Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE PHOTOINDUCTIVE CONTROL OF SEED WEIGHT IN CHENOPODIUM RUBRUM L.

A B S T R A C T The determination of mean seed weight in Chenopodium rubrum L. , a short-day, weedy annual, has been examined through the manipulation of photoperiod during the course of reproductive development. Individuals that develop seeds in relatively long photoperiods (15 L: 9 D) form many more seeds of smaller weight than individuals that develop seeds in relatively shorter photoperiods (12 L: 12 D). By altering the inductive photoperiod at different times during the course of reproductive development, it is shown that the effect of photoperiod is most strongly exerted between six and twelve days after the start of floral induction and is coincident with the determination of primordia as floral structures. The ecological significance of this early developmental determination is discussed. BOTH THE NUMBER and mean weight of seeds are two of the most important measures of fitness in the reproductive biology of annual plants (Harper, Lovell, and Moore, 1970; Baker, 1972; Salisbury, 1942). The adaptive importance of seed size in each species is indicated by the constancy of mean seed weight despite increasing density stress within a population. The effects of competition are absorbed by changes in seed number, making seed size the least plastic component of reproductive yield. In order to investigate the developmental basis of this important ecological relationship, I performed several experiments on Chenopodium rubrum, a short-day annual species. In this species mean seed weight is greatly influenced by the photoperiod in which floral induction and evocation occur (see Table 1) and the following experiments indicate when in the course of reproductive development seed weight is determined.
Cytomorphological studies in an induced polyploid of Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.

The cytomorphological investigations of an induced polyploid of Hevea brasiliensis are given. The induced polyploid showed morphological variations like more leaf thickness, prominent veins and veinlets, varied number of leaflets and large floral parts. Mitotic studies have confirmed that the plant is a tetraploid with 2n=72 chromosomes. At metaphase I, besides bivalent formation, univalents, trivalents and quadrivalents were also observed. It supports the view of amphidiploid origin of Hevea brasiliensis.
Effect of silicon on the morphology of shoots and roots of alfalfa (Medicago sativa)

A silicon (Si)-deficient top soil was used in a pot experiment to investigate the effect of Si application on the shoot and root morphology of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Silicon was applied to the alfalfa plants at 6 different rates (0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.10, 0.20, 0.30 g/kg), and each treatment was replicated 6 times. This study indicated that the Si content of roots and shoots increased significantly (P<0.05) with increasing Si concentration in the soil, and that the Si content of roots was greater than that of shoots. Plants treated with Si had increased leaf area, height, forage yield and shoots per plant during the reproductive period in comparison with controls. The application of Si also increased root volume, the number of secondary roots and root biomass. The effects of Si application were greater on roots than on shoots. The ratio of shoot to root dry weight was below 1.62 when Si was applied to plants and 1.91 without Si application. Overall, overcoming available Si deficiency resulted in a significant increase in shoot and root growth.
Isolation and identification of aerobic polychlorinated biphenyls degrading bacteria

Aims: The purpose of this study was to isolate and identify aerobic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) degrading bacteria. Materials and Methods: This study was performed in lab scale aerobic sequencing batch biofilm reactor. Polyurethane foams were used as bio-carrier and synthetic wastewater was prepared with PCBs in transformer oil as the main substrate (20-700 μg/l) and acetone as a solvent for PCBs as well as microelements. After achieving to adequate microbial population and acclimation of microorganisms to PCB compounds with high efficiency of PCB removal, identification of degrading microbial species was performed by 16s rRNA gene sequencing of isolated bacteria. Results: Gene sequencing results of the isolated bacteria showed that Rhodococcus spp. , Pseudomonas spp. , Pseudoxanthomonas spp. , Agromyces spp. , and Brevibacillus spp. were dominant PCB-degrading bacteria. Conclusion: PCB compounds can be degraded by some microorganisms under aerobic or anaerobic conditions or at least be reduced to low chlorinated congeners, despite their chemical stability and toxicity. Based on the results of the study, five bacterial species capable of degrading PCBs in transformer oil have been identified.
Effectiveness of surfactants in the microbial degradation of oil

