Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Can the parasitic weeds Striga asiatica and Rhamphicarpa fistulosa co‐occur in rain‐fed rice?

Striga asiatica and Rhamphicarpa fistulosa are important parasitic weeds of rain-fed rice, partly distributed in similar regions in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It is not evident whether their ecologies are mutually exclusive or partially overlapping. In Kyela, a rice-growing area in south Tanzania where both parasites are present, three transects of about 3 km each across the upland–lowland continuum were surveyed in June 2012 and 2013. A total of 36 fields were categorised according to their position on the upland–lowland continuum as High, Middle or Low and soil samples were taken. In each field, parasitic and non-parasitic weed species were identified in three quadrats. Additionally, in two pot experiments with four different moisture levels ranging from wilting point to saturation, influence of soil moisture on emergence and growth of parasites was investigated. Striga asiatica was observed in higher lying drier fields, while R. fistulosa was observed in the lower lying wetter fields. Furthermore, non-parasitic weed species that were exclusive to S. asiatica-infested fields are adapted to open well-drained soils, while species that were exclusive to R. fistulosa fields are typical for wet soils. The experiments confirmed that S. asiatica is favoured by free-draining soils and R. fistulosa by waterlogged soils. These results imply that changes in climate, specifically moisture regimes, will be crucial for future prevalence of these parasitic weeds. The non-overlapping ecological range between their habitats suggests that their distribution and associated problems might remain separate. Thus, management strategies can be focused independently on either species.
Effect of Gelatin on Heparin Regulation of Cytokine Release from Hyaluronan-Based Hydrogels

The hypothesis that incorporation of small amounts (0.3% w/w) of modified heparin in thiol-modified hyaluronan or HA and gelatin hydrogels would regulate release of cytokine growth factors (GFs) from those gels has been investigated in vitro. In addition, the physiologic response to gel implantation has been evaluated in vivo. Tests were performed with 6 GFs: basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), keratinocyte growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor-AA (PDGF), and transforming growth factor-β 1. Release profiles for all 6 over several weeks were well fit by first order exponential kinetics (R2 > 0.9 for all cases). The most remarkable result of the experiment was a dramatic variation in the total mass ultimately released, which varied from as much as 90.2% of the initial load for bFGF to as little as 1.8% for PDGF, a 45-fold difference. Furthermore, gels containing either VEGF of Ang-1 produced twice the vascularization response in vivo as gels not containing a growth factor. Thus, those GFs maintained strong physiologic effectiveness.
The current surgical treatment of pancreatic cancer in China: a national wide cross-sectional study

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the current status of pancreatic cancer patients undoing surgical treatment in China and to find ways to improve the survival of these patients in the future. Methods: This study is a national, multicenter, cross-sectional study in China. Information regarding pancreatic cancer patients undergoing surgical treatment from 34 high-volume tertiary IIIA level hospitals was collected and analyzed from the March 1, 2016 to the February 28, 2017. Results: In total, 2200 pancreatic cancer patients were enrolled from 34 tertiary IIIA level hospitals in 16 provinces across China. The male-to-female ratio was 1.5. More than 80% of the patients were between 50 and 70 years old. The top 4 symptoms were epigastric discomfort, abdominal pain, jaundice, and weight loss. Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and carcinoembryonic antigen were elevated in 70.9% and 27.1% of patients, respectively. A multidisciplinary team (MDT) discussion was carried out for 35.0% of patients before surgery. The proportion of minimally invasive pancreatic surgeries was approximately 20%. A total of 83.4% of the operations achieved R0 resection, and the incidence of grade 3/4 postoperative complications was 7.7%. Only 13.4% of the patients received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. The percentage of pathological stage I tumors was only 24.5%. Conclusion: The majority of pancreatic cancer patients undergoing surgical resection in China are in an advanced stage. The MDT consultations for pancreatic cancer have not been widely carried out. R0 resection has been achieved in most cases, with relatively low incidence of serious complications, but minimally invasive pancreatic surgery should be further promoted. The application of postoperative chemotherapy remains low. This national, multicentre, cross-sectional study comprehensively presents the current status of pancreatic cancer patients undergoing surgical treatment and shows the road to improve survival of these patients in the future.
Efficiency of marker-assisted selection for ascochyta blight in chickpea

