Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genet Disintegration in Filipendula Ulmaria: Consequences for Population Dynamics and Vegetation Succession

1 The dynamics of populations of Filipendula ulmaria during succession in an abandoned meadows in the centre of the Bialowieza Primeval Forest was studied over the period 1974-90. The growth and disintegration of individual genets was followed throughout succession. 2 In patches originally dominated by grasses and macroforbs, the number of genets increased rapidly to reach five to seven times the original number within about 8 years. A second increase in numbers was seen between 12 and 14 years, due to disintegration of the genets. In a patch dominated by sedges, the population grew slowly and the resulting small genets seldom disintegrated. 3 Expansion is followed by disintegration once critical size is attained. Change in size of genets and the ratio between generative and vegetative offspring resulted in the overall spatial structure changing from uniform to more clumped over the 17-year study period. 4 The number of ramets in a genet is correlated with the size and age of the genet. The growth and survivorship of new genets and genet fragments are limited by the gradually increasing necromass cover, and by the willow canopy. 5 Overall vegetation dynamics is strongly related to F. ulmaria populations in that: (a) the increase of abundance of F. ulmaria coincided with the start of succession; (b) the maximum abundance coincided with a transient stage in the succession from macroforbs to willow; (c) the decrease in abundance of F. ulmaria began when the meadow became dominated by willow. 6 The advancing senescence of Filipendula ulmaria genets, manifested in the necrosis of their senile parts, gives rise to free space within the genet area which is subsequently colonized by other species. The number of colonizers increases with the age and size of the genet, with continued species turnover taking place above 10 years of age. Senescence and disintegration of genets thus influence succession in abandoned meadows.
Effect of Ozonated Water on Postharvest Pathogens of Pear in Laboratory and Packinghouse Tests

In treatments with aqueous ozone solutions for 5 min, LD 95 values for spores of Botrytis cinerea, Mucor pinformis, and Penicillium expansum were calculated to be 0.99, 0.69, and 0.39 μg of ozone per milliliter of water, respectively. Spore inhibition was directly correlated with ozone concentration in 1- to 5-min exposure times; eight regressions of spore inhibition with concentration were significant at P=0.01, and one was significant at P=0.05 (.)
Development and Stem Cells Research Article

INTRODUCTION Germ cell tumors (GCTs) are the most frequent cause of cancer in men between the ages of 15 and 40 (Hussain et al., 2008). Teratomas represent a class of non-seminomatous GCTs that arise spontaneously in young boys, and are characterized by the differentiation of a diverse array of cell and tissue types within the tumor including cartilage, muscle, hair and glandular tissue, as well as a cluster of stem-like cells from which the tumor can be propagated. The diversity of cell types that appear within teratomas is believed to reflect the latent pluripotency of germ cells (for a review, see Solter, 2006). Although there have been significant recent advances in understanding how pluripotency can be induced (Okita et al., 2008; Yamanaka, 2009), discerning the mechanisms that regulate endogenous populations of highly pluripotent stem cells lies at the heart of both cancer biology as well as efforts to manipulate various adult stem cell populations for regenerative repair. Histological analyses carried out from the 1950s to the 1980s by Leroy Stevens and others established a foundational knowledge of teratoma formation during fetal development in the highly susceptible 129/SvJ strain and in the presence of a spontaneous mutation that arose in this strain called
Life History and Ecology of the Moth Sameodes albiguttalis, a Candidate for Biological Control of Waterhyacinth

Larvae of the pyralid moth, Sameodes albiguttalis (Warren), caused heavy but, sporadic damage to waterhyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms in Argentina. Females laid an avg of 300 eggs each, usually in injuries, on the plant leaves. The larvae fed inside the petioles and bud of the plant and pupated in white cocoons in the bulbous-type petioles. Eggs required 4 days to hatch, the 5 larval instars took a total of 21 days to pupate, and pupae took 7 days to emerge. In the laboratory, 95.6% of the eggs survived, 54.3% of the larvae, and 96% of the pupae. With optimum conditions in the laboratory, the population was calculated to increase 1.16 times/day, or 150 times/generation of 34 days, and to double each 4.7 days. Five generations/year occurred in the field, and maximum populations measured were 130 larvae and pupae/l00 plants. A braconid parasitoid heavily attacked larval populations and a pathogen, Nosema invadens or nr. , infected all stages in the field in Argentina. Sameodes albiguttalis would probably be an effective control agent if released in regions where it is not native. A synergistic effect between it and weevils of the genus Neochetina is predicted. The factors affecting its potential effectiveness are discussed.
Plasma polarization spectroscopy

