Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Growth, Net Production, Litter Decomposition, and Net Nitrogen Accumulation by Epiphytic Bryophytes in a Tropical Montane Forest 1

To understand the ecological roles of epiphytic bryophytes in the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles of a tropical montane forest, we used samples in enclosures to estimate rates of growth, net production, and N accumulation by shoots in the canopy, and litterbags, to estimate rates of decomposition and N dynamics of epiphytic bryophyte litter in the canopy and on the forest floor in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Growth of epiphytic bryophytes was estimated at 30.0–49.9 percent/yr, net production at 122–203 g/m2/yr, and N accumulation at 1.8–3.0 g N/m2/yr. Cumulative mass loss from litterbags after one and two years in the canopy was 17 ± 2 and 19 ± 2 percent (mean ± 1 SE) of initial sample mass, respectively, and mass loss from litter and green shoots in litterbags after one year on the forest floor was 29 ± 2 and 45 ± 3 percent, respectively. Approximately 30 percent of the initial N mass was released rapidly from litter in both locations. Nitrogen loss from green shoots on the forest floor was greater; about 47 percent of the initial N mass was lost within the first three months. There was no evidence for net N immobilization by litter or green shoots, but the remaining N in litter was apparently recalcitrant. Annual net accumulation of C and N by epiphytic bryophytes was estimated at 37–64 g C/m2/yr and 0.8–1.3 g N/m2/yr, respectively. Previous research at this site indicated that epiphytic bryophytes retain inorganic N from atmospheric deposition to the canopy. Therefore, they play a major role in transforming N from mobile to highly recalcitrant forms in this ecosystem.
The reproductive biology of boreal forest herbs. I. Breeding systems and pollination

Detailed observations and experimental studies of the reproductive biology of 12 boreal forest herbs were conducted over a 3-year period (1978–1980) in spruce–fir forests of central New Brunswick. The species examined were Aralia nudicaulis, Chimaphila umbellata, Clintonia borealis, Cornus canadensis, Cypripedium acaule, Linnaea borealis, Maianthemum canadense, Medeola virginiana, Oxalis montana, Pyrola secunda, Trientalis borealis, and Trillium undulatum. All taxa are insectpollinated perennials and most exhibit clonal growth. Floral syndromes of the understory community are relatively unspecialized with many species possessing small white or green flowers. A total of 103 taxa of insects were collected from flowers during the 1979 season. Bombus spp. are the major pollinators of 5 of the 12 species. Syrphid flies, bee flies, and halictid and andrenid bees were also commonly observed. Controlled pollinations were undertaken to determine the breeding systems of herbs. Bagged, self-, cross- and open-pollina.
Postglacial development of a Maine bog and paleoenvironmental implications

Stratigraphic data on gross peat components, plant macrofossils, pollen, ash after ignition, and radiocarbon ages are used to reconstruct the developmental history of the north unit of Caribou Bog in central Maine, which presently consists of a sparsely wooded, ombrotrophic (raised), center surrounded by extensive wooded fen. A lake existed from 12 500 to 8500 BP, when terrestrialization led to peatland initiation throughout the basin within ~500 years. Near the center of the present peatland, limnic sedge fen developed to sedge fen at 8000 BP, and to Larix laricina wooded fen at 7000 BP. At 5500 BP the wooded fen became Sphagnum dominated and sparsely wooded, a condition that has persisted at the peatland center. Only two early transitions are clearly related to climate forcing. An abrupt shift from silt–clay to organic lake sediment ~10 400 BP is typical of basins throughout the region. This shift correlates with rapid changes in local and regional vegetation, and likely reflects increased biological pr.
Ultrastructure of a Primitive, Multinucleate, Marine, Cyanobacteriophagous Ameba (Euhyperamoeba biospherica n. sp.) and Its Possible Significance in the Evolution of Eukaryotes

