Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparative leaf development of aerial and aquatic growth forms of Myriophyllum aquaticum

Myriophyllum aquaticum (Vell.) Verdc. produces two morphologically different forms of leaves based on whether they are aerial or aquatic. The objective of this study was to determine whether there are any similarities or differences between these two growth forms during their early stages of development. A comparative developmental study of aerial and aquatic growth forms of M. aquaticum was conducted from a qualitative and quantitative perspective using a scanning electron microscope. The pattern of leaf and lobe initiation such as their origin and shape were similar in both growth forms until the fourth plastochron (stage P4). Differences between the two growth forms became evident from stage P5 onward, where a larger shoot apical meristem (SAM), elongated epidermal cells, shorter and slightly more numerous lobes, as well as the presence of appendage-like structures characterized aquatic growth forms. On the other hand, aerial growth forms had smaller SAM, bulb-like epidermal cells, and longer and sligh.
Using Viewsheds to Determine Area Sampled by Ground-Based Radiotelemetry

Abstract Geographic Information System (GIS) viewsheds have been suggested as a possible way to determine area sampled by ground telemetry. Although this would be useful information to have, there has been little use of the technique. To investigate if viewsheds could be of use, we produced a telemetry viewshed and compared the results to previously collected radiotelemetry data. Given positive initial results and potential applications, we think GIS viewsheds could be useful for radiotelemetry studies and we encourage further research in this area.
Identification of novel seed dormancy mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana and molecular and biochemical characterization of the seed dormancy gene DOG1

Seed dormancy is defined as the failure of a viable seed to germinate under favorable conditions. In addition to having an adaptive role in nature by optimizing germination to the best suitable time, dormancy control is also important in crop plants. Seed dormancy is induced during seed maturation and can be released by after-ripening or stratification. The molecular mechanisms of the induction and the release of dormancy are largely unknown. In this project novel seed dormancy mutants involved in the release of dormancy by stratification or after-ripening were identified in mutagenesis screens. Several mutants that fail to germinate under such conditions and additional novel non-dormant mutants have been isolated, which provide promising genetic material for follow up studies. In addition, an in-depth molecular and biochemical characterization of a key dormancy gene, DELAY OF GERMINATION 1 (DOG1), was carried out. DOG1 is an alternatively spliced gene and encodes a protein of unknown function. Mutant alleles of DOG1 are completely non-dormant, indicating that DOG1 is absolutely required for seed dormancy induction. Promoter activity studies demonstrated that the DOG1 promoter drives seed-specific expression in the endosperm and the embryo. The cell-specific expression pattern was studied by additional in-situ hybridization experiments, which showed that DOG1 transcripts are localized in the vascular system and highly accumulated in the shoot apical meristem of the embryo. At the subcellular level, the DOG1 protein variants are mainly localized in the nucleus. Quantitative RT-PCR demonstrated that DOG1 is maximally expressed during seed maturation, 14-17 days after flowering, and that the relative abundance of each splicing variant changes during the final stages of seed maturation. In addition, it was shown that DOG1 expression and protein levels correlate with the degree of dormancy and that low temperatures during seed development cause an increase in DOG1 transcript levels and seed dormancy. The functionality of the different splicing variants was studied by transgenic complementation and overexpression approaches using the single splicing forms and a genomic sequence of the gene. Single splicing forms only induced dormancy when highly overexpressed, above a specific threshold. Below that threshold, a combination and probably also a specific ratio of the different splicing forms were required for dormancy function. DOG1 protein was only detected in the dormant overexpression lines, in which protein production probably outcompeted its degradation. These results strongly indicate that the function of DOG1 is determined by the presence and the ratio of all splicing forms, which is required to sustain protein stability.
A poultry breeder's approach to avian neoplasia

Neoplastic disease in chickens is attributable to three groups of viruses: Marek's disease virus, reticuloen‐dothelial virus and avian leukosis virus. This paper reviews the different strategies employed in breeding companies to minimize their impact on performance in the field. The theme of the paper is variation, and the problems and opportunities that variation presents to the geneticist. The ideal of the geneticist is to breed chickens free of these pathogens and resistant to their effects if challenged. A successful programme would also require that the security systems in place exclude the re‐introduction of the viruses and that the vaccines present no risk of introducing infection. Improving genetic resistance of commercial strains is often proposed as the best way forward. However, the rate of evolution of pathogens and the dangers of narrowing the genetic base may undermine this approach. Nevertheless, a successful strategy with resistance to Marek's disease is described. Achieving and maintainin.
Control of stink bugs in tomatoes

