigation) ranging from 230 to 755 mm year-l. Under low rainfall conditions, drought stress occurred during the period of stem elongation when the ears grew. Grain filling was largely free of stress. Variation in precipitation explained 75% of the variation in mean yield among trials, and the main yield component responsible for yield reduction at low precipitation was ear number, as affected by tiller survival rate. The larger-yielding cultivars sustained a higher kernel number per ear in compensation for the reduced number of ears under stress. The yield stability of cultivars under low precipitation was defined by both the joint linear regression method and by the linear regression of yield on precipitation, both of which gave very similar predictions. The magnitude of the intercept of the latter regression was taken as indicator of drought resistance in terms of yield. The variations among cultivars in this intercept was well explained by corresponding variations in osmotic adjustment, heat tolerance and canopy temperature. Grain filling from stem reserve mobilization was not important in this respect, evidently because grain filling was not subjected to drought stress in these trials. Early-heading cultivars had a relative yield advantage only when precipitation were less than about 300 mm and grain yield was less than about 350 g m-2. Both early heading and heat tolerance were positively correlated with osmotic adjustment across cultivars. It was therefore concluded that the main physiological attribute associated with yield stability under conditions of drought stress during the period of ear growth was the capacity for osmotic adjustment, which apparently allowed sustained ear growth under drought stress.
Effects of Exogenous 0-Actinin (CapZ) on Actin Filamentous Structures in Cultured Muscle Cells

Abstract β-Actinin (CapZ) is a heterodimeric actin-binding protein which is localized in the Z-bands of myofibril. It caps the barbed end of actin filaments and nucleates actin-polymerization in a Ca2+-independent manner. As judged by these properties of β-actinin, it is conceivable that β-actinin is involved in the regulation of actin assembly, especially in the formation of I-Z-I complex during myofibrillogenesis. In this study, to examine the function of β-actinin in myofibrillogenesis, recombinant β-actinin (r-β-actinin) produced in an E. coli expression system was introduced into cultured myogenic cells by a microinjection method. Stress fibers in C2 myoblasts were disrupted soon after microinjection of recombinant β-actinin, but nascent as well as well-organized myofibrils were scarcely affected by exogenous β-actinin. Based on these observations, we suggest that in myoblasts where actin filaments are dynamically reorganized, reassembly process of actin filaments may be affected by the exogenous β-actinin, whereas actin filaments become more stable and less sensitive to exogenous β-actinin, when they are organized into myofibrillar structures and anchored to Z-lines in myotubes.
Guidelines for standardisation of hydroacoustic methods

The use of transmitted underwater sound to survey fish populations (known effectively interchangeably as hydroacoustics, echo sounding or sonar) has a long and extensive record of successful applications in the marine environment where most of its major developments have historically taken place. The very efficient transmission of sound in water, particularly when compared with that of light, makes this remote-sensing technique highly effective in most aquatic ecosystems and under many environmental conditions. As a result, it provides a valuable complement to capture-based and frequently destructive fish sampling techniques. In recent decades, technological developments, including the miniaturisation of electronic components and rapidly increasing computing power, have facilitated the production of hydroacoustic systems which can be readily deployed from small vessels on fresh waters including lakes and reservoirs.
Identification of ENHANCER OF SHOOT REGENERATION 1-upregulated genes during in vitro shoot regeneration

The Arabidopsis ENHANCER OF SHOOT REGENERATION 1 (ESR1) is thought to be a key gene for commitment to in vitro shoot regeneration in tissue culture. ESR1 encodes a member of the ETHYLENE RESPONSIVE FACTOR (ERF) family of transcription factors. Here, we report identification of genes downstream of ESR1 during in vitro shoot regeneration. We previously demonstrated that the ESR1 protein functions as a transcriptional activator; in the present study, genes upregulated after induction of ESR1 overexpression were screened by microarray experiments. Seven genes, including CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON 1 (CUC1), CLAVATA3/EMBRYO SURROUNDING REGION-RELATED PEPTIDE 2 (CLE2), and GCN5-related N-acetyltransferase 1 (GNAT1) were identified as ESR1-upregulated genes by screening. CUC1, CLE2, and GNAT1 were also upregulated by translocation of ESR1-ER (estrogen receptor) fusions to the nucleus in the presence of cycloheximide, suggesting that these genes are possibly the direct target of the ESR1 protein. Transcript levels of CUC1, CLE2, and GNAT1 as well as ESR1 increased during the early in vitro shoot regeneration process, although their time courses were not necessarily similar. Thus, these genes may function downstream of ESR1 and may be involved in the shoot differentiation process.
Asynchrony in population dynamics of sockeye salmon in southwest Alaska

