Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
X-ray doses to safely release the parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) reared on Anastrepha fraterculus larvae (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Diachasmimorpha longicaudata is a koinobiont larval parasitoid that is currently used to control fruit flies of the genera Anastrepha, Ceratitis and Bactrocera. In the rearing process, a fraction of the host larvae that are exposed to parasitoids escape from parasitism and develop into viable and fertile flies. This creates the need to eliminate emerging flies before the parasitoids are shipped for release, increasing costs due to additional handling steps. Exposure of fly eggs or larvae to gamma-irradiation before they are parasitised has been used to reproductively sterilise hosts, or even inhibit their emergence. Our aim was to determine whether X-ray radiation applied to Anastrepha fraterculus third instar larvae before they are exposed to parasitoids, inhibits fly emergence in non-parasitised larvae without affecting the performance of the parasitoids that emerge from parasitised larvae. Three X-ray doses: 6250.2 R, 8333.6 R and 10417 R (equivalent to 60, 80 and 100 Gy, respectively) and one γ-ray dose (100 Gy) were tested. Fly emergence decreased with increasing doses of radiation, showing null values for the higher X-ray dose and the dose of 100 Gy. Irradiation showed either no impact or a positive effect on parasitism rate and fecundity. Sex rate was biased towards females in almost every dose. We conclude that the two types of radiation evaluated here were equally effective in suppressing fly emergence with no detrimental effects on the biological quality of the produced parasitoids. X-rays offer an alternative method of irradiation than the conventional radiation source, i.e. γ-rays. These results represent a significant improvement in the development of a biological control programme against A. fraterculus.
Direct shoot organogenesis from hypocotyl explants of Jatropha curcas L. an important bioenergy feedstock

Multiple shoots were induced on hypocotyl segments reared from in vitro germinated seedlings of Jatropha curcas L. , using Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with N6‐benzyl adenine (BA) and kinetin (kin) either alone or in combination with indole‐3‐acetic acid (IAA). The combined treatment of 7.05 μm kin and 1.425 μm IAA resulted in maximum shoot production with an average shoot bud initiation of 12.1 per explant. The regenerated microshoots were transferred to root induction medium containing half‐strength MS salts supplemented with either indole‐3‐butyric acid (IBA) or IAA. Rooting of microshoots was best achieved on half‐strength MS medium supplemented with IBA (9.8 μm). Rooted plantlets were subsequently acclimatized under green house condition and the plantlets showed 70% survival.
Diversity of leaf-litter anurans in a fragmented landscape of the Atlantic Plateau of São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil

Brazil is a tropical country and has the greatest anuran species richness in the world: the Atlantic Forest has roughly half of these species. We contribute to the knowledge of the anurans of the Brazilian Atlantic Plateau, determining the composition of anuran fauna associated with leaf litter in six landscapes, patterns of spatial distribution and levels of similarity among these landscapes and other communities. The sampling by pitfall traps was conducted in São Paulo state, at a total of 68 sites distributed among continuous and fragmented landscapes. The anuran fauna of these sites is typical of dense ombrophilous forest, and the composition resembled those of other localities of the Atlantic Forest. A cluster analysis comparing the six landscapes resulted in three main groups (Caucaia + Reserva do Morro Grande; Tapiraí + Ribeirão Grande; Fazenda Paraíso + Parque Estadual Jurupará). In the cluster analysis comparing these faunas to those of other localities, we could not find an effect of geographic distance on the differences in composition among areas.
Haramonas pauciplastida sp. nov. (Raphidophyceae, Heterokontophyta) and phylogenetic analyses of Haramonas species using small subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequences

A new species of the Raphidophyceae, Haramonas pauciplastida sp. nov. from Canada is described. The genus Haramonas has been described based on the type species Haramonas dimorpha and currently only two species are known. This new alga belongs to the genus because it possesses a tubular invagination at the posterior end of the cell, producing a large amount of mucilage and generating both motile and non‐motile phases in its life cycle. The chloroplast color of H. pauciplastida is yellowish green, and is similar to that of Haramonas viridis Horiguchi et Hoppenrath. However, this alga differs from the other species of the genus in that it possesses fewer chloroplasts, which are rarely overlapping. The ultrastructual study shows differences between these two species in the number of thylakoids in the lamella, the presence of a scattered pyrenoid matrix, and the position of the plastoglobuli. The phylogenetic analyses of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene from the Haramonas species reveal that three species can be distinguished genetically from each other and they form a robust clade in the Raphidophyceae. This result supports the notion that the characteristic features of Haramonas are synapomorphies. This is the first report of molecular data from the Haramonas species.
Surveys of Gene Families Using Polymerase Chain Reaction: PCR Selection and PCR Drift

with the potential to be phylogenetically informative (e.g., sequence variation, vari? ation within gene clusters, and number of gene clusters [Koop et al., 1989; Bartels et al., 1993; Cartwright et al., 1993; Pendleton et al., 1993]). Nevertheless, this complexity is sometimes difficult to interpret in a phy? logenetic context (e.g., orthologous and paralogous variation and gene conversion [Fitch, 1970; Hillis and Dixon, 1991; San? derson and Doyle, 1992]). Analysis of the sometimes complex characteristics of mul? tigene families has recently been greatly facilitated by use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Using degenerate primers corresponding to highly conserved regions of homologous genes, PCR can be used to detect and identify members of these gene families in samples of genomic DNA or cDNA. The utility of such an approach has recently been demonstrated using degen? erate primers to amplify a region of Antennapedia-class homeoboxes (Murtha et al., 1991; Pendleton et al., 1993). This tech? nique, however, cannot be fully exploited until certain methodological issues have
“Candidatus Phytoplasma australiense” in Coprosma robusta in New Zealand

Abstract A phytoplasma is reported from wild plants of Coprosma robusta, where it is associated with leaf reddening or bronzing and dieback of shoots and branches. It was detected by electron microscopy of phloem tissue, and by one‐step and nested PCR using phytoplasma‐specific primers targeting the 16S rRNA gene. The sequence of the 16S product closely matches that of the Phormium yellow leaf phytoplasma and places the phytoplasma in the putative species "Candidatus Phytoplasma australiense”. It was transmitted by grafting to C. robusta and C. macrocarpa. The symptoms of the disease caused by the phytoplasma (Coprosma lethal decline) in clonally matched graft‐inoculated versus ungrafted cuttings of C. robusta included interveinal chlorosis and abnormal leaf yellowing or reddening, slowing of growth, and shoot dieback. A field survey of C. robusta indicated that shoot dieback and abnormal leaf coloration are common throughout much of New Zealand. "Ca. P. australiense” was detected in some, but not all, symptomatic plants, indicating it may play a role in causing such symptoms in the field. It is proposed that infected C. robusta plants provide a reservoir of "Ca. P. australiense” that leads to infection of other hosts.
ADAPTATION OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS IN LAMINARIA SACCHARINA (PHAEOPHYTA) TO CHANGES IN GROWTH TEMPERATURE 1

The effect of growth temperature on photosynthetic metabolism was studied in the kelp Laminaria saccharina (L.) Lamour. Photosynthesis was subject to phenotypic adaptation, with almost constant photosynthetic rates being achieved at growth temperatures between 0 and 20° C. This response involved: (1) an inverse relationship between growth temperature and photosynthetic capacity, (2) a reduction in the Q10 value for photosynthesis of L. saccharina grown at 0 and 5° C compared with 10, 15 and 20° C grown sporophytes, and (3) an acquired tolerance of photosynthesis to temperatures between 15–25° C (which inhibited photosynthesis in 0 and 5° C grown L. saccharina) in sporophytes grown at 10, 15 and 20° C. The physiological basis of these adaptations is discussed in terms of observed changes in activities and kinetics of the Calvin cycle enzyme ribulose‐1, 5‐bisphosphate carboxylase (oxygenase) and efficiency of light harvesting‐electron transport systems.
Modeling a solar radiation topoclimatology for the Rio Grande River Basin

