Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Applications of KOH-Aniline Blue Fluorescence in the Study of Plant-Fungal Interactions

A KOH-aniline blue technique for fluorescent staining of fungi in association with plant tissues was developed. The technique provided rapid, simple, and effective documentation of plant-fungal interactions with specimens representing the Deuteromycotina, Ascomycotina, Basidiomycotina, and Mastigomycotina. Applications of the technique were investigated, including documentation of host-penetration events, characteristics of host colonization, fungal reproduction, and detection of inoculum. In the standard KOH-aniline blue procedure, fresh specimens were autoclaved for 15 min at 121°C in 50 ml of 1 M KOH, rinsed in deionized water, mounted in the stain solution, and examined with ultraviolet fluorescence. The stain solution was prepared as 0.05% aniline blue dye (CI #42755 or CI #42780) in 0.067 M K 2 HPO 4 at pH 9.0. Modifications of the standard procedure also were tested, including use of variously preserved specimens, alteration of the KOH treatment, and moderate variation of the stain solution. The technique produced a high degree of resolution and contrast between hyphae and host-plant tissues. The resulting documentation supported previous observations and, in some cases, provided new information about the nature of specific host-pathogen interactions.
Growth response of branches of Picea sitchensis to four years exposure to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration

Branch bags were used to expose branches on mature Sitka spruce trees to either ambient [CO2] (A) or elevated [CO2] (E) for 4 yr. This paper reports the effects of this treatment on the growth, development and phenology of the branches, including shoot expansion, shoot numbers, needle dimensions, needle numbers and stomatal density. The effect of elevated [CO2] on the relationship between leaf area and sapwood area was investigated. Exposure to elevated [CO2] doubled photosynthetic rates in current-year shoots and, despite some down-regulation, 1-yr-old E shoots also had higher rates of photosynthesis than their A counterparts. Thus, the amount of assimilate fixed by E branches was substantially more than that fixed by A branches; however, this increase in the local production of assimilate did not lead to an increase in non-structural carbohydrate or stimulate growth or meristematic activity within the E branches. There was a very consistent relationship between leaf area and stem cross-sectional area that was not influenced by [CO2]. However, unbagged branches had thicker stems than bagged branches, resulting in a slightly lower ratio of leaf area to cross-sectional area. The implications of the results for the modelling of growth and allocation and the potential utility of the branch bag technique are discussed.
Ecology and Habitat Selection of a Woodland Caribou Population in West-central Manitoba, Canada

Abstract This study examines the ecology of Rangifer tarandus caribou (woodland caribou) in the Naosap range in west-central Manitoba, Canada. This population is considered to be of high conservation concern because of potential resource-development impacts; therefore, baseline data are required to guide and evaluate the management of this species in this area. Radio-telemetry data were collected every two weeks from February 1998 to April 2001 and used in combination with forest-inventory data to evaluate habitat selection, site fidelity, movement, and grouping patterns. In both summer and winter, selected habitats were mature upland spruce and pine forests, as well as treed muskeg. Hardwood forests were least selected at all scales. Mature coniferous forest was preferred over immature coniferous forests in a pair-wise comparison in winter, but not in summer. Home-range sizes were within expected ranges of variation. Animals used distinct areas in summer and winter, showing broad fidelity to seasonal ranges. However, small shifts in the core areas were observed, particularly in winter. Movement rates and grouping behavior were typical of other caribou. Habitats used in winter were common in the study area, but the ability of the animals to disperse to alternate winter areas is not known. Management efforts could focus on protecting known calving and winter-use areas, and regenerating coniferous forests after logging, which is consistent with regional forest-management objectives.
Effects of Changes in Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) Density and Interseeding with Red Clover (Trifolium pratense L.) on the Competitive Ability of Flax Against Brassica Weeds

