Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass: opportunities, perspectives, and potential of biorefinery systems

Most of the chemical products used today in our society originate from fossil sources through refinery operations. The continual price increase of fossil resources, their uncertain availability, and the environmental concerns of their exploitation have led to a demand for the elaboration of alternative chemical production patterns based on renewable sources. Besides fossils, the only resource available for producing chemicals is biomass, and the establishment of biorefinery complexes is increasingly perceived as a promising alternative to oil refineries. This work is a position paper that provides an insight in the emerging biorefinery concept, with special focus on the opportunities, perspectives, and potential regarding the use of lignocellulosic biomass as raw material in the preparation of platform chemicals needed to meet the existing demand. Results show that replacing fossil resources with wood requires large amounts of biomass and has several technological barriers that are still far from being overcome. This paper identifies the key reactions where major efficiency improvements and research efforts are needed (dehydration, fermentation, hydrogenation, etc.), as well as the possibilities when it comes to enhancing biomass conversion performances through the synthesis of new platform chemicals, with higher oxygen content, so as to accommodate the original biomass composition. © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Root pruning reduces root competition and increases crop growth in a living mulch cropping system

Abstract In two field experiments, growth of white cabbage in pure stands was compared with that of cabbage grown in living mulch systems to reduce pest attacks. The roots of the living mulch were pruned early in the season, with the aim of reducing competition and increasing growth of the white cabbage. Root pruning was shown to increase the above-ground biomass of white cabbage, with two prunings giving higher cabbage yields than one, but there were clear differences between the living mulch species tested (red clover, birdsfoot trefoil, salad burnet, winter rye). Below-ground growth and competition were examined by measuring root distribution in minirhizotrons and uptake of 15N placed at different soil depths. These studies showed that the ability of mulch species to compete for resources at depth was restricted by pruning, and that this was crucial for the development of the white cabbage crop.
Fusarium proliferatum as a biocontrol agent against grape downy mildew

Postinfection applications of microconidial suspensions of Fusarium proliferatum G6 reduced sporangial production of Plasmopara viticola on grape leaf disks by 97% and prevented resporulation. Microscopic examination of the hyphal interaction in vitro showed hyphae of F. proliferatum G6 coiled around and inside sporangiophores of P. viticola. In the field from 1992 to 1995, where substantial natural grape downy mildew developed, weekly applications of F. proliferatum G6 microconidia reduced disease development on leaves and fruit clusters of Vitis interspecific hybrid cultivars Chancellor and Lakemont. Severity of downy mildew on Chancellor clusters was reduced by 77% in 1992, 80% in 1993, and 53% in 1994 and was reduced on leaves by 71% in 1992. On Lakemont, disease severity on clusters was reduced by 99% in 1993, 94% in 1994, and 81% in 1995 and was reduced on leaves by 79% in 1992, 67% in 1994, and 60% in 1995. Fumonisin mycotoxins, which are produced by F. proliferatum, including F. proliferatum G6, were not found in grape berries or juice made from berries sprayed with microconidia in the field. Agar tests with fungicides showed sulfur, copper, and metalaxyl to be minimally detrimental to F. proliferatum G6. Biological control with F. proliferatum might be practical in conjunction with a management program in which sulfur and copper are used or in an antiresistance management program with metalaxyl, on moderately resistant cultivars, or in areas where downy mildew is not severe.
Studies on the Status of Unburnt Eucalyptus Woodland at Ocean Grove, Victoria. IV* The Effect of Shading on Seedling Establishment

