Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Desiccation of sunflower with diquat

Diquat was applied at 0.3 kg (a.i.)/ha to sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) at various stages of maturity in a 3-yr study to determine its effects on some agronomic and quality characteristics. The applications effectively hastened drying of the leaves and heads but stem drying was variable. Achene drying depended largely on the weather, with good advancement in some instances, but little advancement under cool, damp weather conditions. Advancement in harvest date by the treatments, taking into account both seed and plant drying, ranged from 0 to 26 days. Application made before physiological maturity reduced yield, oil content, 1000-achene weight, test weight and protein content of the meal. Fatty acid composition was also affected but to a lesser extent. There was no effect on achene germination. Applications made after the moisture content of the achenes had dropped below 45% did not appear to have any detrimental effects on achene yield or quality.Key words: Sunflower, desiccation, diquat
Designing Chemical Libraries for Lead Discovery

The selection of compounds for use in high throughput biological assays is one of the critical factors that dictates the likelihood of detecting exploitable biological properties. In this paper, we present a process designed to deliver molecules that contain chemical functionality of immediate value in a lead discovery program, molecules that are sufficiently different from each other to ensure that redundancy of effort is avoided. The design process has already been implemented and used to add tens of thousands of reaction products to the Optiverse™ library
Comparison of monoclonal antibody performance characteristics for the detection of two representatives of A- and B-trichothecenes: T-2 toxin and deoxynivalenol

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi belonging mainly to the Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium genera. They represent a relevant source of danger to human and animal health causing food- and feedborne intoxication. One group, produced by Fusarium spp. , are the trichothecenes, of which T-2 toxin belongs to the type-A trichothecenes and deoxynivalenol to the type-B trichothecenes. As these mycotoxins are ubiquitous, the testing of products is required to keep our food and feed safe. For this purpose, sensitive and reliable tests are needed to detect contaminations. One detection possibility is an immunoanalytical based test which needs antibodies as reagents. Cell culture facilities allow cell line selection and production of monoclonal antibodies for further immunological test development. Especially for mycotoxins antibody development for further use in immunoassays is a crucial task. T-2 toxin and deoxynivalenol specific monoclonal antibodies were developed and further characterised.
Meta-community structure of vascular epiphytes in a temperate rainforest

I quantified the occurrence of all vascular plant species inhabiting 43 Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don trees in a temperate rainforest in British Columbia, Canada, to test whether (i) epiphyte species richness increased with tree diame- ter, and (ii) epiphyte distributions showed evidence for nestedness, checkerboard distributions, or compartmentalization. Nine vascular plant species were observed growing epiphytically. One species (Polypodium glycyrrhiza Eat.) is an obligate epiphyte, while the remainder typically occurred on the forest floor. Smaller host trees (<0.5 m in diameter) lacked vascu- lar epiphytes, and species richness increased with host diameter. No evidence for nested or checkerboarded distributions was observed. However, epiphyte distributions were compartmentalized, owing to five similar shrub species that tended to co-occur jointly, generating sharp turnover in species composition between host trees with and without shrubs. The lack of co-occurrence patterns indicative of interspecific interactions among epiphytes indicates that the epiphyte meta-community is structured stochastically from species that normally grow terrestrially.
The mathematical description of lactation curves in dairy cattle

This review gives an overview of the mathematical modelling of lactation curves in dairy cattle. Over the last ninety years, the development of this field of study has followed the main requirements of the dairy cattle industry. Non-linear parametric functions have represented the preferred tools for modelling average curves of homogeneous groups of animals, with the main aim of predicting yields for management purposes. The increased availability of records per individual lactations and the genetic evaluation based on test day records has shifted the interest of modellers towards more flexible and general linear functions, as polynomials or splines. Thus the main interest of modelling is no longer the reconstruction of the general pattern of the phenomenon but the fitting of individual deviations from an average curve. Other specific approaches based on the modelling of the correlation structure of test day records within lactation, such as mixed linear models or principal component analysis, have been used to test the statistical significance of fixed effects in dairy experiments or to create new variables expressing main lactation curve traits. The adequacy of a model is not an absolute requisite, because it has to be assessed according to the specific purpose it is used for. Occurrence of extended lactations and of new productive and functional traits to be described and the increase of records coming from automatic milking systems likely will represent some of the future challenges for the mathematical modelling of the lactation curve in dairy cattle.
Effect of Carbohydrate Demand on the Remobilization of Starch in Stolons and Roots of White Clover (Trifolium repens L.) after Defoliation