A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the competitive ability of flax against Brassica weeds. Two densities of flax, either with or without red clover, and either with or without Brassica were sown. The presence of Brassica decreased seed yield for flax by 15–30%. The flax sown at the high density and interseeded with red clover improved the crop's competitive ability from the early growth stages. The early competition between flax and the weed was reflected in a smaller (about 30–50%) production of seeds and shoots in Brassica plants at the end of their cycle, which suggests a lower capture of resources when weeds did not grow alone. In one year, both high density and interseeding with red clover resulted in an increased capture of N by the crop and a reduced accumulation of N in seeds of Brassica. These findings indicate that the crop suppressed the growth of weeds, affecting future weed abundance.
Characterization of a thermostable recombinant β-galactosidase from a thermophilic anaerobic bacterial consortium YTY-70

In the present study, a thermophilic anaerobic bacterial consortium YTY-70 that produced thermostable β-galactosidase was isolated from a hot spring in Yongtai (Fujian, China). Based on 16S rRNA sequences, we concluded that Caldicellulosiruptor was the predominant genus in the studied bacterial consortium. Subsequently, a thermostable β-galactosidase gene was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli as a fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase. The recombinant enzyme exhibited a maximum activity at an optimum pH of 7.0 and an optimum temperature of 75 °C. It had a high activity across a broad pH range (between pH 5.0 and pH 9.0) and high thermal stability at temperatures up to 90 °C. The activity of the recombinant β-galactosidase was enhanced by TritonX-100, Tween-20 and 1 mmol/L 2-mercaptoethanol, while it was inhibited by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, sodium dodecyl sulphate, phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride and 10 mmol/L 2-Me. The enzyme's catalytic function was enhanced by the following metal ions: Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ba2+, Ca2+, Fe2+, Zn2+, Mn2+, Al3+, Cu2+, Fe3+ and Li+. The thermostable β-galactosidase might be a promising candidate for use in food industries, particularly for the dairy industry and biosynthesis of galacto-oligosaccharides, due to its high thermostability and broad pH range.
Host‐finding behaviour of Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Col., Bostrichidae): primary attraction or random attack?

Host‐finding behaviour of Prostephanus truncatus was evaluated in a four‐choice olfactometer for reactions to odours of maize, cassava chips, wheat, cowpea (a non‐host plant), and woody plant species in which reproduction has been observed, and of organisms associated with maize stores. P. truncatus reacted in general to odours from starchy commodities and to some of the woody plants. Beetles did not respond to volatiles from cowpea or organisms associated with maize stores, but did react to the aggregation pheromone produced by single male P. truncatus (secondary attraction). P. truncatus raised on cassava and emigrants from maize responded as strongly to maize odours as beetles raised on maize, whereas P. truncatus trapped with pheromone traps showed reduced or no reactions. Stored commodities seem to elicit short‐range arrestment, but not primary attraction at long range. However, stored products might only be attacked facultatively by P. truncatus, co‐evolved primary attraction could possibly exist to the native host‐plant complex.
Diversity among North American Spring Barley Cultivars Based on Coefficients of Parentage

Maintenance of genetic diversity is an important safeguard against vulnerabitity to biotic and abiotic stresses. The coefficients of parentage, r, among cultivars computed from known pedigree information can be used as an index of genetic diversity. Because of the emphasis placed on developing barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars for the malting and brewing industry, it seemed likely that barley may have a narrower gene pool than other crop species where less emphasis has been placed on quality traits
The long-horned beetles of south Florida (Cerambycidae: Coleoptera): biogeography and relationships with the Bahama Islands and Cuba

South Florida is a floral and faunal transition zone between the Nearctic region and the West Indian part of the Neotropical region. Ninety-one species of Cerambycidae are known from the south Florida mainland and 53 species of Cerambycidae from the Florida Keys. The cerambycid fauna of south Florida is about equally of Neotropical (53%) and Nearctic origin (47%). Since the Florida Keys were entirely submerged several times in the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs, the present cerambycid fauna is predominantly the result of late Pleistocene – Holocene overland dispersal from south-central Florida and overwater dispersal from the West Indies (Bahama Islands and Cuba). Species–area and species–distance relationships for the islands form significant regression lines as predicted by the equilibrium theory of island biogeography. 'The presence of a "distance effect" is surprising, since it is usually considered that only during the past 10 000 years has the southern tip of the Florida peninsula been fragmented i.
Growth-Based Approach to Modeling the Developmental Rate of Arthropods