The invasion of unburnt Eucalyptus woodland by Casuarina scrub has greatly reduced light penetration, hence seedlings encounter intense shading beneath the scrub and within the grass sward. Artificial shading experiments showed that Acacia pycnantha seedlings were the most shade-tolerant, followed by C. littoralis and C. stricta, while Eucalyptus ovata seedlings all died under prolonged intense shading, apparently owing to Botrytis cinerea. Shading (30% of full daylight) for 9 months (autumn-spring) increased the yield of A. pycnantha, C. littoralis and C. stricta seedlings compared with non-shaded seedlings. Intense shading (less than 8% of daylight) caused etiolation and decreased yields in all species. Chlorophyll a/b ratios of E. ovata and C. littoralis were decreased by shading. The total chlorophyll content of E. ovata plants was increased by shading, but that of C. littoralis was not affected. Shade tolerance of A. pycnantha, C. littoralis and C. stricta was partly morphogenetic in origin (increased leaf area ratios with shading) and partly due to resistance to fungal attack. All species had low compensation points. Shaded A. pycnantha seedlings retained pinnae for much longer than non-shaded seedlings. The differential survival of shaded E. ovata and C. littoralis seedlings is apparently not the result of differences in their photosynthetic efficiency at low light intensities, as sun-grown seedlings of both species had very similar light response curves. Prolonged shading significantly decreased the root/shoot ratios of all species except C. littoralis; hence shading will reduce the drought resistance of seedlings. The results from these experiments support the idea that the differential establishment of E. ovata and C. littoralis at Ocean Grove is partly due to differences in their shade tolerance.
Fossils in the Making: Vertebrate Taphonomy and Paleoecology

One of the first interdisciplinary discussions of taphonomy (the study of how fossil assemblages are formed) and paleoecology (the reconstruction of ancient ecosystems), this volume helped establish these relatively new disciplines. It was originally published as part of the influential Prehistoric Archeology and Ecology series. "Taphonomy is plainly here to stay, and this book makes a first class introduction to its range and appeal. "-Anthony Smith, "Interdisciplinary Science Reviews"
First record of occurrence of Epiphragmophora estella (d’Orbigny, 1837) (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Stylommatophora) in Argentina

This is the first record of Epiphragmophora estella in Argentina, a species traditionally of Bolivian distribution. Specimens were found during several field trips conducted in the northern patch of the Southern Andean Yungas forest of Salta province. Morphometrics and qualitative shell characters are described in order to validate the taxonomic identification. Current species distribution is also reported.
Seasonality in Bees and Their Floral Resource Plants at a Constructed Urban Bee Habitat in Berkeley, California

Abstract In mid 2003 a diverse floral resource was planted in a small urban residential plot at the University of California, Berkeley Oxford Tract with the goal of attracting local native California bee species to assess emerging patterns of diversity and seasonality. A standard procedure was then used in 2004 to sample the bees and monitor their host flowers. Pollen and nectar resources were abundant and consistently available during spring, summer, and early fall months of that year. Thirty-two bee species representing 17 genera, and five families used these resources through the 2004 season. Urban bees were categorized into three seasonalities: early season, late season, and full season represented by seven, eight, and 17 species respectively. Results of this study indicate that newly-planted urban gardens, which are designed for bees, have the potential to attract diverse seasonal bee taxa if diverse floral resources are provided throughout the growing season. Implications of these finding are discussed in terms of managing and conserving local bees in new and more developed urban gardens. Long-term monitoring continues at this site.
The influence of parasitism on the life history of a high arctic insect, Gynaephora groenlandica (Wöcke) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae)

The life history of Gynaephora groenlandica was studied in the high arctic at Alexandra Fiord, Ellesmere Island. Life history events (larval development, pupation, adult emergence, mating, oviposition, hatching, and moulting to the second larval instar) occurred only in the 3–4 weeks before mid-July. Larvae fed mainly on Salix arctica. They stopped feeding by the end of June, hid, and spun hibernacula. Nineteen percent of third- and fourth-instar larvae were parasitized by the wasp Hyposoter pectinatus (Ichenumonidae); 52% of fifth- and sixth-instar larvae and pupae were parasitized by the fly Exorista sp. (Tachinidae). We estimated that G. groenlandica has a life cycle lasting 14 years. Parasitism caused 56% of overall mortality, whereas cumulative winter mortality was calculated as 13% of a cohort passing through a 14-year life cycle. Peak of activity of adult parasitoids coincided with inactivity of Gynaephora larvae during July. Selective pressure of parasitism may restrict development of G. groenland.
Biological and economic impact of trypanosome infections on milk production in N'Dama cattle managed under village conditions in The Gambia