In the density matrix formalism, the ensemble of atoms or ions is expressed in terms of population and alignment of excited levels and the ground state. The population of an excited level determines the intensity of an emission line originating from this level and the alignment gives rise to the linear polarization of this line. Spatially anisotropic collisions induce transitions between the populations and the alignments; for example, an alignment along with a population is produced by a beam of electrons in an excited level from the ground-state population. Thus, an anisotropic plasma produces polarized radiations, and by plasma polarization spectroscopy (PPS) we can investigate the anisotropic, and thus non-thermal, features of the plasma. The angular distribution of the perturber velocities is expanded in terms of Legendre polynomials. The expansion coefficients and the relevant cross sections for the transitions among the populations and the alignments yield the rate coefficients for these transitions. For the ensemble of atoms or ions immersed in the plasma, coupled rate equations are constructed for the populations and the alignments of excited levels. We review the present status of our knowledge of the collision cross sections for various collision processes. Several experimental observations of PPS performed so far are reviewed, which include those on a tokamak plasma, laser produced plasmas, various discharge plasmas and solar flares. We discuss what kind of information could be obtained from PPS.
CORRELATIONS AND HERITABILITY ESTIMATES OF YIELD AND YIELD ATTRIBUTING TRAITS IN WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.)

The research was carried out to examine the correlations of yield components with grain yield and to determine the extent of transmission of traits from parents to their offspring by heritability estimates. The experimental material consisted of eight wheat genotypes viz. Moomal, Kiran-95, Sarsabz, TD-1, Imdad, Sahar, Sasuee and Sundar. The mean squares from analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the genotypes for all the traits studied. The variety TD-1 produced maximum tillers plant -1 , more spikelets spike -1 , gave higher grain yield plant -1 (g), more seed index (g) and harvest index (%). Sarsabz produced longer spike length, more spikelets and grains spike -1 , however Sundar recorded taller plants. The correlation coefficient (r) indicated that tillers plant -1 , spike length, spikelets spike -1 , number of grains spike -1 , seed index and harvest index were significantly and positively correlated with grain yield plant -1 . The higher correlations coefficients of yield components with grain yield also suggested that yield components can reliably be used as indirect selection criteria to improve grain yield in wheat. The regression coefficient (b) indicated that a unit increase in tillers plant -1 , spike length, grains spike -1 , spikelets spike -1 , seed index and harvest index caused a substantial increase in grain yield plant -1 . The coefficient of determination (r 2
Essential oils of Portuguese Thymus mastichina (L.) L. subsp. mastichina grown on different substrates and harvested on different dates

Summary The effects of harvesting date and different substrates on the yield and chemical composition of the essential oils of Portuguese Thymus mastichina (L.) L. subsp. mastichina were compared with samples grown in pots. The best oil yields were obtained in June (3.2, 3.6 and 4.9% in the local sandy soil, in non-fertilized peat, and in fertilized peat, respectively). The essential oils were dominated by 1,8-cineole, the highest concentration of which was detected in June (58.6%) in samples kept in non-fertilized peat, and the lowest values were from plants growing in fertilized peat during April and June (45.1%). The remaining samples always reached the highest percentages in October (around 54% in both oil samples), although the concentration profile over time was similar in every sample. Concerning the monoterpene hydrocarbons, ケ-pinene, camphene, sabinene and ゲ-pinene were the most significant components. While the amounts of ケ-pinene tended to decrease from April to June, for ゲ-pinene such tendency was observed from October to January, independently of the growing material used. Amounts of camphene, being similar to those of ケ-pinene, decreased successively from October to April. Elemol and intermedeol were the most representative sesquiterpene components, although the concentrations never exceeded 2.2% and 1.3%, respectively. The results obtained in this work suggest that the harvesting dates of Portuguese T. mastichina influence oil yields and their chemical compositions much more than the different growing media used, although a higher oil yield was obtained with the fertilized growing material.
A Study of the Winter Activities of the Mink

