Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stress Tolerance in Tropical Maize is Linked to Constitutive Changes in Ear Growth Characteristics

The tolerance of maize (Zea mays L.) grain yields to abiotic stresses is largely determined by events that occur at or shortly after flowering. Our objective was to evaluate ear growth after silking under unstressed conditions or low N environments in two late lowland tropical maize populations, previously selected for tolerance to drought or to low N. Selection under low N or drought reduced florets per ear by 12 and 11 per cycle when evaluated under unstressed conditions. The lag period between pollination and the onset of linear grain growth increased by 1.7 d cycle -1 in the low N tolerant population grown under unstressed conditions and by 0.6 d cycle -1 in the drought tolerant population under low N. Selection for tolerance to low N increased biomass per kernel at the end of the lag and linear grain filling periods by 40 and 7% per cycle and by 10 and 4% per cycle in the drought tolerant population, across N environments. The duration of linear grain filling declined with selection in the low N tolerant population when grown under unstressed conditions. Selection for tolerance to either stress did not significantly increase grain yield under unstressed conditions, though improvement for drought tolerance increased yield by 7.5% per cycle (P<0.05) under low N. Selection for tolerance to both stresses increased kernels per plant across environments. Apparently, selection for tolerance to low N or drought results in more kernels achieving the minimum biomass needed to prevent kernel abortion at the onset of the linear growth phase, resulting in greater grain sink strength under stressed and unstressed environments
Preferential Migration of Transferred Primordial Germ Cells to Left Germinal Ridge of Recipient Embryos in Chickens

Chicken primordial germ cells (PGCs) circulate in the bloodstream and migrate to germinal ridges. In order to assess the migration frequencies of PGCs to left or right germinal ridges, PGCs were transferred into the bloodstream of recipient embryos and analysed the presence of the donor PGC-derived mitochondrial DNA in the left or right gonad of embryos. First, minimum number of donor PGCs needed to detect donor-derived DNA in the gonads of recipient embryos incubated for 16.5 days were assessed, and found that a single PGC-derived DNA can be detected in the gonads. Then, a single PGC was transferred into the recipient bloodstream and analysed the presence of donor PGC-derived DNA in the left or right gonad of recipient embryos. When male PGCs were transferred into male or female recipient embryos, the donor-derived DNA was detected in the left gonad at the frequency of 61.5% (8/13) or 82.6% (19/23), respectively. On the other hand, when female PGCs were transferred into male or female recipient embryos, the donor-derived DNA was detected in the left gonads at the frequency of 72.2% (27/36) or 91.5% (43/47), respectively. The frequency of male or female PGCs migrating to the left germinal ridge of recipient embryos were 75.0% (27/36) or 83.1% (69/83), respectively, whereas the frequency of male or female recipient embryos attracting PGCs to their left germinal ridge were 69.4% (34/49) or 88.6% (62/70), respectively. These results suggest that female PGCs tended to migrate to the left germinal ridge more frequently than male PGCs, and female recipient embryos tended to attract PGCs in the left germinal ridge more frequently than male recipient embryos. This preferential migration of PGCs to left germinal ridge would be very important for female PGCs to differentiate normally and give rise to functional gametes efficiently.
Effects of Caenorhabditis elegans (Nematoda: Rhabditidae) on yield and quality of the cultivated mushroom Agaricus bisporus

SUMMARY Thirteen species of saprobic rhabditid nematodes (11 genera) were identified from samples of compost and casing material collected from mushroom farms in the British Isles. Caenorhabditis elegans, the most frequently found saprobe, was mass-produced monoxenically and its effects on the cultivated mushroom, Agaricus bisporus (strain U3) were studied. C. elegans did not multiply in well-prepared, pasteurised, spawned compost, whereas casing material proved to be a highly suitable environment for its reproduction. An initial casing inoculum of 106 nematodes/crate of compost (7.5 kg), caused a significant reduction in mushroom yield. Losses in total mushroom yields of 11%, 20% and 26% were caused by initial inoculum rates of 106, 107and 2 × 107 nematodes/crate, respectively. Yields were negatively correlated with the initial nematode inoculation level and regression equations were derived. The nematode treatments caused fewer mushrooms to be produced and an absence of the usual distinctive flushing patterns. C. elegans caused considerable deterioration in mushroom quality and characteristic distortion of mushrooms. Individual sporophores were mis-shapen, notched and had brown or violet coloured grills. Up to 3.8%, 6.7% and 10.8% of total weight and 3.5%, 5.4% and 8% of total numbers of mushrooms were distorted at the three highest nematode inoculum rates tested. Weights and numbers of distorted mushrooms were positively correlated with the initial nematode population. C. elegans commonly colonised sporophores.
Control of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita and reniform nematode, Rotylenchulus reniformis on pigeonpea and linseed

