Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of a prescribed fire on herbage production in southwestern ponderosa pine on sedimentary soils

An area burned by prescription in 1977 and a nearby unburned area were measured in 1974 and 1980 to determine effects of the burn on herbage and forage production. Herbage production on the burned area increased significantly in 1980 over its 1974 level, in addition to being greater than the 1980 control production. However, the proportion of forage production to total herbage production in 1980 on the burned area decreased after the burn, and was significantly less than the control area forage production. This reduction in forage production can be attributed to the increase of nonforage species, notably bracken fern. Increases in total herbage production on both burned and unburned areas between 1974 and 1980 are attributed to a number of factors, including increased soil moisture availability during the 1980 growing season which had 50 percent more precipitation than the historical average. FOREST ScI. 30:22--25. ADDITIONAL KEy WORDS. Pinus ponderosa, forage production. FIRE SUPPRESSION in southwestern ponderosa pine has been blamed for a host of negative environmental impacts including decreased forage production, increased fuel loads, and increased severity and destructive potential of wildfires (Weaver 1974). In an attempt to alleviate the wildfire severity problem, land managers are using prescribed burning to reduce these heavy fuel loads. Little is known about the impact of prescribed fire on understory production in southwestern ponderosa pine. Ffolliott and others (1977) found a 13 fold increase (from 3.4 to Authors are former graduate student and Associate Professor, School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011. Oswald is now Instructor of Forest and Range Sciences, College of Ganado, Ganado, Arizona 86505. Support for this study was provided by funds from the Mclntire~ Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research Act. E. L. Fitzhugh provided access to the original data from his study of the same area and assistance during the preliminary stages of this study. Manuscript received 7 August 1981.
Soil Productivity after Decomposition of Waste Materials under Different Soil Moisture and Temperature

Abstract Productivity of the soil with waste material (WM), i.e., bagasse, coir dust, rice chaff and rice straw decomposed for two months at various temperatures and soil moisture were investigated by analyzing the chemical properties and growth of maize cultured on the soil for 45 days. The soil with decomposed WM (WM soil), tended to show lower pH values than the soil without WM soil (control) as a whole. The values of electric conductance were higher in WM soil, especially in the soil with decomposed rice chaff and rice straw referred to as rice-chaff and rice-straw soils, respectively. The total N content tended to be higher in the WM soil except for coir dust soil. The total C content tended to be higher in all WM soils. The difference in the content of total N and total C between WM and control soils was remarkable in bagasse soil. The change of the chemical properties of the soil did not apparently correlate with the rate of CO2 generation during incubation of WM soils, but pH, electric conductance, content of total N and total C contents were higher in the soils generating CO2 at a rate of 40 to 80 ppm min−1, in bagasse or rice straw soils. The dry matter production of maize on WM soils was positively correlated with the rate of CO2 generation. It was suggested that the WM soils generating little CO2, such as the soil with bagasse or rice straw decomposed in a dry condition, tended to inhibit maize growth owing to low pH and shortage of available nitrogen by rapid decomposition just after the start of maize growth. The wet WM soils generating CO2 format a rate of 40 to 80 ppm min−1, e.g., bagasse and rice straw soils might be favorable for dry matter production of maize.
Polymorphism in Exon 3 of Leptin Gene in Iranian Native Cattle Breeds

Abstract Aslaminejad, A.A. , Nassiry, M.R. , Farajollahi, H. , Mahdavi, M. , Abbasi, H. and Javadmanesh, A. 2010. Polymorphism in exon-3 of leptin gene in iranian native cattle breeds. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 37: 225–228. This study describes genetic variability of the leptin gene in four Iranian native cattle breeds. A 317 bp fragment of exon 3 of the leptin gene from 332 individuals in four different populations of Iranian cows including Golpayegani (N=92), Najdi (N=54), Sarabi (N=82) and Sistani (N=104) was amplified and PCR products digested with Nrul restriction enzyme. Allele C in Golpayegani, Najdi, Sarabi and Sistani breeds were 75, 78, 59 and 52 per cent, respectively. Observed heterozygosities were 0.29, 0.37, 0.68 and 0.92 for Golpayegani, Najdi, Sarabi and Sistani cattle, respectively. This study suggests that allele frequencies of leptin differed among Iranian cattle breeds.
Association of citrus psorosis B symptoms with a sequence variant of the Citrus psorosis virus RNA 2

