Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pheno-morphological and agronomic diversity among Scorpiurus muricatus (Fabaceae) natural populations collected in Sicily

SUMMARY Prickly scorpion's tail (Scorpiurus muricatus L.) is a self-reseeding annual legume widely distributed in natural pastures of the Mediterranean area and appreciated by farmers for its productivity, forage quality and palatability. Twenty-eight natural populations were collected throughout Sicily in 2005; two field experiments were carried out in 2005/06 in a hilly area of the Sicilian inland to assess the genetic variation based on pheno-morphological and agronomic characters. The pheno-morphological traits observed were analysed using a principal component analysis (PCA). The first four components of PCA (eigenvalues >1) explained 0·84 of the total variation. Similarities obtained by PCA were investigated by means of cluster analysis, which clearly identified five clusters. The pheno-morphological and agronomic traits were mainly affected by latitude of the collection site (0·69 of the correlations were significant), spring rainfall (0·63) and rain days per year (0·63). Altitude was not significantly correlated with any of the traits. A strong positive correlation was found between the days to the first flower and spring rainfall at the collection site. Populations originating from subhumid or dry-subhumid Mediterranean climate zones showed greater leaf dimensions when compared with those originating from semi-arid zones. Seed weight decreased with increasing number of rain days per year and spring rainfall. Populations from drier environments showed, on the whole, a more prostrate growth habit. Dry matter yield at spring cut exhibited a significant correlation with latitude (positive) and longitude (negative). Seed production was highly correlated with spring rainfall, number of rain days per year and latitude of collection site. The presence of a large diversity among populations appears to be valuable when searching for suitable S. muricatus material to exploit in pastures and crop–livestock farming systems of Mediterranean areas.
Winter Survival of Wild Turkey Females in Central Minnesota

Abstract There is interest in expanding eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) populations north of their current range. We hypothesized that winter survival and food availability are primary determinants in setting the northern extent of wild turkey distribution. To test our hypothesis, we translocated wild turkey females north of their present range into central Minnesota, USA, and compared survival in areas with supplemental food in the form of corn food plots versus areas with no supplemental food. During 2 winters with below-average snow, winter survival was higher for females with supplemental food. In one winter with above-average snow depths, survival was extremely low even with supplemental food. Supplemental food could augment survival during mild winters if wildlife managers arrange with farmers to, annually, retain standing corn near roosting habitat, but food plots may only partially offset effects of deep snow. Managers should critically evaluate northern habitats, long-term costs of sustained feeding, and potential outcomes of concentrating animals and introducing wild animals into new ecosystems. Winter survival may delimit the northern range of wild turkeys, though annual survival rates may also be important and need further research.
Nitrate reductase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, and glutamine synthetase in annual ryegrass as affected by salinity and nitrogen

Abstract The concentration of organic acids, organic nitrogen (N), nitrate (NO3), and total cations increased in annual ryegrass [Lolium multiflorum Lam. ) with salinity and N concentration in the growth medium. Increasing salinity and N in the growth medium induced changes in the level of key enzymes of N assimilation and organic acids: nitrate reductase (NR, EC 1.6.6.1), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPc, EC 4.1.1.31), and glutamine synthetase (GS, EC 6.3.1.2). Plants grown in pots filled with sand were irrigated with nutrient solutions with an electroconductivity of 2 or 11.2 dS m‐1 and N applied as ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), sodium nitrate (NaNO3), or ammonium applied as ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), sodium nitrate (NaNO3), or ammonium (NH4) as ammonium sulfate [(NH4)2SO4] at concentrations of 0.5, 4.5 or 9.0 mM. Nitrate reduciase, PEPc, and GS increased with salinity and N level. Shoot NR was highest in the presence of NH4NO3 irrespective of salinity level, while root NR activity responded best to NO.
Microfibril orientation in differentiating and maturing fibre and parenchyma cell walls in culms of bamboo (Phyllostachys viridi-glaucescens (Carr.) Riv. & Riv.)

Abstract Results of trials using chemical and enzymatic wall extractants for the removal of matrix materials for in situ observations of newly deposited microfibrils are described. Observations were then made of the orientation of microfibrils on the inner walls of differentiating and maturing fibres and parenchyma cells under the FESEM. Orientation changes were similar in both cell types. During very early primary wall development, deposition of microfibrils was in more or less axial alignment, which was later superseded by microfibrils in transverse orientation (90° to the long axis). A transverse orientation of microfibrils remained throughout much of primary wall synthesis, until an abrupt shift occurred to a sloped orientation during late primary wall synthesis. Microfibrils of the first secondary wall layer were in axial alignment or steeply sloped. In subsequent secondary wall deposition there was an alternation between a transverse and a sloped or axial alignment in maturing fibres and parenchyma cells.
Bean spreading: A method for pulp preconditioning to impair strong nib acidification during cocoa fermentation in Malaysia