On a suivi les modifications de teneur des stolons et des racines en glucides non-structuraux (amidon, saccharose, glucose, fructose, maltose et pinotol) apres defoliation. On a fait varier l'importance de la defoliation ainsi que la pression partielle en Co 2 lors de la culture. On a etabli une correlation entre la remobilisation des glucides, leur taux de depart, et l'importance de la demande suivant la defoliation
Evidence for facultative deciduousness in Colophospermum mopane in semi-arid African savannas

Leaf phenology dictates the time available for carbon assimilation, transpiration and nutrient uptake in plants. Understanding the environmental cues that control phenology is therefore vital for predicting climate-related changes to plant and ecosystem function. In contrast to temperate systems, and to a lesser degree, tropical forest systems, the cues initiating leaf drop in tropical savannas are poorly studied. We investigated the cues for leaf fall in a tropical monodominant arid savanna species, Colophospermum mopane, using an irrigation experiment. We tracked soil moisture, solar radiation, air temperature, leaf water status, leaf health and leaf carbon balance through the dry season in both irrigated and control plants. Water was the primary cue driving leaf loss of C. mopane rather than temperature or light. Trees watered throughout the dry season retained their canopies. These leaves remained functional and continued photosynthesis throughout the dry season. Leaf carbon acquisition rates did not decline with leaf age but were affected by soil moisture availability and temperature. Leaf loss did not occur when leaf carbon gain was zero, or when a particular leaf carbon threshold was reached. Colophospermum mopane is facultatively deciduous as water availability determines leaf drop in this widespread arid savanna species. Obligate deciduosity is not the only successful strategy in climates with a long dry season.
Analysis of the Genetic Diversity of Natural Populations of Alpinia oxyphylla Miquel Using Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat Markers

Alpinia oxyphylla Miquel is an endangered but economically valuable species. Given that it is one of the four most important medicinal plants in southern China, surprisingly few studies have characterized the species at the molecular level. In this study, 163 accessions were collected from seven natural populations of A. oxyphylla, along with one outgroup species, to investigate the genetic diversity of the species using inter- simple sequence repeat (ISSR) analysis. A total of 365 polymorphic markers were detected from the general population when it was analyzed using 20 ISSR primers. Nei's genetic diversity and Shannon's information index were 0.2129 and 0.3373, respectively, indicating consider- able genetic diversity at the species level. Less genetic differentiation took place among pop- ulations, with evidence of coefficient of gene differentiation 0.338 and gene flow 0.907, sug - gesting that there was more genetic variation within populations than between populations. An unweighted pair group method with arith- metic averaging dendrogram divided all acces- sions into eight groups that coincided almost completely with their geographical origin, with the exception of just a few crosses. This sug- gests that the geographic distribution of acces- sions coincided closely with the distribution of genetic diversity within A. oxyphylla, indicating weak gene flow. These results may provide valu - able guidance regarding the conservation and genetic improvement of the species.
Sampling of Diaphorina citri (Homoptera: Psyllidae) on orange jessamine in southern Florida.