Nonionic surfactants increase the rate of selective hydrocarbon utilization by Acinetobacter SL1. Within an homologus series of nonionic surfactants, growth on and utilization of a model oil by Acinetobacter SL1 is dependent upon the surfactant hydrophile‐lipophile balance (HLB). Biological effectiveness of the surfactants apparently is related to the degree of micelle formation by the surfactant in the aqueous phase. A simple algebraic expression describing the response of Acinetobacter SL1 to surfactant concentration gives a measure of the biological effectiveness of an individual surfactant. A cationic and an anionic surfactant inhibited the growth of Acinetobacter SL1 and Pseudomonas SL6 on hydrocarbon substrates. These results are discussed in relation to the selection of suitable detergents for increasing the effective biodegradation of pollutant oil in aquatic habitats.
Optimal Reinsurance with Multiple Reinsurers: Distortion Risk Measures, Distortion Premium Principles, and Heterogeneous Beliefs

Abstract This paper unifies the work on multiple reinsurers, distortion risk measures, premium budgets, and heterogeneous beliefs. An insurer minimizes a distortion risk measure, while seeking reinsurance with finitely many reinsurers. The reinsurers use distortion premium principles, and they are allowed to have heterogeneous beliefs regarding the underlying probability distribution. We provide a characterization of optimal reinsurance indemnities, and we show that they are of a layer-insurance type. This is done both with and without a budget constraint, i.e., an upper bound constraint on the aggregate premium. Moreover, the optimal reinsurance indemnities enable us to identify a representative reinsurer in both situations. Finally, two examples with the Conditional Value-at-Risk illustrate our results.
Cash Holdings and CEO Turnover

The determinants of firm level cash holdings are well documented, yet relatively less is known about the influence of CEO characteristics on corporate liquidity decisions. We examine changes in cash holdings around CEO turnover events, a period in which discrete changes in managerial preferences and abilities are likely to have the most dramatic effect on cash holdings. Our results suggest that cash holdings increase significantly following forced departures. The increase is persistent over the successor’s tenure and is robust to controls for the standard firm-level determinants of cash holdings and corporate governance characteristics. Cash savings come mainly from increased efficiency in the management of net working capital, as opposed to asset sales or reductions in investment. Lastly, the marginal value of cash does not decrease following the turnover, indicating that the increase in cash holdings is not a result of agency problems between the new manager and shareholders.
Avian Life History Evolution in Relation to Nest Sites, Nest Predation, and Food

Food limitation is generally thought to underlie much of the variation in life history traits of birds. I examined variation and covariation of life history traits of 123 North American Passeriformes and Piciformes in relation to nest sites, nest predation, and foraging sites to examine the possible roles of these ecological factors in life history evolution of birds. Annual fecundity was strongly inversely related to adult survivaI, even when phylogenetic effects were controlled. Only a little of the variation in fecundity and survival was related to foraging sites, whereas these traits varied strongly among nest sites. Interspecific differences in nest predation were correlated with much of the variation in life history traits among nest sites, although energy trade-offs with covarying traits also may account for some variation. For example, increased nest predation is associated with a shortened nestling period and both are associated with more broods per year, but number of broods is inversely correlated with clutch size, possibly due to an energy trade-off. Number of broods was much more strongly correlated with annual fecundity and adult survival among species than was clutch size, suggesting that clutch size may not be the primary fecundity trait on which selection is acting. Ultimately, food limitation may cause trade-offs between annual fecundity and adult survival, but differences among species in tecundity and adult survival may not be explained by differences in food abundance and instead represent differing tactics for partitioning similar levels of food limitation. Variation in fecundity and adult survival is more clearly organized by nest sites and more closely correlated with nest predation; species that use nest sites with greater nest predation have shorter nestling periods and more broods, yielding higher fecundity, which in turn is associated with reduced adult survival. Fecundity also varied with migratory tendencies; short-distance migrants had more broods and greater fecundity than did neotropical migrants and residents using similar nest sites. HowevEr, migratory tendencies and habitat use were confounded, making separation of these two effects difficult. Nonetheless, the conventional view that neotropical migrants have fewer broods than residents was not supported when nest site effects were controlled
Persistence and Remobilization of Arsenic in Massachusetts (USA) Lakes Treated With Arsenical Herbicides

