Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influência do tráfego de veículos comerciais em rodovias vicinais não pavimentadas: estudo de caso aplicado à VCS 346, Viçosa, MG

This paper approaches the influence of the variation of load per axle and tire pressure on the recoverable superficial deflections in a pavement structure of the VCS 346 unpaved road taken as representative of the secondary road net of Vicosa-MG, Brazil. The program of study considered the following analysis: (i) traffic volume counting including 2C type commercial vehicles; (ii) predicted recoverable superficial deflections in function of the available data from the study; (iii) structure of the pavement including data from the materials of its layers. By the analyses, it was verified that the application of more critical loading levels affected significantly the pavement serviceable life and depending on the combination of axle load and tire pressure, road pavement serviceable life could be reduced by 89%. In this study, it was also investigated the application of two methods to measure sub-grade reinforcement layer thickness of unpaved roads. One of these two methods was empirical, the DNITs Flexible Pavement Design criteria and the other was based on elastic theory applied to a two layer system. The use of the elastic theory was more adequate to measure unpaved roads improved with wearing courses (two layer system) proved to be the best procedure for designing unpaved road systems.
A Comparative Assessment of Genetic Diversity among Differently‐Aged Populations of Spartina alternif lora on Restored Versus Natural Wetlands

We collected naturally recolonizing Spartina alterniflora (smooth cord grass) from each of three restored sites and one undisturbed reference site in southwestern Louisiana to assess the impact of wetland restoration on genetic diversity. We used amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) to produce 94 polymorphic genetic markers, which were used to characterize genetic diversity as average heterozygosity and the proportion of polymorphic loci . Overall our findings indicate that restored populations of S. alterniflora maintain levels of genetic diversity comparable to natural populations, which should provide some measure of resistance against environmental disturbances. Diversity estimates were lowest for the natural reference site ( = 0.1059; = 0.2763), whereas estimates for the three restored sites ranged from = 0.1148 to 0.1256 and = 0.3114 to 0.3202. All sites maintained sufficiently high diversity levels to suggest significant rates of outcrossing. Overall, genetic differentiation among populations was small (Weir and Cockerham's Θ = 0.0645), with the values from each pairwise comparison among the populations increasing with the geographic distance between sites (range = 0.0490–0.1101). These values indicate an average migration rate of 3.6 migrants, either pollen or seeds, per generation.
A ‘fast-food approach’ to the standardization of quadratic diversity

Abstract Intuitively, a community composed of ecologically dissimilar taxa is more diverse than a community composed of more similar taxa. However, since traditional diversity indices such as Shannon's entropy or Simpson's diversity are computed solely from the relative abundances of a given species assemblage, they cannot account for ecological differences between species. There have been recent developments regarding the use of quadratic entropy, a diversity index that incorporates both species relative abundances and a measure of the pairwise ecological differences between species. In this paper we firstly show that under some specific circumstances quadratic entropy can be additively decomposed into α- β- and γ-diversities, a property that renders it a desirable measure of diversity in the ecological practice. Next, we suggest a quick and simple method for obtaining a standardized version of quadratic entropy that may allow an easier interpretation of the resulting diversity values.
Aclimatização de orquídea (Cymbidium sp.) em resposta à aplicação de ácidos húmicos

The acclimatization of in vitro propagated orchid is a slow process that can be benefited from the use of bio-stimulants, such as humic substances. This study investigated the growth of Cymbidium sp. in response to application of humic acids extracted from organic compounds poultry litter (AHcf) and manure (AHeb) during the acclimatization period. The plants were immersed in solutions of 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40mmol L-1 of C from AHcf and AHeb and acclimatized in a greenhouse. After 150 days, the plants were collected for measurement of variables: number of leaves, plant height, stem diameter, root and shoot fresh weight, root, shoot and total dry matter and root shoot ratio. Data were submitted to analysis of variance, regression analysis and contrast. The results showed increased accumulation of total dry matter of the plants with the application of concentration of 18.75mmol L-1 of C AHcf and 3.77mmol L-1 of C AHeb with increments in the control 21 and 28%, respectively. It is concluded that the use of humic acids at the indicated doses accelerates the growth of plantlets propagated in vitro of Cymbidium sp. favoring the reduction of time required for acclimatization.
Suppression of Colorado potato beetle infestation by pheromone‐mediated augmentation of the predatory spined soldier bug, Podisus maculiventris (Say) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)

