Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dry Matter Production and Harvest Index of Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Varieties Under Irrigation

Dry matter production for crops is generally influenced by the fertility status of the soil. Plant population may indirectly affect the amount of dry matter production due to its relationship with number of plants per unit area. An experiment to study the effect of plant population and basin size on dry matter production and other yield components of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) varieties under irrigation was conducted during the dry seasons of 2004 to 2006 at the Irrigation Research Station of the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University at Kadawa. The treatments tested were three basin sizes (3m x 3m, 3m x 4m and 3m x 5m), three plant populations (50,000, 100,000 and 200,000 plants ha-1and three varieties (SAMNUT 23, SAMNUT 21 and SAMNUT 11). These were arranged factorally in a split plot design with plant population and variety assigned to the main plots and basin sizes in the sub plots. SAMNUT 23 had higher harvest index than the other varieties, however SAMNUT 11 recorded the highest dry matter plant-1. Dry matter production was significantly highest at 100.000 plants ha-1, while significantly highest harvest index was observed at 200,000 plants ha-1. SAMNUT 23 exhibited highest harvest index compared to the other varieties used in this study.
Molecular phylogenetics of Australian weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea): exploring relationships in a hyperdiverse lineage through comparison of independent analyses

With over 60 000 described species in approximately 5800 genera, weevils (Curculionoidea) represent one of the most diverse and species‐rich superfamilies of eukaryotes on the planet. Recent attempts to resolve the phylogeny of family‐group taxa in weevils using morphological, molecular or combined data sets have produced vastly different patterns of relationships, particularly within the largest family, Curculionidae. Here we present an estimation of the phylogeny of Australian weevils and of the divergence dates of the major lineages based on a multi‐gene data set (28S, 16S and COI) spanning ∼3.5 kbp of DNA sequence. We assess its topological similarities to, and differences from, other recently published phylogenetic trees, particularly in relation to taxon sampling and relative diversity of the lineages, and we discuss the implications for weevil systematics. Our results, derived from a different set of taxa that has different combination of loci and different fossil calibration points, recover a number of relationships and age estimates that are congruent with those obtained by other recent weevil phylogeny estimates, indicating that we are beginning to recognise the major monophyletic lineages and reconstruct the major diversification events within Curculionoidea. Resolution of natural groups within families (e.g. subfamilies and tribes) however remains poor, even for studies with the largest volume of sequence data (whole mitochondrial genome analyses), evidently largely due to deficient taxon sampling. Although taxon sampling is known to be one of the most critical determinants of accurate phylogenetic reconstruction, it is rarely addressed in phylogenetic assessments. Our case study of weevils highlights not only its importance, but also the fact that it is very difficult to achieve comprehensive representative sampling in hyperdiverse lineages because of their sheer taxic diversity. Doubts concerning the monophyly of many subordinate lineages exacerbate this problem, restricting the use of exemplar approaches to taxon sampling. The value of comparing different data sets and analyses for assessing systematic relationships is often overlooked, even despite the presence of many conflicting results in previous phylogenetic hypotheses. A summary of relationships recovered relative to taxon sampling and methodological differences between different phylogenetic reconstructions provides an important stepping‐stone in understanding the diversification of weevils.
Bat community structure within riparian areas of northwestern Georgia, USA

Abstract. Although it is well known that bats commonly forage in riparian areas, which provide water resources and insect concentrations, the role that the physical structure of riparian areas plays in influencing local bat communities is less certain. In 2000–2002, we used acoustic monitoring to determine bat species presence at 338 riparian sites in northwestern Georgia, USA. We used a 2-dimensional nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination to assess how separations among species were partially associated with riparian conditions. Our NMDS analysis found some degree of habitat partitioning among bat species occurring in northwestern Georgia and was dictated in part by riparian condition. Myotis grisescens and M. septentrionalis were associated with low-elevation lotic waterways, whereas M. lucifugus, Lasiurus borealis, and Eptesicus fuscus were associated with high-elevation lentic waterways with sparse canopy cover. However, riparian conditions had weak relations with NMDS axes, possibly resulting in coincidental associations in some cases. Regression tree analysis indicated that higher bat species richness was associated with apparently uncommon small, high-elevation waterways with sparse canopy cover as well as larger streams and rivers that had wetlands adjacent to them. Including high-elevation waterways with existing management recommendations for endangered M. grisescens foraging areas (large, low-elevation streams and rivers) will be the most effective conservation strategy to benefit the most bat species in northwestern Georgia and probably elsewhere in the southern Appalachians.
New distribution record of deep-sea mussel, Bathymodiolus aduloides (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Mytilidae) from a hydrothermal vent, Myojinsho