The southern green stink bug, new to California, has joined other species as a pest of processing tomatoes. With a wide host range, it is a potentially serious pest on other crops.Southern green stink bug, shown in cover photo by Jack Kelly Clark, was recently discovered in California and could become a serious pest of tomatoes and other crops because of its very wide host range. Chemical control of stink bugs is often ineffective, possibly because the bugs stay under the plant canopy, where sprays don't reach them.
Diet impacts on Melipona flavolineata workers (Apidae, Meliponini)

Summary Stingless bees use nectar and pollen as their main food resources, and several alternatives to them have been investigated for beekeeping. This study evaluated nutritional alternatives for the Amazonian stingless bee Melipona flavolineata, looking for a substitute for honey and processed pollen. The following food replacements were compared to honey (H1): inverted sugar syrup with minerals (H2); inverted sugar syrup with amino acids and vitamins in the following concentrations: 0.5% (H3), 1.0% (H4) and 10% (H5). To substitute for processed pollen (P1), we tested foods inoculated with M. flavolineata processed pollen, which consisted of commercial pollen of A. mellifera (P2); brewer's yeast (P3); and soybean extract with two different protein concentrations: 12% (P4) and 18% (P5). The nutritional value of the diet was assessed on the daily intake, on the size of hypopharyngeal gland acini and on the size of oocytes. Among the alternatives to honey, there were no significant differences between the control and the other treatments. Differences were found only between the sizes of acini of workers that were fed with H2 and H4, whilst treatment H4 was superior. Among the alternatives to processed pollen, consumption of treatment P4 was significantly greater than treatment P3, indicating a greater acceptance of soybean extract compared to yeast. For the other parameters evaluated, treatment P5 was superior to all the others. We concluded that the best alternatives for the nutrition of M. flavolineata are the sugar inverted syrup with minerals, and semi-artificial processed pollen based on soybean extract (P5: 18% protein). These alternatives are arguably the safest diet supplements amongst those tested since they do not include hive products from other bees.
Mesurer le niveau de stress d’enfants à leur domicile (Marseille) : Mise au point méthodologique

Le niveau de stress de 40 enfants migrants senegalais a ete evalue par des dosages hormonaux (cortisol, adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine) sur les urines de 24 heures prelevees au domicile des sujets. Le choix et l’adaptation des methodes necessaires aux conditions d’enquete en milieu familial, et non en milieu hospitalier, sont precises. Le choix du cortisol comme indicateur d’un stress de longue duree de nature psychosociale est justifie. Les resultats des dosages doivent etre exprimes en tenant compte de l’âge des enfants, de leur poids, stature, surface corporelle ou indice de corpulence. La prise en compte de l’un de ces deux derniers indices s’avere suffisante a rendre la mesure independante vis-a-vis de l’âge et du format corporel. Si les pediatres utilisent plus facilement la surface corporelle (d’apres les formules de Gehan et George), encore faut-il preciser la formule choisie en fonction de l’âge des enfants. Les anthropobiologistes preferent l’indice de corpulence de Quetelet. Une harmonisation des conditions de recueil des donnees et d’expression des resultats est donc souhaitable, particulierement quand l’objectif est de mesurer le stress chez des enfants tout en respectant au mieux les conditions « normales » de leur existence, comme a leur domicile.
Can the Judas technique be applied to pest birds

The Judas technique was evaluated for its use as a technique to assist with the control of the common starling (Sturnus vulgaris). This technique uses the natural behaviour of a gregarious animal to betray the location of itself and its companions through radio-telemetry. Two trials were conducted to assess and develop the technique for starlings. The first trial was conducted near the western edge of the starling’s current established range in Australia, at Penong in South Australia. Nine out of ten radio-tagged birds were successfully tracked from the ground and air. Estimates of the areas utilised varied from 1.1 km2 to 96.5 km2 (100% convex polygons). Night-time roosts were found for three of the nine radio-tagged birds and control (shooting) recovered just one bird directly associated with a Judas starling, as well as the radio-tagged bird. The second trial was conducted at Munglinup near Esperance in Western Australia. Munglinup is the site of a recent infestation of starlings and is the most western-known outlier of this pest in Australia. At this site, five radio-tagged starlings tracked from the ground and air, utilised areas ranging from 0.7 km2 to 51.6 km2. Reduced fidelity to roosting trees impaired our ability to destroy starlings here. However, the real value of the Munglinup trial was to expand the geographical area known to be occupied by this population from 103 km2 to more than 225 km2 and to identify habitats and roost sites used by the starlings. We conclude that the Judas technique could be applied to starlings and other pest birds with similar social structures as a means of strategic surveillance rather than as an adjunct to control per se.
Mechanisms of calcium oscillations in mouse and human eggs

