Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sugar beet yield as affected by seed priming and weed control

Laboratory and field experiments were conducted to determine the influence of different priming techniques on the germination characteristics and competition of weeds in sugar beet in 2008–2009. Three priming times and four priming methods were used in a laboratory study, and four priming treatments and four redroot pigweed densities (0, 4, 8 and 12 plants m−2) were used in a field study. Sugar beet seeds were treated with polyethylene glycol (PEG 8000), NaCl (1.5 N) and HCl (0.1 N) for 2, 4 and 6 h. Seed characteristics were significantly affected by HCl (0.1 N) treatment for 6 h. In this treatment, the germination percentage was 25 and 9% higher than control and NaCl (1.5 N) treatments after a similar time. An intermediate and low effect has been shown with NaCl (1.5 N) and PEG 8000 seed priming, respectively. Sugar beet root yield was reduced by 13, 54 and 89% compared with control treatment (without weed) at redroot pigweed densities of 4, 8 and 12 plants m−2, respectively. Sugar beet seeds primed with HCl (0.1 N) for 6 h gave a higher root yield than unprimed seeeds and the other primed seeds treatments. Overall, the results showed that weed control can significantly increase sugar beet yield and the seed priming technique can be used for weed control.
Relationship of fruit color and light exposure to lycopene content and antioxidant properties of tomato

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), a potent source of antioxidants in the diet, is characterized by remarkable genetic biodiversity, especially in fruit size and color. Horticultural practices and breeding efforts hold the potential to enhance antioxidant content in tomato fruit, but which antioxidants are most important? Lycopene content, total phenolic content, and radical scavenging capacity were examined in yellow, orange, red, and black-fruited tomato cultivars using lyophilized samples. Color was generally an accurate indicator of lycopene content, with a yellow cultivar containing less lycopene than red cultivars, and two of three red cultivars containing more than an orange cultivar. However, black cultivars as a group did not contain more lycopene than red. Tomato fruit harvested green-mature and exposed to 24 h light during ripening at 25°C in a growth cabinet had a higher lycopene concentration than green-mature fruit exposed for 8 h. 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenz-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (.
Seasonal and diurnal photosynthetic behaviour of fig (Ficus carica L.) under semi-arid climatic conditions

Abstract Diurnal and seasonal variations in net photosynthetic (PN) and transpiration (E) rates and water use efficiency (WUE) of the fig tree (Ficus carica L.) were investigated under semi-arid climatic conditions. The two types of leaves from southern and northern parts of trees experienced natural air temperature and irradiance conditions, but differ particularly in water use efficiency. The obtained data reveal that leaf temperature, because of decrease in stomatal conductance, is the major factor limiting the gas exchange capacity of fig trees grown under rain-fed conditions. Stomatal conductance is the major control mechanism, particularly in the northern parts of the trees; however, PN was most probably decreased by both stomatal and non-stomatal resistance mechanisms such as photoinhibition under severe drought and high irradiance conditions in the southern parts of the trees.
Large-scale processes governing the seasonal variability of the Antarctic sea ice

The seasonal variability of sea-ice cover in the Southern Ocean is examined using daily sea-ice concentration and ice velocity products for 2003–2009, derived from Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E) data. This study quantitatively shows the contribution of (1) ice production/reduction within the sea ice, (2) ice production/reduction at the sea-ice edge and (3) zonal ice transport to the seasonal change of sea-ice area. Area of greatest ice production occurs along the coast of Ross Sea and East Antarctica from March to September. The contribution of zonal transport to the seasonal change of ice area is one order magnitude smaller than local ice production/reduction. Clear regional and seasonal differences are found in the large-scale processes named above. Generally, ice area increases due to ice production, both at the ice edge and within the pack in the autumn and winter. The most significant ice production at the ice edge occurred in the Weddell Sea; the ice production provides 56% of total increase of ice cover in this area. In contrast, moderate ice melting occurs at the ice edge through almost all months in the Indian Ocean sector.
Effects of Feeding Rate and Feeding Frequency on Survival, Growth, and Body Composition of Ayu Post-Larvae Plecoglossus altivelis