Citrus psorosis virus (CPsV), the type species of genus Ophiovirus, is the presumed causal agent of a bark scaling disease in citrus plants. CPsV virions are kinked filaments composed of three negative-strand RNA molecules and a ∼48-kDa coat protein. The virus induces two different syndromes: psorosis A (PsA), characterized by limited bark scaling lesions in the trunk and main limbs, and a more aggressive form of the disease called psorosis B (PsB) with rampant bark lesions affecting even thin branches and chlorotic blotches in old leaves. In the greenhouse, the PsA and PsB syndromes can be induced by graft inoculating healthy citrus seedlings with non-lesion or with lesion bark inoculum from PsA-affected field trees. PsA- and PsB-inducing CPsV sub-isolates obtained by this procedure from the same tree showed identical single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) profiles in homologous segments of the RNAs 1 and 3, whereas segments of the RNA 2 enabled discrimination between PsA- and PsB-associated sequence variants. SSCP analysis of the RNA 2 population present in different tissues of psorosis-infected plants showed that: (i) PsA-inducing isolates contain PsB-associated sequence variants at low frequency, (ii) the PsB-associated sequence variant is predominant in blistered twigs and gummy pustules affecting old leaves, characteristic of PsB isolates, and (iii) the PsB-associated sequence variant accumulates preferentially in bark lesions of the trunk and limbs. SSCP analysis of the RNA 2 population also enabled monitoring of interference between PsA- and PsB-associated variants in plants co-inoculated with both psorosis types.
The molecular biology of self-incompatibility in Brassica

Self- incompatibility in Brassica is controlled by a single "S"-locus. Different self- incompatible genotypes of Brassica are correlated with the occurrence of S-locus-specific glycoproteins (SLSGs), cDNA sequences for certain of which have been determined. In this thesis two cDNAs are presented, derived from a single homozygous line of Brassica oleracea, which are both partially homologous to known SLSG genes. One of these S-like sequences is possibly a novel form of the SLSG gene (corresponding to the S allele), whilst the other appears5invarient between Brassica lines containing different S-alleles (by comparison with published sequence date). The organisation of genomic sequences homologous to both classes of S-like cDNAs was investigated by Southern blotting using genomic DNA extracts from Brassica lines containing a range of S-alleles. The expression of genes homologous to the two cDNAs has been investigated by Northern hybridization and found to be specific to stigma tissue; no transcripts of S-like sequences are detectable in anther tissue over the developmental period during which expression of male S-gene sequences might be expected. The existence of S-like sequences, homologous to those from Brassica oleracea, has been investigated by Southern hybridization using genomic DNA extracts from a range of Brassica species and other related species. Inferences are drawn from this as to the timing of the gene duplication event which led to multiple S-like sequences, in relation to the timing of the evolutionary divergence of related taxa. The divergence of S-like sequences between different lines of B. oleracea has been analysed by comparison of DNA sequence data presented in this thesis with published sequence data. The relative rates of evolution of two domains within S-like gene sequences was estimated. A further three unrelated classes of tissue - specifically expressed sequences have been selected from a Brassica stigma cDNA library. One of these encodes a glycine-rich cell wall protein; another represents an unidentified gene showing stigma specific expression; the third represents an unidentified gene showing expression in stigma, style and anther tissue, though not in leaf tissue. cDNA sequence data, genomic Southern hybridizations and Northern hybridizations are presented for all three of these classes of cDNAs.
The Effect of Heating Temperature on the Prooxidant and Hydroperoxide Decomposition Activity of Myoglobin

