Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High Levels of Ergonovine and Lysergic Acid Amide in Toxic Achnatherum inebrians Accompany Infection by an Acremonium-like Endophytic Fungus

Achnatherum inebrians (drunken horse grass) causes symptoms in sheep and horses reminiscent of ergot alkaloid intoxication. Microscopical examination of seed and leaf tissues revealed the presence of an endophytic fungus that did not produce spores when grown in culture and which was serologically related to endophytic Acremonium species of the Albo-lanosa section Morgan-Jones & Gams. ELISA indicated the presence of high concentrations of ergot alkaloids. Ergonovine and lysergic acid amide were identified by HPLCat levels up to 2500 and 400 mg kg-1, respectivelyas the major ergot alkaloids by their retention times and their UV and fluorescence scans. Their identities were confirmed by HPLC analysis of epimerized extracts, and the identity of ergonovine was further confirmed by high-resolution FAB-MS and HPLC−FAB-MS. These are the highest levels of ergonovine and lysergic acid amide so far reported in an endophyte-infected grass, and the similarity of many of the symptoms of A. inebrians intoxication to th.
Effects of Recurrent Selection for Grain Yield on Oat Kernel Morphology

Kernel size, as it is related to kernel weight, is an important yield component in oat (Avena sativa L.). The main objective of our research was to evaluate the changes in kernel morphology following five cycles of recurrent selection for grain yield. Parents of Cycles 0, 1, 3, and 5 and seven check cultivars were grown in row and hill plots at St. Paul and Rosemount, MN, in 1989. Kernel area, perimeter, length, and width were measured on 100-kernel samples from each plot using digital image analysis (DIA). Grain yield, kernel weight, and kernel number were also evaluated in these experiments [. ]
The Fallacy of the Averages in Ecological Optimization Theory

Optimization theory is commonly applied to a great many ecological problems, as can readily be ascertained by examining any issue of The American Naturalist published during the last decade. In such models, some quantity is usually identified that is to be maximized or minimized. Quite often, this quantity is actually a random variable since it depends upon some attribute of the organism or the environment that is described by a probability distribution. Hence, what is stated to be maximized or minimized is the expected or average value of the quantity. Unfortunately, a great many authors do not do what they state they do because of an improper use of the expectation operator from probability theory. Instead, they have committed the "fallacy of the averages" which has been defined by Wagner (1969, p.658): "Given an arbitrary nonlinear functionf(x1, .
Nutrient digestibility and ruminal characteristics of buffaloes and bovine fed additived sugar cane silages

Abstract It was evaluated nutrients total digestibility (TD) and dry matter (DM) intake, pH and NH3 ruminal concentration in buffaloes and bovine, fed sugar cane silages treated with Lactobacillus buchneri (SSL), plus 10% - cassava by-product meal (SSLC), plus 10% - soybean hulls (SSLS) or plus 1% - urea (SSLU). The experimental design was a double 4x4 Latin squares with a 4 x 2 factorial arrangement. There was no interaction between species x treatment for evaluated parameters except for TD of CP, NDF and ADF. The soybean hulls addition increased (P<0.05) TD of DM, OM and total carbohydrate (TC) while the urea addition reduced (P<0.05) DM intake and TD of DM, OM, TC and no fiber carbohydrate (NFC). Buffaloes showed the highest (P<0.05) TD of CP with SSL and the highest TD of NDF and ADF with SSLS. Bovines showed the highest (P<0.05) TD of CP with the SSL and SSLS; the last increased TD of NDF and ADF. The rumen pH in buffalo was higher than in cattle (6.62 vs. 6.48, respectively). The NH3 ruminal concentration did not differ between species and SSLU treatment presented the highest values (12.9 mg / 100 mL).
Ontogenetic Evaluation of Grain Yield and Time to Maturity in Barley