Ecologists have examined the synchronization of population dynamics across space as a means to understand how populations respond to climate variation. However, response diversity may reflect important variation among local population dynamics driven by population-specific responses to regional environmental change. We used long-term data on sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka from pristine watersheds of southwestern Alaska to show that populations spawning in close proximity (<40 km) to one another have a limited degree of synchrony in their dynamics, even after accounting for density-dependent processes. In fact, the dynamics of local populations of stream-spawning sockeye salmon were no more coherent than those of stocks at a much coarser resolution across this region of Alaska. We examined four hypotheses to explain the observed patterns of asynchrony among stream-spawning populations, and found that populations spawning in dissimilar habitats, and using different nursery lakes were less synchronized in their productivity. Similarity in the age structure of spawning adults was less correlated with synchrony in productivity. These results emphasize the importance of maintaining diverse spawning and rearing habitat for the conservation of Pacific salmon, and should guide conservation planning for Pacific salmon populations in regions where natural dynamics have been altered by habitat loss, hatchery practices, and over-fishing.
Thai Aquaculture: Achieving Quality and Safety through Management and Sustainability

Thailand designated the year 2004 as "National Food Safety Year. " Responsible government sectors of food and agricultural commodities cooperatively initiated and strengthened their respective food safety control programs. Although the "Food Safety Year" is over, the concept is adopted as the national policy and the activities continue. Good Aquaculture Practice (GAP) and Code of Conduct (CoC) for sustainable shrimp culture have been developed by the Department of Fisheries (DOF) in 1999, based on the guideline of Codex Alimentarius Commission. The standard schemes compliment the policy of the fishery sector in achieving the Farm-to-Table concept. Currently, there are approximately 18,000 shrimp/fish hatcheries and farms certified for GAP/CoC by the department. The National Residue Control Program (NRCP) has been established to overcome the problems on prohibited chemicals and veterinary drug residues used in aquaculture such as chloramphenicol and nitrofurans. The use of Movement Document (MD) is enforced from hatcheries and farms through processing plants to ensure the effective tracing back from finished products to the farm of origin. Fish processing plants registered and approved by DOF shall effectively implement Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) concept. DOF has successfully implemented a trial computerized traceability system called "TraceShrimp. " The complete traceability involved sharing information from feed mills through farming, suppliers, processing plants, and finished products. This paper will address the policies and attempts of the Thai government made to control quality and safety of aquaculture products from "Pond-to-Plate," through effective management system and sustainability.
DNA Sequence Variation of Aquaporins Candidate Genes ( TIP and PIP2 ) for Drought Stress Response in Tunisian olive Cultivars ( Olea Europaea L.)

Aquaporins (AQPs) have been shown to be involved in drought stress response. It is widely known that drought may be considered one of the most frequent environmental constraints in Tunisia. In particular, the arid and semi-arid areas are subjected to high solar radiation and a high rate of evapo-transpiration. We describe the genetic diversity in TIP and PIP2 genes in 15 Tunisian olive cultivars. Targeted-PCR amplification yielded polymorphisms giving in total 119 SNPs. Genetic variation at the nucleotide level was estimated from nucleotide diversity and from the number of segregating sites (πTIP = 0.0024; πPIP 2= 0.0017; ϴTIP = 0.0020 and ϴPIP2 = 0.0013 respectively). The studied cultivars showed higher values of nucleotide diversity in synonymous sites as well as in non-synonymous sites. Higher expected heterozygosity and higher observed homozygosity were found in TIP fragment gene than in PIP2 gene. Each gene based-marker classified the cultivars under investigation into clear separated clusters but not according to their environment range. Although, partial agreement was achieved with respect to cultivars relationships with PIP2 gene data. The results indicate that the SNP represents an efficient molecular marker system for the assessment of Tunisian olive genetic diversity at studied aquaporin genes and, hence, the knowledge of genetic diversity of olive cultivars exposed to variable environmental conditions to preserve this valuable tree species.
Distinguishing larval instars of the vegetable leafminer Liriomyza sativae (Diptera: Agromyzidae).