Solutions of myoglobin from the heart of a horse were heated at various temperatures to assess the effect of heating temperature on the prooxidant and hydroperoxide decomposition activity of myoglobin. The solutions of the heated myoglobin were incubated with linoleic acid in various systems and the prooxidant activity was evaluated by measuring the absorbance at 234 nm and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) value. H 2 O 2 was added to the reaction mixture to activate the myoglobin. To observe the lipid hydroperoxide decomposition activity of the heated myoglobin, the heat-denatured myoglobin was incubated with oxidized linoleic acid and the residual hydroperoxides were assessed ﬂuoro-metrically. Both the absorbance at 234 nm and TBA values gave similar results and the incubation of heated myoglobin with linoleic acid resulted in a rather weak prooxidant activity regardless of the heating temperature. The supplementation of H 2 O 2 activated myoglobin, whose activity was greatest when heated at 74˚C, decreased when heated at 100˚C. As a model of pre-cooked frozen foods, a part of the heated myoglobin solution was frozen and reheated. The prooxidant activity of the reheated myoglobin was similar and greatest by heating at 74˚C, but when heated at 100˚C it was less prominent than that of the control (unheated). The lipid hydroperoxide-decomposition activity of the heat-denatured myoglobin (heated or reheated under the same conditions) showed a slight alteration up to 74˚C, however, heating at 100˚C signiﬁcantly lowered this activity.
Mercury Bioaccumulation in Wood Frogs Developing in Seasonal Pools

Abstract Seasonal woodland pools contribute significant biomass to terrestrial ecosystems through production of pool-breeding amphibians. The movement of amphibian metamorphs potentially transports toxins bioaccumulated during larval development in the natal pool into the surrounding terrestrial environment. We documented total mercury (THg) in seasonal woodland pool water, sediment, litter, and Lithobates sylvaticus LeConte (Wood Frog) in Acadia National Park, ME. THg concentrations in pool water varied over the study season, increasing during April—June and remaining high in 2 of 4 pools upon October refill. Water in pools surrounded by softwoods had lower pH, greater dissolved organic carbon, and greater THg concentrations than pools surrounded by hardwoods, with seasonal patterns in sediment THg but not litter THg. THg increased rapidly from near or below detection in 1–2 week old embryos (<0.2 ng; 0–0.49 ppb wet weight) to 17.1–54.2 ppb in tadpoles within 6 weeks; 7.2–42.0% of THg was methyl Hg in tadpoles near metamorphosis. Metamorphs emigrating from seasonal pools may transfer mercury into terrestrial food webs.
Detection of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus from old discs of dead Pinus armandii var. amamiana trees using a new detection kit

Summary We examined the effectiveness of a new Bursaphelenchus xylophilus detection kit, based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), in old discs taken from the stem base of B. xylophilus-infested dead trees of Pinus armandii var. amamiana (PAAm) occurring in their natural habitats. LAMP products, representing a past B. xylophilus infection, were detected in two consecutive trials from 16 of 20 discs collected from PAAm trees that died between 2003 and 2006. Bursaphelenchus xylophilus were more frequently detected using LAMP in wood samples taken from sapwood than from heartwood. No significant differences in the detection of B. xylophilus using LAMP were observed in relation to the disc collection time (from 3 to 6 years before the analysis). Bursaphelenchus xylophilus were not detected using LAMP in four discs, although a B. xylophilus infection had been confirmed for the original PAAm trees at the time they were found dead. This may have resulted from the small amount of wood chips needed for the LAMP test or the reduced number and uneven distribution of the nematode in the old dead trees. The results indicate that the new B. xylophilus detection kit will be a very efficient tool for conducting retrospective analysis of PAAm mortality factors.
Detection of mutation in gyrA and parC gene on resistant Salmonella enterica serovars. isolated from two hospitals in south east Nigeria.