Samples of Euhyperamoeba biospherica n. sp. , a free-living, marine, multinucleate, limax ameba of Caribbean origin (via the Biosphere 2 Ocean and a Georgetown University marine aquarium) were examined by light and transmission electron microscopy. The amebas grossly resemble two previously described species of marine, multinucleate limax amebas, Euhyperamoeba fallax and Gruberellaflavescens. They differ, however, in their large size and thousands of nuclei. They also differ in containing structures that resemble bacteria more than mitochondria because of their ultrastructure and presumed division figures and because they produce rods composed of filaments or microtubules. We suggest that these amebas are more primitive than E. fallax or G. flavescens and may, therefore, contribute to our understanding of the evolution of organelles, such as mitochondria, in eukaryotic cells. Additional key words: Bacteria, mitochondria Limax amebas are free-living, multinucleate, naked amebas that move in slug-like fashion (Page 1984). The only marine limax amebas so far described are Gruberella flavescens (GRUBER 1889) PAGE 1984 and Euhyperamoeba fallax (SERAVIN & GOODKOV 1982) SERAVIN & GOODKOV 1985. These two species are not considered (Page 1984) to be related to the freshwater multinucleate genera Chaos LINNAEUS 1767, Pelomyxa GREEFF 1874, or Thecochaos PAGE 1981. Gruber (1889) was the first to describe a marine, multinucleate ameba, which he found in the Mediterranean Sea and named Amoeba flavescens. Page (1984) found the same ameba in a Cornish rock pool, and a light, and electron microscopical study led him to establish for it the new genus Gruberella. This ameba fed on bacteria, flagellates, other amebas, and cili-
Characterization of Tomatoes Expressing Anthocyanin in the Fruit

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. flavonoids, phenolics, carotenoids, Solanum lycopersicum ABSTRACT. Cultivated tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) produce anthocyanins in vegetative tissues and certain flavonols can be found in the fruit. Some related wild species do produce anthocyanins in the fruit, and this trait has been transferred into cultivated tomato. Fruit with the genes Abg, Aft, and atv exhibit varying degrees of anthocyanin production in the epidermis, but not in the fruit pericarp. Fruit with these alleles in various combinations were analyzed to characterize the anthocyanidin profile, moieties, and total anthocyanin content. In general, combining atv with either Aft or Abg substantially increased anthocyanin production in the fruit. Over 23 different anthocyanins were detected, petunidin-3-(p-coumaryl)-rutinoside-5-glucoside being predominant. The highest level of anthocyanin expression was observed in small fruit with the genotype Abg- atvatv and AftAft atvatv, well in excess of 100 mg/100 g fresh weight of epidermis and subepidermis depending on the size of the fruit. Nonanthocyanin flavonoids were also upregulated in proportion to the anthocyanin concentration. The anthocyanin genes were also combined with genes affecting carotenoid composition and content. Reduced carotenoid content conditioned by the alleles B (Beta) and r (yellow flesh) was associated with lower total anthocyanins, an unexpected observation because the carotenoid and anthocyanin pathways are thought to be independent. The level of anthocyanin did not affect carotenoid profiles or amounts. Tomato fruit vary in size, shape, and pigmentation with typical colors ranging from white, pink, red, orange, yellow, and green. ''Black'' or ''purple'' is a name often applied to heirloom varieties exhibiting a pink, brown, or dark green fruit color. These colors come about from interactions of the carotenoid-based pericarp color (controlled by several genes), presence or absence of color in the epidermis (gene symbol y), and presence or absence of the green shoulder trait (u) and the green flesh (gf ) gene (Butler, 1962; Jones, 2000). Green flesh prevents normal chlorophyll breakdown resulting in the brown pigment, pheophytin, which, when combined with the red of lycopene, produces, as first described by Kerr (1956), a ''dirty
Inhibition of ICAM-1 gene expression, monocyte adhesion and cancer cell invasion by targeting IKK complex: molecular and functional study of novel α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone derivatives

The transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) is a regulator related to cellular inflammation, immune responses and carcinogenesis. Therefore, components of the NF-kappaB-activating singnaling pathways are frequent targets for the anti-inflammatory and anticancer agents. In this study, CYL-19 s and CYL-26z, two synthetic alpha-methylene-gamma-butyrolactone derivatives, were shown to inhibit the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression in human A549 alveolar epithelial cells and the adhesion of U937 cells to these cells. RT-PCR analysis also demonstrated their inhibitory effects on TNF-alpha-induced ICAM-1 mRNA expression. TNF-alpha-induced ICAM-1 and NF-kappaB-dependent promoter activities were attenuated by CYL-19 s and CYL-26z. ICAM-1 promoter activities induced by the over-expression of wild-type NF-kappaB-inducing kinase and IkappaB kinase beta (IKKbeta) were also inhibited by both compounds. Furthermore, CYL-19 s and CYL-26z inhibited the TNF-alpha-induced phosphorylation and degradation of IkappaBalpha and NF-kappaB-specific DNA-protein binding activity via targeting IKK complex directly, without any effect on the activations of other kinases such as ERK1/2 and p38. In addition to ICAM-1 expression, CYL-19 s and CYL-26z also suppressed other NF-kappaB-mediated gene expressions such as matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) mRNA and cyclooxygnease-2 (COX-2) protein. In Matrigel assays, ICAM-1 and COX-2 expressions induced by TNF-alpha elicited A549 and NCI-H292 cell invasion, respectively, and these effects were inhibited by both compounds. In summary, our data demonstrated that CYL-19 s and CYL-26z down-regulate the TNF-alpha-induced inflammatory genes expression through suppression of IKK activity and NF-kappaB activation. These agents may be effective in the anti-inflammatory and anticancer therapy.
βlasEN: Microdilution Panel for Identifying β-Lactamases Present in Isolates of Enterobacteriaceae

ABSTRACT A dried investigational use-only microdilution panel named βlasEN (a short named derived from the panel’s purpose, to identify β-lactamases in Enterobacteriaceae) containing 10 β-lactam drugs with and without β-lactamase inhibitors was developed to identify β-lactamases among clinical isolates of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Citrobacter koseri, Citrobacter freundii group, Enterobacter spp. , and Serratia marcescens. The MICs obtained with a collection of 383 organisms containing well-characterized β-lactamases were used to develop numeric codes and logic pathways for computerized analysis of results. The resultant logic pathways and βlasEN panel were then used to test and identify β-lactamases among 885 isolates of Enterobacteriaceae recovered in cultures obtained at six different hospital laboratories across the United States. β-Lactamases present in 801 (90.5%) of the 885 isolates were identified by βlasEN by using the existing logic pathways and codes or after minor modifications were made to the existing codes. The 84 strains that gave codes that βlasEN could not identify were collected, reidentified, and retested by using βlasEN. Three strains had been misidentified, 54 strains gave different codes upon repeat testing that could be identified by βlasEN, and 27 strains repeated new codes. The β-lactamases in these strains were identified, and the new codes were added to the βlasEN logic pathways. These results indicate that βlasEN can identify clinically important β-lactamases among most isolates of Enterobacteriaceae. The results also show that good quality control and attention to proper performance of the tests are essential to the correct performance of βlasEN.
Antioxidant Enzymes in Oncopeltus fasciatus (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae) Exposed to Cadmium

Abstract Catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were measured together with cadmium (Cd) toxicity and accumulation in newly molted adults of Oncopeltus fasciatus (Dallas) exposed to the metal in drinking water. Insects were provided with either 200 or 20 mg Cd/liter (96-h LC30 and LC10, respectively) or with tap water for 1, 3, 5, and 7 d. Insects exposed to either concentration accumulated Cd in a time-dependent manner. Peroxilipids measured as TBARS were significantly elevated (1.7- to 1.9-fold) from day 3 in insects exposed to 200 mg Cd/liter, whereas TBARS levels of insects exposed to 20 mg Cd/liter were unaffected. Significant 2.3- and 1.9-fold inductions were observed in GR activity of insects treated with 200 mg Cd/liter for 5 and 7 d, respectively, while CAT and GST levels were not affected by Cd exposure. These findings indicate that 200 mg Cd/liter causes oxidative stress to O. fasciatus and induces GR activity, suggesting that glutathione may be involved in protection against Cd oxidative damage in this species.
Large niche differences emerge at the recruitment stage to stabilize grassland coexistence