LANGWORTHY, O. R. 1928. The control of posture by the central nervous system. Physiol. Rev., vol. 8, pp. 151-190. and C. P. RICHTER. 1933. The cerebral motor cortex of the porcupine. Jour. Psychol. & Neurol. , vol. 45, pp. 138-142. MARTIN, C. J. 1898. Cortical localization in Ornithorhynchus. Jour. Physiol. , vol. 23, pp. 383-385. VOGT, C. , and 0. VOGT. 1907. Zur Kenntnis der elektrisch erregbaren Hirnrindengebiete bei den Saugetieren. Jour. Psychol. & Neurol. , vol. 8, pp. 276-456. WEED, L. H. 1917. The reactions of kittens after decerebration. Amer. Jour. Physiol. , vol. 43, pp. 131-157. and 0. R. LANGWORTHY. 1925. Decerebrate rigidity in the opossum. Amer. Jour. Physiol. , vol. 72, pp. 25-38.
Physiological and behavioral characteristics of Chilocorus spp. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in the laboratory relative to effectiveness in the field as biocontrol agents

Differences between six Chilocorus spp. in their usefulness as biocontrol agents in southern Africa were reflected in aspects of physiological and behavioral measurements derived from a quality monitoring program in the laboratory. Differences in nahlfal climatic adaptations and distributions of Chilocorus bipustulatus (L.), C. cacti L. , C. distigma (Klug), C. infernalis (Mulsant), C. nigritus (Fabricius), and C. simony Sicard were not as accurately reflected in the relationship between feeding rate and temperature as in mortality as a function of time of exposure to high temperature. The effects of various rearing and handling procedures were evaluated focusing on C. nigritus. The vigor of C. nigritus was not improved by maintenance under fluctuating temperatures. Feeding rates of this species were lower during the scotophase than during the photophase and increased as a function of duration of starvation. The weights of adult Chilocorus spp. at eclosion was a function of larval diet and increased with adult feeding for variable lengths of time depending on species and larval diet before plateauing. These results have implications for the rearing of, experimentation with, and use in biocontrol of these Chilocorus spp.
Effect of antibiotic plant resistance on the reproductive fitness of the Russian wheat aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae)

Laboratory experiments were conducted to examine the effect of antibiosis on the reproductive fitness of the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko ). Cumulative nymphal production was modeled for 6 wheat, Triticum aestivum L. , plant introductions (PI 47545, PI 94355, PI 94365, PI 151918, PI 225245, PI 225262) and a susceptible standard, ‘Stephens’ wheat, with a nonlinear regression procedure that used the logistic equation. It was not possible to model the resistant standard, ‘Border’ oat, because of early mortality and lack of nymphipositional activity. The maximum nymphal production (M) ranged from 68.3 (PI 225262) to 87.2 nymphs per female (Stephens wheat). The rate of increase, or increase in nymphal production rate, ranged from 2.4 (PI 225262) to 3.0 (Stephens wheat). The lag time ranged from 2.5 (Stephens wheat) to 2.7 log (days) (PI 151918). Lag time represented the period before the adult female began to produce nymphs. The original time scale (days), was transformed (natural log) to evaluate the early lag phase in these data. Contrasts of parameters M and K , and joint hypothesis testing (comparison of entire curve) among Stephens wheat and the selected resistant plant introduction lines indicated that there were significant differences between Stephens wheat and all plant introduction lines examined for all parameter comparisons ( M, K , and whole curve). Estimated models from trial 1 were applied to data from trial 2 to validate the suitability of the models to describe the nymphal production process. Examination of residuals (defined as the difference between the predicted value and the observed value) suggested that although the models tended to slightly overestimate nymphal production, they adequately represented nymphal production data for all plant introduction lines as well as Stephens wheat.
Post-translational translocation of secretory proteins at the endoplasmic reticulum