Abstract Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) and linseed (Linum usitatissimum) are susceptible to Meloidogyne incognita and Rotylenchulus reniformis nematodes. Reduction in different growth parameters (length and weight of plant, number of pods), bulk density of pigeonpea stem, oil content of linseed, chlorophyll content of leaf and water absorption of roots caused by M. incognita and R. reniformis were statistically significant. Similar effects were also observed in plants raised from seeds soaked in different concentrations of water soluble fractions (WSF) of rice polish and pyridoxine solutions, however, the reductions were of a comparatively lesser extent. Higher concentrations of the solutions were more effective when compared to lower ones and pyridoxine was more beneficial than WSF for improving plant growth and reducing disease incidence.
Notes on Length-Weight Relationship and Condition Factor of Fresh Water Fish, Labeo boga (Hamilton) (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae)

The length-weight relationship is very important for proper exploitation and management of the population of fish species. To obtain the relationship between total length and other body weight are also very much essential for stabilizing the taxonomic characters of the species. Among the freshwater fishes, length-weight relationship of different fishes has been done by many researchers, viz., Tilapia mosambica (Dhoa & Dewan, 1967), Puntius stigma (Islam & Hossain, 1991-92), Alia coila (Alam et al., 1994), Chanda nama and Chanda ranga (Iqbal et al., 199596), Botia lohachata (Mortuza & Mokarrama 2000), Rhinomugil corsula (Mortuza & Tawfeequa, 2006).
Bioactive Polyphenols from Healthy Diets and Forest Biomass

In addition to their nutritive value, foods provide health benefits or have a role in disease prevention since they contain a wide range of phytochemicals which represent functional or bioactive components. These bioactive molecules present in foods are based on a variety of chemical structures, from carotenoids, through sterols and fatty acids, to different types of polyphenols. In this review, the polyphenols which are common constituents of vascular plants are explored. They are also common constituents of fruits and vegetables, teas and cocoas. The extractable polyphenols, obtainable by solvent extraction of the forest biomass, are of special interest as they are readily available form different types of forest and wood transformation residues. Flavonoids, cinnamic acid derivatives and proanthocyanidins, which share a part of their biosynthetic pathway with lignins, and therefore are associated with “woody” character of the plants, are reviewed along with some non-flavonoids important as food constituents such as stilbenes and hydrolysable tannins. The foods rich in these polyphenols are reviewed along with the forest sources of the same classes of molecules. The emphasis is put on residues of wood transformation such as bark and knotwood as these materials represent particularly rich resources for bioactive polyphenol classes. One of the most notorious bioactive properties of polyphenols is their antioxidant activity. The most important results on antioxidant capacity of forest trees extracts are presented and compared to those obtained for the extracts from healthy foods rich in polyphenols. These results are discussed also in relation to total phenol content of the studied extracts. Finally, the results on the application of selected types of polyphenols or extracts from forest biomass in prevention and/or treatment of diseases which are related to oxidative stress, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer and cancer, are presented. It is clear from all discussed results, that the forest biomass in general and the residues of wood transformation in particular, represent the important natural resources of bioactive polyphenols. These residues have a real potential to be used as raw materials for the development of food supplements and/or functional foods which can enhance the animal and human health by disease prevention. They are also applicable for cosmetics and pharmaceutical products development, but their application in disease prevention remains more straightforward.
C:N:P stoichiometry of Artemisia species and close relatives across northern China: unravelling effects of climate, soil and taxonomy

Carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometries play critical roles in the function and structure of ecosystems by affecting important ecological processes. Yet, most studies to date have concentrated on foliar stoichiometry of phylogenetically distantly related species. Here, we hypothesized that (i) plant stoichiometry of closely related species still shows biogeographic patterns because of the geographic patterns of abiotic environment at the regional scale and (ii) even related species still differ strongly in their stoichiometry owing to inherent differences in the absorption and retention of different elements. To test the hypotheses, we analysed the C:N:P stoichiometry of 48 species of Artemisia and its close relatives from 65 sites across northern China. Elemental concentrations and stoichiometry had no correlation with latitude or longitude but showed clear altitudinal trends. Climate had a weak effect on plant elemental concentrations and stoichiometry but not on C concentration. Soil chemistry had significant effects on C and P concentrations, C:P and N:P. Nested models revealed that species identity accounted for more than 30% of the total variance of all elemental concentrations and stoichiometric ratios, and different species responded differently to environmental gradients. Synthesis. Our results highlight that even closely related species can vary importantly in plant elemental stoichiometry. This suggests that ecologists and global change researchers should be careful not to simply take a species’ stoichiometry as representative of an entire taxonomic group for upscaling of plant chemical responses to climatic and edaphic variation in our fast changing world.
Partial purification of a thermostable dextranase using Sephacryl S‐300 adsorption