Niche differences and average fitness differences jointly determine coexistence. However, little empirical information about the magnitude of these two mechanisms is available. Using multispecies population models fit to long-term demographic data for common, co-occurring species in five grassland and shrubland plant communities in western North America, we estimated the strength of stabilizing niche differences and average fitness differences. In all five communities, both pairwise and full community comparisons showed evidence for strong stabilizing mechanisms and relatively small average fitness differences. For a total of 17 species pairs, a measure of niche differences based on simulations of invasion growth rates ranged from 0.59 to 0.93 with a mean of 0.81, where 0 indicates complete niche overlap and 1 indicates zero niche overlap. A corresponding measure of average fitness differences ranged from 1.02 to 2.54 with a mean of 1.53, where 1 indicates identical fitness and a value of 2 indicates a fo.
AN OUT-BREAK OF CUTANEOUS FORM OF AVIAN POX INPIGEONS (COLUMBIA LIVIA)

Among the various viral infections, avian pox is one of the most common and infectious diseases encountered in both domestic and wild bird species; clinically manifesting both cutaneous and diphtheritic forms. Pox infections are usually characterised by the development of intra-cytoplasmic inclusion bodies called Bollinger bodies that contain elementary bodies called Borrelbodies Three pigeon carcasses from Rameswaram village, Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh, were submitted to the Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Science, Proddatur with a history of death of pigeons in a flock of 40 birds since 20 days. Grossly, the lesions were round, nodular, greyish white eruptions around the eye, on the beak, skin, legs and around the cloaca. Histopathological examination of the lesions revealed epithelial necrosis with infiltration of inflammatory cells, epidermal hyperplasia and hydropic degeneration of epithelial cells with large intra-cytoplasmic inclusion bodies. Both the gross and histological findings have confirmed it as a case of cutaneous form of pox infection in pigeons.
Spatial aggregation patterns of free-living marine nematodes in contrasting sandy beach micro-habitats

In the absence of chemical or physical gradients, random displacement of organisms can result in unpredictable distribution patterns. In spite of a limited locomotive capability, marine nematodes may choose where to settle after re-suspension and may maintain their position in the sediment under calm conditions, leading to small-scale (<1 m) spatial variability. However, in more energetic environments, nematodes become re-suspended with sediments and re-distributed at distances dependent on prevalent hydrodynamic regimes, from metre- to decametre-scale or more. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that micro-habitats (i.e. runnels and sandbars) in a macrotidal sandy beach influence the distribution patterns of free-living marine nematodes by exhibiting contrasting hydrodynamic regimes. Specifically, we predicted patchier distributions in the calmer environment (runnel). We sampled nematodes in each habitat from <1 m to decametre scales. Our results show more heterogeneous spatial distributions in the runnel, presumably owing to a predominance of active displacement under calmer conditions and sediment cohesion by algal films. Biological similarity among runnel replicates was low, whereas replicates from the sandbar exhibited higher similarity, presumably because of homogenization of the sediment and inhabiting fauna by tidal currents. A significant negative correlation between biological similarity and sampling distance was found in the runnel, but not in the sandbar. The most similar samples were the closest in the runnel and the most distant in the sandbar. More patchily distributed taxa were found in the runnel and a larger fraction of homogeneously or randomly distributed taxa in the sandbar. We conclude that different hydrodynamic regimes in contrasting intertidal micro-habitats significantly influenced the nematofaunal distribution, resulting in different spatial patterns next to one another in the same beach. This has significant implications for sampling and monitoring designs and begs the need for detailed studies about the physical and biological processes governing meiobenthic communities.
UNUSUAL DIHYDROXYSTEROLS AS CHEMOTAXONOMIC MARKERS FOR MICROALGAE FROM THE ORDER PAVLOVALES (HAPTOPHYCEAE) 1