Long lasting calcium (Ca2+) oscillations are necessary and sufficient for mammalian egg activation and early embryological development. In mammals, phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ) has been identified as the likely endogenous trigger of Ca2+ oscillations at fertilization. Some cases of male factor infertility have been associated with the absence / reduced or presence a mutant form of PLCζ. In these cases sperm fails to activate eggs after intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Artificial egg activation is the potential way to trigger Ca2+ oscillations and egg activation. Strontium (Sr2+) is the main artificial agent for this purpose in rodent eggs. The work in this Thesis aims to examine the mechanism of PLCζ or Sr2+ ions to trigger Ca2+ oscillations in mammalian eggs. It was not clear how Sr2+ causes Ca2+ oscillations and why it is only effective in rodents but not human eggs or domestic animals. My studies show that Sr2+ is effective in causing Ca2+ oscillations in mouse eggs over a range of concentrations, but that its actions are influenced by the osmolarity of the medium. Low osmolarity enhances the ability of low concentrations of Sr2+ to cause Ca2+ oscillations. Further investigation revealed that Sr2+ influx is mainly through the reverse mode of the Na+/Ca2+ exchange protein (NCX) which can be controlled by the membrane potential and Na+ gradient across the plasma membrane. Preliminary studies investigated the ability of a modified Sr2+ media that maximizes reverse mode NCX to trigger Ca2+ changes in human eggs. In other studies, various PLCζ-luciferase cRNAs were injected into mouse and human eggs. PLCζ expression in mouse eggs was measured by imaging light due to luciferase iv activity, and Ca2+-oscillations were monitored with Ca2+ sensitive fluorescent dye. Aspects of the structure of PLCζ and the effects and the recent discovery of PLCζ sequence mutations were investigated. Preliminary studies were also carried out to test the ability of recombinant PLCζ protein to cause Ca2+ oscillations in mammalian eggs. It is hoped that these studies might open up new therapies for some male factor infertility couples that acconts 1-5% of failed ICSI.
Identification of British bat species by multivariate analysis of echolocation call parameters

ABSTRACT 1. A method for the identification of bat species from time-expanded broad-band recordings of their echolocation calls is presented. The method may be used for the assessment of habitat use by bats. 2. Recordings were made of echolocation calls produced by 536 bats of known species identity, belonging to 15 species found in Great Britain. One call was analysed per individual, and sonograms and descriptive statistics of six time and frequency variables of calls are presented. British bats can be placed in three groups according to the structure of their calls: high duty cycle FM/CF/FM bats (Rhinolophus spp.), low duty cycle FM bats (Myotis spp. and Plecotus spp.) and intermediate duty cycle FM/CF bats (Pipistrellus and Nyctalus spp. and Eptesicus serotinus). 3. FM/CF/FM bats could be identified from the peak frequency of their calls. Two separate quadratic multivariate discriminant analyses were carried out on the time and frequency parameters of calls produced by FM bats and FM/CF bats. For FM ba.
Effects of Daylength on Endogenous Gibberellins in Leaves of Solanum andigena

Less gibberellin-like activity was detected in extracts of potato leaves under short day than under long day conditions. Significant decreases in gibberellin levels were detected after two short day cycles. Using thin-layer chromatography coupled with several solvent systems and various bioassays, at least four zones of gibberellin-like activity, A, B, C and D were found in the potato leaf. Under long days only zones C and D were apparently present. However, preliminary purification using polyamide columns revealed that substances A and B were actually present in higher levels under long day than under short day conditions. The chloroplasts of leaves exposed to short days contained less gibberellin-like substances than those from leaves grown under permanent long day conditions.
Extraction and Activation of Wheat Polyphenol Oxidase by Detergents: Biochemistry and Applications

ABSTRACT Polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) from several plant species, including wheat, have been implicated in undesirable brown discolorations of food products. It has been demonstrated that these enzymes are often present in a latent form or are membrane-associated, necessitating detergent or other treatments to obtain fully active preparations. Here, the influence of different detergents on wheat meal and flour PPOs was investigated. Extraction in presence of 50 mM SDS led to a 5- to 15-fold increase in PPO activity, making quantitative assays in flour from low-PPO lines more robust. Among a series of additional nonionic, anionic, and cationic detergents tested, only n-lauroylsarcosine increased extractable PPO activity to a degree comparable to that of SDS. Additional experiments suggested that a large fraction of wheat meal PPOs may be membrane-associated and that SDS is able to activate PPOs extracted from high-activity but not from low-activity wheat lines. PPO activities assayed after SDS extraction of .
SOME LOCOMOTORY ADAPTATIONS IN MAMMALS.

