Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acute and Subacute Pulmonary Effects of Diesel Exhaust Particles in Mice: Pathological Changes and Translocation Pathways to the Circulation

To study the acute and subacute pulmonary effects of diesel exhaust particles (DEPs), mice were intratracheally instilled with 25, 50 or 100 μg of DEPs for dose response experiments. Histological alterations were determined at 3 days post-exposure. 50 or 100 μg of DEPs produced mild to moderate pulmonary inflammation and tissue injury characterized by infiltration of neutrophils and active alveolar macrophages (AMs), focal alveolitis and particle-laden AMs accumulation. Ultrastructural studies of treated animals showed the dissociation of basement membranes and erosion of type I alveolar epithelial cells. To investigate the time response, mice were instilled with 50 μg of DEPs and sacrificed at intervals from 1 to 30 days post-exposure. DEPs induced pulmonary inflammation and injury at acute period; however, these changes gradually regressed during the experiment. These results suggest that instillation of small doses of DEPs causes transient acute mild to moderate lung inflammation and tissue damage. The evidences of the DEPs distribution in lung tissues were also elucidated throughout the observation time. The main possible translocation pathway of DEPs from the lung to the circulation in this study could be cell mediated active transportation and direct penetration through the area of alveolar interstitial damages.
Nitrogen Response of Grain Sorghum in Rotation with Soybean

The grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ] rotation is the major sorghum production system in Nebraska. Fertilizer N needs for rotations are commonly determined by adjusting the N rate for continuous sorghum by a fertilizer nitrogen replacement value (FRV). The FRV due to rotation with soybean varies widely and, given the importance of the soybean-sorghum rotation, a basis for direct determination of N rates for grain sorghum following soybean is needed that includes the cost of fertilizer N. Thirty-nine N rate trials for grain sorghum following soybean were conducted in southern Nebraska on medium to fine texture soils. The treatment structures varied but generally included five or more N rates in increments of 35 kg ha -1 or less. Grain sorghum yield response to applied N and the economically optimum nitrogen rate (EONR) increased as yield level increased. The agronomic efficiency of applied N increased with increased yield level and, within each yield category, decreased with increased N rate. Agronomic N efficiencies were <6 kg grain kg N -1 applied at sites with maximum yields of <6 Mg ha -1 , indicating presence of severe constraints other than N. The EONR decreased and the range of profitable N rates decreased as the N price-grain price (P N :P G ) ratio increased. Expected sorghum yield, as well as P N :P G , was therefore important for the determination of EONRs. Soil organic matter (SOM; 17-37 g kg -1 in the 0- to 20-cm depth) and soil nitrate concentration (1.3-6.7 mg kg -1 in the 0- to 120-cm depth) were positively correlated with grain yield without N application, but showed no correlation with the yield response to applied N. Within the ranges represented by these trials, soil information was less essential for determining the EONR for grain sorghum following soybean than setting a realistic yield goal (YG).
Rehabilitation of shifting cultivation areas through agroforestry: a case study in Eastern Himalaya, India.

BHATT BP, SINGHA LB, SATAPATHY KK, SHARMA YP & BUJARBARUAH KM. 2010. Rehabilitation of shifting cultivation areas through agroforestry: a case study in eastern Himalaya, India. A study was carried out for 10 years (1992-2002) in Meghalaya, India, involving seven multipurpose tree species, viz. Acacia auriculiformis, Alnus nepalensis, Bauhinia purpurea, Exbucklandia populnea, Ficus hookeri, Michelia champaca and M. oblonga planted on shifting cultivation degraded land. The tree species were intercropped with broom grass ( Thysanolaena maxima). The study revealed that M. champaca had the highest survival (80%) and F. hookeri, the lowest (40%). Current annual increment (CAI) was highest in A auriculiformis (2.3 m and 2.6 cm respectively for height and diameter growth), while mean annual increment (MAI) for height and diameter growth was highest in E. populnea (1.4 m) and A nepalensis (1.9 cm) respectively. Exbucklandia populnea exhibited the greatest height (14.8 m). Diameter growth was, however, highest (63.2 cm) in A. nepalensis after 10 years. Maximum basal cover, leaf area and standing biomass were recorded in A. auriculiformis including its timber (0.3 m3/tree) and standing volume (220.3 m3 ha"1). Lowest standing volume was, however, recorded in B. purpurea (15.4 m3 ha"1). Variations were observed for growth performance and biomass yield of the tree species. Thysanolaena maxima exhibited total productivity of 89.3 q ha"1 in control plots (without trees) with fodder, spike and firewood yield of 36.3, 16.5 and 36.6 q ha"1 respectively. However, its productivity reduced 40% when intercropped with A. nepalensis. Reduction in the yield of broom (5.2%) was lowest when intercropped with B. purpurea. The results revealed that A. auriculiformis, A. nepalensis, E. populnea and Michelia spp. (tree crops) and T. maxima (understorey crop) could be recommended for restoration of shifting cultivation areas in eastern Himalaya, India.
Effectiveness of wind machines: Frost protection by ramjet or conventional wind machines in deciduous orchards depends on the strength of the inversion