High grain yield and early maturity are desirable characteristics in many regions in which barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is grown. However, negative correlation between these traits makes their joint improvement difficult Previous research quantifying the contribution of traits to grain yield has not included their effects on time to maturity, and often has not included important developmental traits related to time to maturity. The purpose of this research was to quantify the determination of grain yield and time to maturity in barley, using a model that included developmental traits such as leaf number, phyllochron, and grain fill rate. A genetically diverse group of 24 barley genotypes was grown for three years at Palmer, AK, and significant causal relationships determined using path analysis and stepwise regression. Longer vegetative periods (time to heading) resulted in higher grain yield, but longer heading-to-maturity periods had no effect on grain yield. Faster grain fill rate resulted in higher grain yield and shorter grain filling period. In environments similar to these, the competing objectives of high grain yield and acceptably early maturity were realized by cultivars with relatively long preheading periods and relatively short reproductive periods, without exceeding the critical level of early maturity required by growers. Longer preheading periods appear necessary to develop an adequate number of kernels per spike and sufficient number of leaves to provide photoassimilate during grain fill. These results provide breeders additional insights for decisions involving choice of germplasm and selection criteria in breeding programs.
Temporal genetic analysis of an introgressed island honey bee population (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain)

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are crucial for the pollination of many wild and cultivated plants, and therefore require conservation of their genetic variation (Jaffe et al., 2010). This variation needs to be monitored over time to permit detection of any changes that could constitute threats to this important biological resource. Honey bees from the Canary Islands are morphologically similar to A. m. iberiensis (Padilla et al., 1998) but based on variation of the mitochondrial DNA, they have been included in an African evolutionary sub-lineage with Atlantic distribution, together with other honey bee populations from Macaronesian archipelagos including Madeira and the Azores (De la Rua et al., 2006). Beekeepers from different Canary Islands show varying levels of interest towards preserving their local honey bee. Some of the beekeepers from Tenerife regularly introduce queens from foreign subspecies (mainly A. m. ligustica and A. m. carnica, belonging to the East European C evolutionary lineage) into their apiaries to increase honey production (Bouga et al., 2011), whilst beekeepers from La Palma are among those that prefer to use the local black honey bee. The introduction of bees from abroad has a potential risk due to the possible dissemination of parasites such as the ectoparasite Varroa destructor (Moritz et al., 2005) and the microsporidium Nosema ceranae (Higes et al., 2010). Introducing foreign subspecies can also have an impact on local populations adapted to the particular environmental conditions of the islands. The Canary Islands harbour around 525 endemic plant species (Martin et al., 2005), many of them exclusively pollinated by local honey bees. Given that, the replacement of the local populations by introduced subspecies could lead to a reduction of the reproduction rate of the endemic plants. Tenerife is the largest island of the Canarian archipelago with a 50% of the total number of Canarian honey bee colonies. In 1998 around 37% of these colonies belonged to the C lineage, demonstrating the extent of introductions and that hybridization was occurring between local and imported honey bees (De la Rua et al., 2002). In this study we aim to determine whether the amount of genetic variation has changed over a 10 years period due to the continued introduction of queens of foreign subspecies. Genetic diversity was inferred from the variation of five microsatellite loci analysed in worker honey bees collected randomly (without previous information about the reared subspecies) from the inner frames of 68 colonies in 1998 and 53 colonies in 2008. Sampling in 1998 was performed in a variable number of colonies (2-19) per apiary and in ten apiaries from five localities spread on the island (Fig. 1). In 2008 the sampling was performed in a reduced number of colonies (1-5) per apiary, but increasing the number of apiaries (38) and localities (19). Genotyping and determination of the standard parameters of population genetics were performed as described in Munoz et al. (2009) and results are summarized in Table 1.
Microelectrodes integrated cell-chip for drug effects study