In eukaryotes, many secretory protein precursors are thought to translocate across the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) co-translationally, in a process that is also dependent on their targeting via the signal recognition particle (SRP). However, a previously unsuspected number of metazoan secretory proteins have been shown to utilise a distinct, post-translational, mechanism(s) for their delivery to and translocation across the ER. Such proteins are unusually short; therefore SRP does not have sufficient opportunity to engage with their N-terminal signal sequence before polypeptide synthesis is complete. In this study, I examine the properties of secretory proteins that are known or potential candidates for post-translational translocation, and identify cytosolic components that mediate this process (Chapters 2.1 to 2.3). In vitro analysis using chimeric proteins and inhibitors of ER translocation suggested that both the signal sequence and mature domains of secretory proteins might influence their capacity for post-translational translocation (Chapter 2.1). These effects are most likely exerted by the Sec61 translocon of the ER membrane. The ER delivery of this class of proteins bears a striking resemblance to that of tail-anchored membrane proteins, with clear evidence for multiple overlapping pathways. Furthermore, a known tail-anchor protein delivery factor, TRC40, was found to mediate one of at least two distinct pathways that target short secretory proteins to the ER where they utilise the Sec61 complex for translocation (Chapter 2.2). During an in vitro screen of other cytosolic components potentially influencing post-translational translocation, Pex19 was observed to affect this process. Preliminary findings suggest that Pex19 appears to interact with proteins delivered to the ER post-translationally, and these observations merit further investigation (Chapter 2.3). Based on these results and current knowledge in the wider field, a working model describing the molecular mechanisms that underlie the post-translational translocation of short secretory proteins is presented, and I speculate on the delivery pathways and specific properties of these unique polypeptide substrates.
A CONJUGATE GRADIENT TECHNIQUE FOR OPTIMAL FUZZY LOGIC CONTROL OF HIGHLY COMPLEX DYNAMIC SYSTEM

,. The paper presents a novel approach for the application of adaptive fuzzy logic control' algorithm. The aim of this adaptive system is to minimize an objective function in the output error via varying the center of each label. The model inependency characteristics of the fuzzy controller allows simple calculation and low implementation cost which are highly recommended features in control industry. A conjugate gradient technique is applied in this paper to inqiiinize the error in least square sense. A real time nonlinear dynamic system is used to ensure the effectiveness of tAe proposed control scheme.
Thirty-five-year growth of thinned and unthinned ponderosa pine in the Methow Valley of northern Washington.

Cochran, P.H. ; Barrett, James W. 1998. Thirty-five-year growth of thinned and unthinned ponderosa pine in the Methow Valley of northern Washington. Res. Pap. PNW-RP-502. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 24 p. It is commonly expected that self-thinning will maintain small-diameter stands at nearnormal densities and allow dominant trees to grow reasonably well. Such self-thinning did not occur in the unthinned plots in a thinning study in the Methow Valley of northern Washington, even though there was some suppression-caused mortality. A shift from suppression-caused mortality to insect-caused mortality took place when quadratic mean diameters (QMDs) reached 7 inches. Thinning to spacings wider than 9.3 feet reduced growth of both basal area and cubic volume per acre but greatly increased growth of board-foot volume per acre, and diameter and height growth. Periodic annual increments of cubic volume and QMD are curvilinearly related to stand density index. Growth of the largest 62 trees per acre was clearly reduced by the presence of smaller trees in the stand. Density management is necessary to produce reasonable growth rates of even the largest trees in the stand and to speed the development of mid-seral conditions.
Etude du dialogue Homme-Machine en langue naturelle sur le Web pour une recherche documentaire

La recherche en communication Homme-Machine (H/M) s’oriente actuellement vers la conception et le développement de systèmes informatiques coopératifs adaptés aux capacités cognitives des utilisateurs. Dans cet objectif, la langue, étant un des moyens de communication privilégié par l'homme, doit être prise en compte dans ces systèmes, notamment à travers une couche de dialogue convivial et efficace. Pour nous, le dialogue est un processus tendant à maximiser l'accord entre les interlocuteurs à propos d'une tâche qu'ils ont à faire en commun. La tâche que nous avons choisie est la recherche d'informations. Que faut -il alors entendre par dialogue en langue naturelle ? Que s’autorisent à dire les utilisateurs face à une machine censée comprendre leurs demandes ? Pour étudier ces questions nous avons enregistré un corpus en simulant un système d'interaction en langue naturelle : c’est l'objectif du système HALPIN (Hyperdialogue avec un Agent en Langage Proche de l’Interaction Naturelle) présenté dans cet article.
Biological characterisation of a novel and naturally isolated indole alkaloid

