Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early Vigor and Ozone Response in Horseweed (Conyza Canadensis) Biotypes Differing in Glyphosate Resistance

Abstract Horseweed has become increasingly difficult to control in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) of California. Resistance to glyphosate may not fully explain the quasi-invasive behavior of this native species. We contrast glyphosate-resistant (GR) and glyphosate-susceptible (GS) horseweed biotypes for vigor during the vegetative stage and for resistance to ozone (O3). The SJV is impacted by O3 air pollution, which could be a factor in competitiveness of GR vs. GS. Both biotypes were exposed during the seedling and vegetative stages of rosette development to a range of O3 concentrations in greenhouse exposure chambers. Leaf injury was evaluated visually and biomass production and allocation destructively. In O3-free air, the GR biotype exhibited fewer foliar lesions, more vigorous growth, and 40% greater biomass than the GS biotype. The slope of the response to O3 was greater in the GR than in the GS biotype, implying greater relative sensitivity to O3. This was due to greater vigor at low O3, as the biotypes performed similarly at high O3. The competitive advantage of the GR biotype may be reduced in polluted environments. There appeared to be no linkage between the evolution of resistances to O3 and to glyphosate. Nomenclature: Horseweed, Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq. ERICA
EFFECTS OF DOMAIN SIZE ON THE PERSISTENCE OF POPULATIONS IN A DIFFUSIVE FOOD‐CHAIN MODEL WITH BEDDINGTON‐DeANGELIS FUNCTIONAL RESPONSE

ABSTRACT. A food chain consisting of species at three trophic levels is modeled using Beddington‐DeAngelis functional responses as the links between trophic levels. The dispersal of the species is modeled by diffusion, so the resulting model is a three component reaction‐diffusion system. The behavior of the system is described in terms of predictions of extinction or persistence of the species. Persistence is characterized via permanence, i.e., uniform persistence plus dissi‐pativity. The way that the predictions of extinction or persistence depend on domain size is studied by examining how they vary as the size (but not the shape) of the underlying spatial domain is changed.
A Major Error in the Acetylene Reduction Assay: Decreases in Nodular Nitrogenase Activity Under Assay Conditions

Observations on both attached nodulated roots and detached nodules have revealed that nitrogenase activity in many legume species declined rapidly in the presence of acetylene, with a concurrent reduction in respiration. The reduction began within a few minutes of exposure to acetylene and continued for 30^60 min before a new steady-state was attained. A similar decline in H2 evolution and respiration was observed when N2 was replaced with argon or helium. This suggests that the decrease is linked to the cessation of ammonia production. Measurements of 15N2 uptake demonstrated that it is the pre-decline rather than final rate of ethylene production which represents the real rate of nitrogenase activity. The implications of these findings for the interpretation of acetylene reduction and hydrogen evolution data are considered.
Conidiobolomicose causada por Conidiobolus lamprauges em ovinos no Estado de Santa Catarina

An outbreak of conidiobolomycosis affecting sheep in the State of Santa Catarina, Southern Brazil is reported. The disease occurred in six Santa Ines breed sheep from a flock of 75 during the rainy season. Common clinical signs were noisy respiration and dyspnea, serous to mucosanguineous nasal discharge and exophthalmus. At necropsy there was a dense yellow mass in the nasopharyngeal area affecting the ethmoidal region, turbinate bones and occasionally limph nodes, central nervous system and pleura. Histopathologycally there was multifocal granulomas whith an eosinophilic necrotic reaction containing ribbon type hyphae similar to zygomycetous fungi. At molecular examination Conidiobolus lamprauges DNA was detected. The clinical, epidemiological, macroscopical, microscopical and molecular aspects characterize conidiobolomycosis caused by Conidiobolus lamprauges in sheep.
Web building flexibility of an orb‐web spider in a heterogeneous agricultural landscape