The developmental rate of insects is an important parameter in studies of insect population dynamics as well as in biological and chemical control of agricultural pests. Traditionally, models used to predict developmental rates are empirical functions of temperature. Such models are limited from a theoretical perspective because they are not explanatory and fail to include the known effects of variables other than temperature in determining developmental rate. A new approach is developed here that is based on the assumption that each species has a characteristic size (mass) at the completion of its larval or nymphal stage and that the rate of growth to this ultimate size determines the rate of development. Growth rate is modeled as a function of consumption rate and respiration (influenced by temperature) as well as approximate digestibility (influenced by diet quality). An analytic solution of this growth rate model gives the developmental rate as a function of temperature and diet quality. This approach was applied to a grasshopper, Melanoplus sanguinipes . Reasonable parameter choices generated a realistic developmental rate curve. Advantages of this approach over previous models include (1) the model is mechanistic and explanatory, (2) development is a function of nutrition as well as temperature, (3) the parameters have clear ecological meanings and are, for the most part, directly measurable, and (4) variable weight at the end of the life stage can be included in the model.
The genomics of natural selection and adaptation: Christmas past, present and future(?)

Background: Genomic analyses are being applied to ‘non-model’ species. These complexes are now ‘models’ for applying genomic approaches to test evolutionary hypotheses. These approaches have revealed the genetic underpinnings of natural selection and adaptation. Aims: We wish to illustrate that the newest techniques in genomics would not be possible without older technological and methodological advances. We also point to the necessity for detailed phenotypic information to reveal the genomics of natural selection and adaptation. Methods: We review studies starting with Watson and Crick through the definition of the polymerase chain reaction to illustrate how newer technologies rest on the platform of older discoveries. We review studies from two plant clades that illustrate various genomic approaches taken to test for natural selection and adaptive evolution. Results: We find that older and newer genomic methodological approaches are necessary to dissect the genetics of natural selection and adaptation. Conclusions: The basis for the newest genomic technologies continues to rest on much older methodological advances. It is not possible to understand the genomic components affecting natural selection and adaptation without phenotypic and genomic data. When such data are combined, they reflect a powerful approach for understanding the mode and tempo of selection and adaptation.
Microbial ACC-Deaminase: Prospects and Applications for Inducing Salt Tolerance in Plants

Salinity is one of the most important stresses that hamper agricultural productivity in nearly every part of the world. Enhanced biosynthesis of ethylene in plants under salinity stress is well established. Higher ethylene concentration inhibits root growth and ultimately affects the overall plant growth. Overcoming this ethylene-induced root inhibition is a prerequisite for successful crop production. Recent studies have shown that ethylene level in plants is regulated by a key enzyme 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylicacid (ACC)-deaminase. This enzyme is present in plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPR) and lowers the ethylene level by metabolizing its precursor ACC into α-ketobutyrate and ammonia (NH3). Inoculation of plants under salinity stress with PGPR having ACC-deaminase activity mitigates the inhibitory effects of salinity on root growth by lowering the ethylene concentration in the plant. This in turn results in prolific root growth, which is beneficial for the uptake of nutrients and maintenance of growth under stressful environment. The present review critically discusses the effects of salinity stress on plant growth with special reference to ethylene production and the effects of rhizobacteria containing ACC-deaminase on crop improvement under salinity stress. It also discusses how much progress has been made in producing transgenic lines of different crops over-expressing the gene encoding ACC-deaminase and how far such transformed lines can tolerate salinity stress.
Characterisation of the ethanol‐inducible alc gene expression system for transgenic plants