1 Hardware and protocols were tested to enable individual growers and insectary operators to mass‐produce predatory spined soldier bugs (SSBs), Podisus maculiventris (Say) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Asopinae), for augmentative biological control. Using pheromone‐based technology, an average of 1775 female SSBs (potentially as many as 1.6 million offspring) were captured each year during 2–3 weeks in early spring.
APPLICATION OF ULTRATHIN CRYO-SECTIONS TO ENZYME HISTOCHEMISTRY

The ultrathin cryo-section has several advantages in the detection of enzyme activities at the light and electron microscopic levels, as it permits quick freeze fixation, and affords better penetration of the reaction medium. To establish a reliable technique for enzyme histochemistry, good visualization of ultrastructure and good retention of enzyme activities are necessary. The authors applied a covered negative staining with silicotungstate to visualize fine morphology on the ultrathin cryo-sections which demonstrated enzyme activity, after treatment with yellow ammonium sulfide. This technique makes it possible to demonstrate different enzyme activities on the same organelle by means of serial sections.In decalcified bone tissues, alkaline phosphatase activity is detectable on ultrathin cryo-sections but not on 40μm sections without the magnesium reactivation procedure required for the usual enzyme histochemistry.
A population genetic study on the relationship between medaka fish and the spread of wet-rice cultivation across the Japanese archipelago

It has been generally thought that a tiny freshwater fish, medaka (Oryzias latipes), has expanded its habitat into the Japanese archipelago as wet-rice cultivation spread across the region, and hence the distribution of medaka should be a matter of anthropological interest. However, there has been no study to verify this popular belief. To address the issue, we sampled wild medaka, and undertook genetic analyses of its populations. We collected 976 individual medaka from 13 local wild sites, which included 11 paddy-field irrigation channels and two ponds. The gene tree constructed based on nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial genome D-loop region showed no discrepancy in the topology, which is presumed to reflect the northern Kyushu origin of the southern Japanese medaka. Population genetic statistics indicated that the medaka populations in west Japan have greater genetic diversity (heterozygosity) than those in east Japan, supporting the hypothesis that the medaka originate from northern Kyushu. Hence, we argue that the current medaka distribution can be attributed to their past migration event(s) following the expansion of paddy fields from northern Kyushu to the eastern part of the Japanese archipelago.
Characterization of Phenylpropene O-Methyltransferases from Sweet Basil Article, publication date, and citation information can be found at www.plantcell.org/cgi/doi/10.1105/tpc.010327.

Some basil varieties are able to convert the phenylpropenes chavicol and eugenol to methylchavicol and methyleugenol, respectively. Chavicol O-methyltransferase (CVOMT) and eugenol O-methyltransferase (EOMT) cDNAs were isolated from the sweet basil variety EMX-1 using a biochemical genomics approach. These cDNAs encode proteins that are 90% identical to each other and very similar to several isoflavone O-methyltransferases such as IOMT, which catalyzes the 4′-O-methylation of 2,7,4′-trihydroxyisoflavanone. On the other hand, CVOMT1 and EOMT1 are related only distantly to (iso)eugenol OMT from Clarkia breweri, indicating that the eugenol O-methylating enzymes in basil and C. breweri evolved independently. Transcripts for CVOMT1 and EOMT1 were highly expressed in the peltate glandular trichomes on the surface of the young basil leaves. The CVOMT1 and EOMT1 cDNAs were expressed in Escherichia coli, and active proteins were produced. CVOMT1 catalyzed the O-methylation of chavicol, and EOMT1 also catalyzed the O-methylation of chavicol with equal efficiency to that of CVOMT1, but it was much more efficient in O-methylating eugenol. Molecular modeling, based on the crystal structure of IOMT, suggested that a single amino acid difference was responsible for the difference in substrate discrimination between CVOMT1 and EOMT1. This prediction was confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis, in which the appropriate mutants of CVOMT1 (F260S) and EOMT1 (S261F) were produced that exhibited the opposite substrate preference relative to the respective native enzyme.
Disturbance and reef topography maintain high local diversity in Ecklonia radiata kelp forests