Silicon-based microelectrode chips are useful tools for temporal recording of neurotransmitter releasing from neural cells. Both invasive and non-invasive methods are targeted by different group researchers to perform electrical stimulating on neural cells. A microfabricated microelectrodes integrated biochip will be presented in this paper, which describes the dopaminergic cells growing on the chip directly. The dopamine exocytosis can be detected non-invasively from drug incubated dopaminergic cells growing on the chip. The abovementioned silicon-based electrochemical sensor chip has been designed with an electrode array located on the bottom of reaction chamber and each electrode is individually electrical controlled. MN9D, a mouse mesencephalic dopaminergic cell line, has been grown on the surface of the biochip chamber directly. Dopamine exocytosis from the chip-grown MN9D cells was detected using amperometry technology. The amperometric detection limit of dopamine of the biochip microelectrodes was found from 0. 06μM to 0. 21μM (S/N=3) statistically for the electrode diameters from 10 μm to 90 μm, the level of dopamine exocytosis from MN9D cells was undetectable whithout drug incubation. In contrast, after MN9D cells were incubated with L-dopa, a dopamine precursor, K+ induced dopamine extocytosis was temporally detected. The microelectrodes integrated biochip provides a non-invasive, temporal detection of dopamine exocytosis from dopaminergic cells, and holds the potential for applications in studying the mechanisms of dopamine exocytosis, and drug screening. It also provides a tool for pharmaceutical research and drug screening on dopaminergic cells, extendably to be used for other cell culture and drug effects study.
Wood anatomy of Craigia (Malvales) from southeastern Yunnan, China

Wood anatomy of Craigia W.W. Sm. & W.E. Evans (Malvaceae s.l.), a tree endemic to China and Vietnam, is described in order to provide new characters for assessing its affinities relative to other malvalean genera. Craigia has very low-density wood, with abundant diffuse-in-aggregate axial parenchyma and tile cells of the Pterospermum type in the multiseriate rays. Although Craigia is distinct from Tilia by the presence of tile cells, they share the feature of helically thickened vessels – supportive of the sister group status suggested for these two genera by other morphological characters and preliminary molecular data. Although Craigia is well represented in the fossil record based on fruits, we were unable to locate fossil woods corresponding in anatomy to that of the extant genus.
Signal Transduction by the TGF-β Superfamily

Transforming growth factor–β (TGF-β) superfamily members regulate a plethora of developmental processes, and disruption of their activity has been implicated in a variety of human diseases ranging from cancer to chondrodysplasias and pulmonary hypertension. Intense investigations have revealed that SMAD proteins constitute the basic components of the core intracellular signaling cascade and that SMADs function by carrying signals from the cell surface directly to the nucleus. Recent insights have revealed how SMAD proteins themselves are regulated and how appropriate subcellular localization of SMADs and TGF-β transmembrane receptors is controlled. Current research efforts investigating the contribution of SMAD-independent pathways promise to reveal advances to enhance our understanding of the signaling cascade.
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci from the Australasian sea snake, Aipysurus laevis

We developed 13 microsatellite loci for the olive sea snake, Aipysurus laevis, using both enriched and unenriched genomic DNA libraries. Eleven codominant loci, that reliably amplified, were used to screen 32 individuals across the geographic range of A. laevis. Four loci had four or more alleles (maximum 12), whereas the other seven had either two or three. All but one locus was in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. These loci will provide useful markers to investigate population genetic structure for the olive sea snake.
Preparation Microbiologique Du 2‐CETO‐3‐Desoxy‐D‐Gluconate 1‐14C ou U‐14C

A E. Coli K 12 mutant having lost 2-keto-3-desoxy-gluconate kinase activity is unable to utilize glucuronate as a unique carbon source. However, this strain is able to partially convert glucuronate into KDG in resting cells conditions reported here. A method is described making it possible to produce 1- 14C-KDG or U-14C-KDG when the kinase cells metabolise 6-14C or U-14C-D-glucuronate. The radioactive KDG accumulated in the incubation medium has been purified thanks to a biological specific method followed by chromatography on anionic resin. The yield of the purified KDG from the hexuronate is about 20%. According to chromatographic criteria and specific conversion by KDG-kinase, the product obtained has been authenticated as true KDG. Une souche mutante d'E. Coli K 12 ayant perdu l'activite 2-ce-3-desoxy-gluconate kinase ne peut utiliser le glucuronate comme unique source carbone. Cependant, des cellules non proliferantes de cette souche kinase sont capables dans certaines conditions rapportetaboliser partiellement le glucuronate en KDG. Nous decrivons une methode qui permet de produire du KDG-1-14C ou U-14C lorsque les cellules kinase metabolisent du D-glucuronate-6-14C ou U-14C. Le KDG radioactif excrete dans le milieu de culture a pu ětre purifie par une methode biologique specifique suivie d'une chromatographie sur resine anionique. Le rendement final du KDG purifie par rapport aa l'hxuronate est de 20%. Le produit obtenu par cette voie microbiologique a ete identifie au KDG authentique sur la base de criteres chromatographiques et de specificite enzymatique.
Leaf Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Biodiversity within Isolated Remnant Grasslands in Kentucky State Nature Preserves