Dispersion indices and related statistics of Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, on orange jessamine [Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack] shoots in southern Florida from 1998 to 1999 were determined with 235 data sets and used to develop sampling plans. Three regression models, Taylor's power law, Iwao's patchiness regression, and k = c +dm [k = m2 / (S2 - m)] (where k is the parameter for the negative binomial distribution) were used to analyze the data. Taylor's power law (a = 0.3407 0.03, b = 1.2971 0.03, r2 = 0.88) fit the data better than Iwao's model (a = -0.3217 0.12, = 1.6979 0.06, r2 = 0.76). Taylor's b and Iwao's were both significantly > 1, indicating that D. citri populations were aggregated. Iwao's a was significantly
Seed banking in the columnar cactus Stenocereus stellatus: distribution, density and longevity of seeds

Abstract The soil seed bank is the reserve of viable seeds found in the soil. This reserve contributes to plant population persistence in unpredictable environments; thus, determining its presence is basic to understanding recruitment patterns and population dynamics. Studies of soil seed banks in the Cactaceae are scarce, although these plants are ecologically dominant in American arid and semi-arid environments. Most studies have inferred the presence of seed banks by analysing morphological seed traits or germination of seeds stored in the laboratory for different periods of time. Few studies have determined their presence through evaluation of distribution, density and longevity of seeds in the field. To fill this information gap, we determined the existence of, and studied, the soil seed bank of Stenocereus stellatus, a columnar cactus endemic to central Mexico. This study reports the evaluation of these characteristics in the field and discusses whether this species forms a soil seed bank. We found a higher number of seeds under shrubs than in areas lacking vegetation. Recently dispersed seeds did not germinate because they have primary dormancy. This dormancy was broken after 6 months of burial in the soil. Seeds buried for 10 months entered secondary dormancy and they were not viable at 24 months, probably because of pathogen attack. Considering dormancy and seed longevity, we suggest that S. stellatus has the potential to form a short-term persistent seed bank. However, this should be confirmed by conducting studies on other S. stellatus populations throughout their geographical distribution.
Impact of gas transport through rice cultivars on methane emission from rice paddy fields

Two Italian rice (Oryza sativa var. japonica) cultivars, Lido and Roma, were tested in the field for methane production, oxidation and emission. In two consecutive years, fields planted with the rice cultivar Lido showed methane emissions 24-31% lower than fields planted with the cultivar Roma. This difference was observed irrespective of fertilizer treatment. In contrast to methane emissions, differences in methane production or oxidation were not observed between fields planted with the two cultivars. Plant-mediated transport of methane from the sediment to the atmosphere was the dominating pathway of methane emission. During the entire vegetation period, the contribution of this pathway to total methane emission amounted to c. 90%, whereas the contribution of gas bubble release and of diffusion through the water column to total methane emission was of minor significance. Results obtained from transport studies of tracer gas through the aerenchyma system of rice plants demonstrated that the root-shoot transition zone is the main site of resistance to plant-mediated gas exchange between the soil and the atmosphere. The cultivar Lido, showing relatively low methane emissions in the field, had a significantly lower gas transport capacity through the aerenchyma system than the cultivar Roma. Thus, the observed differences in methane emissions in the field between the cultivars Lido and Roma can be explained by different gas transport capacities. Apparently, these differences in gas transport capacities are a consequence of differences in morphology of the aerenchyma systems, especially in the root-shoot transition zone. It is, therefore, concluded that identification and use of high-yielding rice cultivars which have a low gas transport capacity represent an economically feasible, environmentally sound and promising approach to mitigating methane emissons from rice paddy fields.
Partial local mate competition and the sex ratio: A study on non‐pollinating fig wasps

