Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Two different strategies for light utilization in photosynthesis in relation to growth and cold acclimation

Seedlings of Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta L.) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Monopol) were cold acclimated under controlled conditions to induce frost hardiness. Lodgepole pine responded to cold acclimation by partial inhibition of photosynthesis with an associated partial loss of photosystem II reaction centres, and a reduction in needle chlorophyll content. This was accompanied by a low daily carbon gain, and the development of a high and sustained capacity for non-photochemical quenching of absorbed light. This sustained dissipation of absorbed light as heat correlated with an increased de-epoxidation of the xanthophyll cycle pigments forming the quenching forms antheraxanthin and zeaxanthin. In addition, the PsbS protein known to bind chlorophyll and the xanthophyll cycle pigments increased strongly during cold acclimation of pine. In contrast, winter wheat maintained high photosynthetic rates, showed no loss of chlorophyll content per leaf area, and exhibited a high daily carbon gain and a minimal non-photochemical quenching after cold acclimation. In accordance, cold acclimation of wheat neither increased the de-epoxidation of the xanthophylls nor the content of the PsbS protein. These different responses of photosynthesis to cold acclimation are correlated with pine, reducing its need for assimilates when entering dormancy associated with termination of primary growth, whereas winter wheat maintains a high need for assimilates as it continues to grow and develop throughout the cold-acclimation period. It appears that without evolving a sustained ability for controlled dissipation of absorbed light as heat throughout the winter, winter green conifers would not have managed to adapt and establish themselves so successfully in the cold climatic zones of the northern hemisphere.
Diets of Juvenile and Sub-Adult Size Classes of Three Micropterus spp. in the Flint River, Georgia: Potential for Trophic Competition

Abstract Concerns over the recent introduction of Micropterus punctulatus (Spotted Bass) on native M. salmoides (Largemouth Bass) and M. cataractae (Shoal Bass) prompted a one-year investigation into the food habits of these three congeneric species to determine diet overlap and potential for trophic competition in the Flint River, GA. Diet analyses among species were conducted for two size classes offish: juvenile (<200 mm total length) and subadult (200–300 mm TL). Because Spotted Bass had become established in the Flint River only a few years prior to this study, few fish >300 mm were collected; thus, diet overlap was not compared among species for larger fish. Juvenile and subadult Largemouth Bass diets were dominated by fish in all seasons, mainly sunfishes (e.g., Lepomis auritus, L. macrochirus). In contrast, Shoal Bass diets were generally dominated by insects and crayfish in the juvenile and subadult size classes, respectively. Juvenile Spotted Bass diets were variable and dominated by fish and insects depending on season. Overall, diets of introduced Spotted Bass appeared to occupy an intermediate position between Shoal Bass and Largemouth Bass. Significant diet overlap between Shoal Bass and Spotted Bass occurred in 50% of the samples, but only in 29% of the samples between Spotted Bass and Largemouth Bass and never between the two native Bass species. Thus, concerns about the trophic effects of Spotted Bass on Shoal Bass appear to be legitimate.
Fermentative production of pyruvic acid from citrus peel extract by Debaryomyces coudertii.

Fermentative production of pyruvic acid by yeasts was studied using extracts from citrus natsudaidai peel as a carbon source. Many yeasts showed good growth. Of these yeasts, Debaryomyces coudertii IFO 1381 produced pyruvic acid at high yield. Pretreatment of the peel extract with Amberlite IR-120B (Na+) led to increased production of pyruvic acid. Under optimum conditions, the accumulation of pyruvic acid reached a maximum of 970 mg/100ml at 48 hr-fermentation. The pyruvic acid from the fermentation broth was identified with lactic acid dehydrogenase and by comparisons of properties of its 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone with those of authentic pyruvic acid in paper chromatography, IR spectrometry and elemental analysis.
Food allocation among nestling starlings: sibling competition and the scope of parental choice