Abstract Not Available – First paragraph follows: When the atmosphere 40′ to 50′ above ground is 13°F or more warmer than it is a few feet above the soil surface, the temperature inversion condition—in frost protection research—is considered to be strong. When the temperature difference is less than about 5°F the inversion is considered weak. The weak inversions usually found in the deciduous orchards on the floor of the Sacramento Valley appear to limit the usefulness of wind machines for frost protection unless additional heat is supplied from orchard heaters.
Yeasts From Xerophilic Environments Reveal Antimicrobial Action Against Fruit Pathogenic Molds

In the present study, we investigated the occurrence of yeast flora in a xerophilic environment, the desert region of Namibia, with the aim to isolate the yeast strains with antimicrobial activity toward plant pathogen molds. Using traditional culture-dependent methods, a total of 44 yeast strains belonging to 6 genera and 12 species were isolated. The yeast isolated from red berry samples revealed the widest biodiversity, while only Cryptococcus albidus strains were isolated from desert melon and leaf samples. A wide antimicrobial activity toward pathogenic molds was observed in vitro tests for the yeasts belonging to Aureobasidium pullulans (strains F32 and F60), C. albidus (S14) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (RB24). This behavior was confirmed in vivo tests, where A. pullulans F32 and F60 completely counteracted Penicillium digitatum decay in lemon and orange, respectively, while C. albidus S14 showed a similar strong antimicrobial effect in both fruits. S. cerevisiae strain RB24 exhibited a widespread inhibitory activity against Monilinia fructicola on cherries. Practical Applications To the best of our knowledge, the antimicrobial activity exhibited by selected yeasts from xerophilic environment could be used as a biological practice in postharvest as an alternative biotechnological approach to reduce the use of synthetic fungicides. Indeed, the biological control using antagonistic yeasts offers an alternative approach to combat pathogen molds on fruits and vegetables.
Escalation and Time Costs in Displays of Endurance

Abstract Physical endurance is a significant factor in many animal signalling interactions, both in the context of fighting behaviour and of sexual selection. We construct a general model of displays that are physically demanding to maintain, and determine the appropriate behaviour that optimizes an individual's expected pay-off. An important feature of the model is the inclusion of explicit time costs associated with the duration of the display. The model can exhibit not just displays of endurance, but also basic “one-off” displays of magnitude, and war-of-attrition-like displays of persistence. We determine necessary conditions for displays of endurance to exist. In addition, our results provide a novel explanation for the occurrence of escalating displays in situations in which time costs rise increasingly rapidly.
Regulation of the G2/M Transition in Xenopus Oocytes by the cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase*