The effects of feeding rate and feeding frequency on survival, growth and body composition of ayu post-larvae (0.15 g in body weight and 3.5 cm in total length) were investigated in this study. A factorial experimental design of two feeding rates (3 and 6% of body weight of fish per meal) five feeding frequencies (one meal in 2 d, one meal a day, two meals a day, four meals a day, and six meals a day) with three replicates was used. Survival of ayu post-larvae was significantly (P 0.05) affected by feeding frequency but not by feeding rate. Survival of ayu improved linearly with feeding frequency at both feeding rates. Weight and length gains and specific growth rate (SGR) of ayu was significantly (P 0.05) affected by feeding frequency but not by feeding rate, with weight and length gains and SGR linearly elevated with increasing feeding frequency at both feeding rates. The greatest weight and length gains were observed in fish receiving six meals daily at both feeding rates; however, no significant difference in weight gain was observed among two, four, and six meals a day, or in length gain between four and six meals a day. Feed efficiency ratio (FER) was significantly (P 0.05) affected by both feeding rate and feeding frequency. FER linearly decreased with feeding frequency at both feeding rates or feeding rate in the same feeding frequency. When the total daily amount of feed supply was constant with various feeding frequencies at different feeding rates (one meal a day at 3% feeding rate and one meal in 2 d at 6% feeding rate, two meals a day at 3% feeding rate and one meal a day at 6% feeding rate, or four meals a day at 3% feeding rate and two meals a day at 6% feeding rate), improvement in survival, weight and length gains, and SGR was observed in fish with higher feeding frequency at lower feeding rate. Moisture, protein, and lipid content of fish were not significantly (P > 0.05) affected by either feeding rate or feeding frequency. However, lipid content of ayu linearly increased with feeding frequency at 6% feeding rate. The highest body lipid content was observed in fish receiving six meals daily at both feeding rates. Ash content of fish was significantly (P 0.05) affected by feeding frequency but not by feeding rate. Based on performance of ayu, it can be concluded that optimum feeding rate and feeding frequency for ayu post-larvae (an initial weight of 0.15 g) were 3% per meal and four meals a day, respectively, under these experimental conditions.
Ecological speciation! Or the lack thereof?This Perspective is based on the author’s J.C. Stevenson Memorial Lecture delivered at the Canadian Conference for Fisheries Research in Halifax, Nova Scotia, January 2008.

Ecological speciation occurs when adaptation to different environments or resources causes the evolution of re- productive isolation. This process is now thought to be very important in the evolution of biological diversity. Indeed, sup- port for ecological speciation is so often asserted in the literature that one can get the impression of ubiquity. Eager to ride on the coattails of this exciting work, my own research has investigated ecological speciation in guppies, sticklebacks, and Darwin's finches. Much to my initial dismay, I failed to find simple and strong signatures of ecological speciation in the first two of these systems. Setting aside the possibility of personal incompetence, my apparent deviation from ubiquity might simply reflect an existing literature bias. This bias seems obvious in retrospect given that essentially all published studies of ecological speciation purport to be confirmatory, whereas many cases of divergent selection and adaptive diver- gence are associated with only weak to modest levels of reproductive isolation. In short, different populations can be ar- rayed along a continuum from panmixia to complete reproductive isolation. Variation along this continuum might profitably be used for studying factors, outlined herein, that can promote or constrain ''progress'' toward ecological specia- tion. Resume´ : La speciation ecologique se produit lorsqu'une adaptation a des ressources ou des milieux differents entraoˆne l'evolution d'un isolement reproductif. On croit actuellement que ce processus est tres important dans l'evolution de la di- versitebiologique. En fait, la speciation ecologique est si souvent invoquee dans la litterature qu'on a l'impression qu'elle est ubiquiste. Dans la foulee de cette recherche interessante, mes travaux personnels ont examinela speciation ecologique chez les guppys, les epinoches et les pinsons de Darwin. Au depart, il m'a eteimpossible, a mon desarroi, de trouver des signatures simples et prononcees de speciation ecologique dans les deux premiers de ces systemes. Excluant la possibilite ´ de mon incompetence personnelle, mon incapaciteatrouver l'ubiquitedu phenomene peut etre due a une distorsion de la litterature actuelle. Retrospectivement, cette distorsion paraoˆ tevidente parce qu'essentiellement toutes les etudes publiees sur la speciation ecologique pretendent avoir un caractere confirmatif, alors que plusieurs cas de selection divergente et de divergence adaptative sont associes avec seulement des niveaux faibles a modestes d'isolement reproductif. Bref, les dif- ferentes populations peuvent etre placees sur un continuum qui va de la panmixie al'isolement reproductif complet. La variation le long de ce gradient peut etre utilisee avec profit pour etudier facteurs, enumeres ici, qui peuvent favoriser ou restreindre la « progression » vers la speciation ecologique. (Traduit par la Redaction)
Ecology of the squash and gourd bee, Peponapis pruinosa, on cultivated cucurbits in California (Hymenoptera: Apoidea)