Over a 3-year period, productivity characteristics and criteria of trypanosomiasis incidence and severity have been monitored by monthly examination of individual N'Dama cattle in villages in The Gambia. From this database, 60 lactating cows in which Trypanosoma congolense or T. vivax had been detected on blood examination (group 1) were compared with 50 cows which had not been found infected with trypanosomes during the monitoring period (group 2). The latter were selected on the basis of comparability of age and stage of lactation to those of group 1 for examining the effect of trypanosome infections on the quantity of milk extracted for human consumption, and on the growth of their sucking calves. Data from a 6- to 7-month period were examined in the analysis.The quantity of daily milk extracted during the 1st month ot intection (group 1) decreased by proportionately 0·25 in comparison to the amount extracted during the preceding month when parasites were not detected. The corresponding figure in the uninfected controls (group 2) was 0·02. The mean daily milk extracted for human consumption from uninfected cows during a 6-month period was proportionately 0·26 higher than the mean for the infected cows. Growth rates of calves sucking infected and uninfected dams were similar.These observations indicate that infection with pathogenic trypanosomes of lactating N'Dama cattle causes a reduction in milk production.In economic terms, it was estimated that the decline in milk extracted for human consumption due to trypanosome infections amounted to an average of £1 per month per cow.
Return migration of Atlantic salmon in the River Tana: the role of environmental factors

Multi-sea-winter Atlantic salmon (75–115 cm fork length LF, 2–4-winter fish) were radio-tagged in the Tanafjord (700 N), Norway, in 1992–1993, and 130 fish entered the large subarctic River Tana (Teno). They entered the fresh water at any time of the tidal cycle but more so during the high and ebbing tides. No diel rhythm was detected in river entry under polar day conditions. There were no differences in the change of flow between days when salmon moved and when they did not, but during active migration increasing discharge was associated with increased swimming activity of salmon, especially later in the summer. Increasing air temperature was also associated with enhanced migration activity. Low river flow was associated with increasing delay in salmon passing the first riffle area of the river, 35 km from the sea.
STRANGLER FIG ROOTING HABITS AND NUTRIENT RELATIONS IN THE LLANOS OF VENEZUELA

The strangler figs, Ficus pertusa and F. trigonata, are abundant in the seasonally flooded palm savanna (llanos intermedio) near Calabozo, Venezuela. The most common host tree for the hemiepiphytic figs is the palm Copernicia tectorum; nearly half of the palms support either an epiphytic or a ground-rooted fig. During their epiphytic stage the figs are rooted behind the palms' rnarcescent leaf bases. Material trapped behind the leaf bases is higher in organic matter, nitrogen, magnesium, and potassium than soil from the ground near the palms. The suggestion that nutrient availability to epiphytes is high is supported by the observation that concentrations of several nutrients, including N, P, and K, are significantly higher in epiphytic leaves than in tree leaves. Figs retain access to the epiphytic medium by producing upwardly growing (apogeotropic) roots that remain attached in the host palm's crown long after the fig has become firmly rooted in the ground. Although upward growing roots are expected to be more important in nutrient than water uptake, there are no obvious differences in the xylem anatomy of upward and downward growing fig roots. Terrestrial roots of fig trees are generally infected with vesiculararbuscular mycorrhizae, but the epiphytic roots of the same individuals are not infected. GROWTH HABITS in the genus Ficus (Moraceae, approximately 800 species) include free-standing trees, shrubs, lianas, epiphytes, banyans, and hemiepiphytes (Schimper, 1903; Trelease, 1905; Bessey, 1908; Small, 1936; Dobzhansky and Murca-Pires, 1954; Davis, 1970; Ramirez, 1977; Putz and Holbrook, 1986). Both strangling and nonstrangling hemiepiphytes start their lives as epiphytes and later produce roots that grow down to the ground. The roots of stranglers fuse to form a cylinder around the tree on which the epiphyte started and eventually, if the host tree dies, the fused roots serve as a trunk and the strangler remains standing on its own. We use the term "host" to refer to supporting trees in full recognition of the connotation of a parasitic relationship. Strangler fig seedlings use other trees for support and later impede the growth of their host by mechanically preventing diameter growth of their host trunk, by casting shade, and by competing for water and nutrients. By starting life as epiphytes, hemiepiphytes avoid some of the con
REX