Abstract Leaf beetle collection data from five Kentucky State Nature Preserves are summarized over a four-year period (2005 to 2008) encompassing a total of 57 collection events. Our primary objective was to survey leaf beetle populations found within the five preserves. We also wanted to assess impacts of prescribed fire management within these habitats on leaf beetles. We used means ANOVA procedures, species richness estimators, NMS ordinations, and contingency tables analyses. There were clear differences between the five preserves, with Raymond Athey State Nature Preserve (Logan Co.) being the most diverse (87 species) and having the greatest number of rare species (30). Ordination analyses revealed very minimal impacts of prescribed burns on leaf beetle composition in the four preserves where it is used as a management practice. Overall, leaf beetle composition appeared linked with Nature Preserves sampling/management units across years, overriding any year to year differences due to weather or other influences. The only significant year to year difference within a preserve occurred at Blue Licks State Park Nature Preserve, which had a lower number of beetles in 2007, possibly due to drought that summer. In total, we found 143 species, with 9 species unique to only one preserve (four of the five preserves contained unique species). These results demonstrate the importance of protected areas such as state nature preserves as refugia not only for known threatened or endangered plants and animals, but also for associated biota in little-studied groups, such as leaf beetles.
Tillage and Previous Crop Effects on Dynamics of Nitrogen in a Wheat–Soil System

The effects of tillage and preceding legume crops on N flux in the soil-plant system require quantification for developing sustainable cropping systems. We measured changes in soil and plant N under the influence of tillage [no till (NT) vs. conventional tillage (CT)] and previous crops [spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) green manure, and field pea (Pisum sativum L.)]. The study was conducted from 1994 through 1996 on a well-drained sandy loam soil (coarse-loamy, mixed, frigid, Typic Cryoboralf) near Fort Vermilion, Alberta (58°23'N,116°2'W). Nitrogen uptake by wheat was increased by NT and legume crops. At seeding, CT soil had 28 kg ha -1 more NO 3 -N to 100-cm depth than NT soil. Apparent net N mineralization in the growing season was 71 and 22 kg N ha -1 , respectively, for the NT and CT systems. Previous crop effect on net N mineralization (kg N ha -1 ) was red clover (56) > field pea (51) > wheat (34). Approximately 18 kg N ha -1 was net-mineralized from red clover residues compared with insignificant amounts from pea and wheat residues. Microbial biomass turnover's contribution to net N mineralization (28 to 40 kg N ha -1 ) was increased by NT and previous legume crop. Soluble organic N decreased by 7 kg ha -1 between seeding and maturity for all experimental treatments. The results indicate that N fertilizer recommendations should allow for greater mineralization of organic N under NT than CT and following a legume green manure.
Vitamin C and E Supplementation Inhibits Acute Exercise-induced Skeletal Muscle Signaling but does not Alter Maker of Muscle Adaptations

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the of vitamin C and E supplementation on acute exercise-induced changes of makers of skeletal muscle adaptation and its in mice. (PGC-1α), citrate synthase (CS) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). On the other hand, vitamin C and E supplementation prevented the phosphorylation of AMP activated kinase (AMPK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) following the treadmill running (P<0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibits exercise-induced skeletal muscle signaling but does not alter mitochondrial biogenesis and angiogenesis in skeletal muscle.
Seasonal Variations in Gross Biochemical Composition, Percent Edibility, and Condition Index of the Clam Ruditapes decussatus Cultivated in the Ria Formosa (South Portugal)