Hurd, Paul D. , Jr., E. Gorton Linsley, and A. E. Michelbacher. Ecology of the Squash and Gourd Bee, Peponapis pruinosa, on Cultivated Cucurbits in California (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, number 168, 17 pages, 4 figures, 8 tables, 1974. —This investigation focuses primarily on those ecological aspects involved in the natural history of the squash and gourd bee, Peponapis pruinosa, as it occurs in commercial squash and pumpkin plantings of the Sacramento Valley of Calitornia. Information is presented on this species' nesting habits, nest site selection, burrow construction, distribution and density of nest cells, diurnal and seasonal nesting activities, competition at the nesting site, diurnal and seasonal field activity, number of annual generations, and the results of transporting and introducing the adult bees into squash and pumpkin plantings in geographical settings well removed from their natal
Influence of yeast strain and pH on pyruvic acid content of wines

Pyruvic acid content of wines was investigated on laboratory and pilot-plant scale and found to be strongly influenced by the strain of yeast used to conduct the fermentation, and pH of the medium, with high pH correlating with high pyruvic acid content. Results obtained with artificial medium confirmed those obtained with grape juice. Yeast strain and pH appear to be the two most important factors influencing pyruvic acid content of wines, and their biochemical and oenological significance is discussed.
A Futuristic Look into Reproductive Management

Abstract The extent of the increases in milk production resulting from improvements in the system for artificial insemination were not forecasted. But more improvements will come! For example, improvements in diagnosing sex of embryos will increase the adoption of preselection of sex as a part of embryo transfer. Later, the best 1% of cows may be inseminated with Y-sperm to create the next generation of sires, the next best 50% may be inseminated with X-sperm to create herd replacements, and the bottom 50% may be inseminated with Y-sperm to create males for beef. Bulls may be treated during embryonic development to increase their reproductive performance in artificial insemination centers and improved systems for sperm preservation will decrease numbers of sperm required for acceptable fertility. Improved tests of semen quality based upon new physicochemical principles will provide better predictors of fertility and sperm may be frozen in "sustained release" capsules to prolong effective fertility after insemination. In females, methods are evolving to induce and synchronize estrus in cattle during postpartum anestrus and during the first 5 d of the estrous cycle when no functional corpora lutea exist. Technology is also emerging to enhance the ability to detect cattle in estrus and to diagnose quickly on the farm nonpregnancy as early as 19 to 20 d after insemination. Collectively, these kinds of advances will allow systems for insemination of groups of cattle at prescribed periods with normal fertility. Advances in uses of ovarian and hypothalamic hormones will increase the numbers of oocytes from superovulation and improve their viability. Genes for simply inherited traits from other species will be inserted into the bovine genome and integrated systems for preservation of embryos will increase their viability after freezing. Collectively, the economic impact of these kinds of advances in reproductive management may rival that from artificial insemination.
Numerical abundance of invasive ants and monopolisation of exudate‐producing resources – a chicken and egg situation