This article is based on personal experience, an experience of grief and now, years later, an understanding of its transformative power in one's life. It is a true story and began some 25 years ago. As those who have gone through grief themselves know, it never ceases, it only changes, moves through its own cycles and permeates one's life. It almost has a life of its own within one's daily tasks. Eventually, grief can become a subtle and profound force in the act of living that is no longer felt as loss but as gain. In this story, I wish to present the idea that the relationship between the grieved and the person who has died continues to evolve and grow after the death process.
Sulfur cycling in Catenococcus thiocyclus

Since its isolation from marine volcanic areas, Catenococcus thiocyclus has been known to be able to oxidize thiosulfate to tetrathionate, but the benefits gained from the reaction were unknown. The energy to be gained from such a reaction is so small (1 electron per mol of thiosulfate, compared with 8 electrons if the thiosulfate is oxidized to sulfate) that it seemed unlikely to be a useful metabolic reaction. However, continuous culture experiments have now revealed that C. thiocyclus is able to gain metabolically useful energy from this oxidation (biomass yields increased by approximately 20% after the addition of 7.75 mM thiosulfate to medium containing 20 mM acetate) by combining it with the chemical reduction of the tetrathionate by sulfide. The enzymes for thiosulfate oxidation appear to be constitutive. Moreover, with a suitable primary energy source (e.g. glucose), C. thiocyclus can reduce sulfur (S°) to sulfide and Fe3+ to Fe2+. A chemical reaction then generates FeS. Such reactions may have important implications for the sulfur cycle at oxic:anoxic interfaces in marine and freshwater systems.
Properties of furfurylated wood

The first processes of wood modification with furfuryl alcohol (FA) (furfurylation) were developed several decades ago. FA is a renewable chemical, produced from hydrolysed biomass waste. Over the past decade modernized processes for furfurylation of wood have been developed. This study presents decay properties of furfurylated wood. Laboratory methods and field tests were performed on fungi, termite and marine borer attack. Tests on physical and mechanical properties are also presented. The properties of furfurylated wood depend on the retention of grafted/polymerized poly-FA in the wood. At high modification levels (high retention of poly-FA) the enhancement of a wide variety of properties is achieved: an exceptional increase in hardness, exceptional resistance to microbial decay and insect attack, increase in modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity, and high dimensional stability. At lower modification levels property enhancements also occur. Notable are resistance to microbial decay and insect attack, and relatively high dimensional stability.
Viruses of the Serengeti: patterns of infection and mortality in African lions