In many species, mating takes place in temporary patches where only a small number of females produce offspring. In this situation Local Mate Competition (LMC) theory predicts that the optimal sex ratio (defined as proportion males) should become increasingly female biased as the number of females contributing offspring to a patch decreases. However, in a large number of these species, some mating is also likely to occur away from the natal patch (termed partial LMC). In this case the degree of LMC is reduced, and theory predicts a relatively less female biased sex ratio. We tested these two predictions with field data from 17 species of New World non‐pollinating fig wasps representing three genera. We present a model which suggests that the average number of females ovipositing in a fruit (i.e. patch) is positively correlated with the proportion of fruit of a given tree species in which that species of wasp occurs. Across species, the overall sex ratio was positively correlated with the proportion of fruit in which that species occurs. Furthermore, the males of some species are wingless, and in these species all mating must take place before females disperse from their natal fruit. In contrast, the males of other species are winged, and in these species mating may also take place away from the natal fruit. Species with winged males had less female biased sex ratios than species with wingless males that occurred in a similar proportion of fruit. Finally, the correlation between sex ratio and the proportion of fruit in which a species occurs was also observed within species when comparing between the fruit crops of different trees. This suggests that individual females facultatively adjust the sex ratio of their offspring in response to variable LMC.
The Role of Humic Acid in Palm Kernel Cake Fermented by Aspergillus niger for Poultry Ration

2 Abstract: An experiment was conducted to improve the nutrient content of palm kernel cake through fermentation by Aspergillus niger with combination humid acid dosage and fermented time. The experiment used Complete Randomize Design (CRD) with 3 x 3 factorial and twice replication. The first factor was humic acid dosage: (1) 0 ppm, (2) 100 ppm and (3) 200 ppm. The second factor was fermented time: (1) 5 day, (2) 7 day and (3) 9 day. The parameters were dry matter, crude protein and crude fiber. The result of study showed that there was no significantly (p>0.05) interaction between humic acid dosage and fermented time to dry matter, but against crude protein and crude fiber, there were highly significant interaction (p 0.05) effected to dry matter, but against crude protein and crude fiber, there were significant (p<0.01) effect. Fermented time showed that there were highly significant (p<0.01) effect to dry matter, crude protein and crude fiber. The conclusion was palm kernel cake which was fermented by Aspergilus niger showed that humic acid 100 ppm and fermented time 7 day had a better content. This condition can be seen in crude protein 23,20%, crude fiber 10,59% and dry matter 42.38%.
Lymphocyte phenotypes in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and human papillomavirus infection

Summary. Lymphocyte phenotypes in cervical mucosa were studied using a panel of monoclonal antibodies. T lymphocytes were predominant both within the epithelium and in the subepithelial stroma. In the normal cervix, both the T4+ (helper/inducer) and T8+ (suppressor/ cytotoxic) subsets were present in a ratio similar to that in the peripheral circulation. In human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) there was depletion of intraepithelial lymphocytes, especially of T4+ subset, with reversal of the ratio of T4+ to T8+ subsets to less than one. In contrast, there was no significant reduction in the number of lymphocytes in the subepithelial stroma. Tac+ (antigen primed and clonal expanding) lymphocytes were absent both within the epithelium and in the subepithelial stroma. These findings support our suggestion that there is a localized immunodeficiency in HPV infection and CIN. The aetiological and therapeutic implications are discussed.
REVIEW—DIVERSITY AND ECOLOGY OF ZOOXANTHELLAE ON CORAL REEFS

Animal-algal endosymbioses are a dominant feature of coral reefs and an enduring theme in coral reef biology. They combine heterotrophic (animal host) and autotrophic (algal symbiont) organisms into single functional units (holobionts) that contribute substantially to coral reef productivity. Indeed, algal symbiosis in scleractinian corals is probably responsible for the existence of coral reefs as we know them (Stanley and Swart 1995). Taxonomically, and therefore ecologically, the hosts are better defined. Evolutionary studies are also animal-biased because many hosts leave fossils. As we learn more about the algal symbionts, we approach a real understanding of these systems. A wide variety of microalgae live as endosymbionts with marine protists or invertebrate animals, either within or among host cells (reviewed in Trench 1992, 1993). The plural noun zooxanthellae describes the golden-colored ones (Blank and Trench 1986, Trench 1992), which predominate on coral reefs and are therefore the subject of this minireview. Recent studies of zooxanthella diversity have sought to establish evolutionary and ecological relationships, both among symbionts and between symbionts and their hosts. A progress report is given here, along with comments and speculations.
Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of essential oils isolated from Colombian plants