Parental provisioning for nestling birds is generally considered to be an interactive, conflictive process because the optimal provisioning rate differs between parents and young and because nestlings are engaged in intersibling competition. Understanding the evolution of communication in such a situation presents unusual problems because the scope for parental strategies may be limited by competitive behaviour of the chicks. We substantiate this view by studying parent-offspring feeding interactions between chicks and provisioning adults in the European starling Sturnus vulgaris in relation to chick state and intersibling competition. The state of one target chick in each nest was manipulated in the field by temporarily placing it in enlarged, reduced or normal-sized broods before returning it to its original nest. Conditions in the original nests were standardized during manipulation by using substitute chicks. Once returned to its original brood, the probability of the target chick being fed increased if it increased its begging intensity and/or it positioned itself closer to the entrance of the nest. Both begging intensity and position were functions of the treatment previously experienced, with target chicks begging more and attaining positions closer to the nest entrance after they had spent time in larger broods. We postulate that these factors must be included in theoretical analyses of the evolution of food-solicitation signalling because, although the effect of begging on feeding probability may be mediated by parental choice, the effect of position depends on between-chick dynamics, and the parents apparently accept the outcome of these interactions.
A non-azole inhibitor of lanosterol l4α-methy1 demethylase in Candida albicans

: 6-Hydroxy-N-methyl-N-(2-[4-phenylphenyl] ethyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1- napthalene methanamine (A60586), a new non-azole inhibitor of ergosterol biosynthesis in Candida albicans ATCC62376 has been identified. In whole cells A60586 produced a dose related reduction of [14C]acetate incorporation into ergosterol and a concurrent increase in the radiolabelling of 4,4-dimethylated sterols. Similar observations were made with [14C]mevalonic acid lactone labelled cell free extracts. The IC50s for inhibition of ergosterol in the whole cell and cell free systems were 22 microM (10 mg/L) and 7.8 microM (3.5 mg/L), respectively. Analysis by gas chromatography of sterols from cells previously incubated at 37 degrees C for 24 h with A60586 (200 mg/L) confirmed the presence of lanosterol and 14 alpha-methyl fecosterol. These data indicate that A60586, inhibits the demethylation of the C-14 methyl group of lanosterol. The MIC of A60586 for several candida strains ranged from 12.5 to 50 mg/L, and against Cryptococcus albidus and Aspergillus niger ranged from 50 to 100 mg/L. The best in-vitro activity of A60586 was against Torulopsis glabrata (MIC range = 3.12 to 50 mg/L). The membrane permeabilizing effect of this compound (50% leakage of [14C]aminoisobutyric acid at 70 mg/L A60586) may have contributed to its in-vitro antifungal activity.
Chronologie du développement du fruit en relation avec la croissance végétative chez l'abricotier Prunus armeniaca L. cv. Rouge du Roussillon

Mots clis : abricotier, embryogenkse, croissance, floraison, dCveloppement du fruit. Abstract: The chronology of fruit development and vegetative growth is described for the apricot cultivar 'Rouge de Roussillon'. We observed a synchrony between the major events of fruit development and those of vegetative growth. This allows us to complete a descriptioon of phases in fruit by taking in account the unfurling of preformed, then newly formed parts of growth units (GU). During the first period, which lasts approximately 12 days following full flowering, numerous events unfold simultaneously. In the absence of leaves, everything the tree produces during this period depends on its reserves. During the second period (from around 12 to 30 days) cell division ceases in the future fruit and the preformed parts of the growth units unfurl. From 30 to 60 days after full flowering, the fruit develops little, while the neoformed perts of the growth units are formed. The cessation of growth is spread out at intervals during this period and, at 60 days, 80% of GU have ceased to grow. The embryo continues its development until about 90 days, while the number of growing shoots is limited. Finally, beyond 90 days, the fruit finishes its enlargement while new growth units appear on the tree. The period of direct concurrence between vegetative and floral development seems limited to the two early periods. In effect, the preformed leaves in the winter bud seem to be incapable of providing assimilates to all the growing organs. Consequently, the priority is alternatively vegetative growth (unfurling of newly formed leaves) then fruit development.
Mutations of Tubulin Glycylation Sites Reveal Cross-talk between the C Termini of α- and β-Tubulin and Affect the Ciliary Matrix in Tetrahymena*

