Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanism of resistance induced by plant activators against Colletotrichum falcatum in sugarcane

Abstract A search for plant activators capable of inducing systemic resistance in sugarcane showed that plants pre-treated with synthetic signal inducers confer a high degree of resistance to Colletotrichum falcatum – the red rot pathogen. Among the various treatments, Acibenzolar S- methyl (ASM) was found to be very effective in restricting the pathogen colonization inside the inoculated cane stalk tissues. The induction of resistance was accompanied by a significant increase in peroxidases and polyphenoloxidases activities. A considerable decrease of pathogen titre in the pre-treated tissues as determined by ELISA, clearly demonstrated the restriction of pathogen colonization and proliferation in the sensitized cane stalks. Specific induction of new isoforms of peroxidases and polyphenoloxidases in C. falcatum elicitor treatment indicates the pathogen elicitor induced specific cellular response of sugarcane suspension-cultured cells.
Conservation study of endemic plants in serpentine landscapes: Antirrhinum rothmaleri (Plantaginaceae), a serpentinophyte with a restricted geographic distribution

Abstract Assessing the conservation status of endemic species by monitoring population trends is one of the main aims of plant conservation studies. This article reports a detailed study of the distribution of Antirrhinum rothmaleri, a species endemic to the serpentine systems of Trás-os-Montes in NE Portugal (Lusitan-Duriensean biogeographical sector). The species' current distribution status, the size of its populations, and the threats it faces, measured according to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 2008 Guidelines, were all assessed. The size estimates provided for the four confirmed populations were based on census data taken at the different sites. All censuses were performed by direct counting of all potentially reproductive individuals. Based on the present data, A. rothmaleri should be assigned a conservation status of “Critically Endangered” (CR). Its conservation status, according to the IUCN criteria, is mainly based on the narrow distribution, and on the area of occupancy (AOO) and extent of occurrence (EOO). The risk of extinction faced by the local populations is high due to their typically very small size. Suitable conservation strategies should be developed in order to preserve the species. The present study allowed us to characterize its distribution and population size, to collect and store ex situ the germplasm in the UIRGEMP/Banco Português de Germoplasma Vegetal, and to investigate its ecology. The conservation status of the species requires continued monitoring of the demography of its populations. Studies on the biology of the species are also needed in order to improve its management. The present results illustrate the need to protect serpentine landscapes, which contain a range of microhabitats inhabited byendemic plants.
Genotypic diversity in sorghum inbred lines for grain-filling patterns and other related agronomic traits

Opportunities for genetic improvement on specific traits require information on available diversity, together with knowledge on heritability estimates and possible trade-off relations among traits. Sixty-five sorghum inbred lines were evaluated for grain filling and other agronomic traits during 2008 and 29 re-evaluated in 2009. Time to anthesis, final grain weight (GW), grain growth rate, duration of grain filling, maximum water content, grain desiccation rate, moisture concentration at physiological maturity, plant height, panicle length, grain number per plant and final yield per plant were measured both years. Results highlighted the available variability for grain-filling patterns in sorghum, and genotypic differences (P < 0.05) for all traits were evident. Final GW variation (16–44 mg grain–1 in 2008, and 20–40 mg grain–1 in 2009) was achieved through different combinations of rate (3.27–9.78 mg degree-days grain–1 10−2) and duration of grain filling (413–853 degree-days). Calculated heritability for grain-filling traits ranged from 0.43 to 0.95, showing GW and maximum water content had the highest values. Grain number showed consistent negative associations with grain growth rate but not with GW due to grain-filling duration variability. This suggests selecting longer grain filling can increase GW (and yield) without negative trade-off relations with grain number.
Fecundity, Atresia, and Egg Size of Captive Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) in Relation to Proximate Body Composition