Abstract. 1 Invasive ants commonly reach abnormally high abundances and have severe impacts on the ecosystems they invade. Current invasion theory recognises that not only negative interactions, such as natural enemy release, but positive interactions, such as facilitation, are important in causing this increased abundance. 2 For invasive ants, facilitation can occur through mutualism with exudate‐producing plants and insects. To obtain such partnerships, however, invaders must first displace native ants, whose communities are highly structured around such resources. 3 By manipulating the abundance of an invasive ant relative to a native, we show that a minimum threshold abundance exists for invasive ants to monopolise exudate‐producing resources. In addition, we show that behavioural dominance is context dependent and varies with spatial location and numerical abundance. 4 Thus, we suggest a ‘facilitation‐threshold’ hypothesis of ant invasion, whereby a minimum abundance of invasive ants is required before facilitation and behavioural dominance can drive abundance rapidly upwards through positive feedback.
Physiological effects of low-magnesium feeding in the common carp, Cyprinus carpio

Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) initially weighing about 100 g were fed a low-magnesium diet for 17 weeks. The fish survived this treatment and had a healthy appearance. However, the fish became hypomagnesemic and their growth rate decreased. The bone sodium concentration increased and the magnesium concentration decreased. It thus appears that in carp, under dietary magnesium deficiency, magnesium is mobilized from internal stores and that magnesium in the bone mineral is replaced by sodium. Low-magnesium fed carp further showed a decreased branchial Na+/K+ -ATPase specific as well as total activity. Unexpectedly, the opercular chloride cell density increased. We tentatively conclude that more and new chloride cells with a lower Na+/K+-ATPase content develop during this treatment. We further conclude that adult carp require dietary magnesium for the maintenance of their magnesium balance as well as for the proper functioning of branchial ionoregulatory mechanisms. Low-magnesium fed carp do not acclimate but appear to tolerate a dietary magnesium deficiency. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Fungicide efficacy and the impact of stripe rust on spring and winter wheat in South Africa

Field trials were conducted from 1997 to 1999, in both the winter and summer rainfall areas of South Africa, to determine the effect of Puccinia striiformis Westend, f. sp. tritici Erikss. on yield and quality of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L). During 1997 in the south Western Cape, combined seven and flag leaf treatments of five tri- azole fungicides, over three cultivare, resulted in a 43% yield increase. Stripe rust head infections were most effectively controlled by the application of fungicides closely to or just after head emergence. Yield was negatively correlated with the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC [R2 = 0.23]). In the absence of disease during 1998 fungicide treatments failed to significantly increase yield or hectolitre mass. During 1999 the most effective control of stripe rust was obtained by applying propiconazole at both the seven and flag leaf stages as well as where triticonazole seed-treatment was applied in additjon to the latter treatments. The latter two treatments resulted in a 49% yield increase. Yield was negatively correlated with the AUDPC (R2 = 0.85). Furthermore, significant differences were found among the fungicides carboxin/thiram, flutriafol/thiabendazole, tebuconazole, triadimenol, and triticonazole, applied as seed treatments on the cultivar Gariep. The AUDPC decreased by 61% and 25%, respectively in plots where the seed treatment fungicides triadimenol and triticonazole were applied. The remaining three seed treatments were not significantly different from the control.
Crustacean Brain Lipofuscin: an Examination of the Morphological Pigment in the Fresh-water Crayfish Cherax Cuspidatus (Parastacidae)

ABSTRACT Morphological lipofuscin was specifically demonstrated in the central nervous system of a crustacean for the first time. It was primarily associated with neuroglia and axons within cell masses in the brain, particularly the olfactory nuclei. It exhibited fluorescence, staining, and ultrastructural properties similar to the lipofuscin of other invertebrates and vertebrates. Pigment was quantified using morphometric image analysis techniques and shown to be more concentrated in larger animals than smaller ones. The conclusive demonstration of the presence of lipofuscin in a crustacean brain should facilitate the refocusing of crustacean age-determination studies.
THE EFFECT OF AMARANTH GRAIN FLOUR ON THE QUALITY OF BREAD