Two types of polymeric post-translational modifications of α/β-tubulin, glycylation and glutamylation, occur widely in cilia and flagella. Their respective cellular functions are poorly understood. Mass spectrometry and immunoblotting showed that two closely related species, the ciliates Tetrahymena and Paramecium, have dramatically different compositions of tubulin post-translational modifications in structurally identical axonemes. Whereas the axonemal tubulin of Paramecium is highly glycylated and has a very low glutamylation content, the axonemal tubulin of Tetrahymena is glycylated and extensively glutamylated. In addition, only the α-tubulin of Tetrahymena undergoes detyrosination. Mutations of the known glycylation sites in Tetrahymena tubulin affected the level of each polymeric modification type in both the mutated and nonmutated subunits, revealing cross-talk between α- and β-tubulin. Ultrastructural analyses of glycylation site mutants uncovered defects in the doublet B-subfiber of axonemes and revealed an accumulation of dense material in the ciliary matrix, reminiscent of intraflagellar transport particles seen by others in Chlamydomonas. We propose that polyglycylation and/or polyglutamylation stabilize the B-subfiber of outer doublets and regulate the intraflagellar transport.
Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Broilers Fed Five Different Commercial Vitamin-Mineral Premixes in Ibadan, Nigeria

The relative efficacy of five proprietary vitamin-mineral premixes on performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens was undertaken in a trial lasting six weeks at the Teaching and Research Farm, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. A total of two hundred and eighty eight 1-day broiler chicks of Abor acre strain were randomly allotted to six dietary treatments of forty eight chicks per treatment. Each treatment was a triplicate of sixteen chicks per replicate. Six isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets were formulated. Diet 1 (T1) was the control without any premix. Other diets were supplemented appropriately with 0.25% Daramvita (T2), Biorganics (T3), Hinutrients (T4), Optimix (T5) and DSM Nutripoults (T6). The experimental diets were offered to the respective birds with water given ad libitum. The design of the experiment was a completely randomized design. The feed conversion ratio of birds on T3, T4, T5 and T6 were 2.64, 2.58, 2.61 and 2.57 respectively and were significantly different (p 0.05). Performance and carcass indices indicated variable potency and efficacy of the evaluated proprietary vitamin-mineral premixes in Ibadan, Nigeria.
A review of potential biodiversity indicators for application in British forests

Summary A review of potential indicators of biodiversity in British forests is presented, with a focus on the usefulness of selected biotic parameters as surrogate measures of different aspects of biodiversity in managed forests. To be effective in this respect, indicators must satisfy a number of criteria. They must be readily quantifiable, easily assessed in the field, repeatable and subject to minimal observer bias, cost effective, and ecologically meaningful (i.e. close association with, and identification of, the conditions and responses of other species). It is suggested that a combination of structural (physiognomy of stands and associated structures) and compositional indicators (indicator species or species groups) is selected which is appropriate to the aims of management and to the particular forest type in question. A useful approach is to identify two to three key compositional indicators, shown to be functionally linked to a broad range of other species, such as the extent and species composition of the broadleaved component in conifer forests; and two to three key structural indicators, which act as surrogates for general species richness or diversity, such as the quantity and quality of deadwood.
Effects of NO (+ NO2) pollution on growth, nitrate reductase activities and associated protein contents in glasshouse lettuce grown hydroponically in winter with CO2 enrichment

SUMMARY Winter hydroponic growth of several lettuce cultivars under glass showed considerable inhibition (up to 47 %) of growth after 6 wk exposure to concentrations of NO (+ NO2; 450 nl 1' in total) typical of emissions from propane burners used for direct heating and CO2 enrichment. After a further 4 wk under similar conditions, however, these growth depressions were replaced by a swing into benefit so that, by harvest, pollutant-exposed lettuces were bigger and had faster assimilation rates than those growing in clean CO2 ched air. This adaptation may partly be explained by enhanced use of N02-derived N by lettuce leaves, a consequence of increased nitrate reductase (NaR) activities and amounts of associated NaR proteins, despite adequate nitrate also being available in the hydroponic fluid. Rates of NaR activity in the roots, by contrast, were depressed by NO (+ NO2) pollution. NaR activities were highest in early afternoon in clean or polluted air but these daily patterns did not coincide with the content of NaR-associated proteins determined by ELISA. Other mechanisms of modulating NaR activity must therefore be responsible.
Decline of large mammals in the Katavi-Rukwa ecosystem of western Tanzania