Vertebrate oocytes are arrested in G2 phase of the cell cycle at the prophase border of meiosis I. Progesterone treatment of Xenopus oocytes releases the G2 block and promotes entry into the M phases of meiosis I and II. Substantial evidence indicates that the release of the G2 arrest requires a decrease in cAMP and reduced activity of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKAc). It has been reported and we confirm here that microinjection of either wild type or kinase-dead K72R PKAc inhibits progesterone-dependent release of the G2 arrest with equal potency and that inhibition can be reversed by a second injection of the heat-stable inhibitor of PKAc, PKI. However, a mutant enzyme predicted to be completely kinase-dead from the crystal structure of PKAc, K72H PKAc, was much less inhibitory when carrying additional mutations that block interaction with either type I or type II regulatory subunit. Moreover, inhibition by K72H PKAc was reversed by PKI at a 30-fold lower concentration and with more rapid kinetics compared with wild type PKAc. K72R PKAc was found to have low but detectable activity after incubation in an oocyte extract. These results indicate that inhibition of the progesterone-dependent G2/M transition in oocytes after microinjection of dead PKAc reflects either low residual activity or binding to regulatory subunits with a resulting net increase in the level of endogenous wild type PKAc. Consistent with this hypothesis, the induction of mitosis in Xenopus egg extracts by the addition of cyclin B was blocked by wild type PKAc but not by K72H PKAc. The identification of substrates for PKAc that maintain cell cycle arrest in G2 remains an important goal for future work.
COMPARATIVE KINETIC STUDIES OF PHOSPHATE‐LIMITED GROWTH AND PHOSPHATE UPTAKE IN PHYTOPLANKTON IN CONTINUOUS CULTURE 1

A comparative kinetic study of phosphate‐limited growth and phosphate uptake was carried out in chemostat cultures of Anabaena flos‐aquae Lyng. Bréb. , Ankistrodesmus falcatus (Corda) Ralfs, Asterionella formosa Hass. , Fragilaria crotonensis Kitt. , and Microcystis sp. Lemm. For each test organism the growth rate (μ) can be described as a function of total cell phosphorus (P), i.e. cell quota (q), or hot‐water‐extractable P (qsp).
Start making scents: the challenge of integrating chemistry into pollination ecology

Although research on plant volatiles and pollination ecology has grown explosively over the past 15 years, there remains little dialogue between these fields. Here I examine the historical and cultural reasons for this impasse, focusing on the ways that questions in each field are addressed, and the potential for productive cross‐talk. The specialization–generalization debate in pollination has cast doubt on the importance of sensory biology in mediating plant–pollinator interactions on the community scale. However, chemical ‘filters’ of volatile or nectar‐borne repellents are likely to explain the absence of specific interactions in plant–pollinator webs. In addition, the omission of plant volatiles from path analyses measuring the relative impacts of herbivores and pollinators on plant fitness may be one reason for large unexplained variance terms in such models. Floral scent functions in concert with visual and gustatory cues by attracting pollinators from a distance, increasing approaches and landings, and mediating outcrossing rates through changes in visitation frequency and duration. All dimensions of floral chemistry, including ontogenetic and diel variation in scent emissions, have the potential to respond to balancing selection between herbivores and pollinators. The available data reveal that chemical aspects of floral phenotypes are important across the specialization–generalization spectrum, and thus are widely applicable to mainstream pollination ecology.
445. The differentiation of the lactic streptococci and their antibiotics

Twenty-three strains of lactic acid streptococci were shown to be types of Streptococcus cremoris or Str. lactis by cultural, biochemical and serological means. The antibiotics produced by the cremoris strains could be differentiated readily from the lactis antibiotics, of which at least five different varieties are described. A cross-test and a resistant-strain test were used to differentiate the antibiotics.
INTERSEASONAL AND INTERANNUAL MEASURES OF MATERNAL CARE AMONG INDIVIDUAL STELLER SEA LIONS (EUMETOPIAS JUBATUS)

Abstract We studied maternal care in Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) at a small rookery in the northern Gulf of Alaska over the course of 4 summers, 2001–2004 and 3 autumn seasons, 2002–2004, using remotely operated video cameras. Perinatal periods were long (≥10.0 days); although varied between years. Timing of parturition was earlier and perinatal periods longer for multiparous females compared to females considered to be primiparous. Summer foraging trip durations were short (X̄ = 16.5 h), increased during August, then did not change significantly over the course of the autumn (X̄ = 55.7 h). Individual lactating females spent a greater proportion of their time on shore during the summer and a greater proportion of their time at sea during the autumn. The amount of time that females nursed their pups also increased significantly from the summer to autumn. Long perinatal periods and short foraging trips during summer indicate that sea lions are likely finding sufficient food nearby. Our data also suggest that Steller sea lions reach an upper plateau in duration of foraging cycles as early as mid-August and large increases above that plateau may indicate difficulty finding sufficient food during the winter months.
The Metapopulation Ecology of the Red‐Spotted Newt, Notophthalmus viridescens (Rafinesque)