Intensification of land-use in agricultural landscapes is responsible for a decline of biodiversity which provide important ecosystem services like pest-control. Changes in landscape composition may also induce behavioural changes of predators in response to variation in the biotic or abiotic environment. By controlling for environmentally confounding factors, we here demonstrate that the orb web spider Araneus diadematus alters its web building behaviour in response to changes in the composition of agricultural landscapes. Thereby, the species increases its foraging efficiency (i.e. investments in silk and web asymmetry) with an increase of agricultural land-use at intermediate spatial scales. This intensification is also related to a decrease in the abundance of larger prey. A negative effect of landscape properties at similar spatial scales on spider fitness was recorded when controlling for relative investments in capture thread length. This study consequently documents the web building flexibility in response to changes in landscape composition, possibly due to changes in prey availability.
Emendation of Bacteroidaceae and Butyrivibrio and Descriptions of Desulfomonas gen. nov. and Ten New Species in the Genera Desulfomonas, Butyrivibrio, Eubacterium, Clostridium, and Ruminococcus

The family Bacteroidaceae is emended to include bacteria that are monotrichous or lophotrichous. The genus Butyrivibrio is emended to include lophotrichous bacteria. Desulfomonas, a new genus of nonmotile, nonsporeforming, gram-negative, anaerobic, sulfate-reducing rods, and 10 new species of anaerobes, Desulfomonas pigra, Butyrivibrio crossotus, Ruminococcus gnavus, R. lactaris, R. obeum, Eubacterium dolichum, E. hadrum, E. ramulus, E. siraeum, and Clostridium leptum, are described. These species have been isolated from human intestinal contents or from human feces. The type strains of these species are ATCC 29098, 29175, 29149, 29176, 29174, 29143, 29173, 29099, 29066, and 29065, respectively.
Association between soybean cyst nematode resistance loci and yield in soybean

Breeding for resistance to soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines Ichinohe; SCN) is an important objective of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ] breeders. There is concern, however, that SCN resistant soybean cultivars yield less than SCN susceptible cultivars under low SCN pressure. This is supported by the report that two quantitative trait loci (QTL) conferring yield depression are linked to the major SCN resistance gene rhg 1 on linkage group (LG) G in the resistant plant introduction (PI) 209332. The objective of our study was to test for the association of SCN resistance with yield and other agronomic traits in populations developed from soybean cultivars with resistance derived from PI 88788. We tested five populations of near isogenic lines (NIL) segregating for genetic markers Satt309 or CTA linked to rhg 1 and two populations of NILs segregating for Satt431 linked to the resistance QTL cqSCN-003 on LG J. Population sizes ranged from 23 to 44 NILs, and the populations were yield tested in two years across four locations that had low SCN incidence in previous years. Near isogenic lines predicted to carry the SCN resistance allele yielded significantly (p < 0.05) less than NILs predicted to carry the susceptibility allele in one out of five populations segregating for Satt309 (118 kg ha -1 ) and in one out of two populations segregating for Satt431 (76 kg ha -1 ). Significant differences between the two classes of NILs were also observed for plant maturity, plant lodging and plant height in some populations; however, these differences were small in magnitude. Molecular marker data from the NIL populations for the genetic regions flanking the segregating resistance genes suggest the presence of a yield depression QTL distal to rhg 1 on LG G and another yield depression QTL linked or pleiotropic to cqSCN-003 on LG J. Confirmation and refinement of our results will enable soybean breeders to use marker-assisted breeding to select against yield depressing regions and develop SCN resistant cultivars that compete with SCN susceptible cultivars even under low SCN pressure.
Squirrel monkey locomotion on an inclined treadmill: Implications for the evolution of gaits