SUMMARY The extent to which markers have been used in chickpea breeding programmes has not been clearly determined. In the current study, phenotypic and marker-assisted selection (MAS) were employed to select blight resistant genotypes, comparing the effectiveness of both methods. The phenotypic evaluation showed that the resistance could be recessive in the material employed. However, the high distorted segregation towards the susceptible parent detected on linkage group four (LG4) could also explain the phenotype distribution of resistance. Phenotypic selection in F2:4 and F2:5 generations lead to an increase in the frequency of the allele associated with the resistance of the markers CaETR and GAA47, indicating the usefulness of these markers for MAS. The markers TA72 and SCY17 could be also useful for MAS but the high distorted segregation towards the susceptible parent in the region where these markers are located could explain their low effectiveness. The costs associated with phenotypic selection and MAS for ascochyta blight resistance during three cycles of selection are presented in the current study, showing that MAS was more expensive than phenotypic selection. Nevertheless, the use of markers reduced the time taken to select resistant lines. The markers analysed in the current study were useful to select genotypes resistant to ascochyta blight in chickpea breeding programmes, allowing pyramiding genes or quantitative trait loci (QTL) related to different pathotypes. It is recommended that MAS should be employed in early generations of chickpea breeding programmes for the four QTL analysed because this makes it possible to develop populations with a high frequency of the favourable alleles conferring resistance to blight.
ZOSTEROPHYLLUM FROM THE LOWER OLD RED SANDSTONE OF SOUTH WALES

The plant is found in the Senni Beds of the Lower Old Red Sandstone of South Wales (= Siegenian-Emsian). Details of the morphology and anatomy of both sterile and fertile parts are given, together with an account of the spores. The plant is thought to be closely related to Zosterophyllum fertile erected by Leclercq in 1942, but as this species is known from a single fructification, it is concluded that the new plant, for the moment, should be called Z. cf. fertile.
DOES MALLARD CLUTCH SIZE VARY WITH LANDSCAPE COMPOSITION: A DIFFERENT VIEW

Abstract We report on the relationship between Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) clutch size and cropland area in the landscape in western Minnesota during 1997–1999. We measured clutch size in two types of nest structures and fit a mixed-effects model to the data to examine the relationship. Our model also included covariates to control for the effects of year, nest initiation date, estimated pair numbers, and nest structure type. Unique landscapes associated with each nest (n = 134) ranged from 46.4–84.8% cropland. Clutch size was unrelated to cropland area, nest structure type, and estimated number of pairs with access to structures. Mean clutch size declined with nest initiation date early in the nesting season, but increased somewhat for nests initiated after 30 May. Clutch size also differed among years. Mean clutch size, adjusted for nest initiation date, was 11.0 ± 0.19 SE for 1997, 10.5 ± 0.19 SE for 1998, and 11.0 ± 0.19 SE for 1999. Conclusions regarding the significance of the year effect and the degree of nonlinearity due to nest initiation date were sensitive to potential clutch size outliers, but cropland area had no effect on clutch size regardless of the way we constrained clutch size. Nest parasitism by philopatric females laying in certain structures might explain the observed increase in clutch size in late nest initiations.
Life history and allozyme variation in populations of the weed species Setaria faberi

Life-history features and allozyme variation were examined among and within eight populations of Setaria faberi collected at the northern limits of its distribution range from 39 to 45° N latitude. Statistically significant variation among the eight populations was evident for all 16 characters relating to morphology, phenology, and growth characteristics of the plants. Very low levels of allozyme variation were detected in the eight populations, i.e., only 3 of the 22 loci surveyed were polymorphic. Nine multilocus genotypes were present. Six of the eight populations contained a single genotype, whereas the most variable population (A) contained eight genotypes. Estimates of within-population variation of nine life-history features indicated that population A was the most variable with 7 of 9 characters showing statistically significant among-family variation.
The Caloglossa leprieurii Complex (Delesseriaceae, Rhodophyta) in the Americas: the Elucidation of Overlooked Species Based on Molecular and Morphological Evidence

Abstract The red algal genus Caloglossa (Delesseriaceae, Ceramiales) in the New World is represented by Caloglossa leprieurii sensu lato. The earliest name for any species in the genus, other than the basionym Delesseria leprieurii, is Apiarium apiculum. On the basis of comparative morphological data, and rbcL and LSU rDNA sequence analyses, the C. leprieurii complex in the New World is found to include four species: C. leprieurii, C. apomeiotica, C. apicula comb, nov., and C. ruetzleri sp. nov. The four species can be distinguished by subtle vegetative characters, including rhizoid morphology, the degree of constriction at the thallus nodes, presence or absence of adventitious branches, number of cell rows cut off from the first axial cell of the main axis, and the position of the cystocarp on the blades. A dichotomous key highlights the diagnostic vegetative characters to separate species of the C. leprieurii complex that occur in the Americas. Caloglossa leprieurii is a tropical species from the Caribbean Sea, the Indian Ocean and the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean. Caloglossa ruetzleri is apparently restricted to the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, C. apomeiotica to the eastern Pacific and southern Atlantic Oceans, and C. apicula the Western Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Indian Ocean.
Why is age determination of Baltic cod (Gadus morhua) so difficult

