Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phenotypic and epigenetic changes occurred during the autopolyploidization of Aegilops tauschii

A synthetic autopolyploid was developed from diploid Aegilops tauschii, D genome progenitor of common wheat (Triticum aestivum). The tetraploid Ae. tauschii displayed a markedly larger organ size than the diploid donor. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and DNA marker analysis revealed that there is no clear variation at either the chromosomal or DNA level between the diploid and tetraploid plants. We analyzed the variation in cytosine methylation patterns between the diploid and tetraploid plants by methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) and detected 228 and 232 methylated sites in diploid and tetraploid plants, respectively. Statistical comparison indicated that the tetraploid Ae. tauschii genotype displayed no significant difference in polymorphic methylation level compared to the diploid ones. Twenty-two different genomic fragments displaying different methylation behavior during the ploidy conversions were isolated and sequenced. It demonstrated that alterations in the level of methylation have the most profound effects on coding genes. We demonstrated that there are some genes expressions modified by DNA methylation may be correlated with phenotypic alteration after autotetraploidization.
Bupleurum dracaenoides (Subgenus Bupleurum, Apiaceae): A New Shrubby Species from Southwestern China

Abstract Bupleurum dracaenoides, a new woody species endemic to southwestern China, is described and illustrated. This new species differs markedly in morphology from previously known congeneric species. It is characterized by its shrubby habit, with woody stems up to 1 m tall. The leaves are clustered at the top of the woody stems, the involucral bracts are ovate and unequal, the bracteoles are usually ovate or suborbicular and the pedicels of the mature fruits exceed the bracteoles. Molecular phylogenetic analyses indicated that Bupleurum dracaenoides belongs to a small subclade of subgenus Bupleurum and is sister to Bupleurum polyclonum. Relationships to other woody species of Bupleurum are discussed.
ESTUDIO POBLACIONAL DEL RECURSO ANCHOVETA (ENGRAULIS RINGENS JENYNS 1842) (CLUPEIFORMES, ENGRAULIDAE), MEDIANTE ANALISIS DE ADN

Se estudio la variabilidad de 2 genes nucleares, el intron 4/5 del gen de Calmodulina (CaM) por amplificacion PCR y la region ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacers) del ADNr, por PCR y digestion en 139 ejemplares de E. ringens provenientes de las costas de Iquique (20°13'S; 70°09'W) y Talcahuano (36°41'S; 73°06'W). Para CaM se identificaron 8 genotipos en las muestras de Talcahuano y 7 en Iquique, presentando 1 a 3 fragmentos amplificados de 550 a 1.100 pb. En la digestion del fragmento ITS amplificado, solo la endonucleasa TaqaI detecto 3 diferentes genotipos, 2 presentes en Talcahuano y 3 en Iquique. Se discuten las frecuencias observadas para cada gen y area de estudio. Los resultados llevan a confirmar la existencia de un solo stock, desde un punto de vista genetico
Application of the CART Model to Classify the Perception of Young Canadian Teenagers on the Effect of Marijuana on Health

The use of the illicit drug, marijuana has increased over years among young teenagers in different parts of the world and its harm on the health is generally well-known. This paper attempts to study the perception of young adolescents of 13-15 years old residing in Canada towards the danger of marijuana on health. To do so, a classification and regression tree (CART) has been applied on the data from the 2012 National Anti-Drug Strategy (NADS) Youth Advertising Recall and Tracking Survey. The decision tree has been applied and pruned on a training data set (70%) and evaluated on the testing data set (30%). The results show that the main indicators which impact on the perception of a teenager towards the harm marijuana has on health are the perceptions towards psilocybin (another illicit drug), the province in which the teenager lives and whether he/she has been ever offered drugs. The overall error rate on the testing data set based on the confusion matrix is less than 20% and the area under the ROC curve is relatively high showing that the model is accurate in classifying the perception of young teenagers on the health marijuana has on health.
Cytoplasmic inclusions of Trichamoeba and their reaction to vital dyes and to osmic and silver impregnation