Summary We describe a chemically induced gene control mechanism for plants based on the ALCR transcription factor and alcA promoter of Aspergillus nidulans, which we have called the alc system. Ethanol, the chemical inducer, is not toxic at levels required for induction, and can be applied to the plants by spraying, root drenching and addition to liquid growth media. The alc system is very sensitive to ethanol and the induction is rapid; 0.01% (1.7 mM) ethanol in liquid growth media initiates chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) reporter gene expression within 4 h, with maximal expression occurring after 4 days. In the complete absence of ethanol, there is no detectable expression of CAT, nor do we observe induction in plants subjected to wound, cold or drought stress, or following treatment with either salicylic acid or methyl jasmonate. However, extreme anoxia resulting in elevated levels of alcohol dehydrogenase activity in both roots and leaves gave substantial induction of CAT in leaves but not in roots. We believe that the alc system will have broad utility in the exogenous control of plant gene expression in pure science and that it also has considerable potential in agriculture.
Ilhas de vegetação em afloramentos de quartzito-arenito no Morro do Pai Inácio, Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brasil

ABSTRACT – (Islands of vegetation on quartzite-sandstone outcrops, Pai Inacio Mountain, Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil). Islands of vegetation on rocky surfaces were studied on two plateaus at Pai Inacio Mountain (41°28’; 12°27’S) in the ChapadaDiamantina. Both plateaus have quartzite-sandstone outcrops interspersed with sandy, acidic soils at the summit between 1,100 and1,170 meters above sea level, with a well-defined dry season. Islands are defined as clumps of one or more species of vascular plantscompletely surrounded by a rocky surface devoid of vascular plants. The study included 39 vegetation islands of different sizes on eachplateau, with 63 herb and shrub species, of which 22 are common to both plateaus. Liliopsida species had the highest abundance,frequency and dominance, with Velloziaceae, Cyperaceae, Orchidaceae, Bromeliaceae, and Guttiferae families predominating on bothplateaus. The chamaephyte life-form was also predominant. Similar species richness was detected on both plateaus, with most of theislands composed of up to five species. Four species groups were revealed using UPGMA and Jaccard´s similarity index, two groupswith species typical of sunlit islands, one group with species from shadier sites, and a fourth composed of more generalist species. The
The Importance of the Human Face in Risk Perception by Black Iguanas, Ctenosaura similis

Black iguanas (Ctenosaura similis) are eaten by humans and other predators throughout Central America. The importance of a human face to the avoidance and fleeing behavior of black iguanas was examined using an approaching person as the stimulus. Iguanas were exposed to an approaching person either with an exposed face or with the face covered with hair. In the latter case the iguanas received the conflicting stimuli of a person both approaching, yet appearing to retreat. Iguanas moved earlier, ran earlier, and ran farther when the approaching person had an exposed face compared to a face hidden by hair. For iguanas exposed to a face there were significant correlations between the escape behaviors; iguanas that moved and ran earlier also ran farther. However, for iguanas exposed to the hair there were no significant correlations among escape behaviors.
Two-Sex Models: Chaos, Extinction, and Other Dynamic Consequences of Sex

Most demographic models consider only one sex, usually the female. The widespread occurrence of sexual dimorphism in life history traits and the occurrence of skewed and fluctuating sex ratios suggest that one-sex models or those dominated by one sex may often be less appropriate than two-sex models. Reproduction in two-sex models is a frequency-dependent nonlinear function (the birth or marriage function) of the relative abundance of males and females. In this paper, we examine the population dynamics resulting from three different two-sex, discrete-time, population-projection models. For a large class of birth functions, models without inter-stage mate competition are shown to converge to a locally stable adult sex ratio. Formulas for the stable population structure, stable sex ratio, and reproductive value at equilibrium are derived. When individuals of different stages compete for mates, the equilibrium population structure may become unstable. A sequence of bifurcations then occurs, leading to periodic oscillations, quasi-periodic fluctuations, and chaos as the intensity of competition increases. Finally, when per capita fecundity is a sigmoid function of the relative abundance of the other sex, perturbations of the sex ratio may lead to extinction.
The relationships among MFO, glutathione S-transferases, and phoxim resistance in Helicoverpa armigera.