The aim of this study was to evaluate the consistency of three methods for assigning annuli in adult Baltic cod otoliths. The methods examined were (i) daily increment patterns, (ii) opacity profiles, and (iii) traditional age reading. Frequency distributions of the distance from the nucleus to the different zones showed that the first annulus of traditional age reading missed the first zone of both increment and opacity methods, but overlapped with the second zone identified by these methods. This pattern did not continue over subsequent zones. Frequency distributions of increment patterns were similar to opacity patterns. However, within individual fish, the co-occurrence of overlap between the two patterns was random. In cases where there was overlap, translucent zone formation started just before the disappearance of visible increments. Overlap in 1 year did not necessarily lead to a consistent pattern the following year, and overlap was not influenced by sex or fish size. The results suggest that otolith opacity in Baltic cod is not associated with seasonal patterns in daily increment structure and that traditional age determination based on otolith opacity yields highly uncertain estimates of age.
Assessing innovativeness in the North American softwood sawmilling industry using three methods

Using a mail questionnaire targeted at 500 softwood sawmills in the United States and Canada, firm innovativeness was assessed using three methods: (1) current technology, (2) self-evaluation, and (3) a new scale — the propensity to create and adopt scale. The results of these three methods were then compared to assess the performance of each method. Additionally, the relationship between firm innovativeness and financial performance was examined. Based on responses from 85 sawmills (19% adjusted response rate), the results show that both the self-evaluated and the propensity to create and adopt measures differentiate between mills with high and low levels of innovativeness. The composite of the propensity to create and adopt scale shows higher reliability (Chronbach’s α = 0.97) than the self-evaluated scale (Chronbach’s α = 0.68). Significant relationships between sawmill performance and each of the three measures of innovativeness were seen, with the propensity to create and adopt scale generally having.
A sex-specific behavioral syndrome in a wild passerine

The direction of covariation in behavioral traits (a behavioral syndrome) is typically the same in males and females, although intersexual differences in life history could lead to intersexual heterogeneity in syndrome structure. We explored whether a behavioral syndrome was the same in both sexes. We recorded 2 metrics of nest defense in wild blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus: 1) Nest defense of a female around the time her eggs hatch (hatching defense), 2) nest defense of the male and female parent when their offspring was 16 days old (nestling defense), and 3) handling aggression. We used repeated records of these behaviors collected on 392 females and 363 males during 2007–2012 in a hierarchical mixed model to separate the between-individual from the residual (co)variances. We find that 1) hatching defense is not repeatable across breeding seasons (but highly repeatable within years). 2) Nestling defense intensity is 38% repeatable in males and females. 3) Contrary to our expectation, females that defended their nestlings more intensively were less aggressive when being handled (negative between-individual correlation), but 4) nestling defense and handling aggression showed a positive between-individual correlation in males although nonsignificantly. These correlations were completely masked on the phenotypic level by a low residual correlation. Individuals may hence display repeatable and correlated aggressive behavior in different contexts, but the direction of this syndrome may differ between the sexes. Intersexual heterogeneity in animal personality and syndrome structure remains poorly understood, and our findings hence urge future work to explicitly consider this heterogeneity.
Two MADS‐box genes from perennial ryegrass are regulated by vernalization and involved in the floral transition

Many plants in temperate regions have a requirement for vernalization in order to initiate the reproductive growth phase. In cereals, this requirement has been linked to the VRN1 locus, which encodes an APETALA1-like (AP1-like) MADS-box gene. In perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), we have isolated two MADS-box genes that are regulated by vernalization, LpMADS1, which co-localize to the VRN1 locus in ryegrass, and LpMADS10, which is an SVP-like MADS-box gene. In the shoot apex, LpMADS1 is increasingly induced by cold exposure, whereas LpMADS10 is increasingly repressed. Comparison of LpMADS1 promoter regions from several ryegrass varieties, with and without vernalization requirement, suggests that a putative MADS-box protein-binding site (CArG-box) might be important for the vernalization-regulated expression of LpMADS1. Although the LpMADS10 expression pattern suggests it to be involved in floral repression, ectopic expression of LpMADS10 did neither affect flowering time significantly in Arabidopsis thaliana nor in L. perenne. Interestingly, we found that LpMADS1 interacts with LpMADS10 in a yeast two-hybrid assay. This finding is discussed in regard to the regulation of vernalization response in perennial ryegrass.
Cerebellar Synaptopathy in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