Summary 1. We present data on the temporal dynamics of six viruses that infect lions (Panthera leo) in the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. These populations have been studied continuously for the past 30 years, and previous research has documented their seroprevalence for feline herpesvirus, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), feline calicivirus, feline parvovirus, feline coronavirus and canine distemper virus (CDV). A seventh virus, feline leukaemia virus (FeLV), was absent from these animals. 2. Comprehensive analysis reveals that feline herpesvirus and FIV were consistently prevalent at high levels, indicating that they were endemic in the host populations. Feline calici‐, parvo‐ and coronavirus, and CDV repeatedly showed a pattern of seroprevalence that was indicative of discrete disease epidemics: a brief period of high exposure for each virus was followed by declining seroprevalence. 3. The timing of viral invasion suggests that different epidemic viruses are associated with different minimum threshold densities of susceptible hosts. Furthermore, the proportion of susceptibles that became infected during disease outbreaks was positively correlated with the number of susceptible hosts at the beginning of each outbreak. 4. Examination of the relationship between disease outbreaks and host fitness suggest that these viruses do not affect birth and death rates in lions, with the exception of the 1994 outbreak of canine distemper virus. Although the endemic viruses (FHV and FIV) were too prevalent to measure precise health effects, there was no evidence that FIV infection reduced host longevity.
Dispersal of Homalodisca vitripennis (Homoptera: Cicacellidae) from a Point Release Site in Citrus

Abstract The glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar), is an important vector of Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al., a bacterium that has caused substantial losses in the viticulture and ornamental industries in California. Area-wide management programs have been implemented to reduce vector populations and limit the spread of this disease. However, there is still a lack of information on the factors that influence this insect’s movement within and between host crops. In this study, we used mark-release-recapture (MRR) to examine the dispersal of H. vitripennis in a mature orange grove, Citrus sinensis Osbeck. Insects were doubly marked with chicken or rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG) proteins and fluorescent dusts to enable monitoring over several weeks. Our objectives were to examine the reliability of IgG protein markers relative to fluorescent dusts, determine how sharpshooter movement differed in this landscape relative to a previous study, and develop a better understanding of the biotic and abiotic factors that could influence sharpshooter dispersal. Linear regressions of recapture data with a diffusion model provided significant fits to the data in five of six releases. Recapture data were fitted to a diffusion model, and based on parameters generated with the model, estimated dispersal distances for H. vitripennis at 72 h showed 50 and 99% remained within annuli of 31 and 150 m from the release site, respectively. Flight activity was greatest between 1000 and 1400 hours, and no flights occurred between 2200 and 0600 hours. Only temperature explained a significant amount of the variability in recapture of H. vitripennis, with sharpshooters rarely trapped below 18°C.
The negative news threshold—An explanation for negative skewness in stock returns

Abstract A vast literature documents negative skewness in stock index return distributions on several markets. In this paper the issue of negative skewness is approached from a different angle to previous studies by combining the Trueman's 1997 model of management disclosure practices with symmetric market responses in order to explain negative skewness in stock returns. Empirical tests reveal that returns for days when non-scheduled news items are disclosed are the source of negative skewness in stock returns, as predicted. These findings suggest that negative skewness in stock returns is induced by asymmetries in the news disclosure policies of firm management. Furthermore, it is found that the returns are negatively skewed only for non-scheduled firm-specific news disclosures for firms where the management is compensated with stock options.
Turnaround Leadership

Abstract Turnaround leadership concerns the kind of leadership needed for turning around a persistently low-performing school to one that is performing acceptably as measured by student achievement according to state tests. I first treat this question in the narrow sense, i.e., as a strategy for targeting low-performing schools, and then place it in a larger context—namely, how such turnaround can be part of an overall approach to sustainable system change. The sequence I will consider moves from the school to the district to the system as a whole. My conclusion, which I state upfront, is that what looks like apparent success in turning around schools is actually quite superficial and indeed illusory.
Lipid modulation of plasma membrane‐bound ATPases

The plasma membrane cation-pumping ATPase is a key regulatory enzyme in cellular events. However, the mechanism by which its activity is controlled is still unclear. Lipid modulation is acknowledged to be a potentially important mechanism in this respect, although precisely how it is achieved remains controversial. This review examines the modulation of plant, animal, yeast and fungal plasma membrane-bound ATPases by sterols and phospholipids as well as discussing critically two putative modulating mechanisms, the ‘Annulus Hypothesis’ and membrane fluidity. The use of xenobiotics in helping to elucidate the role played by lipids in ATPase regulation is examined and a sequence of events by which lipid modulation may occur is suggested.