Measurements of either the length of mouth hooks or the cephalopharyngeal skeleton showed clear separation between larval instars of Liriomyza sativae Blanchard. Mouth hooks of first instar larvae also differed morphologically from those of later instars. Larval instars were distinguished under a dissecting microscope at 200x magnification, enabling rapid separation of freshly-collected specimens. The growth ratio of cephalopharyngeal skeletons between first and second instar larvae was higher (1.75) than between second and third instar larvae (1.56). Growth ratios calculated from published reports on other Liriomyza species were typically very similar to those of L. sativae.
Development of a SCAR Marker for Sex Identification in Asparagus

A sex-linked random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker was identified from Asparagus officinalis L. and was converted into a sequence-characterized amplified regions (SCAR) marker for the large-scale screening of male and female plants. A total of 100 arbitrary decamer oligonucleotide primers were used for the RAPD analysis. Among them, the primer UBC347 amplified one female-specific 400 base pair DNA. Subsequently, the amplified RAPD fragment was cloned and sequenced. The fragment was abundant in AT and shared sequence homology with retrotransposon elements. On the basis of the sequence obtained, a pair of SCAR primer was designed. The amplification product, named F400, was the same size as the respective RAPD fragment from which it was derived. The F400 SCAR marker resulted to be female-specific in the three asparagus varieties tested in this study. This SCAR marker can be used for an early and rapid identification of female and male plants during breeding programs of asparagus.
Community ecology of absent species: hidden and dark diversity

Community ecologists have so far focused mainly on species identified at a site. I suggest that we can understand better patterns and their underlying processes in ecological communities if we also examine those species absent from the sampled community. However, there are various types of absences, which all harbour different information. Hidden diversity comprises species that are absent from our sight: dormant or locally very rare species overlooked by traditional sampling. Fortunately, modern DNA-based techniques can help us to find hidden species when analysing environmental samples. Depending on habitat type and sampling scale, a large number of co-existing species might be hidden. Dark diversity comprises absent species that constitute the habitat-specific species pool. Dark diversity can be determined based on data on species distribution, dispersal potential and ecological requirements. If we know both observed and dark diversity, we can estimate community completeness and infer those processes that determine which species in the species pool actually co-exist locally. In addition, most species in the world do not actually belong to the habitat-specific species pool of the community: their ecological requirements differ or their distribution area is elsewhere. Such other absent species are usually not directly relevant to a particular community. However, knowing ecologically suitable species from other regions can give early warning of possible future invasion of alien species (alien dark diversity). To conclude, species presences have meaning only if there are absences (and vice versa). Methods to detect absent species are rapidly developing and will soon form a standard toolbox for community ecology.
Thermoregulation of Monitor Lizards in Australia: An Evaluation of Methods in Thermal Biology