Disturbance of competitive-dominant plant and algae canopies often lead to increased diversity of the assemblage. Kelp forests, particularly those of temperate Western Australia, are habitats with high alpha diversity. This study investigated the roles of broad-scale canopy loss and local scale reef topography on structuring the kelp-dominated macroalgal forests in Western Australia. Eighteen 314 m 2 circular areas were cleared of their Ecklonia radiata canopy and eighteen controls were established across three locations. The patterns of macroalgal recolonisation in replicate clearances were observed over a 34 month period. Macroalgal species richness initially increased after canopy removal with a turf of filamentous and foliose macroalgae dominating cleared areas for up to seven months. A dense Sargassum canopy dominated cleared areas from 11 to 22 months. By 34 months, partial recovery of the kelp canopy into cleared areas had occurred. Some cleared areas did not follow this trajectory but remained dominated by turfing, foliose and filamentous algae. As kelp canopies developed, the initial high species diversity declined but still remained elevated relative to undisturbed controls, even after 34 months. More complex reef topography was associated with greater variability in the algal assemblage between replicate quadrats suggesting colonising algae had a greater choice of microhabitats available to them on topographically complex reefs. Shading by canopies of either Sargassum spp. and E. radiata are proposed to highly influence the abundance of algae through competitive exclusion that is relaxed by disturbance of the canopy. Disturbance of the canopy in E. radiata kelp forests created a mosaic of different patch types (turf, Sargassum-dominated, kelp-dominated). These patch types were both transient and stable over the 34 months of this study, and are a potential contemporary process that maintains high species diversity in temperate kelp-dominated reefs.
Population structure of Heterobasidion annosum as determined by somatic incompatibility, sexual incompatibility, and isoenzyme patterns

Pure cultures of Heterobasidion annosum were isolated from diseased trees in a 120-year-old Norway spruce stand. Clones of the fungus were identified by three different methods: studies of somatic incompatibility, identification of mating factors, and comparative studies of isoenzyme patterns. All of these methods yielded similar results. The study of somatic incompatibility was found to be the easiest and most reliable method for future investigations of population structures of Heterobasidion annosum. Nine clones were identified within a 60 × 60 m area. The number of trees infected by one clone varied from 1 to 13. The largest area occupied by one single clone was 30 m in diameter. Altogether, 10 different mating alleles were found, of which 2 occurred in four different clones and 2 occurred in two different clones. The vegetative spread of H. annosum between trees within the area occupied by a particular clone was confirmed by excavating root systems.
Cooperative Role for Activated α4β1 Integrin and Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans in Cell Adhesion to the Heparin III Domain of Fibronectin