Aim: To detect the resistant pattern and existence of the genes responsible for floroquinolone-resistant in the quinolone-resistant determining regions (QRDR’s) of S. enterica serovars.Typhi. Study Design: The Stool samples from Patients with symptoms of enteric fever, from different units and wards from two hospitals in Southeast region of Nigeria, were used for the surveillance. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in the Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Nigerian Institute for Medical Research, Lagos, between July and Research Article British Microbiology Research Journal, 2(4): 264-276, 2012 265 December, 2011. Methodology: 50 isolates of Salmonella enterica serovar.Typhi were screened for the antibiotics susceptibility pattern, using multidisc agar diffusion and E-test. Double disc synergy Test (DDST) reported the presence of ESBL’s strains. The DNA amplification was performed by PCR using HOT FIREPol ® DNA polymerase with 25mMMgcl2. DNA – sequencing of the (QRDR’S) of gyrA (n= 32) and parC (n=3), was performed using sanger sequencing ABI 3730 x l, Applied Biosystems. Results: A total of 39(78%) of the S. enterica produced β-lactamase. ESBL’s positive strains were 17(34%) and 46(92%) isolates were Multi-Drug Resistant S. typhi (MDRST). Sequencing of the mutations in gyrA gene of the (QRDR’s) was at Asp-87Gly and Asp87Asn or at Ser-83Tyr, while mutations in parC 3(6%), were at Asp-87Gly. Conclusion: Chromosomal encoded ESBL’s and mutations were found to be responsible for the MDRST. Ceftriazone and levofloxacine were found to be significant alternatives in treating S. enterica serovar.Typhi. This is the first report of mutation in both gyrA and parC genes in S. enterica serovar.Typhi in Southeast Nigeria.
Biomass and seed yields of big bluestem, switchgrass, and intermediate wheatgrass in response to manure and harvest timing at two topographic positions

A principle attribute of perennial grasses for biomass energy is the potential for high yields on marginal lands. Objectives of this study were to compare biomass and seed production of intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium [Host] Barkworth and D.R. Dewey), big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman), and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) as affected by harvest timing and manure application on two topographic positions (footslope and backslope). Footslope is the hillslope position that forms the inclined surface at the base of a slope and backslope forms the steepest, middle position of the hillslope. Grasses were harvested for biomass at anthesis (summer), after a killing frost (autumn), or the following spring after overwintering in the field. Seed was harvested at maturity during 2003 and 2004. Two rates of beef cattle (Bos taurus L.) manure (target rates of 0 and 150 kg total‐N ha−1) were surface applied annually. Maximum annual biomass yield ranged from 4.4 to 5.2, 2.7 to 4.2, and 3.7 to 5.6 Mg ha−1 for intermediate wheatgrass, big bluestem, and switchgrass, respectively. Biomass yields were not different between fall and spring harvest treatments. Biomass yields of big bluestem and switchgrass at the backslope position were 86% and 96% of biomass yields at the footslope position with normal precipitation, respectively. Manure application increased biomass yield approximately 30% during the second year on both topographic positions. The highest seed yield was obtained from intermediate wheatgrass, followed by switchgrass and big bluestem. Utilizing these management practices in our environment, it appears that switchgrass and big bluestem could be allowed to overwinter in the field without suffering appreciable loss of biomass.
Stable Isotopes and Multi-element Forensics for Tracing the Provenance of Ethiopian Specialty Coffees

Natural diversity in Ethiopian specialty coffees may represent an important opportunity to add value to the economic and social development of the country as well as to the advancement of coffee science. Thus, traceability of geographic origin is primordial. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine stable isotopes and multi-elements fingerprinting of green coffee beans in relation to geographical origins. Green coffee beans obtained from 3 replicated sites per farm in 24 woredas in south-western (SW), west (W), southern (S), north-western (NW) and eastern (E) Ethiopia by hand picking at peak ripening during the 2010-2011 growing season following a multistage purposive random sampling method in a nested design were analysed for %N, 15N, %C and 13C, and 18O with EA-IRMS; strontium (87Sr/86Sr) with MC-ICP-MS and 11B with SF-ICP-MS. The results revealed that most stable isotopes were significantly (P < 0.05) different across locations. The study further revealed that the concentration of isotopes and multi-elements contributed for canonical discriminating ability of coffee growing regions where the five coffee belts were well grouped. In conclusion, this study revealed that the geographic provenance of specialty coffees produced in Ethiopia could be traced through multi-isotope and multi-element fingerprinting of green coffee beans. Therefore, deliberate or accidental adulteration of lower quality coffees with best quality coffees could be monitored using this method.
NF-κB and Oct-2 Synergize to Activate the Human 3′ Igh hs4 Enhancer in B Cells1