From the deep-sea hydrothermal vents and cold seeps ecosystems, more than 600 species containing many endemic species have been discovered. The deep-sea mussels of the genus Bathymodiolus are dominant species at deep-sea hydrothermal vents and cold seeps throughout the world. They are known to rely on the nutrients produced by the chemosynthetic symbiont in their gills. In 2009, we found a colony of bathymodiolin mussels at a hydrothermal vent of Myojinsho (Myojin Reef), which is a hardly investigated area. Myojinsho lies in the northern segment of the Izu-Ogasawara (Bonin) Arc and had been volcanically active until recently. We collected specimens from the colony using a remotely operated vehicle. We identified them as Bathymodiolus aduloides by morphological observation and phylogenetic analyses using mitochondrial DNA sequencing. We could not find any other species of mussels during the dive. This result is interesting because this species has not been discovered from hydrothermal vents in this region; the dominant species in this region, including the neighbouring Myojin Knoll Caldera, is B. septemdierum .
Diurnal expression of CONSTANS-like genes is independent of the function of cycling DOF factor (CDF)-like transcriptional repressors in Physcomitrella patens

The Dof-type transcriptional repressors CYCLING DOF FACTORS (CDFs) directly suppress the expression of CONSTANS (CO), which encodes a key regulator of photoperiodic gene expression, day-length perception and the floral transition in Arabidopsis thaliana. The genes encoding CDF-like (PpDof3 and PpDof4) and CO-like (PpCOL1PpCOL3) proteins are present in the genome of the moss Physcomitrella patens, although P. patens lacks the genes encoding homologues of FLAVIN-BINDING KELCH REPEAT F-BOX1 (FKF1) and GIGANTEA (GI), which control the stability of CDFs in A. thaliana. In the current study, we investigated whether the functions of PpDof3 and PpDof4 are associated with the expression of PpCOL1-PpCOL3 in P. patens. We found that the diurnal expression patterns of PpDof3 and PpDof4 are similar to those of CDF genes and that like CDF1 from A. thaliana, PpDof3 and PpDof4 function as transcriptional repressors. However, targeted disruptions of PpDof3 and PpDof4 did not affect the expression of PpCOL1-PpCOL3, indicating that the expression of COLs is independent of the functions of PpDof3 and PpDof4 in P. patens.
CULTURAL DIVERGENCE WITHIN NOVEL SONG IN THE BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE (POECILE ATRICAPILLUS)

Abstract Geographic variation in learned vocalizations is commonly attributed, in part, to imperfect song learning, but rarely has this been documented. Additionally, we know little about how spatial structure of populations affects geographic divergence in song. Using novel fee-bee song in Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) in Fort Collins, Colorado, we investigated both of those concepts by recording songs from juveniles at the time of natal dispersal and from adults at study sites along a continuous riparian corridor and in small isolated populations north of Fort Collins. Acoustic differences within juveniles' songs corresponded to acoustic differences distinguishing the songs of adults from separate study sites. We also found more acoustic divergence among the small isolated populations than among the continuously distributed riparian populations, and we found that the song-type grouping most similar in acoustic structure to the stereotyped continental fee-bee diverged the least. These findings suggest that song variants introduced by developing juveniles can indeed account for geographic variation and that song diverges more in small isolated populations. Divergencia Cultural en los Cantos Aprendidos en Poecile atricapillus
PERCH CHARACTERISTICS OF ACADIAN FLYCATCHERS (EMPIDONAX VIRESCENS) IN SOUTHERN BOTTOMLAND HARDWOOD FORESTS