Abstract From 1953 to 1969 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts funded a program to evaluate the effectiveness of sodium arsenite for treating algae and macrophytes in lakes. It is well known that arsenic (As) is persistent in the environment; however, little work has been done to determine its long-term fate in the treated lakes. Once sodium arsenite is added to lakes, As typically precipitates and accumulates in bottom sediments, but under certain conditions As in surface sediments can be remobilized to the water column under certain conditions. The goals of this study were to determine whether residual As is present in elevated concentrations in the surface sediments (top 0–15 cm) of treated lakes, and whether As is being significantly remobilized. Eleven lakes were studied: five were known to have been treated with sodium arsenite; three were suspected of having been treated; and three untreated lakes were used for reference. Surface sediment grab samples were collected at multiple locations in each lake and analyzed for total As. In addition, water samples were collected along a vertical transect at the deepest point in each lake and analyzed for total As. In three of the five treated lakes and one of the lakes suspected of having been treated, sediment As concentrations were >100 mg/kg, or about four-fold higher than background. Analysis of the water samples showed that As was being remobilized from sediments of both the treated and untreated lakes where reducing conditions existed. The highest concentrations of dissolved As were measured in the bottom waters of treated lakes at levels >100 μg/L, which is about 50-fold higher than background. Elevated As levels in the sediments of treated lakes could have implications for lake management.
Fotossíntese, condutância estomática e produtividade de clones de Eucalyptus sob diferentes condições edafoclimáticas

The objective of this study was to evaluate photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance and productivity of Eucalyptus clones in two different sites; one in Eunapolis, southern Bahia with well distributed rainfall throughout the year (wet area) and another on Salto da Divisa, east of Minas Gerais, with rainfall concentrated over the hot months of the year (dry area). Four different clones were examined, measurements of plants growth were performed by means of inventory and the photosynthetic parameters were measured with IRGA (Infrared Gas Analyser). Within each area, there is difference between clones only in the wet area for the variable volume. The average productivity of the clones in the wet area was 3.3 times higher comparing to the dry area. All clones in wet area decreased stomatal conductance in response to increase in vapor pressure deficit, decreasing 0.16 mol m2 s-1 to each 1kPa increase in VPD and the maximum photosynthetic rate ranging from 12.5 to 16.4 µmol m2 s-1 in this area. The comparison between clones within each area resulted in a significant difference in the wet area, with the clone A reaching maximum photosynthesis higher than others. In the dry area, there was no correlation between stomatal conductance and VPD, and there was no difference in photosynthesis between the clones, ranging from 1.2 to 3.4 µmol m2 s-1. A linear relationship was observed between the maximum photosynthesis and clones productivity, suggesting that photosynthetic rate was one of the factors responsible for the increased Eucalyptus productivity of the wet area.
Disproportional Body Growth in Female Estrogen Receptor-α-Inactivated Mice

Estrogens play an important role in the regulation of longitudinal bone growth in man, as demonstrated by recent descriptions of individuals with estrogen insensitivity or aromatase deficiency. Two estrogen receptors, ERalpha and ERbeta, have been cloned. The aim of the present study was to investigate the function of ERalpha in the regulation of body growth and skeletal growth. Adult female mice with inactivated ERalpha (ERalpha-/-) demonstrated an increased body weight compared with wild-type mice (114% of control). However, the length of the appendicular skeleton was decreased in adult ERalpha-/- mice (femur 93% of control). In contrast, the axial skeleton was normal (crown-rump length 98% of control). The decreased growth of the appendicular skeleton was associated with decreased serum levels of IGF-I (77% of control), indicating that the GH/IGF-I axis may be involved in the decreased longitudinal bone growth seen in female ERalpha-/- mice.
Leaving Before Bad Times: Does the Labor Market Penalize Pre-Emptive Director Resignations?