Natural products play a pivotal role in the treatment of cancer; identification of compounds such as taxanes and the vinca alkaloids were seminal landmarks in natural product drug discovery. Jerantinine A (JA), a novel Aspidosperma alkaloid isolated from plant species Tabernaemontana corymbosa, was previously reported to possess cytotoxic activity against vincristine-resistant nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells and is therefore an ideal candidate for biological investigation. Furthermore, Tabernaemontana corymbosa has been placed in the endangered list of threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) thus making it a priority to elucidate the biological activity of this alkaloid. Herein, we report detailed biological evaluation of JA on various human-derived carcinoma cell lines. Our preliminary screens showed that significant inhibition of cell growth and colony formation accompanied time- and dose-dependent induction of apoptosis in human cancer cell lines after treatment with JA. Dose-dependent accumulations of cleaved PARP and caspase 3 further confirmed apoptosis. Profound G2/M cell cycle arrest was observed 24 h after treatment in all cell lines. Characteristics of mitotic arrest including inhibition of tubulin polymerisation, microtubule disruption, and aneuploidy were clearly observed. DNA fragmentation was also evident in cells treated with JA. Indeed, significant increases in phosphorylated-γH2AX were indicative of DNA damage caused by double strand breaks and were relatively similar to levels caused by vincristine. Investigations into JA’s ability to overcome vincristine resistance demonstrated that it is not a substrate of Pgp. The role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in acquired resistance and cell death have also been widely studied. JA induced significant levels of ROS in treated cells, possibly contributing to their apoptotic destiny. Proteomic analyses also corroborated the phenotype of JA-treated cells with increased expression of ROS-neutralising enzymes, aberrant expression of proteins involved in the spindle assembly checkpoint critical to mitosis, and decreased expression in all tubulin proteins detected by LC-MS/MS. A genome-wide RNAi screen revealed several candidate genes involved in mediating sensitivity to JA. The genes corresponding to c-Jun-N-terminal kinases, JNK1/2, were selected for subsequent investigation based on their involvement in multiple pathways that were identified using bioinformatic tools. JNK1/2 were knocked down in MCF-7 and MDA-468 cells and then treated with JA. MTT assays revealed some loss of sensitivity, suggesting that these proteins were indeed involved in mediating cell sensitivity to JA.
Anti-inflammatory activity of lupeol and lupeol linoleate in adjuvant-induced arthritis

The pentacyclic trilerpenes lupeol and lupeol linoleate, tested for their anti-inflammatory activity in adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats, exhibited 39% and 58% reductions in paw swelling, respectively. Triterpene treatment reduced the loss of body weight and the increase in spleen weight observed in arthritic rats. Altered aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase and albumin/globulin ratio were also normalised, better with lupeol linoleate than with lupeol. Histopathology of proximal interphalangeal joints revealed that treatment with triterpenes produced a significant reduction of cellular infiltration in the synovial cavity of arthritic rats.
Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) Population Dynamics on Broccoli in an Interior Valley of California

Myzus persicae (Sulzer) was the most abundant aphid species encountered in fall and winter plantings of broccoli in Riverside County, Calif. , during 1980 to 1981. Brevicoryne brassicae L. populations were smaller, but this species was of greater importance as a contaminant of broccoli. Aphid migration and density per plant were lower in the winter crop, but the potential for contamination was higher. Aphid species segregated by leaf choice, with M. persicae preferring the oldest leaves and B. brassicae the youngest. Plant age and growth affected aphid distribution. Sampling procedures based on 10-plant samples and leaf subsamples provided reliable estimates of aphid populations and may be suitable for scouting programs for aphids on broccoli.