Abstract Three adult squirrel monkeys were trained to run on a motor-driven treadmill that was inclined downwardly and upwardly at 8°, 16° and 28°, and horizontally (0°). Films were used to compare the gait and kinematics of the animals across the inclines. All three animals used both lateral and diagonal sequence gaits, although the former was preferred at all but the upward 16° and 28° inclines. Cycle duration and hind limb stance and swing durations tended to increase as downward inclination decreased. Trunk inclination, except at 28° downward, tended to parallel the changes in treadmill inclination. The most dramatic and consistent change for the hind limb joint displacement patterns was that maximum extension during stance increased as the treadmill inclination increased from 28° downward to 28° upward. In contrast to an earlier study by Prost & Sussman (1969), we could find no evidence that squirrel monkeys are best adapted to run on upward inclines of about 16°. The utilization of diagonal sequence gaits on the upward inclines supports previous suggestions that the preference for these gaits in primates is associated with an evolutionary increase in climbing behaviors.
Multiple Factors Affect a Population of Agassiz's Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) in the Northwestern Mojave Desert

Abstract: Numerous factors have contributed to declines in populations of the federally threatened Agassiz's Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) and continue to limit recovery. In 2010, we surveyed a low-density population on a military test facility in the northwestern Mojave Desert of California, USA, to evaluate population status and identify potential factors contributing to distribution and low densities. Estimated densities of live tortoises ranged spatially from 1.2/km2 to 15.1/km2. Although only one death of a breeding-age tortoise was recorded for the 4-yr period prior to the survey, remains of 16 juvenile and immature tortoises were found, and most showed signs of predation by Common Ravens (Corvus corax) and mammals. Predation may have limited recruitment of young tortoises into the adult size classes. To evaluate the relative importance of different types of impacts to tortoises, we developed predictive models for spatially explicit densities of tortoise sign and live tortoises using topography (i.e., slope), predators (Common Raven, signs of mammalian predators), and anthropogenic impacts (distances from paved road and denuded areas, density of ordnance fragments) as covariates. Models suggest that densities of tortoise sign increased with slope and signs of mammalian predators and decreased with Common Ravens, while also varying based on interaction effects involving these predictors as well as distances from paved roads, denuded areas, and ordnance. Similarly, densities of live tortoises varied by interaction effects among distances to denuded areas and paved roads, density of ordnance fragments, and slope. Thus multiple factors predict the densities and distribution of this population.
ADAPTATION ET VALIDATION D'UN INDICE POISSON (FBI) POUR L'ÉVALUATION DE LA QUALITÉ BIOLOGIQUE DES COURS D'EAU FRANÇAIS.

La recente Directive Cadre sur l’Eau (DCE) demande aux etats membres de la communaute europeenne la preservation et la restauration de l’etat ecologique des ecosystemes aquatiques au travers de leurs composantes chimiques et biologiques. Satisfaire cette demande necessite de disposer d’indicateurs biologiques capables d’apporter une information pertinente sur l’etat de sante de ces ecosystemes. Ces indicateurs doivent etre scientifiquement valides, efficaces, rapides a mettre en œuvre et applicables a differentes regions geographiques. Parmi les indicateurs potentiels, les peuplements de poissons peuvent apporter une information originale en raison de la capacite qu’ont ces organismes a integrer la variabilite environnementale a differentes echelles spatiales. Dans ce contexte, les Agences de l’Eau, le Ministere de l’Environnement et le Conseil Superieur de la Peche ont lance conjointement un programme national d’adaptation d’un indice biotique fonde sur les peuplements poissons applicable a l’ensemble du reseau hydrographique. Adapter ce type d’indice a une echelle spatiale telle que le reseau hydrographique national necessite la prise en compte des facteurs environnementaux majeurs responsables des variations des peuplements en conditions naturelles. La demarche adoptee pour l’etablissement de l’indice s’etablit comme suit. Dans un premier temps et en utilisant un jeu de donnee de 650 stations de reference reparties de maniere homogene sur l’ensemble du reseau hydrographique national, la probabilite d’occurrence sur une station de 34 especes les plus communes de nos cours d’eau a ete modelisee en fonction d’un certain nombre de variables environnementales locales et regionales (i.e. position de la station sur le gradient longitudinal, altitude, vitesse moyenne du courant, conditions thermiques, appartenance a une unite hydrologique). Dans un deuxieme temps, un certain nombre de « metriques » fonctionnelles relatives aux peuplements et prenant en compte l’occurrence et l’abondance des especes ont ete selectionnees sur base bibliographique. Dans un troisieme temps, ces metriques ont ete modelisees et les residus standardises des modeles obtenus ont ete utilises comme valeur des metriques independante des facteurs environnementaux. Dans un quatrieme temps, chacune des metriques a ete validee sur deux jeux de donnees independants de stations « de reference » et de stations « perturbees » (i.e. alterations de l’habitat et alterations de la qualite physico-chimique). Dans un dernier temps, les metriques les plus discriminantes ont ete sommees afin d’obtenir la note de l’indice final. L’indice multi-parametrique obtenu devrait etre capable de fournir une evaluation pertinente de la qualite ecologique des hydrosystemes fluviaux.
The Influence of Temperature on Genetic Interrelationships of Life History Traits in a Population of Drosophila melanogaster: What Tangled Data Sets We Weave