Captive Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) were fed at four ration levels (starvation, maintenance, moderate, and excess) for periods of 6–9 mo prior to and during spawning. At the end of the experiment, water, protein, glycogen, and fat contents of the liver, white muscle, and ovary were estimated. The depletion of the white muscle and liver was related to oocyte maturation and in particular to the proportion of eggs spawned (PES). The influx of protein into the ovary, the mean hydrated egg diameter, and the egg dry weight all reached maximum values at 10% PES and subsequently declined. Mean vitellogenic oocyte diameter was small prior to spawning but rose to a maximum at PES = 10%. Cod with high condition factors produced more previtellogenic oocytes and used a larger fraction during vitellogenesis. Actual fecundity of specimens deprived of food during the spawning period was between 20 and 80% of the potential fecundity depending on the nutritional status of the fish. Intensity of atresia in moderate ration f.
Importance of Picoplankton in Lake Superior

In Lake Superior, approximately 50% of total primary production is attributable to phytoplankton that pass through a 3-μm screen. The <3-μm size class is dominated by eukaryotic flagellates, nonmotile eukaryotic cells (1 μm), and chroococcoid cyanobacteria. Approximately 20% of total primary production is attributable to orange autofluorescent chroococcoid cyanobacteria (mean size = 0.7 μm) as determined by size fractionation and track autoradiography. These small prokaryotes exhibited abundances of 42 000 and 56 000 cells∙ml−1, maximum photosynthetic rates of 7 and 6 fg∙cell−1∙h−1, and growth rates of 1.5 and 0.8∙d−1 in the epilimnion and hypolimnion, respectively. A significant portion of this picoplankton (<1 μm) production may be consumed by heterotrophic protozoans in a "microbial loop. "
The effect of oilseed rape occurrence on main prey abundance and breeding success of the Common Buzzard Buteo buteo

Capsule The occurrence of oilseed rape increased main prey abundance and breeding success of Common Buzzards. Aims We tested whether the occurrence of oilseed rape influences the abundance of Common Voles, i.e. the main prey of Common Buzzards and so also nesting activity and breeding success of Common Buzzards. Methods The study was carried out in 2005–2012 in a 38 km2 area in western Poland, where oilseed rape plantations (12–106 ha) covered 18% of the agricultural land. The number of active burrow entrances was used as an index of vole abundance in various crops, and Buzzard breeding performance, i.e. the occurrence of annual nesting attempts in individual long-term nesting sites as well as the presence and number of fledglings, was estimated by observations of their nests. Results The index of vole abundance was highest in oilseed rape, and judging by the proportion of active burrow entrances (33–77%), the plantations of rape typically supported a larger portion of the local vole population than other crops. The acreage of oilseed rape fields around individual nesting sites of Buzzards did not affect the probability of nesting attempts in these sites. However, the probability of successful nesting and the number of fledglings per successful nest increased with the area of oilseed rape around the Buzzard nesting sites. Conclusion The occurrence of oilseed rape may positively affect prey availability and in turn the breeding success of Buzzards. The spread of oilseed rape may therefore also be beneficial for other vole-eating raptors hunting in the agricultural landscapes.
Seasonal Affective Disorder: An Introduction

topic. The interest stems from two viewpoints. First, the syndrome of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) (winter type) presents a rare instance of a major psychiatric illness that is readily susceptible to treatment. Moreover, the treatment (phototherapy) is attractive to clinicians and patients alike because it is noninvasive and not drug-based. Second, the suggestion that the syndrome may be related to the wellstudied seasonal phenomena in animals has attracted the attention of researchers interested in exploring animal models of human psychiatric conditions, in the hopes of developing an adequate description of the etiology of the syndrome. In 1987, Mary Blehar and Norman Rosenthal of the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) organized an unusual workshop on the topic of SAD at the
Architectural Heritage Images Classification Using Deep Learning With CNN