ABSTRACT The grooved carpet shell clam Ruditapes decussatus (L. 1758) is one of the most popular and profitable molluscs exploited in rearing plots in the Mediterranean. However, annual catch has been declining steadily since the early 1990s. To understand the seasonality of its nutritional value, thus providing an improved basis for economic valuation of the resource, gross biochemical composition, percent edibility, and condition index were investigated during a year with monthly periodicity in a commercially exploited population of the clam R. decussatus in the Ria Formosa, a temperate mesotidal coastal lagoon located in the south of Portugal. Our results show that total and nonprotein nitrogen covaried during the year, resulting in a protein content that peaked in the warmest months. Although complementary in summer, carbohydrate and lipid contents showed irregular annual trends. The observed seasonality was comparable with that shown by studies elsewhere at similar latitudes, and is underpinned by the reproductive cycle of the species. Our results show the clams to be at their prime nutritional value at the beginning of summer, when protein content peaks.
Use of mycoplasmalike organism (MLO) group-specific oligonucleotide primers for nested-PCR assays to detect mixed-MLO infections in a single host plant.

Oligonucleotide primer pairs R16(I)F1/R1, R16(III)F2/R1, and R16(V)F1/Ri for polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) were designed on the basis of mycoplamalike organism (MLO) 16S rRNA sequences. The primer pair R16(I)F1/R1 specifically initiated amplification of 16S rDNA sequences among MLO strains in the MLO 16S rRNA group I, which includes aster yellows MLO and related strains; R16(III)F2/R1 specifically initiated amplifications in the MLO 16S rRNA group III, which includes peach X-disease MLO and related strains; and R16(V)F1/R1 specifically initiated amplification in the MLO 16S RNA group V, which includes elm yellows MLO and related strains [. ]
Stable‐isotope labeled metabolites of the phytohormone, indole‐3‐acetic acid

1,3-Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide-mediated condensation of [3a,4,5,6,7,7a-13C6]indole-3-acetic acid with the bis(tert-butyl) esters of L-aspartic or L-glutamic acids, followed by removal of the ester groups by dilute alkali, afforded N-([3a,4,5,6,7,7a-13C6]indol-3-ylacetyl)-L-aspartic and N-([3a,4,5,6,7,7a-13C6]indol-3-ylacetyl)-L-glutamic acids, labeled forms of compounds involved in the regulation of plant growth and development. The corresponding conjugates of (R,S)-2,3-dihydro-2-oxoindole-3-acetic acid, which are likewise of physiological significance, were labeled with 15N in the amino acid moieties and were synthesized via the N-hydroxysuccinimide ester. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Local differentiation of Clethrionomys rutilus in northeastern Asia inferred from mitochondrial gene sequences

Summary Mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b (Cytb) gene sequences were used to assess the evolutionary history of the northern red-backed vole, Clethrionomys rutilus , in northeastern Asia. Neighbor-joining and maximum likelihood trees constructed with the Cytb gene sequences (1140 bp) of 27 samples revealed four major local lineages; those represented by haplotypes from central Siberia, far eastern Siberia, Alaska-Kamchatskasol;Sakhalin, and Hokkaido. These lineages differed from one another with sequence divergences ranging from 0.0160 to 0.0298 (Kimura's distance, all substitutions at all codon positions). These findings imply that C. rutilus has inhabited the local areas during a longterm period of the evolutionary time, such as the last one or two million years, as observed in another common species of red-backed vole C. rufocanus with similar geographic distribution. The intraspecies geographic partition, however, differs between the species, implying that these two species have experienced different evolutionary histories in geographic expansion and genetic exchanges among local populations.
Catching methods and biometrics of breeding Ring Ouzels Turdus torquatus torquatus in northeast Scotland

Between 1999 and 2002, we caught 116 (54 male and 62 female) breeding adult Ring Ouzels Turdus torquatus torquatus in Glen Clunie, northeast Scotland. Four different catching methods are described and their success assessed. There was no evidence that any catching method had a detrimental effect on either nest outcome, or the frequency of second breeding attempts in the same year. Plumage characteristics were used to age and sex birds caught, following their use to age and sex migrants and museum specimens. These characteristics were found to be reliable for all 19 birds of known age. Males had, on average, longer wings and deeper and whiter gorgets than females, but they were not heavier. Among both males and females 2+ year birds had, on average, longer wings than 2nd year birds, and 2+ year females were also heavier and had whiter gorgets than 2nd year birds.