Abstract Perch-site selection is thought to be an important component of foraging success for sit-and-wait avian predators, such as flycatchers. Perch selection has further consequences for territorial advertisement and display. We quantified perch characteristics of Acadian Flycatchers in three bottomland hardwood forests in Arkansas, Louisiana, and South Carolina. We compared measurements made at flycatcher perches with those made at randomly selected trees and branches. In two of our study areas, flycatchers perched on dead limbs more often than expected by chance, and foliage volume was less around flycatcher perches than at randomly selected branches. Both of these results suggest a preference for foraging and displaying sites that provide a relatively unobstructed view. Discriminant function analysis revealed substantial overlap in perch-site characteristics among study areas, indicating that species-wide preferences were at least as important as local conditions in perch-site selection by Acadian Flycatchers.
Trace metal cycling in the surface water of the South China Sea: Vertical fluxes, composition, and sources

We deployed floating traps in the surface waters of the South China Sea on four occasions at depths of 30 m, 100 m, and 160 m from 2006 to 2007 to quantify vertical metal fluxes in the surface water and examine trace metal composition in the sinking particles to investigate their sources. The elements determined include 13 trace metals and 8 major elements. The fluxes for most of the bioactive elements at 30 m varied markedly during different seasons and strongly co‐varied with organic matter production, but the fluxes at 160 m were low and consistent under different seasons, showing that most of the elements were internally recycled in the surface water during productive seasons. Most of the bioactive trace metals in sinking particles were correlated with biogenic P, and their P‐normalized quotas were also strongly associated with lithogenic Al. The ratios of metals to Al and P for most of the bioactive trace metals were significantly higher than the ratios in lithogenic particles and than intracellular quotas in plankton, respectively, indicating that the trace metals in the sinking particles were abiogenic, nonlithogenic, and adsorbed on biogenic particles. The comparable fluxes between aeolian deposition and the sinking particles in the mixed layer demonstrate that the highly enriched trace metals in the sinking particles were attributed to input from anthropogenic aerosols. The coupling and transport of anthropogenic trace metals with biogenic particles in oceanic surface waters may be an important mechanism for trace metal cycling in global oceans.
Wild Radish (Raphanus spp.) and Garden Rocket (Eruca sativa) as New Brassicaceae Hosts of Tomato chlorosis virus in South America

Wild radish (Raphanus sativus L. and R. raphanistrum L.) and garden rocket [Eruca sativa (Mill) Thell] plants displaying interveinal yellowing in the lower leaves were found in Mauá da Serra (Paraná State, Brazil). The garden rocket field with symptomatic plants was in close vicinity to tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fields with high frequency of plants displaying symptoms similar to that induced by the Crinivirus (family Closteroviridae) species Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV) and Tomato infectious chlorosis virus (TICV). Symptomatic wild radish plants were distributed throughout the tomato fields. All plants were heavily colonized by Bemisia tabaci biotype B (MEAM-1 species). Total RNA was extracted from the foliar Print: 8 Apr 2016 Ahead of Print: 29 Feb 2016 First Look: 23 Nov 2015 Accepted: 16 Nov 2015
Laurencia translucida sp. nov. (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) from Brazil

Abstract In the course of ongoing studies of the genus Laurencia Lamouroux in Brazil, an anatomically different species has been found. It is unusual in having two layers of cortical cells-the outer translucent and less-pigmented, the inner pigmented-and secondary pit connections between pigmented cortical cells but absent between outer translucent cells. The general aspect of male branches is also distinctive, in that numerous fertile branchlets are produced successively in subapical position around the previous branchlets, and each fertile branchlet exhibits a terminal cup-shaped spermatangial pit with a discernible axial cell row at its base when seen in longitudinal section. Within the spermatangial pit, the male structures are typical of the ‘trichoblast type’. Vegetative axial segments have a trichoblast and two pericentral cells and the tetrasporangia are cut off abaxially from the third and fourth additionally produced pericentral cells of the fertile axial segments. This occurs in the many specie.
Modeling Elk Sightability Bias of Aerial Surveys During Winter in the Central Cascades