Digital documentation of cultural heritage images has emerged as an important topic in data analysis. Increasing the size and number of images to be processed making the task of categorizing them a challenging task and may take an inordinate amount of time. This research paper proposes a solution to the mentioned challenges by classifying the subject of the image of the study using Convolutional Neural Network. Classification of available images leads to improve the management of the images dataset and enhance the search of a specific item, which helps in the tasks of studying and analysis the proper heritage object. Deep learning for architectural heritage images classification has been employed during the course of this study. The pre-trained convolutional neural networks GoogLeNet, resnet18 and resnet50 proposed to be applied on public dataset Cultural Heritage images. Experimental results have shown promising outcomes with an accuracy of “87.91”, “95.47” and “95.57” respectively.
One Hundred Years of Environmental Crisis

Exactly a hundred years before this conference, in August 1900, a Royal Commission was appointed which 'deserves a prominent, if not defining, place in Australian environmental history' (Quinn 1995). This paper explores the social, political and environmental context of this very significant inquiry. Beginning with six edited extracts from the Commission's transcript of evidence, the paper reflects upon the enduring relevance of the inquiry today. It describes the nature of European occupation of the western lands of New South Wales in the 1860s and 70s — a period when there appeared no physical limit to pastoral expansion — and then summarises the environmental crisis of the final 20 years of the century. Nineteenth-century debates about land reform were dominated by the class struggle between squatters and selectors and by the imperative to occupy, for strategic and moral purposes, what were regarded as vacant lands. The 1901 Royal Commission gave early voice to environmental arguments for occupation, and not just cultural ones, and there was a recognition that European settlers had disrupted earlier, Aboriginal systems of habitation and management and tipped the land into an escalating instability. Legislators began to argue that the land needed people as much as people needed the land. The paper concludes with the reflection that it is not just the formality of a centenary that makes us want to listen carefully to the voices unearthed by the 1901 Royal Commission. Science is now more integrative of the social and humanist perspective than it was in the middle of the 20th century; it is more receptive to the testimony of people living on and working the land, and more eager to enter into a dialogue with them and their history.
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Candidate Genes Related to Structural and Storage Carbohydrate Biosynthesis in Kelp Saccharina japonica (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae)

Saccharina japonica is a brown macroalga that has been commercially cultivated in China for almost a century. As a natural raw material, it is widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries, and it may potentially be useful for biofuel production. However, little is known about the genes involved in carbohydrate biosynthesis, and their regulation is less understood. In this study, the analysis of growth traits and alginate and mannitol contents suggested that sporophyte development could be divided into four stages. Accordingly, we performed transcriptome analysis of the S. japonica sporophyte. In total, 589 million clean reads were generated, and 4,514 novel genes were identified. Gene expression analysis revealed that 2,542 genes were differentially expressed. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis indicated that these genes were significantly enriched in “Carbon metabolism,” “Photosynthesis,” and “Photosynthesis‐antenna proteins” pathways, which are important for metabolism of various carbohydrates during sporophyte development. Systematic analysis identified the genes encoding enzymes for the biosynthesis of cell wall carbohydrates (including alginate, fucoidan, and cellulose) and cytoplasm storage carbohydrates (mannitol, laminarin, and trehalose). Among them, some key genes associated with carbohydrate content were further identified based on detailed expression profiling, representing good candidates for further functional studies. This study provides a global view of the carbohydrate metabolism process and an important resource for functional genomics studies in S. japonica. The results obtained lay the basis for elucidating the molecular mechanism of carbohydrate biosynthesis and for genetic breeding of carbohydrates‐related traits in kelp.
Not All Means Are Created Equal and Some Other Problems