ABSTRACT In the Katavi-Rukwa ecosystem of western Tanzania, aerial censuses carried out between 1988 and 2002 show that populations of several large ungulate species had declined. Five competing factors that could be responsible for these changes were investigated. (i) Rainfall increased slightly over 25 years and (ii) no obvious outbreaks of disease were witnessed, suggesting that populations are not suffering food shortages or disease. (iii) Large predators live at low densities and are not increasing, and estimates suggest that that predation is unlikely to impact larger prey species. (iv) Some assessments of illegal hunting indicate little influence on herbivore populations but one measure points to giraffe, hippopotamus, warthog and perhaps other species being adversely affected. (v) Tourist hunting quotas of lions and greater kudu in hunting blocks appear high and there are indications that both may be declining. Preliminary data, approximate calculations and elimination of hypotheses point to anthropogenic factors being partly responsible for changes in this ecosystem and constructive recommendations are made to alter these. More generally, this study highlights the importance of monitoring in conjunction with collecting diverse data when trying to stop population declines before they become too serious.
Anoxia Effects on Plant Physiology

The response of plants to anaerobiosis is characterized by a dramatic change in gene expression. The availability of molecular tools for genome-wide analyses of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings transcriptome opens new opportunities for the study of plant responses to anoxia. Anoxia exerts a dramatic effect on the transcriptome. In this article we analyse the results obtained by transcript profiling of Arabidopsis seedlings under anoxia and discuss the results in relation to the existing literature on the anaerobic response of higher plants.
NEW MEMBERS OF THE PERTUSARIALES (ASCOMYCOTA) PROVED BY COMBINED PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS

New genus Marfl oraea for the “Variolaria” amara-group as well as new members of the genera Dibaeis and Ochrolechia proved by results of the combined phylogenetic analysis based on nuclear ITS1/ITS2 portion of ribosomal nrDNA and 12S SSU mtDNA sequences are described and compared with closely related taxa. Fift een new combinations are proposed, i.e. Dibaeis yurii, Marfl oraea albescens, M. amara, M. aspergilla, M. corallina, M. corallophora, M. erythrella, M. excludens, M. mammosa, M. ophthalmiza, M. panyrga, M. pulvinata, M. scaberula, M. subventosa and Ochrolechia dactylina. Dibaeis yurii is recorded for the fi rst time from South Korea.
Reduced extrapair paternity in response to experimental stimulation of earlier incubation onset in blue tits

Although the causes and consequences of extrapair paternity (EPP) have been studied extensively in birds, little is known about the regulation of extrapair copulation (EPC) behavior and how it may tie in with other aspects of avian reproduction. In birds, the presence of eggs stimulates incubation and, subsequently, the cessation of egg production. We propose that the same mechanism also regulates female motivation to engage in EPCs. To test this idea, we simulated the earlier onset of laying in blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), by adding model eggs to nests before natural laying commenced. Most females accepted these eggs, covering them with nest material in the natural way. As predicted, these broods hatched more asynchronously than control broods, revealing an earlier onset of incubation, and were less likely to contain extrapair offspring (EPO) suggesting that stimulation from eggs also inhibits motivation to seek EPCs. Egg stimulation is thought to cause cessation of laying a fixed number of days before clutch completion, after a certain hormonal threshold is exceeded. Similarly, a lower threshold may inhibit engagement in EPCs relative to clutch completion, explaining the proportional increase in EPO toward the extremes of clutch size, which we also observed, and would be consistent with a fertility or compatibility insurance function for EPCs. Our findings may represent the best experimental evidence for female-mediated effects on the timing of EPCs and suggest how EPP may be integrated within the regulatory mechanism of avian reproduction. Copyright 2009, Oxford University Press.
Altitudinal variation of parasitic Hymenoptera assemblages in Australian subtropical rainforest