The population dynamics and ecology of the red—spotted newt were studied from 1974 to the present in a series of mountain ponds in the Shenandoah Mountains, Virginia. Adult and juvenile newts were censused using a combination of methods, including drift fences and dip—netting. A technique of individual recognition was developed utilizing the number and pattern of dorsal red spots. Assisted by a simple system of toeclips, designating pond and year of first capture, these methods provided records of age, survival, and movements of >8,500 individuals. The results revealed 2 migratory peaks of adults each year: a breeding migration to ponds in March, and an August—September emigration to terrestrial hibernacula. Breeding population size, ranging from 6 to >2,600 adults per pond was stationary during the study but was significantly correlated with pond age. Annual turnover of breeding populations to new adults exceeded 50%. Sex ratios were consistently 2 ♂ ♂: 1 ♀ in the breeding populations but tended toward 1:1 in the cohorts of new recruits. Annual adult ♀ survival was density dependent and significantly less than that of♂ ♂. The average ♀ expected to breed only 1.3 times, whereas ♂ ♂ had an expectancy of 1.9 breeding seasons. Faithfully homing to the same pond year after year, adults never migrated to new ponds between breeding seasons. Juvenile production at most ponds was poor over the 3 yr. Only 1 pond had a reproductive output consistently above a calculated replacement rate. It is inferred from the combination of poor reproduction and high immigration rates that breeding adults were not replaced by their own progeny but rather by foreign—born individuals. The red—spotted newt is basically a colonizing species responding to pond habitats that rapidly shift in time and space. It is suggested that beaver ponds have the necessary attributes of small size and temporal instability to which the life—history patterns of newts seems adapted. The majority of ponds in this area functioned as reproductive sinks in a larger, metapopulational structure. Adults in such ponds were reproductive failures or most of their lives. Only a small number of adults accounted for the regional reproduction in 1974 and 1975, but I very populous pond produced >91% of the young in 1976. Because reproductive success is pond dependent, interdemal selection may play an important role in newt evolution. It is hypothesized that homing behavior evolved as a consequence of natural selection within metapopulation centers and that the eft stage is the mechanism of dispersibility to new ponds. A new model of metapopulational dynamics is presented.
Role of Chicken Pancreatic Trypsin, Chymotrypsin and Elastase in the Excystation Process of Eimeria tenella Oocysts and Sporocysts

The role of pancreatic proteolytic enzymes in the excystation process of Eimeria tenella oocysts and sporocysts was studied in vitro. Intact sporulated oocysts were preincubated in phosphate buffer, NaCl 0.9% (PBS) added with 0.5% chicken bile extract in a 5% C02 atmosphere for 30 minutes prior to exposure to either 0.25% (w/v) chicken trypsin, chymotrypsin, pancreatic elastase, or a 1% (w/v) crude extract of unsporulated and sporulated oocysts of E. tenella (Expt.1). No excystation was observed under these conditions. Sporocysts were also incubated under the same conditions without pretreatment in C02. Excystation was observed for sporocysts incubated with either trypsin, chymotrypsin or pancreatic elastase, the best percentage of excystation being recorded for the latter after 5 hours (Expt. 2). Crude extracts of E. tenella oocysts failed to bring about excystation of sporocysts at any time. In experiment 3, sporocysts were incubated with either trypsin, chymotrypsin, or pancreatic elastase alone, any combinations of 2 of these enzymes or with all 3 enzymes. The best percentage of excystation was observed after 5 hours with sporocysts incubated with trypsin and chymotrypsin (99%). The other combinations of 2 enzymes gave also comparable results. Sporocysts incubated in the presence of the 3 enzymes excysted similarly well, although a significantly lower percentage (P<0.05) after 5 hours was recorded when compared to that in sporocysts incubated with trypsin and chymotrypsin. In most cases, the association of 2 or 3 enzymes had a synergistic effect on the percentage excystation of sporocysts in vitro.
Evolution of Microsatellite DNA