In Trichamoeba sp two types of inclusions are recognized on the basis of reaction to vital dyes and tomethods of osmic and silver impregnation. Globular inclusions, which are stained selectively with neutral red, may be blackened under direct observation by exposure to osmic vapor in hanging‐drop preparations and demonstrated by osmic and silver impregnation. Rod‐like and granular mitochondria, stainable vitally with Janus green, may be distinguished from the neutral‐red globules in preparations stained with a mixture of Janus green and neutral red, and are demonstrated by Regaud's chondriosome method.
A Comparative Study of Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies among Monolingual and Bilingual Iranian EFL Learners

Some researchers argue that linguistic knowledge of one’s native language facilitates the acquisition of additional languages (see, for example, Cenoz & Valencia, 1994; Grenfell & Harris, 2006; Hakuta, 1990; Keshavarz & Astaneh, 2004). To contribute to this line of research, the present study investigated the probability of significant differences among monolingual and bilingual EFL learners in their awareness and perceived use of metacognitive reading strategies and in the subscales of these strategies (i.e., global, supportive, and problem-solving strategies). To achieve this goal, 100 Persian monolingual and 100 Azeri Turkish-Persian bilingual male and female second-year university students, majoring in English Literature, ELT, and Translation with the age range of 20-28 participated in the study. Both groups took the Nelson Test of English language proficiency and completed the Metacognitive Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI) questionnaire. Participants’ reading strategy use was determined by asking them to rate their self-perceived reading ability in English on a 5-point Likert scale. The results of data analyses revealed significant differences between monolingual and bilingual learners in the use of overall and global metacognitive reading strategies with bilingual learners having greater awareness of these two strategies. However, no significant difference was found between monolingual and bilingual participants in the use of problem-solving and supportive metacognitive strategies.
The effect of host plant-induced stomach precipitate on the ability of Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) to transmit sugarbeet yellowing viruses

When Myzus persicae (Sulzer) feeds on healthy sugarbeet it develops a white precipitate inside its stomach which causes the stomach to enlarge. Infection of sugarbeet plants with beet yellows virus (BYV), but not beet mild yellowing virus (BMYV) results in further increases in stomach size. The influence of the white precipitate on the transmission of BYV and BMYV was investigated by rearing M. persicae on sugarbeet Beta vulgaris, Tetragonia expansa and Capsella bursa-pastoris, which are hosts for both BYV and BMYV, BYV and BMYV respectively, but the latter two hosts do not stimulate the formation of white precipitate in the aphid's stomach. Aphids reared on BYV-infected T. expansa were significantly better vectors of BYV than those reared on BYV-infected sugarbeet, but aphids reared on BMYV-infected C. bursa-pastoris did not transmit BMYV more efficiently than those reared on BMYV-infected sugarbeet. The consequences of these results for the spread of beet yellowing viruses are discussed.
THE EFFECT OF PHASE SEPARATION ON ENZYME KINETICS IN FROZEN SUGAR SOLUTIONS CONTAINING PROTEIN AND POLYSACCHARIDE

Locust bean gum (LBG) or guar and milk proteins were added, individually or in combination, to a solution comprised of sucrose, lactose and milk salts, in formulations designed to have equal freezing point depression and freeze-concentration curves. Alkaline phosphatase and its substrate (disodium ρ-nitrophenyl phosphate) were added and solutions were stored at−10 to−40C for several days. Enzyme reaction kinetics were influenced by phase separation between the biopolymers, with reaction rates being dominated by the protein-rich phase at higher temperatures. Arrhenius calculations revealed a significantly lower activation energy for the LBG, guar, LBG/protein and guar/protein containing systems than for those containing either protein alone or no polymer. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Many frozen food systems contain both protein and polysaccharide in solution, as constituents of the foodstuff or added for functional benefit. We studied the effect of protein, polysaccharide and mixtures of the two on enzyme kinetics in frozen sucrose-based systems and showed that phase separation and structural heterogeneity were important considerations in predicting reaction rates from physical parameters of the system. Reactions were dependent not only on the temperature of the sample (which could be modeled by Arrhenius kinetics) but varied highly with composition. The ability to predict reaction rates in more complex systems, such as frozen dairy products or phase-separating systems, presents challenges due to sample inhomogeneity. Careful consideration of how the detrimental enzyme reactions occur and in which phase the various components will be present is required when studying complex systems.
Selection of nest sites by a hole‐nesting duck, the Goldeneye Bucephala clangula