Patterns of species assemblages along altitudinal gradients provide insights into ecological patterns and processes. Parasitoids play an important role in ecosystems, yet there are few studies on parasitoid assemblages, partly because of difficulty in identification of parasitoids to species or their surrogates, morphospecies. The aim of this study is to assess differences in assemblages of parasitic Hymenoptera along an altitudinal gradient at both the family and morphospecies level, and the potential of environmental variables for explaining these differences. We sampled from four replicate sites at each of five elevations (approximately 300, 500, 700, 900 and 1100 m above sea level (asl)) within continuous subtropical rainforest of the Border Ranges National Park in New South Wales, Australia. At each site, we operated a Malaise trap for 10 days in December 2011 and again in February 2012. Parasitic wasps were sorted to families, and two of the common families (Diapriidae and Ichneumonidae) were further sorted to morphospecies. At both family and morphospecies level, we found gradual altitudinal turnover with a clear separation between ‘upland’ (900 and 1100 m asl) and ‘lowland’ (300 and 500 m asl) assemblages. Unlike parallel studies of some other major taxa, we did not detect distinct assemblages at each altitude at the taxonomic resolution used. In addition, response patterns were different between the two sampling occasions. Changes in assemblage composition were best explained by either altitude or temperature. Although parasitic Hymenoptera do not respond as clearly to changes in altitude as some other taxa, the changes detected here, even at the family level, are important given the role parasitoids play in ecosystem functioning.
Resource partitioning among early colonizing Siganus luridus and native herbivorous fish in the Mediterranean: an integrated study based on gut-content analysis and stable isotope signatures

The present study attempts to give timely information on the resource partitioning between the lessepsian migrant Siganus luridus and two ecological native analogues, Sarpa salpa and Sparisoma cretense. Sampling was carried out in concomitance with the first record of Siganus luridus in Linosa and fish were caught simultaneously, allowing direct comparison of diets. Gut-contents analyses provided a snapshot of the feeding habits of the three species: Siganus luridus fed on 34 taxa of benthic algae (mostly represented by Dictyota dichotoma) and a total of 27 taxa was identified in the stomach of Sarpa salpa, with the predominance of Sargassum vulgare. For the first time, a detailed picture of Sparisoma cretense diet was given (N=22 taxa of identified algae) albeit, due to the high percentage of digested food, this species was excluded from gut-content comparisons. A certain resource partitioning between Siganus luridus and Sarpa salpa was resolved on the basis of trophic indices and multivariate analyses, these latter also highlighting a more dispersed diet for Siganus luridus with respect to Sarpa salpa. Isotopic signatures were important towards defining the trophic level of the three species and particularly of Sparisoma cretense, whose gut-contents analysis was only partially informative. The values of δ15N confirmed a strictly vegetal diet for Siganus luridus and Sparisoma cretense while Sarpa salpa was significantly more enriched. According to δ13C, observed values matched the predicted ones for Siganus luridus and Sarpa salpa while both species presented less enriched δ15N values than expected.
The damage‐conservation interface illustrated by geese

Changes in legislation, in public attitudes and in shooting practices, both in Britain and overseas, have allowed populations of geese which winter in Britain to increase in numbers. Since 1960 the number of individuals in the seven populations that come into conflict with agriculture has increased almost fivefold. There are serious conflicts between geese and farmers in some localities, where damage is alleged to growing grass, cereals and high value cash crops. Despite extensive studies over 20 years, it has proved impossible to devise precise and cost-effective methods of assessing the damage caused by geese and to provide a fair and workable system of compensation Farmers and their representatives are calling for a co-ordinated cull to reduce population sizes substantially. There are, however, a number of political and practical problems in undertaking population control, except perhaps in the feral populations of Greylag Anser anser and Canada Geese Branta canadensis in England. Proposals are put forward for each species, which take into account the international responsibility of each country to safeguard the populations of migratory birds, and which provide solutions to the local serious problems of farmers. These proposals involve the setting aside of land for geese, either by the creation and management of reserve areas or by making payments to farmers to tolerate the birds on their land.