We recently reported that the heparin (Hep) III domain of fibronectin contains the H2 cell adhesion site in repeat III5 which binds activated α4 integrins. We have now further characterized the heparin and cell binding activities of this domain. A recombinant fragment containing repeats III4-III5 (FN-III4–5) induced Jurkat cell adhesion upon integrin activation with Mn2+ or TS2/16 monoclonal antibody (anti-β1). Adhesion of Mn2+-treated cells to FN-III4–5 or FN-III5 fragments was inhibited by chondroitinase ABC and ACII but not by the anti-α4 monoclonal antibody HP2/1. In contrast, HP2/1 completely blocked adhesion of TS2/16-treated cells while chondroitinase had a partial (FN-III4–5) or minor (FN-III5) effect. Thus, the role of each receptor depended on the stimulus used to activate α4β1. The combination of HP2/1 and chondroitinase at dilutions which did not inhibit when used individually abolished adhesion of Mn2+ or TS2/16-treated cells to both fragments, indicating a cooperative effect between α4β1 and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPG). Furthermore, we have identified a 20-amino acid sequence in III5 (HBP/III5) which binds heparin and induces cell adhesion via CSPG exclusively. Although soluble HBP/III5 was a poor inhibitor, when combined with H2, it abolished adhesion to FN-III4–5 and FN-III5 fragments. These results establish that adhesion to the Hep III domain involves the cooperation of activated α4β1 and CSPG and show that HBP/III5 is a novel heparin and CSPG-binding site contributing to cell adhesion to this domain.
Species Number and Compositional Similarity of the Galapagos Flora and Avifauna

The flora and avifauna of the Galapagos Islands are used to reexamine quantitative analyses of species numbers and compositional similarities. Conflicts in the results of previous analyses of the Galapagos flora are reconciled and are shown to be the result of using different species numbers and physiographic parameter measurements. The idea that Galapagos plant species numbers largely reflect conditions in the archipelago during the Pleistocene glaciations (i.e., that relaxation times are very long) is criticized, and the more parsimonious alternative, that they reflect recent conditions, is proposed. Generalizations about factors determining species numbers that are based on multiple regression and correlation are precarious. The number of botanical collecting trips to each of the Galapagos Islands is a better predictor of species numbers than are area, elevation, or isolation. Two null hypotheses concerning the determination of floral and avifaunal compositional similarities among the Galapagos Islands.
Dementia after stroke: Baseline frequency, risks, and clinical features in a hospitalized cohort

Article abstract-We determined the frequency of dementia in a cohort of 251 patients aged 260 years hospitalized with acute ischemic stroke, based on examinations performed 3 months after stroke onset. Using modified DSM-111-R criteria, we found dementia in 66 patients (26.3%). Diagnostic agreement among raters was excellent (kappa = 0.96). In a control sample of 249 stroke-free subjects recruited from the community and matched by age, we found dementia in eight subjects (3.2%). Using a logistic regression model to estimate the risk of dementia associated with stroke in the combined samples, the odds ratio (OR) for stroke patients compared with control subjects was 9.4 ( p < 0.001). Advancing age and fewer years of education were significant, independent correlates of dementia, with a trend evident for race (non-white versus white). Confining the analysis to subjects residing in the Washington Heights-Inwood community of northern Manhattan, the OR was 10.3 (p < 0.001) with significant age and race effects. We conclude that ischemic stroke significantly increases the risk of dementia, with independent contributions by age, education, and race.
The Nature of Growth Forms in the Salt Marsh Grass Spartina alterniflora

Increases in nutrient supply convert swards of the short form of Spartina alterniflora into plants tending to resemble the tall form, in biomass/m2 and in general morphology. Competition for light is probably responsible for the vertically elongate, widely dispersed growth habit of tall form. Provision of added nutrients led to larger δ13C values, probably by the incorporation of heavier carbon from the internal air spaces of S. alterniflora during high tide, when exchange of gases with the atmosphere is prevented. The amount of interstitial water replenished at each tide is greater in areas supporting tall-form vegetation than where short form grows. There are also greater densities of mussels near creek banks, and their feeding and defecation lead to larger accumulations of particulate matter and nutrients where tall form is found. The amount of nitrogen delivered by algal nitrogen fixation does not differ greatly under the two forms. Seedling establishment usually produces tall-form plants, and a higher percentage of tall-form plants than short form produce seed. However, since electrophoretic results show no genetic differences, the form of seedlings is probably principally the result of lack of competition for nutrients and is modified by other factors. The probable sequence of events is for seedlings to become established at the edge of the banks and to grow into tall plants. If sedimentation leads to elevated marsh surfaces, as it usually does, competition by the extant plants reproducing vegetatively eventually results in short plants. This succession may be reversed by an increase in nutrient supply. This pattern over time and space is probably found in a variety of other aquatic plants.
Relative contributions from exposed inshore and estuarine nursery grounds to the recruitment of stone flounder, Platichthys bicoloratus, estimated using otolith Sr:Ca ratios