Nest site preferences were examined for a population of Goldeneye Ducks breeding in nest boxes in Varmland, central Sweden. Some nest boxes were occupied more often than others even if females returning to the same nest box were excluded from the analysis. Nest boxes located higher up trees were occupied more often than those close to the ground and some spatial ‘cluster groups’ of boxes were occupied more often than others. Otherwise nest site prefernces were not related to any measured physical attributes of the boxes. Prefernces for nest boxes seemed to be based mainly on a tendency for females to select those that had been occupied by other females in the preceding year, especially if they had bred successfully. As a result of this, the occupancy of nest boxes was not random over years but rather progressed in a series of runs; a period of consecutive years in which a box was occupied was followed by a period of years in which it was empty. There were reproductive consequences for these prefernces in that females occupying preferred boxes were less likely to lose their clutch to a predator. These females also bred earlier in the year and produced larger clutches and broods than females breeding in other boxes.
Desempenho de tratores agrícolas em tração

Resumo – O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o desempenho de tratores agricolas e implementos em trabalhos de tracao. Procurou-se estabelecer e validar modelos de previsao relativos ao esforco de tracao requerido pela grade de discos offset de arrasto e relativos ao consumo de combustivel do trator. E descrito o sistema de aquisicao de dados desenvolvido para utilizacao em ensaios de campo, em condicoes reais de trabalho. Os parâmetros medidos foram: o regime do motor, a velocidade teorica e a velocidade real de avanco, o consumo horario de combustivel e a forca de tracao na barra. Tambem foram realizados testes dos tratores com um freio dinamometrico ligado a tomada de potencia. Os resultados de um projeto de pesquisa de tres anos foram usados para estabelecer uma equacao de previsao do esforco requerido por grades de discos offset, valida para mobilizacao primaria de solos secos, de textura franca. Nas mesmas condicoes, os resultados validam a relacao linear entre a forca de tracao por unidade de largura de trabalho do implemento e o consumo de combustivel por hectare, indicador do dimensionamen to do conjunto trator-implemento. Os dados obtidos tambem evidenciam as vantagens de se selecionarem marchas altas e baixa rotacao do motor. Termos para indexacao: mecanizacao, instrumentacao, previsao do esforco, consumo de combustivel. Performance of agricultural tractors in traction
ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL OF BAUHINIA PURPUREA (L) LEAF

Objective: Bauhinia purpurea is called as Mandarai in Tamil and in English as butterfly tree. The aim of the present study was to determine the secondary metabolites and antioxidant activities of shade dried Bauhinia purpurea leaf aqueous extract. Methods: Quantitative analysis for total phenolics was done by Folin-ciocalteau method and total flavonoids by aluminium chloride method. Likewise, various antioxidant activities were assessed by following standard methods. Results: The flavonoid content was higher (160.0±6.9mg/g) compared to phenolics (126.66± 6.11mg/g). Similarly, the nitric oxide scavenging activity (258.66±4.61mg/g) and reducing power activity (141.33±2.30mg/g) was found to be higher compared to total antioxidant (81.33±6.11mg/g) and metal chelating activity (30.66±2.30mg/g). Conclusion: The results obtained reveal that Bauhinia purpurea leaf extract proves to be a good antioxidant and needs further characterization to confirm its diversified therapeutic applications. Keywords: Antioxidant, Bauhinia purpurea, Dried leaves, Phenolics, Flavonoids.
Using the short-lived isotope 11C in mechanistic studies of photosynthate transport.