Aerial surveys of elk have generally not been used to estimate elk abundance in western Washington primarily due to concerns over the highly variable detectability of elk in forested vegetation. The purpose of our study was to investigate the development and application of aerial sightability models to survey elk in forested habitats of the west-central Cascades. Survey units were delineated and surveyed from a helicopter. We used radio-tagged elk and logistic regression to model the influence of vegetation cover characteristics, elk group size, and activity on sightability of elk. Models were assessed using Akaike Information Criteria. The best model included elk group size and percentage of vegetative cover. These results indicate that when corrected for sightability, aerial surveys for elk may be a reasonable alternative for assessing elk abundance in wintering elk herds of the central Cascades.
Facilities And Methodology For The Culture Of The Southern Sea Bass (Centropristis melana)1

A closed system was designed for mass culture of marine finfish larvae. Southern sea bass (Centropristis melana) brood stock were collected in the Gulf of Mexico during January-March, 1975, their natural spawning season. Brood stock were maintained in a simulated spawning environment of 17–19 C temperature and 10 hr L:14 hr D photo-period. Vitellogenesis of ovarian oocytes remained in the tertiary yolk globule stage in females held under these conditions and males would release milt freely upon manual stimulation. Final oocyte maturation and spawning were induced with Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and manual spawning techniques. Approximately 2,500 larvae were reared in three trials using 2,000–liter silo tanks with biological filtration. Laboratory reared rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) were solely used as food the first 4 days after feeding began. Wild plankton, rotifers, Artemia nauplii, and prepared flake were also used as larvae developed. Greatest larval survival from hatching was 10.0%. Larvae grew from 2.78 mm to 9.0 mm in 24 days; the greatest growth rate occurred after day 14. Physiological edema was observed in two trials affecting 30–50% of the larvae. Physiological edema appears to be the principal constraint to successful rearing of sea bass larvae.
Natural history of whitefly in Costa Rica: an evolutionary starting point

Abstract. 1. To understand evolution of foraging behaviour in the whitefly parasitoid Encarsia formosa (Hymenoptera, Aphelinidae), natural densities and distributions of whitefly (Homoptera, Aleyrodidae) were quantified in E. formosa's presumed area of origin, the Neotropics.
Astragalus unalii (Fabaceae), a new species from Turkey

Astragalus unalii Cecen, Aytac and Misirdali, sp. Nov. (Fabaceae, sect. Malacothrix Bunge) is described as a new species from Karadag (Karaman Province) in southern Anatolia and compared with its relatives growing in steppe vegetation. The new species is close to A. Tauricola Boiss. And A. Adiyamanensis Podlech and M.Ekici, endemic and growing in central and southern parts of Anatolia, Turkey. Taxonomic descriptions, pollen and seed characters, and geographical distribution of the new species are presented.
Effect of cooking and soaking on physical characteristics, nutrient composition and sensory evaluation of indigenous and foreign rice varieties in Nigeria

The objective of this study is to ascertain the effect of cooking and soaking on the physical characteristics, nutrient composition and sensory evaluation of indigenous ‘ofada’ rice and foreign ‘aroso’ rice varieties in Nigeria. The two rice varieties were freshly purchased in the raw state, soaked in water and cooked. The physical characteristics, such as, length, width, weight, colour, purity, breakage, cooking time, dispersability and swelling capacity of the raw rice varieties were determined. The raw, soaked and cooked rice varieties were oven dried as 60°C for 4 h and milled to attain uniform surface area. The proximate composition and some minerals of the raw, soaked and cooked rice varieties and the sensory evaluation of the cooked rice were determined. Ofada and aroso rice varieties were brown and creamy in colour, respectively. There were significant (p length and width. The raw, cooked and soaked ofada rice contain more protein, fat, and fibre than in aroso rice, but with no change in carbohydrate content .There were no significant (p>0.01) differences in the levels of minerals; Ca, Fe, Mg and P, in raw, cooked and soaked ofada and aroso rice. Sensory evaluation showed that cooked aroso rice was generally preferred, in terms of colour, aroma, taste, texture and overall acceptability.
Host phenology, geographic range size and regional occurrence explain interspecific variation in damselfly–water mite associations