Microsatellites are highly mutable nucleotide arrays composed of short motifs repeated in tandem. They are ubiquitously distributed in bacterial and eukaryotic genomes and their abundance and mutability has made them a widely used genetic marker for a variety of applications. One aim of the study of microsatellite evolution is to predict their mutational patterns in order to make them more accurate markers of genetic distance between species or individuals. Applications that use microsatellites as markers work under the basic assumption that microsatellite mutations are simple and random. However, this assumption contrasts with the observed variability of mutation rates across microsatellite loci. Several factors such as array size and sequence motif have been shown to influence microsatellite mutation rates, but research into their evolution is also complicated by the fact that some microsatellites function to regulate gene expression and possibly other genomic functions, and may therefore be subject to selective pressure. Key Concepts: Microsatellites are arrays of tandemly repeated 1–6 bp sequence motifs. They are highly abundant in all organisms studied, and they are also highly polymorphic as a result of frequent change of length mutations. The traditional view of microsatellites as neutrally evolving junk DNA is overly simplistic, which sometimes affects the accuracy of studies that use them as genetic markers. Many complex processes interact to govern the frequency with which microsatellites mutate, including array length, sequence motif and flanking sequence. Increasing evidence indicates that a subset of microsatellites function to regulate gene expression, and perhaps also interchromosomal recombination, and the evolution of these microsatellites is therefore influenced by selection. The mutability of microsatellites, the fact that their mutations are easily reversible, and their abundance and conservation in regulatory regions suggest that they may make a significant contribution to the diversity and adaptation of species, but much work remains to establish the extent of their functional importance. Keywords: tandem repeats; strand slippage; DNA ; microsatellite; polymorphism; mutation model; selection; gene; expression; strand slippage; repetitive
Modelling the kinetics of water loss during deep-fat frying of potato particulates.

We developed an empirical model to describe the water loss during deep-fat frying. Raw potato particulates were sliced to form cylinders and subjected to the deep-fat frying at isothermal temperatures of 160, 190, and 220 °C. The microstructure properties were assessed by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM). The plot of the water content versus the frying time showed two distinct regions. A first-order kinetic model correlated with the two irreversible serial rate processes, rapid process and slow process, was hypothesised to describe the water loss during frying. The results showed the simultaneous two first-order kinetic models adequately predicted the water loss of potato particulates during isothermal frying. The effect of temperature on the rate constants, k 1 and k 2 , for the two processes was adequately modelled by the Arrhenius relationship. The observations of structural changes on the surface and in the inner section of potato particulates are critical. These physical pieces of evidence support our assumption that the mechanisms of the water loss (two-stage rate processes) before and after the transition time are different.
Weed Control in Maize (Zea mays L.) Through Sorghum Allelopathy

ABSTRACT Sorghum allelopathy has been utilized as an economical and natural technique for controlling weeds in some field crops like wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), maize (Zea mays L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) and Brassica (Brassica juncea L.). It can be used as sorgaab (water extract of mature sorghum plants), sorghum mulch, sorghum soil incorporation or included in crop rotation. Two field experiments were conducted for two years in the summer of 1997 and 1998. In Experiment 1, the response of maize (Zea mays L.) and summer weeds to foliar applications of sorgaab, hand weeding and herbicide spray was studied. In Experiment 2, the comparative efficacy of sorgaab at 15, 30 and 45 days after sowing (DAS) and sorghum mulch for controlling weeds were studied. Sorgaab foliar spraying controlled from 18–50% weeds and increased maize grain yield by 11–44%. Mature and chaffed sorghum herbage (10–15 Mg ha−1) surface applied at sowing controlled up to 26–37% weeds and increased maize yield by 36–40%. Three foliar sprays of sorgaab at 15, 30 and 45 days after sowing was the most economical method for controlling weeds in maize as compared with hand weeding, chemical herbicides and sorghum mulch. Weed control through hand weeding and/ or chemical herbicides was found to be economically impractical due to higher costs involved in both cases. Sorgaab can be used as a natural weed inhibitor in maize.