Tracer techniques have been central in studies of transport in plants. In the case of carbon, the only readily available radioactive tracer has been 14C, although 11C was used for a short time before 14C could be made. Tracers have usually had to be measured by destructive harvesting of the plant, giving a practical limit to the data resolution in both time and space. A major advantage of the short-lived, positron-emitting tracers, of which 11C is one example, is that in vivo measurement is possible, giving detailed time series of tracer data in many locations and opening up powerful new techniques of data analysis. Medical applications of these isotopes have utilised both dynamic imaging and time courses of uptake or washout. Unfortunately, few plant biology laboratories have realised the potential of these techniques, possibly because of the large physics infrastructure needed. In this paper we review the concepts behind the use of these short-lived tracers in plant physiology, and illustrate with several cases where 11C was an essential tool.
THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE AND MIXED SPECIES COMPOSITION ON DIATOM MOTILITY AND ADHESION

Four species of biraphid pennate diatoms (Craticula cuspidata (Kützing) D.G. Mann, Stauroneis phoenicenteron (Nitzsch) Ehrenberg, Nitzschia linearis (Agardh) W. Smith, and Pinnularia viridis (Nitzsch) Ehrenberg) were studied to determine the effect of temperature changes on their motility and adhesion to the substratum. The pattern of cell movement in response to temperature was similar in all species; the average cell speed increased with temperature, with a maximal speed at 30–35°C. Temperatures > 35°C caused a rapid decrease in cell speed, with cells showing little movement at 40°C; the shape of the temperature profile was nearly identical in all species. The loss of motility above the threshold was not due to cell death as cells exposed to 42°C could recover movement when cooled. In contrast to temperature effects on cell movement, its effect on adhesion for all four species showed distinct qualitative differences. The adhesion of P. viridis and S. phoenicenteron to a glass substrate decreased from 20°C to 35°C, but increased slightly at 45°C. The loss of adhesion in S. phoenicenteron was not quite as severe as in P. viridis, with the latter showing little ability to remain adhered at higher temperatures. Nitzschia linearis demonstrated a higher degree of cell adhesion between 5 and 45°C than C. cuspidata, with both species showing little change in adhesion over the temperature range. Flume studies also demonstrated that P. viridis decreased its adhesion as temperature increased, while S. phoenicenteron maintained or slightly increased its adhesion. The lack of correlation between the adhesion and speed responses to temperature changes and the uniformity in the shape of the temperature/speed profile for all four species suggest that alterations in adhesion characteristics are not directly responsible for regulating cell speed. Both cell speed and adhesion were sensitive to the presence of a second species. Pinnularia viridis displayed lower adhesion in dual-species test samples, and exhibited significantly reduced average speed in the presence of S. phoenicenteron, but not when co-incubated with C. cuspidata. In contrast, S. phoenicenteron showed no change in adhesion in the presence of P. viridis. Additional species had no effect on the cell speed of either C. cuspidata or S. phoenicenteron, while C. cuspidata did show reduced adhesion in the presence of P. viridis. Our results suggest that ecologically important behaviours such as movement and adhesion can respond not only to environmental factors such as temperature, but also to the presence or absence of other diatom species.
Periodic rest from grazing provided no control of an invasive perennial forb

This study examined if one grazing strategy (namely seasonal rest) was effective in the control of the invasive forbPhylacanescens(Kunth)Greene(hereafterlippia). Weexaminedifrestfromgrazingcouldincreasethecompetitiveness of native palatable species by allowing time to recover from defoliation, thereby altering competitive interactions between native species and lippia. In a field trial, we manipulated cattle grazing to determine its effects on the biomass of lippia and nativespecies.Wecomparedrestfromgrazingatdifferenttimesoftheyearwithyear-longgrazing(lowintensitycontinuous and high intensity short duration) and no grazing (permanently excluding large grazing animals). Experimental plots were stratified into different hydrological areas (approximately annual flooding and flooded less than once every 5 years) to include flood dynamics in the management scenarios. We detected no negative impacts of seasonal rest on lippia, but some positiveeffectsonnativespecies.Wefoundthatcompleteexclusionfromgrazinginareasthatalreadyhavesubstantiallippia invasion (and no flooding) may actually favour the expansion of lippia (at certain times). This study does not suggest that grazing management cannot be used as a tool for lippia control - simply that seasonal resting had no effect over a 3-year period.Thisislikelyduetothedynamicsofaboom-and-bustlandscapeinwhichiftheabioticconditionsarenotsuitablefor growth, then native species will not grow whether grazed or rested.
Male Aggression and Mating Opportunity in a Poeciliid Fish