Thermostable dextranase (1,6‐α‐d‐glucan 6‐glucanohydrolysase) from a thermophilic anaerobic bacterium strain Rt364, isolated from a New Zealand hot spring, was partially purified from the cell‐free supernatant fluid by adsorption onto Sephacryl S‐300, a dextran‐based chromatographic resin. It was competitively eluted with 2% T10 dextran, dialysed, concentrated and examined by SDS–PAGE. The overall recovery was 47% and the increase in specific activity by this procedure was 25‐fold. The Rt364 dextranase had previously been found to have an optimum temperature of 80 °C and hydrolysed both α‐1,6 and α‐1,4 glucosidic bonds. Sephacryl S‐300 adsorption is a simple, useful step with general application for concentrating and purifying bacterial enzymes that hydrolyse dextrans.
Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the ε-Globin Gene for Differentiating Primate Infraorders

Molecular methods are being used to enforce wildlife conservation laws by identifying the species or the geographic origin of an unknown sample. However, the promising use of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in this field is still widely unexplored. In the present work, we have developed a reliable and easy method based on single-base extension technology for the scoring of 3 SNPs in the Ε-globin gene that successfully identifies the primate infraorder a sample belongs to. Since primates are of high conservation concern and different infraorders are distributed in specific parts of the world, this method will serve for an initial potentially automated screening of the taxonomy and geographic origin of an unknown primate sample arriving at customs.
Genetic variation and differentiation of populations within the Quercus affinis Quercus laurina (Fagaceae) complex analyzed with RAPD markers

The population genetics of two hybridizing Mexican red oaks, Quercus affinis Schweid. and Quercus laurina Humb. & Bonpl. , was investigated with 54 randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers scored in 415 individuals from 16 populations representing the distribution area of the two species and a probable secondary hybrid zone. Genetic relationships among populations, depicted in a unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averaging (UPGMA) dendrogram, were largely incongruent with the morphological classification of populations as Q. affinis-like or Q. laurina-like that was obtained in previous studies. In contrast, the two main population clusters in the UPGMA dendrogram corresponded to the location of populations in two distinct geographical areas: southwestern and northeastern. A Mantel test confirmed a significant association between geographic and genetic distances among populations. Analyses of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that most genetic variation is contained within populations .
Analysis of Various Automated Structural Computing Methods Inpatient with Early Traumatic Brain Injury

Aim: To assess Surface Based Morphometry (SBM) and Voxel Based Morphometry (VBM), the automated computation methods to demonstrate volume and thickness changes in brain among early Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and their correlation with cognitive test scores. Methods: 22 mild to moderate TBI patients and 20 age, gender matched healthy individuals were recruited (mean ± SD, age range: 27.7 ± 6.5 years). MRI scans were acquired in the Siemens 3T Magnetom Skyra Scanner. TheT1-weighted magnetization preparation rapid acquisition gradient echo (MP-RAGE) sequence used for morphometric analysis provided excellent gray-white matter contrast. The structural data was processed using SBM and VBM methods with statistical significance of P<0.05 corrected for multiple comparisons. Results: both methods did not show any significant changes in brain measures after correcting for false discovery rate. However, on correlating neuropsychological score with structural changes, SBM demonstrated significant voxels survived in animal naming and Token Test after correcting for multiple comparisons. No significant change was found while using VBM. Conclusion: The study emphasizes the similarities in the results obtained after using different automatedmethods. Our findings suggest that SBM is more sensitive as compared to VBM in detecting structural changes correlated with Neuropsychological scores during early phase of TBI.
Community structure of mites (Arachnida: Acari) in six rubber tree clones

Host plant cultivar may determine the occurrence and abundance of both herbivorous arthropods and of other species that interact with them. We analysed the acarofauna in six rubber tree clones to identify the effect of plant cultivar on community organization of these arthropods. We analysed 10 plants of clones GT 1, PB 217, PB 235, PB 260, PR 255, and RRIM 600 every 14 days, on average, for one year. We recorded 352,426 mites from 43 species and 16 families. Phytophagous mites were the most abundant functional group, followed by mycophagous and predaceous mites. However, mite community structure varied between clones. Mite abundance peaked in clone PB 235, while it had the lowest level in PB 260. The highest estimated richness was found in clones GT 1 and PB 235. Clones PB 235, PR 255, and RRIM 600 were the most similar in mite species composition. Plant cultivars affected the abundance of phytophagous species, which in turn influenced the occurrence of competing species (i.e., less abundant phytophagous species) and predatory mites. Our results indicate that rubber tree cultivar strongly influences mite community organization.
Assessment of potato proteinase inhibitor-II gene as an antifungal and insecticidal agent