When firms experience negative events such as lawsuits or earnings restatements, their directors also suffer. But what about those who leave shortly before the events? I show that directors who leave prior to negative events experience greater declines in the number of their directorships than directors who stay through the events, but smaller declines than directors who leave after the events. These declines do not appear to be voluntary or driven by forced departures. Instead, they appear to be the results of labor market penalties. The results suggest that resigning pre-emptively does not protect directors from labor market penalties.
A Political Reciprocity Mechanism

We consider the problem of designing legislative mechanisms that guarantee equilibrium existence, Pareto-efficiency, and inclusiveness. To address this question, we propose a finite-horizon voting procedure that embeds clauses of reciprocity. These clauses grant voters the right to oppose actions that are not in their interest, retract actions that face opposition, and punish harmful actions. We study voters' strategic behavior under this voting procedure using two classical approaches. Following the blocking approach, we introduce two related solution concepts---the reciprocity set and the sophisticated reciprocity set---to predict equilibrium policies. We then show that these solution concepts (1) are always non-empty; (2) only select Pareto-efficient policies; (3) strategically protect minority interests; and (4) are compatible with classical notions of fairness and Rawlsian justice in distributive problems. Following the non-cooperative approach, we provide an implementation of each of these solution concepts in subgame perfect equilibrium, which makes them applicable in a wide range of legislative settings. We also extend them to effectivity functions, a large class of games that includes strategic form games. A comparative analysis shows that the reciprocity mechanism has other desirable features and properties that distinguish it from other well-known voting mechanisms and solution concepts.
Managing Congestion

This chapter considers partially (non)rival infrastructure and congestion. Specifically, it explains and analyzes congestions problems and solutions. It begins with the basic economic model of congestion, which assumes homogenous uses, and discusses various approaches to managing congestion. It turns to more complex congestion problems, involving heterogeneous uses and cross-crowding, and discusses management options. The chapter evaluates congestion management strategies for infrastructures as well as the relationship between commons management and congestion management.
On Valuing Stochastic Perpetuities Using New Long Horizon Stock Price Models Distinguishing Booms, Busts and Balanced Markets

For longer horizons, assuming no dividend distributions, equilibrium models for discounted stock prices are formulated as conditional expectations of nontrivial terminal random variables defined at infinity. Observing that extant models fail to have this property, new models are proposed. The new equilibrium concept proposed here permits a distinction between unduly optimistic or pessimistic disequilibria. A tractable example is provided by the discounted variance gamma model. Calibrations to market data provide empirical support. Additionally, procedures are presented for the valuation of path dependent stochastic perpetuities. For these new discounted models, implied volatility curves do not flatten out at the larger maturities. Evidence is provided for long dated claims, paying coupon for the time spent by the stock price above a lower barrier, being underpriced by extant models relative to the new discounted ones. Given that such claims are now issued quite regularly, the resulting mispricing could possibly take some corrections.
Microsatellite analysis of seed dispersal and parentage of saplings in bur oak, Quercus macrocarpa

Microsatellite analysis was used to examine parentage and spatial distributions of 62 adult bur oaks Quercus macrocarpa, and 100 saplings in a single stand. Using genotypes scored by PCR products at four microsatellite loci, we determined that 94 saplings matched at least one parent in the stand. Saplings often occur as dense clusters of half‐sibs around the presumed maternal parent, and only four adults were seed parents to a large proportion of the saplings sampled. A stump apparently was the seed parent of the largest cluster of half‐sibs, which occupied a sizeable light gap opened up by the death of their maternal tree. Approximately half of the saplings appeared to have grown from seeds that had not been removed after falling from the tree, and half from seeds that were dispersed beyond the crown of their maternal parent. Long‐distance seed dispersal may be more common than has been previously reported. Extremely high levels of long‐distance pollination were indicated, and pollen donors within the stand were generally distributed randomly around maternal trees. More than half of the saplings had paternal parents outside of the stand. This study demonstrates the utility of microsatellite analysis for studying mating systems, seed dispersal and seedling establishment in natural plant populations.
Role of Calpain‐ and Interleukin‐1β Converting Enzyme‐Like Proteases in the β‐Amyloid‐Induced Death of Rat Hippocampal Neurons in Culture