Different levels of amaranth grain flour −0 to 50% (w/w) were mixed with the wheat flour and other ingredients (1% salt, 2.5% fat, 1.5% yeast, 10% sugar and 52–74% water), fermented, molded, pan-proved and baked. The baked products were evaluated for loaf volume, moisture content and sensory qualities (color, odor, taste and texture) and compared with bread made from 100% wheat flour. The water absorption of the composite flour increase with increased in level of amaranth grain flour. The loaf volume index decreased from 3.29 to 1.9 and the moisture content increased from 22 to 42% with increase in amaranth grain flour. The sensory means scores of the odor taste, colour and texture decreased from 6.9 to 4.0, 7.1 to 4.8, 7.1 to 6.8 and 6.9 to 4.7 respectively. Generally, above 15% (w/w) amaranth grain flour, there were significant different (p ≤ 0.05) in the evaluated sensory qualities and the product unacceptable.
NF-κB Activation by Interleukin-1 (IL-1) Requires an IL-1 Receptor-associated Protein Kinase Activity (*)

An important function of interleukin-1 (IL-1) is activation of the transcription factor NF-κB, which is signaled via the type I IL-1 receptor (IL-1RI). By receptor mutagenesis studies, we have identified a region of the cytoplasmic domain of IL-1RI that is required for both IL-1-mediated NF-κB activation and IL-1-dependent activation of a receptor-associated protein kinase activity we term IRAK. No IL-1RI mutants were found that can activate NF-κB in the absence of IRAK activity. Therefore, we propose that IRAK activation is a necessary step in the activation of NF-κB by IL-1.
Diversity of virulence phenotypes among annual populations of wheat leaf rust in Israel from 1993 to 2008

Leaf rust, caused by the fungus Puccinia triticina, is the most common rust disease of wheat in wheat-producing areas worldwide. The Israeli population of wheat leaf rust has been consistently monitored since 1993. A total of 840 single urediniospore isolates from Triticum aestivum (567), T. dicoccoides (119) and T. durum (154) were analysed during 1993–2008. The structure of the pathogen population has changed to a large extent since 1993. The annual populations of P. triticina were separated into two distinct groups: 1993–1999 and 2000–2008. Differentiation among the annual pathogen populations, as well as between the overall populations of the 1990s and 2000s, could be mainly attributed to the following forces: (i) migration of leaf rust urediniospores from neighbouring regions; and (ii) selection pressure of new yellow rust-resistant wheat cultivars that have been introduced into Israel since 1997. Genetic multiplicity of wild emmer contributes to P. triticina variability in Israel. Leaf rust populations collected from common wheat, wild emmer and durum wheat differed. The population that originated from T. durum was rather stable during the years of the survey, whereas that from T. aestivum changed significantly from the 1990s to the 2000s. Diversity within the annual populations of P. triticina was highest in 1994 when many new pathotypes and associations between virulences were observed. Single-step derivatives of the new pathotypes became dominant after 2000. Significant changes in virulence frequency to a number of Lr genes (e.g. Lr2a, Lr15, Lr17, Lr21, Lr26) were also registered in 2000–2008.
Placemaking as co-creation – professional roles and attitudes in practice

Abstract Citizens around the world are becoming more and more involved in the creation processes of various fields. However, the extent to which citizen initiatives and involvement are possible depends on the way in which professionals work. How do professional practices affect the involvement of other actors in urban development projects? The paper reviews current literature on placemaking and co-creation in order to identify suggested professional roles. Manzini’s maps of participant involvement and interaction quality, and Arnstein’s ladder of citizen participation are presented as a framework for understanding different kinds of engagement. A case study in Berlin is analysed regarding how the suggested roles work in practice. Through semi-structured interviews with initiators and participants, the paper explores how the professionals experienced working with co-creation, as well as the other participants’ experiences of the professionals’ part in the process. The concluding discussion highlights the challenges that were experienced and suggests ways to move forward toward truly co-creative placemaking.