Key components in the climatology of the Earth are incoming and net solar radiation. Next to clouds, the major modulator of solar radiation at the surface is topography. Variability in elevation, slope, aspect, and shadowing can lead to large gradients in incoming and net solar radiation fields. The response of vegetation to these gradients can often be dramatic, as in the distribution of vegetation on south- and north-facing slopes. Recently much progress has been made in modeling the effects of topography on incoming and net solar radiation. Such models produce fields of radiation that have been adjusted for topography derived from digital elevation data. This paper presents a topographic solar radiation model that combines digital elevation data with surface and satellite measurements. Specifically, a monthly topoclimatology for the Rio Grande River Basin in Colorado is constructed for the hydrological years 1987 - 1990. Using digital elevation models with 30 m x 30 m grid spacing, representing a mosaic of 39 U.S. Geological Survey 1:24 000 Quadrangles, a digital representation of the watershed is created. Hourly pyranometer measurements taken nearby the basin are then used with satellite reflectances to drive the solar radiation model. The results are monthly maps at 30 m x 30 m grid spacing covering the entire basin that show considerable variability by location and season. Such maps may be useful for vegetation modeling, especially for pattern analysis and ecosystem process modeling.
Effects of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD1 spore-crystal mixture on the adults of egg parasitoid Trichogramma evanescens (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

In the present study, the potential hazard of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) kurstaki HD1 spore-crystal mixture (spore/δ-endotoxin) on parasitization performance and longevity of female egg parasitoid Trichogramma evanescens Westwood was evaluated. For this purpose, Bt kurstaki HD1 was incubated at 30 °C in T3 medium at 200 rpm for seven days. Lyophilized spore-crystal mixture (5000 µg mL−1) was mixed with 50% honey solution and supplied to 0–24 h old T. evanescens adults as a nutrient to ensure the ingestion of the toxins by the parasitoids. The results indicated that spore-crystal mixture of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki (Btk) HD1 did not induce considerable decrease in parasitization performance and longevity of T. evanescens adults. Thus, it can be concluded that Btk HD1 products can safely be used together with egg parasitoid T. evanescens in integrated pest management system to compensate the deficiency of each control tactic alone.
Association of Candidate Genes with Production Traits in Korean Dairy Proven and Young Bulls

This study was performed to offer effective basic data for selection and improvement of Korean dairy cattle through identifying distributional properties among candidate genes (bovine butyrophilin, signal transducers and activators of transcription 5a, and prolactin hormone). In this study, polymorphisms of candidate genes were identified and the relationships between loci and production traits of each gene were analyzed using frozen semen of Holstein bulls (19 proven and 77 candidates). In butyrophilin (BTN) locus, polymorphisms information contents (PIC) value of BTN2 (0.372) was higher than those of others (BTN1; 0.155, BTN3; 0.254, BTN4; 0.169). As a result of analysis of genotyping STAT5a, using single stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) method and microsatellite locus, PIC values were 0.189 and 0.457, respectively. And PIC value of prolactin hormone gene was 0.176. In the relationships between genotypes and production traits, BTN3 was associated with 305-day production traits (p<0.05). PTAs for B allele were such as 110.43, 88.28 and 75.25 in BTN1, 3, 4 and these values were higher than those of A allele, but in the case of BTN2, A allele with 154.19 was higher than that of B allele. The results obtained from using candidate genes may be used as an useful index for the genetic improvement of dairy cattle population in Korea, and further studies are needed.
Applying dynamic multiple-objective optimization in inter-enterprise collaboration to improve the efficiency of energy wood transportation and storage