The aims of this paper are to compare the thermal ecology of four species of varanid lizards that occupy a range of habitats and climatic regions, and to assess the efficacy of methods for evaluating the extent to which ectothermic animals exploit their thermal environments. Hertz et al. (1993) have proposed several indices of thermoregulation, and these are evaluated with respect to our data from varanid lizards. The thermoregulatory characteristics of three tropical monitor lizards (Varanus panoptes, V. gouldii, and the semiaquatic V. mertensi), and the temperate—zone V. rosenbergi were studied throughout the year. Radiotelemetry was used to measure the body temperatures (Tbs) of free—ranging animals, and microclimatic data were collected to determine the range of possible Tbs that an animal could achieve. Operative temperatures (Tb's) were estimated by biophysical models for each set of animal characteristics and microclimatic conditions. The Tb's selected by animals in a laboratory thermal gradient were used to determine the set—point range of Tb's that the animals voluntarily select. Plots that superimpose Tb's, Tb's, and the set—point range across the day are extremely useful for describing the thermoregulatory characteristics of ectotherms. These plots can be used to determine the extent to which the animals exploit their thermal environment: we define an index of thermal exploitation (Ex) as the time in which Tb's are within the set—point range, divided by the time available for the animal to have its Tb's within the set—point range. Only V. mertensi was active throughout the year. In general, during seasons of inactivity, the Tb's of inactive species fell outside the set—point range, but during periods of activity all species selected Tb's within their set—point range. The temperate—zone species (V. rosenbergi) thermoregulates very carefully during periods when environmental conditions allow the animals to attain the set—point range, and V. gouldii also thermoregulates carefully in the wet season. V. mertensi selects Tb's that are significantly lower than the other species both in the field and in the laboratory, and thermoregulatory indices of this species were intermediate relative to the other species. The amount of time spent in locomotion each day was not correlated with the indices of thermoregulation: the most active species, V. panoptes, was, with respect to several indices, the least careful thermoregulator. The type of question that is being addressed, with respect to the interactions between an animal's thermal environment and its thermoregulatory behavior, determines the appropriateness of the various indices of thermoregulation. The Ex index describes the thermoregulatory characteristics of ecotherms in a heterogeneous thermal environment, and in such an environment a large amount of information can easily be interpreted graphically. This index is less useful in a thermally homogeneous environment.
A critical season approach to Allen's rule: bill size declines with winter temperature in a cold temperate environment

Bill size is positively correlated with average air temperature in several avian taxa. The conventional explanation for this pattern is that the poorly insulated surface area of the bill functions to dissipate excess heat in hot climates or retain heat in cold climates (Allen's rule). We hypothesize that the applicability of Allen's rule depends upon the season of critical thermal stress, which may vary by location and species. We previously found that bill size increases with high summer temperature in song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) of California, supporting the hypothesis that larger bills are an adaptation to release dry heat and minimize evaporative water loss in a hot, dry environment. Song sparrows in eastern North America face a different climatic regime, in which summers are warm but moist, and winters are cold. We predicted that this climate region would select for smaller bills to minimize heat loss.
Nanotechnology and Water Treatment: Applications and Emerging Opportunities

Nanotechnology, the engineering and art of manipulating matter at the nanoscale (1–100 nm), offers the potential of novel nanomaterials for treatment of surface water, groundwater, and wastewater contaminated by toxic metal ions, organic and inorganic solutes, and microorganisms. Due to their unique activity toward recalcitrant contaminants and application flexibility, many nanomaterials are under active research and development. Accordingly, literature about current research on different nanomaterials (nanostructured catalytic membranes, nanosorbents, nanocatalysts, and bioactive nanoparticles) and their application in water treatment, purification and disinfection is reviewed in this article. Moreover, knowledge regarding toxicological effects of engineered nanomaterials on humans and the environment is presented.
Substantial reductions in winter wheat diseases caused by addition of straw but not manure to soil

Over a period of 3 years, five agronomically distinct crops of winter wheat were grown in plots in which straw (1 kg m−2), manure (4 kg m−2) or nothing were incorporated into the soil. Plant establishment and height, but not leaf area per tiller, were lower in straw-treated plots. Fertilizer regimes differed between years. Soil and leaf nitrogen were recorded; there was no obvious link between N and any disease or soil amendment. The numbers of leaf layers scorable for disease were similar in all treatments. At the end of the season, plants from straw-treated plots had consistently reduced septoria tritici blotch (caused by Mycosphaerella graminicola), powdery mildew [caused by Erysiphe (Blumeria) graminis], brown rust (caused by Puccinia recondita) and foot rot (caused by Fusarium spp.). Early on, M. graminicola was worse in straw-treated plots. In manure-treated plots, P. recondita was reduced but effects on other diseases were inconsistent and slight. A fungicide, chlorothalonil, was applied in one crop; its effects did not interact with those of other treatments. Mycosphaerella graminicola was not suppressed by straw in outdoor pot experiments. Late in the season, straw-treated plants had significantly higher leaf silica (P < 0·01). In a glasshouse experiment, plants supplied with silicon had less E. graminis infection (P < 0·001) and higher leaf silica, but effects on M. graminicola were inconsistent. A prior inoculation of M. graminicola primed plant defences against a subsequent attack of E. graminis, but only in the presence of adequate Si. It is postulated that straw acts in the field by increasing Si availability.