Recent studies have led to the identification of an unusual class of dihydroxysterols (steroidal diols termed “pavlovols”)in a few species of microalgae from the genus Pavlova (family Pavlovaceae, class Haptophyceae = Prymnesiophyceae). These compounds have an additional hydroxyl group at G‐4 in the sterol A ring, which appears to be very rare in sterol biosynthetic pathways. The sterol compositions of many other haptophytes from different orders have been analyzed, but to date all have lacked pavlovols. We now report the occurrence of these compounds in Diacronema vlkianum Prauser and two strains of Pavlova pinguis Green. This is the first report of the lipid composition of these species. Both microalgae contained “24‐methylpavlovol” (4α, 24‐dimethyl‐5α‐cholestan‐3β, 4β‐diol), P. pinguis also contained “24‐ethylpavlovol” (4α‐methyl‐24‐ethyl‐5α‐cholestan‐3β, 4β‐diol), and D. vlkianum contained a diol identified from its mass spectrum as 4α, 24β‐dimethyl‐5α‐cholest‐22E‐en‐3β,4β‐diol. Both species contained structurally analogous 4‐desmethyl sterols and 4‐methyl sterols, although there were major differences in the proportions in each series. The major 4‐desmethyl sterol in both species was 24‐ethylcholesta‐5, 22E‐dien‐3β‐ol and the major 4‐methyl sterol was 4α‐methyl‐24‐ethyl‐5α‐cholest‐22E‐en‐3β‐ol. The presence of pavlovols in P. pinguis, combined with earlier data, suggests that all Pavlova species might have this distinguishing lipid feature. However, their identtjication in D. vlkianum extends the occurrence of these compounds to another genus and shows that they are not unique to the genus Pavlova. However, they are probably restricted to species from the order Pavlov ales. The modes of biosynthesis and functions of pavlovols remain unknown.
Trophic interactions and life strategies of epi- to bathypelagic calanoid copepods in the tropical Atlantic Ocean

Copepods play central roles in pelagic food webs linking primary production to higher trophic levels. Biomarkers (lipids, stable isotopes) provide modern approaches to study dietary preferences and trophic interactions. A cluster analysis based on the fatty acid (FA) and fatty alcohol compositions of calanoid copepods (copepodids C4/C5 and adult stages) from the southeastern tropical Atlantic identified five distinct groups according to lipid composition and storage strategy, coinciding with differences in vertical distribution from the surface to 1800 m depth. Most epipelagic species were characterized by low lipid levels ( 10% of dry mass, DM), low quantities of wax esters (WE) and low dN ratios indicating low trophic positions. In contrast, surface-dwelling Rhincalanus cornutus had higher lipid levels (.29% DM) and stored WE (.90% of total lipid), whereas vertically migrating Pleuromamma species did not store WE. Most mesopelagic copepods belonged to another cluster, defined by high lipid level (max. 47% DM), high amounts of the FA 18:1(n-9) and high dN ratios . 9‰ indicating carnivorous feeding at a higher trophic level. Diapausing Calanoides carinatus (copepodids C5), collected at great depth, formed a separate cluster with low dN ratios and high amounts of herbivory markers. The latter were apparently accumulated during active feeding on phytoplankton in surface waters and transferred to the deep sea during ontogenetic vertical migrations. In conclusion, these tropical calanoid copepod species from the surface to the deep sea have adopted diverse feeding strategies and occupy a wide range of ecological niches, affecting energy flux and carbon cycling in the tropical Atlantic.
Acids and the Acid Taste. I. The Effect of pH and Titratable Acidity

The relative sourness of malic, citric, tartaric, and lactic acids was determined in two ways: by using the acids to change total titratable acidity by 0.1% or to change pH to 3.30. A trained laboratory panel used a ranking procedure to compare the sourness at the same titratable acidity. The order of sourness was malic> tartaric>citric>lactic. At the same pH the order was malic>lactic>citric>tartaric. All of the differences were statistically significant. Malic thus appears to be the most "sour" of the acids tasted. The tasters varied markedly in ability to rank sourness—some tasters were nearly twice as efficient as others (as measured by deviation in ranking duplicate samples). Differences of 0.05 pH unit for the four acids were easily detected by the panel. These differences in pH were accompanied by differences in titratable acidity of 0.02 to 0.05%. When titratable acidity was changed 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, and 0.05, the differences in pH were 0.03, 0.035, 0.042, and 0.093. The panel was generally able to rank the samples, except tartaric acid, in order of sourness. Malic changed the pH less than the other acids. In these studies, both pH and percent titratable acidity appeared to be important in determining sensory response to sourness.