There is an increasing amount of evidence that supports the diabetic complications of the central nervous system structure and function. The cerebellum, which is one of the primary structure derived from the hindbrain, plays an important ro le in motor control, motor coordination, and non-motor functions, such as cognitive processing. The synapse is a critical structure t ha reg lates neuronal communication, and well-defined afferent and efferent fibre connections in the cerebellum help in maintaining the prop er working order. Thus, the present study sought to investigate the long-term effects of diabetes-induced synaptopathy in the cere bellum, using both histological and ultrastructural studies. Twenty Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided randomly into control and dia betic groups, and diabetes was then induced through a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg body weight). Six month later, the rats were sacrificed and the cerebellum was removed. Light and electron microscopic examinations showed a degenerati on of Purkinje cells (Neuron purkinjense) with shrunken cells, pyknotic nuclei, and synaptopathy, including the reduction in synapse density, number of synaptic vesicles, and maturation of synapses in the molecular layer of diabetic cerebellum. The disruptions in synap tic profiles, which observed in the diabetic condition, could be related to cerebellar dysfunction, thus leading to the defects in coordinated movement, balance, as well as cognitive learning and memory.
Growth performance and carcass drip loss and water holding capacity of broilers fed low density diets supplemented with liquid multi-vitamins and amino acids during periods of stress.

Two hundred eighty day-old broiler chicks were raised up to 35 days to compare the growth performance, drip loss and water holding capacity of the meat of broiler chicken fed normal and low density diets supplemented with liquid multi-vitamins and amino acids (LMVAA) in drinking water during periods of stress. The birds were distributed into four treatments following a Completely Randomized Design. Results showed that the group fed low density diet had similar growth performance compared with normal density diet. During the starter and finisher phases, higher (P<0.05) body weight, gain in weight, and feed consumption were noted in the group fed normal density diet. Highest income over feed and chick cost was noted in the group fed low density diet. This indicates that LMVAA supplementation in drinking water only during the 1st week of life and at 21st to 23rd day of age tends to compensate for poor nutrition and constant exposure to heat stress. However, it failed to improve drip loss and water holding capacity of the meat when supplemented during the last two days prior to harvest. Keywords: broiler growth, diet density, drip loss, liquid multivitamins-amino acids, water holding capacity
Interaction of trace metals Zn, Cd, and Mn, with Ca concretions in the gills of freshwater unionid mussels

The interaction of Zn, Mn, and Cd with Ca concretions in the gills of unionid mussels was investigated. Raising blood levels of these ions to twice their normal values for a week does not result in significant deposition of these metals into gill concretions. The interaction of Zn with the concretions was examined in more detail both in vivo and in vitro. Isolated concretions bind Zn as rapidly as Ca. However short-term in vivo labelling studies using radiolabeled Zn and Ca verify that Zn is not added to concretions while Ca is being rapidly accumulated. These studies demonstrate that calcium concretions from the gills of unionid mussels do not indiscriminately bind divalent cations, but precisely regulate the species of divalent cation incorporated. This is further evidenced by the lack of relationship between blood or pond water cation levels and the levels of specific cations found in the concretions. Since the concretions are mobilized during the reproductive period, and serve as a source of glochidia.
Effects of sowing date on plant establishment and bolting and the influence of these factors on yields of sugar beet

This study examined the effect of early sowing of sugar beet on plant establishment, bolting and yield and whether or not the standard of establishment and degree of bolting determined the most appropriate harvesting sequence. At Arthur Rickwood Experimental Husbandry Farm four experiments were made between 1974 and 1978 testing four sowing dates of four varieties each harvested on three occasions during the autumn. At Broom's Barn three dates of sowing of two varieties were tested in three experiments between 1976 and 1978. Sowing dates throughout the experiments covered a range from late February to late April. Also, at Broom's Barn in 1977 there were many bolters (plants which have a tall, flower-bearing stem) where the crop was sown on 4 March. The effects of bolter-control treatments, either cutting down the inflorescence or removing the plant, on sugar yield were compared. Sowing before mid-March often resulted in very gappy crops and many bolters; in consequence yields were seriously reduced. Late-March sowings were almost free from plant establishment problems and, where the bolting-resistant variety ‘Nomo’ was used, bolters were few; yields of Nomo were greater than where sown in early April. Progressively more yield was lost by delaying sowing throughout April. Variation in the extent of bolting between sites, seasons and sowing-date treatments was accounted for by variation in the number of cool days (with a maximum temperature of less than 12 °C) after sowing. Yield was lost at a rate of 0·7% for every 1% of bolters over the range 5–40% bolting. During the autumn, crops at Arthur Rickwood which had more than 5% bolters and/or less than 60000 plants/ha gained 0·45 t/ha less sugar than did those with full, bolterfree plant stands. In 1977 many of the early-sown plants bolted; pulling the bolters or cutting the inflorescences improved yield, but not sufficiently to raise yields to the level produced by later-sown, bolter-free crops.