In Finland, VR Group (the state-owned railway company) provides third-party logistics services (3PLs) for industrial customers. Their current static, single-objective optimization model does not support inter-enterprise collaboration to achieve optimal railway logistics. In this study, I introduce a collaborative decision-support method that can be applied to manage railway traffic under a scenario of increasing imports of Russian wood. Based on the data obtained to support this research, I describe railway traffic strategy scenarios in terms of 3PLs to account for the changed energy wood transportation and storage needs related to imported Russian wood. In the scenarios, the railway wagon rotation was adjusted to reach a globally optimal strategy that achieves efficient wood procurement logistics for the Finnish forest industry. These decisions were based on a comprehensive logistics analysis of the integrated wood demand and a supply chain model for southeastern Finland in the context of collaborative decision-making among members of the logistics chain. The model, which is based on dynamic multiple-objective linear programming, supports inter-enterprise collaboration because the adaptation of Russian wood imports to the regional railway transportation environment will require continuous, integrated optimization of the flows of wood and railway wagons.
A field and experimental study on the tolerances of fish to Eucalyptus camaldulensis leachate and low dissolved oxygen concentrations

In intermittent streams, deteriorating water quality during drying influences fish survival but the specific effects of individual variables and their interactions are poorly known. During summer 2002 and 2004, fish were surveyed in isolated pools of two lowland intermittent streams in south-east Australia. Despite a low dissolved oxygen (DO, range = 0.4–6.8 mg L–1) and high dissolved organic carbon (DOC, 16–50 mg L–1) concentrations, assemblage composition and abundance of native fish appeared unaffected. In subsequent laboratory experiments, concentrations of DO and DOC were independently manipulated to identify better the tolerance of these species to extremes in environmental conditions. At low DOC concentrations (20 mg L–1), no significant effects were observed. At high DOC concentrations (50, 70 and 80 mg L–1), an interaction was observed between DOC and DO, with significant reductions in resistance (decreased time to loss of buoyancy). At extreme DOC concentrations (99 mg L–1), the effect of DO appeared to have been overridden by a strong effect from DOC (rapid loss of equilibrium). The thresholds observed suggest these species have a high resistance to ‘blackwater events’ caused by leaching of DOC from terrestrial leaf litter. Our findings are consistent with the observed tolerances of fish occupying habitats, both in Australia and elsewhere in the world, where extreme physicochemical conditions are a regular and predictable occurrence.
Optimising the design of artificial refuges for the Australian skink, Egernia stokesii

Western subspecies of the Australian skink Egernia stokesii are considered endangered and translocation to unoccupied areas of suitable habitat has been proposed as a conservation strategy. We investigated the internal structure of artificial refuges that might induce translocated lizards to remain at the site of release. In a laboratory environment, individual lizards were offered choices of alternative structures as refuges. They preferred deeper and narrower refuge structures, with a single entrance rather than two entrances. They showed a slight tendency to avoid PVC structures when plywood or brick paving alternatives were available. Soft sand or hard brick substrate were equally accepted. The results suggest that the use of brick pavers may be a practical management strategy to provide extra refuges for the lizards, but further trials are needed with a greater range of temperatures that are representative of field conditions.
The influence of light and water mass on bacterial population dynamics in the Amundsen Sea Polynya

Despite being perpetually cold, seasonally ice-covered and dark, the coastal Southern Ocean is highly productive and harbors a diverse microbiota. During the austral summer, ice-free coastal patches (or polynyas) form, exposing pelagic organisms to sunlight, triggering intense phytoplankton blooms. This strong seasonality is likely to influence bacterioplankton community composition (BCC). For the most part, we do not fully understand the environmental drivers controlling high-latitude BCC and the biogeochemical cycles they mediate. In this study, the Amundsen Sea Polynya was used as a model system to investigate important environmental factors that shape the coastal Southern Ocean microbiota. Population dynamics in terms of occurrence and activity of abundant taxa was studied in both environmental samples and microcosm experiments by using 454 pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes. We found that the BCC in the photic epipelagic zone had low richness, with dominant bacterial populations being related to taxa known to benefit from high organic carbon and nutrient loads (copiotrophs). In contrast, the BCC in deeper mesopelagic water masses had higher richness, featuring taxa known to benefit from low organic carbon and nutrient loads (oligotrophs). Incubation experiments indicated that direct impacts of light and competition for organic nutrients are two important factors shaping BCC in the Amundsen Sea Polynya.
A COMPARISON OF THE STARCHES FROM BARLEY AND MALTED BARLEY