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the protection role of potato proteinase inhibitor-II gene against insect and fungal pathogens of cotton. The positive integration of pinII was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction and Southern analysis in transgenic tobacco plants. In insect bioassay, the transgenic lines were more resistant to cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) and caused insect mortality and severe growth inhibition. Expression against Rhizoctonia implicated a pivotal role of this gene in defence towards pathogens. Potato proteinase inhibitor-II had shown significant expression against insect as well as fungal pathogens and suggests the role of pinII in engineering insect/pathogen-resistant plants.
Deslorelin implants in free-ranging female eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus): mechanism of action and contraceptive efficacy

Abstract Context. Fertility control offers a non-lethal management technique for iconic yet overabundant wildlife. Slow-release hormonal implants containing deslorelin show promise for managing free-ranging populations, particularly in peri-urban reserves, but most studies have been limited to captivity. Aims. We investigated the efficacy and mechanism of deslorelin implants in free-ranging female eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) under realistic management conditions. Methods. We assigned females to a deslorelin (9.4 mg, n = 53) or placebo (n = 56) group at three peri-urban sites in Victoria, Australia, and monitored reproductive success for 3 years by observing young in the pouch. We tested the plasma LH response of control and treated females to exogenous GnRH, and compared the size of ovarian follicles between the two groups. Key results. Deslorelin implants reduced fertility at all three sites. No deslorelin-treated females bred in Year 1 at Anglesea and Serendip versus 42% and 44% of control females respectively. At Plenty Gorge, 60% of deslorelin-treated females bred in Year 1 versus 100% of control females. In Year 2, between 11% and 39% of the treated females bred versus between 82% and 100% of control females at all sites. The contraceptive efficacy reduced by Year 3 when between 43% and 57% of the treated females bred versus between 85% and 100% of controls. A GnRH challenge elicited higher plasma LH concentrations in control than in treated females, and unlike untreated females, treated females lacked ovarian follicles >2 mm. Conclusions. Deslorelin implants reduced fertility in free-ranging female eastern grey kangaroos over three successive breeding seasons. Chronic exposure to deslorelin desensitised the pituitary gland to GnRH and suppressed follicular development, but did not inhibit the development of a blastocyst, pregnancy or lactation in at least some females that had conceived before treatment. Implications. Effective population management using deslorelin implants will require females to be re-treated on multiple occasions because the contraceptive effect lasts only a portion of their reproductive life. This would be practical only at sites where kangaroos are relatively easy to capture. The timing of treatment is also important in a species that undergoes embryonic diapause, particularly at sites providing high-quality habitat.
Problems of stock definition in estimating relative contributions of Atlantic striped bass to the coastal fishery

Abstract Stock contribution studies of mixed-stock fisheries rely on the application of classification algorithms to samples of unknown origin. Although the performance of these algorithms can be assessed, there are no guidelines regarding decisions about including minor stocks, pooling stocks into regional groups, or sampling discrete substocks to adequately characterize a stock. We examined these questions for striped bass Morone saxatilis of the U.S. Atlantic coast by applying linear discriminant functions to meristic and morphometric data from fish collected from spawning areas. Some of our samples were from the Hudson and Roanoke rivers and four tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. We also collected fish of mixed-stock origin from the Atlantic Ocean near Montauk, New York. Inclusion of the minor stock from the Roanoke River in the classification algorithm decreased the correct-classification rate, whereas grouping of the Roanoke River and Chesapeake Bay stock into a regional (“southern”) group increase.
Short-Term Seasonal Changes in Composition and Abundance of Fish in Sagehen Creek, California

Abstract Direct underwater observation was used to quantify numbers and locations of eight species of fish in 100-m sections along a 1,200-m reach of Sagehen Creek, California, at biweekly intervals between 5 July and 22 September 1983. Most of the eight species exhibited significant short-term changes in abundance and reached peak abundance at different times. Total fish abundance was highest in mid-July; the Margalefindex ofdiversity was highest in mid-August. Lahontan redside Richardsonius egregius, Tahoe sucker Catostomus tahoensis, and mountain sucker C. platyrhynchus appeared to migrate from a downstream reservoir into the stream during the spawning season. In addition, fish were not distributed evenly in the study reach. All species tended to prefer pool habitat and pools were not uniformly distributed. Relative fish composition determined at long-term permanent sections by electrofishing was not significantly associated with most underwater counts made at different times or stations. This study il.