In B cells, the Igh gene locus contains several DNase I-hypersensitive (hs) sites with enhancer activity. These include the 3′ Igh enhancers, which are located downstream of the Cα gene(s) in both mouse and human. In vivo experiments have implicated murine 3′ enhancers, hs3B and/or hs4, in class switching and somatic hypermutation. We previously reported that murine hs4 was regulated by NF-κB, octamer binding proteins, and Pax5 (B cell-specific activator protein). In this study we report that human hs4 is regulated differently. EMSAs and Western analysis of normal B cells before and after stimulation with anti-IgM plus anti-CD40 showed the same complex binding pattern formed by NF-κB, Oct-1, and Oct-2 (but not by Pax5). A similar EMSA pattern was detected in mature human B cell lines (BL-2, Ramos, and HS-Sultan) and in diffuse large B cell lymphoma cell lines, although yin yang 1 protein (YY1) binding was also observed. We have confirmed the in vivo association of these transcription factors with hs4 in B cells by chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. The diffuse large B cell lymphoma cell lines had a distinctive slow-migrating complex containing YY1 associated with Rel-B. We have confirmed by endogenous coimmunoprecipitation an association of YY1 with Rel-B, but not with other NF-κΒ family members. Transient transfection assays showed robust hs4 enhancer activity in the mature B cell lines, which was dependent on synergistic interactions between NF-κB and octamer binding proteins. In addition, human hs4 enhancer activity required Oct-2 and correlated with expression of Oct coactivator from B cells (OCA-B).
Genetic structure of the rare and endangered Hieracium wiesbaurianum group (Asteraceae) in Bavaria

The rare and endangered Hieracium wiesbaurianum species group shows a scattered relictual distribution in Bavaria. Recently, a couple of populations were discovered which clearly differ from all other populations. If these must be considered as taxonomically independent units, they would be of crucial conservation interest, because of the sole responsibility that Bavaria has for these worldwide endemics. We therefore analysed the genetic structure of H. wiesbaurianum in a comparative approach. Our analysis comprised 37 populations of 13 taxa of H. wiesbaurianum, H. bifidum and H. laevigatum, including three potentially new taxa. We applied amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis and observed only limited genetic variation within populations and taxa. Nevertheless, each studied individual exhibited a unique genotype. An analysis of molecular variance revealed high levels of genetic variation between taxa, but populations were genetically less different. The clear genetic differentiation between the studied taxa was supported by neighbor-joining cluster analyses and principal coordinate analyses in which every individual was clearly assigned to its respective taxon. The three potentially new taxa were genetically as well differentiated as the other taxa included in our study. This supports the assumption that they should be treated as taxonomically independent units of high conservation interest. Therefore, the genetic analysis confirmed the morphologically based classification of the studied Hieracium taxa. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2015, 177, 112–123.
Caracterización de dominios funcionales del antiportador KEA1 de Arabidopsis thaliana en levadura

Un cADN de Arabidopsis thaliana fue clonado y caracterizado funcionalmente utilizando a Saccharomyces cerevisiae como sistema de expresion heterologo. El cADN codifica una proteina de membrana de 618 aminoacidos que mostro una significativa homologia a los transportadores de K+ KEFC y KEFB de Escherichia coli y fue denominado cADN AtKEA1. El cADN AtKEA1 suprimio el fenotipo de sensibilidad a higromicina en la mutante de levadura afectada en el gen NHX1 y aumento la tolerancia a Na+ en la mutante de levadura AXT3 que carece de varios transportadores de Na+. La microscopia de fluorescencia de la proteina codificada por el cADN AtKEA1 etiquetada con la proteina verde fluorescente mostro que esta proteina se localiza preferentemente en el reticulo endoplasmatico perinuclear de celulas de levadura. Estos resultados indican que el cADN AtKEA1 codifica a un potencial antiportador que podria tener un papel en la tolerancia a salinidad en plantas.