Starch has been isolated from barley and malted barley of the same sample of cereal. The malted-barley starch had a higher apparent amylose content, a higher gelatinization temperature, and smaller granules than that from the original barley. Pre-treatment of the granules of both starches with liquid ammonia was necessary to achieve complete dispersion prior to fractionation into their component amylose and amylopectin. The amylose from the malted-barley starch was smaller in molecular size and had a higher β-amylolys! s limit than that from the barley. The amylopectin fractions differed with regard to average chain length and β-amylolysis limit, but they were of comparable molecular size. Calculation showed the two amylopectins to have similar internal chain-lengths, but different external chain-lengths, that for the malted-barley amylopectin being smaller. This suggests that the malted-barley amylopectin had been degraded by β-amylase to a limited extent. Subfractions of amylose obtained on successive aqueous leaching of both granular starches showed a decrease in β-amylolysis limit with increase in molecular size. The properties of the components from malted-barley starch can be satisfactorily accounted for by assuming limited β-amylolysis of the amylopectin and very limited α-amylolysis of the amytose in the original barley starch.
The Attention Span of a Fly

Evidence for selective attention in animals depends in part on the observation that brain responses are associated with a salient stimulus and suppressed for competing stimuli. However, salience is dynamic, and a previously unattended stimulus may in turn become salient after a period of time. Thus, a second feature of selective attention is that it is characterized by a measurable tempo of alternating responsiveness among competing percepts. Previous analyses of attention-like responses to visual novelty in the Drosophila brain are extended here to address alternating attention between ongoing, competing visual stimuli. A simple method for identifying and quantifying such ongoing attention-like states is outlined, and analysis of data from wild-type and dunce animals revealed a distinct temporal structure of alternations (an attention span) in these strains. In addition to providing insight into attention-like states of Drosophila variants, this method can also be applied to other insects to infer alternation dynamics in a variety of brains.
Phototropism : mechanisms and ecological implications

Abstract. Phototropism in seed plants, either etiolated or de-etiolated, is mediated by unidentified photoreceptor(s) sensitive to blue and near-UV regions of the light spectrum. Green plants may have an additional phototropic system sensitive to red light. Fluence-response studies of the blue light-sensitive phototropism, initially made on oat coleoptiles, have indicated the occurrence of multiple response types. Of those, two are found to be general: the first pulse-induced positive phototropism (fPIPP), or the so-called first positive curvature, and the time-dependent phototropism (TDP) or the second positive curvature. The fPIPP, elicited by a pulse stimulus shorter than a few minutes, is characterized by a bell-shaped fluence-response curve and the validity of reciprocity. The TDP, elicited by prolonged irradiation, is characterized by its dependence on the exposure time and the invalidity of reciprocity. Studies made on these two response types have revealed the following: (1) plants acquire directional light information for phototropism by sensing internal light gradients created by light scattering and absorption; (2) phototropism results from redistribution of growth, i.e. inhibition on the irradiated side and compensating stimulation on the shaded side; (3) lateral movement of growth regulators, the principle of the Cholodny-Went theory, can account for the growth redistribution, and auxin is clearly the mediating regulator in maize coleoptiles. This review further describes some mechanistic implications of fPIPP. Experimental results indicate that (1) fPIPP is mediated by a single step of photoreaction, (2) the responsiveness, reflected in the height of the fluenceresponse curve, is reduced by pre-irradiation with blue light and recovers gradually afterward, and (3) the light sensitivity, reflected in the position of the fluence-response curve along the log fluence axis, is also reduced by the pre-irradiation and recovers gradually. Analyses of these results, based on kinetic models, suggest that the bell-shaped fluence-response curve is caused by the difference in the amounts of a photoproduct between irradiated and shaded sides, and that fPIPP represents a mechanism of TDP. It is also indicated that phytochrome in the red-absorbing form exerts two separate effects on phototropism: reduction of the light sensitivity and enhancement of the responsiveness. Along with the discussion of the mechanisms of phototropism, their ecological implications are considered.