One would think than an important ethical concern to outline, and perhaps elucidate, when dealing with the use of psychotropic neuroenhancers in young people is whether such use is ethically appropriate. Nonetheless, although the goal of Singh and Kelleher’s “Neuroenhancement in Young People: Proposal for Research, Policy, and Clinical Management” (2010) is precisely to outline the key social and ethical concerns raised by the use of neuroenhancement in minors and to make specific recommendations, the question of whether such use is appropriate is not addressed. The discussion seems to assume, without any argument, the ethical appropriateness of the use of psychotropic neuroenhancers. That such an assumption grounds Singh and Kelleher’s ethical considerations and policy recommendations is obvious given the fact that their discussion focuses on ways to manage the risks of using such drugs. One could argue that the authors are indeed giving an argument, even if not an explicit one, for the ethical appropriateness of psychotropic neuroenhancers for minors. For instance, at several points Singh and Kelleher mention that there is evidence that neuroenhancement is actively practiced by adults and by young people in North America and Europe. Additionally, they point out that evidence also suggests that, at least among educated middle-class people, there is increased public tolerance for the use of psychotropic neuroenhancement. The authors also believe that the acceptance of neuroenhancement drugs will normalize because their use will likely become common in future generations. So, the implicit argument might be that the use of neuroenhancing agents for young people is ethically appropriate because both adults and youngsters already actively take them and quite likely such usage will become normal in the next few decades. Thus, whatever “automatic, visceral reactions” (3) these drugs engender now, they will disappear as the use of psychotropic drug interventions in children increases. Whether Singh and Kelleher intend for this to be an argument supporting the ethical appropriateness of the use of neuroenhancing drugs in minors is, as I mentioned, not explicitly stated in their paper. In any case, I hardly need
Aquaculture of Posidonia australis Seedlings for Seagrass Restoration Programs: Effect of Sediment Type and Organic Enrichment on Growth

Seeds of the seagrass Posidonia australis are desiccation sensitive and as there is no seed dormancy seeds cannot be stored for use in restoration projects. To realize the restoration potential of seed‐based restoration of Posidonia, this study investigated preconditioning seedlings of Posidonia in aquaculture facilities before transplanting to extend the restoration window from a few weeks (for fresh seed) to months or even years (for preconditioned seedlings). Here, we tested two levels of organic matter addition, 0 and 1.5% sediment dry weight and three sediment types; two heterogeneous sediments typical of low‐energy marine environments (1) unsorted calcareous and (2) unsorted silica, and a homogeneous sediment typical of high‐energy marine habitats (3) well‐sorted silica. We then evaluated seedling survival, biomass and development over a period of 7 months in tank culture. There was 100% survival over the 7‐month experimental period for seedlings. Seedling leaf, root, rhizome, and total biomass increased when organic matter was added to unsorted calcareous and unsorted silica sediment but not well‐sorted silica sediment, although this increase was significant only after 7 months of growth. The characteristics of the sediment also influenced seedling root length and architecture. Root length and number of lateral root branches were greatest in unsorted sediments and when organic matter was present. This study demonstrates that tank culture of P. australis enabled seedlings to be available for restoration purposes for at least 7 months, and with modification of the sediment composition, larger P. australis seedlings with more substantial root systems can be produced.
Differences among assemblages of fish associated with Zostera capricorni and bare sand over a large spatial scale

This study addressed the question 'Does seagrass support a greater diversity and abundance of fish than bare sand over a large spatial scale? ' The answer varied with both the measure used to describe the assemblages of fish, and the distance sand was from seagrass. Significantly more species were collected from Zostera capricomi than from sand at least 100 m from this seagrass in 89 % of locations. At 58 O/O of locations, Zostera also contained more species than sand within 10 m of the seagrass. When 2 species with very patchy distributions were excluded from analyses, Zostera held sigllificantly more fish individuals than sand > 100 m away at 66 % of locations. However, Zostera did not consistently contain more fish individuals than sand within 10 m of seagrass: Zostera had significantly more fish In 25 % of locations, adjacent sand had more fish in 25 % of locations and there were no differences in the remaining comparisons. Most of the common species were found predominantly in Zostera or the adjacent sand. There were prominent dissimilarities in relative abundance of species in samples from the 3 habitats, although samples from Zostera were more similar to those from adjacent sand than to those from sand > 100 m away. We conclude that (1) Zostera supported more species and individuals, and different species, than sand > 100 m from seagrass at a majonty of locations, and (2) the fish assemblage associated with sand within 10 m of Zostera had fewer, and ddferent, species than the seagrass at a majority of locations but supported as many individual fish as Zostera.
Influence of Academic Performance, Level of Play, Sports Success, and Position of Play on the Motivation of the Young Football Player