In this study, we tested which host species ’ characteristics explain the nature and level of parasitism for host damselfl y (Coenagrionidae) – water mite (Arrenuridae) parasite associations. Prevalence and intensity of mite parasites, and mite species richness were examined in relation to geographic range size, regional occurrence, relative local abundance, phenology and body size of host damselfl y species. A total of 7107 damselfl y individuals were collected representing 16 species from 13 sites in southeastern Ontario and southwestern Quebec, Canada. Using comparative methods, diff erences in prevalence and intensity of parasitism could be predicted by a host species ’ geographic range and phenology. Barcoding based on Cytochrome Oxidase I revealed 15 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) for mite species. Th e number of mite OTUs known to infest a given host species was explained by a host species ’ regional occurrence. Our fi ndings demonstrate the need to measure factors at several ecological scales in order to understand the breadth of evolutionary interactions with host – parasite associations and the selective ‘ milieu ’ for particular species of both hosts and parasites.
Use of fluorescence information for automated phytoplankton investigation by image analysis

Automated identification and quantification of algae in microscopic images is a tool that allows high taxonomic resolution with reasonable technical efforts. However, in samples containing various non-algal objects, this is still not a satisfactorily solved problem. We show that autofluorescence information improves discrimination of algae from non-algal objects as well as phycoerythrin (PE) containing algae from others. We analyse the stability of the autofluorescence to estimate its constraints. Cold and dark storage of glutaraldehyde fixed samples maintains autofluorescence sufficiently for 3 weeks. Under repeated excitations, chlorophyll a (Chl a) or PE autofluorescence show an exponential decrease followed by an intermediate maximum. A peak also occurs in emission wavelength ranges without chlorophyll and PE fluorescence. The unspecific autofluorescence causing the peaks is at least partly identical with the blue-green fluorescence (BGF) in plant cells. BGF interferes with identification of algae, thus correction of pigment autofluorescence with such unspecific fluorescence allows a more reliable algal discrimination procedure. A classification scheme for discrimination of Chl a and PE-containing algae shows a high performance in a test with natural samples. Integration of fluorescence and bright-field image information provides a powerful tool for phytoplankton analysis in complex samples.
Effects of gibberellin treatments at different concentrations on bolting and flowering of common head cabbage.

Two different-winterness inbred lines of cabbage,36-5 and 04-1-2,were treated with gibberellin(GA3)at various concentrationsCO,100,200,300 and 400 mg/L),and the effects of different concentration GA3 treatments were investigated on the bolting and flowering of the plants,the soluble sugar and protein contents of the leaves and the endogenous GA3.The results showed that all the GA3 treatments had a certain effect on the cabbage's bolting ahead of time and flowering.The effect of the GA3 treatment at the same concentration was more obvious on the flowering of cabbage with weak winterness than on the flowering of cabbage with strong winterness.With the GA3 concentration increasing, the soluble sugar and soluble protein contents increased,and the C/N ratio and the endogenous GA3 content also did.
Sonoran Desert Winter Annuals Affected by Density of Red Brome and Soil Nitrogen

Abstract Red brome [Bromus madritensis subsp. rubens (L.) Husn. ] is a Mediterranean winter annual grass that has invaded Southwestern USA deserts. This study evaluated interactions among 13 Sonoran Desert annual species at four densities of red brome from 0 to the equivalent of 1200 plants m−2. We examined these interactions at low (3 μg) and high (537 μg NO3− g soil−1) nitrogen (N) to evaluate the relative effects of soil N level on survival and growth of native annuals and red brome. Red brome did not affect emergence or survival of native annuals, but significantly reduced growth of natives, raising concerns about effects of this exotic grass on the fecundity of these species. Differences in growth of red brome and of the three dominant non nitrogen-fixing native annuals at the two levels of soil N were similar. Total species biomass of red brome was reduced by 83% at low, compared to high, N levels, whereas that of the three native species was reduced by from 42 to 95%. Mean individual biomass of red brome was reduced by 87% at low, compared to high, N levels, whereas that of the three native species was reduced by from 72 to 89%.