Summary. The pectoral girdle and fore limb of Equus and Dasypus are compared. It is shown that the shoulder muscles of the horse have a small mechanical advantage (1/13 for the m. teres major) and are therefore adapted to produce rapid movements of the limb; these muscles in the armadillo have a larger mechanical advantage (1/4 for the m. teres) to produce slower movements, while exerting a greater force. The broad scapulae and short legs of fossorial mammals are adaptations producing powerful movements of the foot, usually with strong abductor action. Aquatic mammals show similar modifications, though without the emphasis on abductor movements. The high, narrow scapulae and long legs of cursorial mammals are explained as adaptations to speed, though the detailed arrangements by which this is achieved differ in cursorial ungulates and carnivores. The sharp angles at the ends of the vertebral border of the scapula in cursorial ungulates provide pints of insertion for two parts of the m. serratus, which act as antagonists in the fore-and-aft movement of the shoulder. Similarly in the dog, and probably all cursorial carnivores and lagomorphs, the sharp vertebro-axillary angle affords a point of insertion for the posterior digitations of the m. serratus. The mechanical adaptations of the olecranon process and the m. triceps are described. The structure of the vertebral column and axial musculature is shown to depend upon gait. Two types of gallop, the horse gallop and leaping gallop (e.g. dog) are analysed and the association between gait and structure described. The mechanics of gaits are discussed in an appendix. The extensor muscles from the pelvis to the femur fall into two groups, an iliac group adapted to rapid extension of the thigh, and an ischio-pubic group adapted to slower but more powerful thigh extension. The relative proportions of the two regions of the pelvis vary according to the gaits adopted. In cursorial ungulates the ilium is long and the ischio-pubic region short, whereas in aquatic mammals the latter region predominates. The lengths and cross-sectional areas of the bones of the hind limb are shown to be correlated with gait in aquatic, cursorial (leaping gallop and horse gallop), saltatorial and graviportal mammals.
Genetic and cytogenetic analyses of the A genome of Triticum monococcum. IV. Synaptonemal complex formation in autotetraploids

Electron microscopy of synaptonemal complex spreads from autotetraploid Triticum monococcum (2n = 4x = 28) revealed a minimum mean of 3.59 multivalents per zygotene–pachytene nucleus. The range of values was from 1 to 6 multivalents per nucleus. Most of the multivalents were quadrivalents with single, medially located pairing partner switch points. Lateral element pairing switches, particularly the few multiple switches, were often accompanied by extensive asynapsis around the switch point. The synaptonemal complex multivalent frequency is considerably higher than the metaphase I quadrivalent frequency previously reported for the same material. Calculations of expected pachytene quadrivalent frequency from metaphase I data, using several published theoretical models, gave values that did not agree with the results obtained here. The difference between the multivalent frequencies at pachytene and metaphase I does not appear to be the result of a correction process. Instead, it could be caused by a combinat.
Maintenance of the diurnal petiolar movement by exogenous indole‐3‐acetic acid under day‐night cycles in Mimosa pudica

Effects of plant hormones on the diurnal movement of the petiole of Mimosa pudica L. were examined under the conditions of day-night cycles. Surgical removal of the leaf at the middle of the petiole led to gradual loss of the movement. Aqueous solutions of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) applied as a pulse each day 10 μl at (10−6−10−5M) or continuously (10−8−10−6M) to the cut end of the petiole maintained a diurnal movement that has the same phase of oscillation as that shown in the intact leaf. Pulse treatments given at different times of the day had no effect on the phase of the oscillation. Higher concentrations of the acid gave larger amplitudes. Other hormones such as gibberellic acid, kinetin and [R,S]-abscisic acid or 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid did not show diurnal movement-maintaining activities of IAA. Gibberellic acid disturbed the phase of the diurnal movements and kept the petiole elevated at very high positions. A possible action mechanism of IAA is discussed.
Leghaemoglobin gene transcription is triggered in a single cell layer in the indeterminate nitrogen-fixing root nodule of alfalfa

Summary The pattern of leghaemoglobin (Lb) gene expression within the indeterminate nitrogen-fixing root nodule of Medicago species such as alfalfa has been examined by means of ‘in-situ’ hybridization. Hybridization of alfalfa nodule sections with radiolabelled Lb RNA probes clearly shows that Lb gene expression is triggered in a single cell layer just prior to the start of the nitrogen fixation zone. This cell layer is part of a unique region (interzone II-III) in which invaded cells are rich in amyloplasts. Lb transcripts can only be detected in cells which have been invaded by the microsymbiont Rhizobium. The conclusion that Lb gene activation precedes the start of nitrogen fixation is further supported by the observation that Lb transcripts are already present in immature non-nitrogen-fixing nodules of alfalfa. The addition of 5 mM KNO3 to the growth medium of nodulated M. truncatula (a diploid autogamous species of Medicago) results in a significant drop in both nitrogen-fixing activity and nodular Lb mRNA levels. Short periods of exposure to nitrate (24 h) lead to the disappearance of Lb transcripts from the proximal region of the hybridizing zone, whilst longer exposures (72 h) lead to a marked decrease in the intensity of the hybridization signal within the amyloplast-rich interzonal region.