One function of aggression in animals is to gain access to mates. Aggression may therefore be favoured by sexual selection, the strength of which can be assessed using repeatability of aggressive behaviour. Here, we tested the hypotheses that male swordtails, Xiphophorus sp. , are consistent in the aggressive and mating behaviours exhibited and in the time spent at a close distance to females (female attendance), and that aggressive males gain increased opportunity to attempt copulation compared to their less aggressive conspecifics (sneak frequency). As predicted, aggression between males, and male display and sneak frequency were repeatable. However, male aggression was not significantly correlated with sneak frequency. The function of aggression in this species is not clear-cut and may have an indirect female access function through formation of dominance hierarchies or defence of resources. A surprising finding highlighted by this study was the contradictory results for consistency in female contact, with high repeatability scores indicating consistency in behaviour but the within-subjects component of repeated measures ANOVA showing differences in female contact between trials. The possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed.
Improvements in Space Surveillance Processing for Wide Field of View Optical Sensors

For more than a decade, an autonomous satellite tracking system at the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing (AMOS) observatory has been generating routine astrometric measurements of Earth-orbiting Resident Space Objects (RSOs) using small commercial telescopes and sensors. Recent work has focused on developing an improved processing system, enhancing measurement performance and response, and supporting new sensor systems and missions. This paper describes improved techniques in scheduling, detection, astrometric and photometric reduction and calibration, and catalog maintenance. The processing system now integrates with Special Perturbation (SP)-based astrodynamics algorithms, allowing covariance-based scheduling and more precise orbital estimates and object identification. A merit-based scheduling algorithm provides a global optimization framework to support diverse collection tasks and missions. The detection algorithms support a range of target tracking and camera acquisition rates. New comprehensive star catalogs allow for more precise astrometric and photometric calibrations including differential photometry for monitoring environmental changes.
Molar progression and tooth wear in tammar (Macropus eugenii) and parma (Macropus parma) wallabies

We investigated the functional significance of molar progression and the influence of diet on the usefulness of molar progression as an index of age in two macropodid marsupials, the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii), a grazing species, and the parma wallaby (Macropus parma), a browser/grazer, by exploring the relationships between the index of molar progression and several skull and tooth parameters. We also tested allometric models that related molar progression and aspects of tooth morphology to body mass. Results support the notion that molar progression in these closely related macropods results from 'mesial shift'(forward movement resulting from growth of the bones of the skull bearing the dentary, the anterior viscerocranium) rather than from 'mesial drift' (forward movement of molars relative to the anterior viscerocranium). There were no significant differences between the two species in the rate of molar progression despite differences in diet. Instead, the greater reliance of tammar wallabies on grasses was reflected in differences in their tooth morphology from that of parma wallabies. The sum of the breadths of erupted molariform teeth of tammars increased significantly faster with body mass and with length of the anterior viscerocranium than in parma wallabies and approximated a theoretical model for compensation with metabolic body mass more closely than models based on other morphological parameters. The total mesiodistal length of dentition, the mesiodistal lengths of the component teeth of the proximal molar row, and the distance between the mesial and distal lophs were all significantly lower in tammar wallabies than in parma wallabies. These differences result in tammar wallabies having greater numbers of transverse cutting edges per unit of molar tooth length, which maximises the efficiency of comminution of long grass fibres.
A morphometric comparison of aphid mummies containing diapausing vs. non-diapausing larvae of Aphidius rhopalosiphi (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Aphidiinae)

Abstract The morphology and ultrastructure of aphid mummies formed by diapausing and non-diapausing larvae of Aphidius rhopalosiphi De Stefani Perez, are described. Two types of silk thread were present in both types of cocoons: well-structured rounded threads, and flat threads which form a gum coating. Differences in thecocoon weight were observed depending on parasitoid development. A morphometric characterization of the two groups of mummies is given.