Thirteen essential oils from Colombian plants, obtained by hydrodistillation or microwave-assisted hydrodistillation of total plant, stem, leaves, and flowers were analyzed by gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques. Cytotoxicity of essential oils was assessed using the brine shrimp assay, and their antioxidant activities measuring their effects on the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances on rat liver microsomes induced by Fe2+/H2O2. Five oils showed high cytotoxicity (LC50 1000 µg/mL).
p120 Catenin-Associated Fer and Fyn Tyrosine Kinases Regulate β-Catenin Tyr-142 Phosphorylation and β-Catenin-α-Catenin Interaction

ABSTRACT β-Catenin has a key role in the formation of adherens junction through its interactions with E-cadherin and α-catenin. We show here that interaction of β-catenin with α-catenin is regulated by the phosphorylation of β-catenin Tyr-142. This residue can be phosphorylated in vitro by Fer or Fyn tyrosine kinases. Transfection of these kinases to epithelial cells disrupted the association between both catenins. We have also examined whether these kinases are involved in the regulation of this interaction by K-ras. Stable transfectants of the K-ras oncogene in intestinal epithelial IEC18 cells were generated which show little α-catenin-β-catenin association with respect to control clones; this effect is accompanied by increased Tyr-142 phosphorylation and activation of Fer and Fyn kinases. As reported for Fer, Fyn kinase is constitutively bound to p120 catenin; expression of K-ras induces the phosphorylation of p120 catenin on tyrosine residues increasing its affinity for E-cadherin and, consequently, promotes the association of Fyn with the adherens junction complex. Yes tyrosine kinase also binds to p120 catenin but only upon activation, and stimulates Fer and Fyn tyrosine kinases. These results indicate that p120 catenin acts as a docking protein facilitating the activation of Fer/Fyn tyrosine kinases by Yes and demonstrate the role of these p120 catenin-associated kinases in the regulation of β-catenin-α-catenin interaction.
Modifying Lodgepole Pine Stands to Change Susceptibility to Mountain Pine Beetle Attack

The premise that mature lodgepole pine forests are susceptible to mountain pine beetle attack when physiologically stressed was supported experimentally by manipulating the canopy density and availability of nitrogen in a 120—yr—old forest exposed to a high population of beetles. Where canopy density was reduced, ether by us or by the insects, surviving trees significantly increased their resistance to attack over a 3—yr period. Increased resistance was reflected by changes in wood production per unit of leaf area (tree growth efficiency). Improved nitrogen nutrition hastened tree recovery but did not prevent attacks by beetles until growth efficiencies exceeded 100 g of wood production per square metre of foliage. Growth efficiency, as here defined, is an index of vigor that may reflect the relative ability of susceptible trees to produce defensive compounds following attack.
Distress Calls of Birds in a Neotropical Cloud Forest 1

Distress calls are loud, harsh calls given by some species of birds when they are captured by a predator or handled by humans. We recorded the frequency of distress calls and struggling behavior in 40 species of birds captured in mist nets during the dry season in a Costa Rica cloud forest. We tested the following hypotheses proposed to explain the function of distress calls: (1) calling for help from kin or reciprocal altruists; (2) warning kin; (3) eliciting mobbing behavior; (4) startling the predator; and (5) distracting the predator through attraction of additional predators. Our results did not support the calling‐for‐help, warning kin, or mobbing hypotheses. Indeed, genera that regularly occurred with kin or in flocks were not more likely to call than non‐flocking genera. There was no relationship between calling frequency and struggling behavior as predicted by the predator startle hypothesis. Genera of larger birds tended to call more than smaller birds, providing some support for both the predator distraction hypothesis and predator startle hypotheses. Calls of higher amplitude may be more effective in startling the predator. Distress calls of larger birds may also travel greater distances than those of smaller birds, supporting the predator manipulation hypothesis, but this requires further testing.