Abstract Relationships among MFO, glutathione S-transferases, and phoxim resistance in Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) were studied. The bioassay results showed that pretreatment of piperonyl butoxide (PBO), O,O-diethyl-O-phenylthiophosphate (SV1), and diethyl maleate (DEM) could increase the toxicity of phoxim in the resistant strain. PBO and SV1 both significantly increased the toxicity of phoxim in R strain; the synergistic ratio (SR) was 3.1- and 6.4-fold, respectively. DEM also had significant synergism on R and S strains; the SR was 6.9- and 2.3-fold, respectively. Relationships among MFO, glutathione S-transferases, and phoxim resistance were determined by biochemistry assay. The results showed that MFO was important for phoxim resistance. The activities of aldrin epoxidase and pNA O-demethylase in the resistant strain were much higher than those in the susceptible strain; the differences were 2.30- and 3.40-fold, respectively, when enzyme activity is expressed in units of μmol/mg protein/30 min. O-Demethylase might play a more important role than the epoxidase in phoxim-resistant H. armigera. A significant increase in GST activity in the resistant strain was examined and it implied that there is a strong correlation between the enzyme activity and resistance to phoxim.
The effects of intra-amnionic feeding of arginine and/or β-hyroxy-β-methylbutyrate on jejunal gene expression in the turkey embryo and hatchling.

In-ovo Feeding (IOF), injecting nutrients into the amnion of the developing embryo may enhance post-hatch growth by enhancing intestinal expression and function prior to hatch. This hypothesis was evaluated with IOF solutions of Arginine (ARG), HMB and Egg White Protein (EW) in turkeys. Four treatments were arranged as a factorial of 2 levels of ARG (0 and 0.7%) and HMB (0 and 0.1%). An IOF solution of EW (18%) was evaluated for contrast. At 23 d of incubation (23E) each IOF solution was injected into the amnion. Upon hatch all poults were fed ad libitum. Intestinal mRNA of the digestion/absorption related genes Sodium Glucose Transporter (SGLT), Peptide transporter (Pept), Sucrase-isomaltase (SI) and Aminopepdiase (AP) were determined at 25E, hatch, 3 and 7 d by real-time PCR analysis. The data was analyzed as a 2X2 factorial and 1-way ANOVA for contrast. There were significant ARG X HMB effects on Pept, SGLT, SI and AP mRNA levels at hatch. IOF HMB alone enhanced Pept, SGLT, SI and AP intestinal mRNA expression at hatch, whereas inclusion of ARG depressed expression. There were main and independent effects of HMB or ARG on mRNA expression of SI and AP at 25E, in which ARG alone depressed expression, while IOF HMB alone had no effect on SI or AP expression. These results suggest that IOF may enhance early growth by improving intestinal capacity to digest and absorb nutrients at hatch which may fuel more rapid post-hatch growth.
Residual Stresses Measurement in Hollow Samples Using Contour Method

Residual stresses are created usually undesirably during manufacturing processes, including casting, welding, metal forming, etc. Residual stresses alone or in combination with other factors can cause the destruction and fracture of components or significant decline in their service life. Therefore, it is crucial to measure the residual stresses. Contour method is a destructive testing method capable of measuring residual stresses of the cut surface along with being simple and low-cost. This method is able to create a two-dimensional map of residual stresses perpendicular to the sectioned surface. Measuring hollow samples is still a dilemma when using the contour method. In this study, hollow cylindrical samples with inner diameters of 20 and 40 mm were quenched at temperatures of 300oC, 400oC, and 850oC. Both numerical analyses and experimental measurements were performed for the samples. The contour method was practiced for both hollow and filled samples. Overall review of the results was promising. However, the results obtained in the vicinity of the edges illustrated large deviations. Steel shafts were inserted to cylindrical holes to rectify the lack of constraint near the edges. The measurements on the filled samples were greatly improved.