Background: Motivation in athletes is a state that fluctuates due to multiple factors that can, in turn, negatively or positively influence sports performance. Objectives: The aim of this study was twofold, being, on the one hand, to analyze the motivation of soccer players of developmental age in two different contexts (training time (baseline) and the precompetitive time) depending on the category, sports success and playing position, and, on the other hand, to find relations of the motivation dimensions with the academic performance and physical characteristics of the soccer players. Methods: One hundred and forty-one under 16 (U16) soccer players were selected (age: 14.7 ± 0.5; height: 170.4 ± 7.2 cm; weight: 61.6 ± 10.0 kg). Data on academic performance, physical and socio-demographic characteristics were recorded, and in two differentiated moments, the motivation dimensions, both in training and in competition. Results: The results showed that the general motivation decreases with the competition, and in particular, the intrinsic motivation, where the precompetitive evaluation is lower than the basal, in both categories (p < 0.05). In addition, demotivation is explained by 10.2%, 19.8%, and 23.9% by fat mass, by academic performance, and by category, respectively; and the extrinsic motivation of external regulation is explained in 26.0% by the academic performance factor (p < 0.01). Conclusions: U16 soccer players show lower levels of motivation at moments prior to the sports competition, and these dimensions of motivation are explained by the category, academic performance, and fat mass.
Weed and Crop Allelopathy

Allelopathy can be defined as an important mechanism of plant interference mediated by the addition of plant-produced secondary products to the soil rhizosphere. Allelochemicals are present in all types of plants and tissues and are released into the soil rhizosphere by a variety of mechanisms, including decomposition of residues, volatilization, and root exudation. Allelochemical structures and modes of action are diverse and may offer potential for the development of future herbicides. We have focused our review on a variety of weed and crop species that establish some form of potent allelopathic interference, either with other crops or weeds, in agricultural settings, in the managed landscape, or in naturalized settings. Recent research suggests that allelopathic properties can render one species more invasive to native species and thus potentially detrimental to both agricultural and naturalized settings. In contrast, allelopathic crops offer strong potential for the development of cultivars that are more highly weed suppressive in managed settings. Both environmental and genotypic effects impact allelochemical production and release over time. A new challenge that exists for future plant scientists is to generate additional information on allelochemical mechanisms of release, selectivity and persistence, mode of action, and genetic regulation. In this manner, we can further protect plant biodiversity and enhance weed management strategies in a variety of ecosystems. Referee: Dr. Steve Weller, Purdue University, Dept. of Horticulture, West Lafayette, IN 47907
Diversity and Distribution of the Pedunculate Barnacle Octolasmis in the Seas Adjacent to Singapore

ABSTRACT Early in 1981 marine Crustacea (Decapoda) indigenous to Singapore waters were examined for epizoic pedunculate barnacles of the genus Octolasmis (Gray, 1825). Twenty-seven of the 56 decapod species examined were hosts of up to 7 Octolasmis species each. The Octolasmisspecies observed included O. angulata, O. bullata, O. cor, O. lowei, O. neptuni, O. tridens, O. warwickii, and three unnamed species. Of the 10 Octolasmis species one (rarely two) was found externally on the body and appendages and nine species were found internally in the gill chambers. Host specificity varied, but most Octolasmis species occurred on several host species. With one exception, significantly more barnacles were found on the inner side than on the outer side of the host gills. Barnacles were unevenly distributed over the proximal, medial, and distal portions of the gills. Generally barnacle species had distinctive distribution patterns over the gills. In the crab Scyllla serrata densities of two Octolasmisspecies were highly correlated, whereas in Charybdis cruciata the correlation between two other species of barnacles was less pronounced.