Abstract: We investigated the potential role of different proteases in the death of cultured rat hippocampal pyramidal neurons induced by β‐amyloid(Aβ) (25–35). Both Aβ(25–35)‐ and staurosporine‐induced death of these neurons appeared to involve apoptosis, as indicated using Hoechst 33342 and terminal dUDP nick end labeling staining, whereas NMDA‐induced death appeared more complex. Two irreversible inhibitors of the interleukin‐1β converting enzyme (ICE) and related proteases, Z‐Val‐Ala‐Asp‐CH2F and acetyl‐Tyr‐Val‐Ala‐Asp‐chloromethyl ketone, blocked neuronal death produced by Aβ(25–35), staurosporine, and NMDA to differing extents. Furthermore, MDL 28,170, a selective inhibitor of the calcium‐regulated protease calpain, also inhibited death induced by all agents. Aβ(25–35) and staurosporine stimulated the breakdown of the protein spectrin, a calpain substrate. Spectrin breakdown was inhibited by MDL 28,170 but not by ICE inhibitors. Leupeptin was only effective in preventing NMDA‐induced death. These results support the role of apoptosis in neuronal death due to Aβ(25–35) treatment and also suggest a role for calcium‐regulated proteases in this process.
Estate Taxation

In this paper we examine the properties of the optimal linear estate tax in the presence of a complete set of tax instruments available to the social planner. We allow for both types of bequest motives, namely altruistic and accidental. We examine the case for estate taxation which seems to be the strongest (but not impeccable) with accidental bequests. In general, the estate tax is highly sensitive to the relative importance of the two bequest motives.
Conceptualizing ASEAN Tourism Brand: Towards A Coopetition Framework

Objective - This paper proposes an integrative framework in an attempt to conceptualize the branding of ASEAN tourism in a sustainable and unified approach based on the results collected from a sample of travellers visiting ASEAN destinations and tourism insights from NTOs or DMOs. <br><br>Methodology/Technique - A mixed method is used to combine the quantitative and qualitative phases. A survey of travellers visiting ASEAN destinations (n=480) is conducted with a mix of Asian travellers and Western travellers, as well as 10 in-depth interviews with NTOs or DMOs to obtain tourism insights. <br><br>Findings - The findings suggest that authenticity of the destination image is an integral part of ASEAN tourism. National Tourism Organizations (NTOs), Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) and other stakeholders of ASEAN tourism should adopt a coopetition framework and co-create a consistent and coherent positioning of the destination, while maintaining a competitive positioning of the nation, to achieve a sustainable brand of ASEAN tourism. <br><br>Novelty - The paper highlights the needs for ASEAN NTOs and DMOs to enable coopetition for all tourism stakeholders for the promotion of the ASEAN brand. The proposed framework is seen as transformative in its ability to bring about collaborative and sustainable efforts to ultimately achieve an authentic ASEAN brand.
Globalization: An Alternative View

This paper explores the trends in globalization especially financial sectors liberalization as promoted by international donor agencies and its impact on developing world with special emphasis on Pakistan. The paper highlights the shortcomings in policy implications of promoting financial liberalization. It discusses the self propagating ideas of international financial institutions having narrowly defined globalization. The view is based on few established economic theories whose assumptions are somewhat unrealistic from the perspective of the developing world lacking flexibility and adaptability. It also emphasizes the consequences of these policy flaws on East Asian economies and Pakistan.