In Sendai Bay, stone flounder larvae settle and spend their juvenile period in either shallow exposed inshore nursery grounds or estuarine nursery grounds. The purpose of this study is to examine the relative contributions of these two kinds of nursery grounds to the flounder population using otolith strontium:calcium ratios. Stone flounder juveniles were collected from both nursery grounds, and one- and two-year-old flounder were caught deeper in Sendai Bay. Sr and Ca content in the otoliths were measured by electron probe micro analysis. The Sr:Ca ratios in the otolith section corresponding to the early postsettlement period ranged from 3.06 to 3.85 for the exposed inshore areas with stable low temperature and high salinity conditions, and from 3.81 to 5.32 in brackish estuaries with high temperature and low salinity conditions but with large diel and tidal cyclical fluctuations. Values from an estuarine site with stable salinity ranged from 3.58 to 4.15 overlapping with both the above ranges. Rearing experiments supported our inference that the high otolith Sr:Ca ratios of juveniles inhabiting estuarine nursery grounds are attributable to higher temperature and physiological stress caused by the large diel temperature and salinity fluctuations within the estuaries. Estimation of the Sr:Ca ratio of recruited fish using the otolith section formed while in the nursery area showed that at least 20 out of 42 individuals examined originated from estuarine nursery grounds. The present study indicates that estuaries play an important role as nursery grounds for stone flounder, producing about half of the stock in spite of the small and restricted area compared with the wide expanse of the exposed inshore area.
Diets and long-term changes in δ15N and δ13C values in northern fulmars Fulmarus glacialis from two northeast Atlantic colonies

Stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (15N/14N) and carbon (I3C/l2C) were determined in feather samples from northern fulmars Fulmarus glacialis sampled at around the turn of the century and in 1993 from 2 northeast Atlantic colonies. At both locabons 6I5N values decllned over time indicating a shlft in fulnlars to a lower trophc status. Similarly, 613C signatures declined over tlme. These findings are consistent with a change in diet from prey of relatively high trophic status, posslbly involving the utilisation of offal from whaling activities around the turn of this century, to contemporary prey of lower trophic status. Contemporary dietary information from fulmars at both sites accords with feather isotopic signatures. Two prey species recorded in the diet of fulmars from St Kilda can be considered mesopelagic and have not been noted in seabird diets previously. This is the first study to show that stable isotopes in feathers can be used to determine long-term changes in bird diet.
Analysis of Nutritional and Functional Properties of Dry Guava

Overproduction of guava (Psidium guajava L.) causes postharvest losses and it has negative impacts on the environment and the economy. Drying is a method that allows to prolong the lifetime of the product and facilitates the transport and storage of it; but, it can also cause changes in the physicochemical and functional properties of some of its components. We studied the drying kinetics under forced convection with hot air at 30 °C, 40 °C, 50 °C, 60 °C, and 70 °C, with a constant air speed of 3 m/s. The vitamin C content was evaluated by the method of the 2-nitroaniline; and the sugar content by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). We also studied the technical and functional properties of the dietary fiber. The tests were performed bytriplicate and the Tukey test was applied to the results. The drying time decreases with increasing temperature. The highest content of vitamin C and saccharose was presented at 40 °C. The highest content of glucose and fructose, and the best properties of the dietary fiber were obtained at 70 °C.