Stearns (1977) suggested that in order to test the various theories of life history evolution population biologists need to collect data under controlled conditions and measure the heritabilities of life history traits. We suggest that in order to perform adequate tests of the assumptions or predictions of life history theory, investigators must perform analyses which allow them to partition the phenotypic variances and covariances of the traits observed into their components. In the case of single traits we should estimate the terms of:
Exopolysaccharide Production and Texture-Promoting Abilities of Mixed-Strain Starter Cultures in Yogurt Production

An exopolysaccharide-producing strain of Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus (CNRZ 1187) and two colonial white and pink variants were grown in skim milk in association with a strain of Streptococcus thermophilus (CNRZ 389) that did not produce exopolysaccharide to assess the effects of associative growth on exopolysaccharide formation. After 10 h of fermentation, viscosity (380 mPa.s) was highest with the parental strain CNRZ 1187 in the mixed-strain starter, the lowest (220 mPa.s) with the mixed-strain starter containing the white variant and S. thermophilus CNRZ 389, and intermediate (290 mPa.s) with the mixed-strain starter containing the pink variant and S. thermophilus CNRZ 389. Viscosities of the milks with exopolysaccharide-producing strains decreased after mechanical stirring, but values remained higher (170 to 230 mPa.s) than those obtained with nonproducing strains (70 mPa.s). The mixed-strain starter composed of the white colonies of L. delbrueckii spp. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus produced the highest amount of exopolysaccharide (240 mg/L), and the mixed-strain starter containing the parental strain CNRZ 1187 produced the lowest amount (110 mg/L) of exopolysaccharide. The exopolysaccharide production from the mixed-strain starter containing the white and pink L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus colonies began earlier and was higher after 3 h of fermentation than that from the starter containing the parental L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus strain. Production of exopolysaccharide from the latter approached the maximum in the beginning of the stationary growth phase; production from the mixed-strain starter with the pink and white variants continued during the early stationary growth phase. The exopolysaccharide contained mainly galactose with small amounts of glucose and rhamnose. The monosaccharide composition of the exopolysaccharide changed during the exponential growth phase (6 h) and remained stable thereafter.
Polymorphism and speciation in Arctic charr

The Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus exhibits 1–4 sympatric morphs in postglacial lakes, of which one or two are epibenthic zoobenthos feeders, one is a limnetic planktivore and one is a piscivorous form. In addition, northern rivers support partly migratory populations with anadromous and freshwater resident fish. The morphs vary in their coloration, morphology, life history, behaviour and genetic characteristics. The morphs usually differentiate according to their ontogenetic stage at maturity, which parallels paedomorphism in amphibians. The young usually start as epibenthic zoobenthivores, but may become pelagic at a certain size according to the predation risk experienced at that time. From a length of > 20–25 cm, charr start to become piscivorous. The proportion of piscivorous fish increases with increasing body size. In partly anadromous populations, fish that mature before smolting become freshwater resident, the others anadromous. In some rivers, the morphs occupy separate niches (epibenthic and limnetic), from emergence onwards. The morphs exhibit different degrees of reproductive isolation that vary from a high degree of interbreeding to complete isolation. Usually, they spawn within morph (assortative mating), but alternative male mating behaviour (sneaking, fighting) may occur in stream-spawning populations and at great depths in lakes. Morphologically specialized morphs appear to feed more effectively than intermediate forms, and selection according to feeding mode, site fidelity and associated assortative mating are prerequisites for the evolution of the different morphs. Charr morphs develop into stable feeding niches under conditions of intense intraspecific competition when there is little competition with other species. Sympatric morphs exhibit different degrees of speciation, but similar morphs in different systems are not individual species because of (1) their polyphyletic origin, (2) the supporting systems are often young, transient environments making the future situation for the populations uncertain, and (3) the genetic differentiation among morphs is low. Sympatric morphs may interbreed and produce fertile hybrids. Nevertheless, sympatric charr morphs should be managed as separate species. Changes in the natural conditions or human impacts to which the morphs are adapted will have a strong influence on the persistence and survival of each different morph.
Interactions between elevated CO2 and added N: effects on water use, biomass, and soil 15N uptake in wheat

The interaction between atmospheric CO2 (ambient=365 ppmv, elevated=500 ppmv) and fertilizer N (6, 12 and 18 g N m−2) was examined in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.) grown on a 15N-labelled sandy loam soil. Wheat shoots were pulse-labelled once with 14CO2 to trace the photosynthetically fixed C within the soil/plant system. Fertilizer N increased root length and canopy water use efficiency (WUE). At each N level, root length and WUE were higher under elevated than under ambient CO2, but no CO2-N interaction was observed. The N concentration in roots, but not in shoots, was affected by a CO2-N interaction. Fertilizer N increased and elevated CO2 decreased shoot N concentrations. The root-to-shoot (R/S) ratio decreased with N addition and was affected by interactions between N and CO2. Plant biomass C and N increased significantly with increased N addition. The effect of elevated CO2 on shoots was relatively small regardless of N level, whereas roots experienced a clear CO2-N interaction. The 14C recovered one week after labelling was mainly in the shoot biomass (80%). The activity increased with N addition, reflecting a larger shoot biomass, but the relative distribution of 14C between shoots, roots, soil and rhizosphere respiration was little affected by CO2 level and N addition. Soil 15N contributed 7.1 to 9.0 g N m−2 to shoot N, the total increase (9.3 to 24.3 g N m−2) being dominated by contributions from fertilizer N. We conclude that effects of elevated CO2 on wheat tissue N cannot be compensated for by N additions, and that plant uptake of native soil N is marginally affected by added N and elevated CO2.
Laticifers and the classification of Euphorbia: the chemotaxonomy of Euphorbia esula L.

Laticifers and the classification of Euphorbia: the chemotaxonomy of Euphorbia esula L. Articulated and non-articulated laticifer cells represent distinctive cell types of relatively recent origin and occur in only a few families. Both types are of separate phylogenetic origin, reflecting independent evolutionary trends in the Euphorbiaceae. Supra-generic groupings of this family can be segregated into three taxonomic units using the laticifer character; with either articulated laticifers, non-articulated laticifers, or no laticifers. Such units may reflect more natural assemblages than now represented in the classification of this family. Laticifers possess chemical and morphological features of potential application as taxonomic characters to aid in delimiting species and interpreting evolutionary trends. The triterpenoid profile from latex of Euphorbia species has been shown to be diagnostic for a taxon. The qualitative and quantitative composition show a high level of stability under diverse environmental and physiological conditions indicating a genetic basis for triterpenoid synthesis. Triterpenoid profiles of known accessions of European E. esula L. and related presumptive taxa from North America readily separated them into distinctive chemotaxa that include one for E. esula L. , whereas morphological features were found inadequate for separating accessions to presumptive taxa. Identification of adventive spurges in North America requires diagnostic analyses of Eurasian leafy spurges for comparison. Laticifer characters used in conjunction with relevant morphological features will provide a broadened insight into phylogenetic relationships with the Euphorbiaceae.