In Malaysia bean spreading was investigated as an alternative method to pod storage for preconditioning of pulp in order to reduce nib acidification during subsequent cocoa fermentation. Harvested pods were broken and the seeds were exposed to quick pulp surface drying either by spreading in full sunshine or by the use of a suitable drier. A decrease in the volume, water and sugar content was observed during spreading, which caused subsequent shallow box fermentation to run similarly to stored pod fermentation, showing a steep temperature increase, absence of an initial anaerobic phase, reduced acetic acid formation and a higher minimum pH value in the nibs. Irregularities in fermentations and practical problems are discussed.
NEUROLOGICAL UROLOGY

that developments within them have already yielded advances in therapeutics. The Open University is therefore to be congratulated on introducing, early in its existence, a course on the biological bases of behaviour which ignores conventional interdisciplinary boundaries: this volume is the course reader and contains papers reprinted from general scientific journals or texts. Thirty-four papers cover the structural and physiological substrates of perception, emotion, motivation, memory and learning, their sociological aspects, and certain philosophical and ideological problems generated in this area of knowledge and inquiry. Fourteen of these papers are reprints from Scientific American and the authority of the text and excellence of its presentation are therefore assured: in general this can also be said of the other contributions. Even a balanced selection, as this is, of such a small number of brief articles covering a very large field inevitably leaves the novice with a rather tachistoscopic impression of it, but the authors have helped the reader by giving him his bearings in a brief introduction to each section. Though intended for those taking a specific Open University course this book would interest the neuropsychiatrist wishing to remind himself of the scientific background to his clinical work and some articles can be read for their humour or for their provocativeness.
Functional Anatomy of the Masticatory Apparatus in the Rabbit (Oryctolagus Cuniculus L.)

Jaw muscle activity and mandibular movements were studied in the domestic rabbit by quantitative electromyography and cineradiography. Mandibular movement profile and occlusal interaction depend on the consistency of the food masticated. Minimal vertical and maximal transverse jaw excursions combined with initial edge-to-edge apposition of cheek tooth ridges, followed by an oblique antero-medial shearing movement of the lower teeth into intercuspation characterize hay mastication. This movement is followed by a purely transverse grinding stroke guided by the interlocked ridges and valleys of the teeth. In carrot mastication a vertical, crushing movement predominates. In laboratory pellets, the movement profile is intermediate; occlusal movement is usually confined to a transverse grinding stroke. During chewing jaw closure and deflection toward the working side are caused by simultaneous action of balancing side superficial masseter and medial pterygoid and working side deep masseter and temporalis. The lingually directed power stroke is produced by working side superficial masseter and medial pterygoid and balancing side deep masseter and temporalis. Firing levels are higher on the working than on the balancing side and decrease from hay to pellets to carrot. Transverse muscle force components, generated mainly by the pterygoids also decrease in the series hay-pellets-carrot. The ratio between forces on working and balancing sides allows the balancing side joint to act as a fulcrum; the working side joint remains unloaded. During biting joints are loaded symmetrically. The unique cheek tooth structure allows lagomorphs to apply various combinations of crushing, shearing and grinding forces to their food. By combining strong protractive and transverse muscular forces they can adjust bite force direction. It is argued that this versatility enables them to utilize a wide variety of vegetable matter as food and remain generalized and adapted to different niches.
EVALUATING BUFFER STRIPS ALONG BOREAL STREAMS USING BRYOPHYTES AS INDICATORS

Buffer strips have recently become the main management practice for re- ducing logging impact on stream habitats in boreal and temperate regions. The habitat value of buffer strips, however, has not received much attention, although riparian forests belong to the systems with the highest biodiversity in these regions. We used plants as indicators of the ability of buffer strips to maintain an environment similar to intact riparian forests in a boreal forest landscape in northern Sweden. We measured the growth of three common bryophyte species (Hylocomiastrum umbratum , Calypogeia integristipula, and Tritomaria quinquedentata) transplanted to riparian habitat close to a stream in clear-cut logged sites, 10-15 m wide buffer strips on each side of the stream, and intact (reference) sites. Each of the three site categories included six wet and six moist-mesic sites and the experiment was followed over three months in 1999. The species remained vital in the reference sites and grew substantially during the 3- mo-long experiment, but in the logged sites almost no growth was registered, and many shoots died (except for T. quinquedentata). The pattern was consistent irrespective of the ground moisture class. The performance of bryophytes in the moist-mesic buffer strips was almost as bad as in the logged sites, whereas in the wet buffer strips it was either intermediate between that in logged and reference sites (H. umbratum) or very similar to that in reference sites (C. integristipula and T. quinquedentata). The edge effect has pre- viously been shown to vary depending on edge orientation, edge physiognomy, and weather conditions. We found that ground moisture can be of major importance as well. Although many buffer strips function better than no strips, 20-30 m wide strips (with a stream in the middle) through a logged area consist entirely of edge habitat. Increasing the buffer width and avoiding clear-cut logging on both sides of a watercourse would be the first steps to take for improving biodiversity conservation in riparian habitats. Our results also show that bryophytes are good indicators of habitat quality and efficient tools for assessing the ecological function of buffer strips.
Phosphite does not stimulate a wounding response in Eucalyptus marginata seedlings

Phosphite is used to protect plants from the soilborne plant pathogen, Phytophthora cinnamomi. While several studies have reported a stimulation of defence mechanisms in response to the infection of plants treated with phosphite, the effect of phosphite on abiotic wound repair is unknown. The aim of this histological study was to detail the effects of phosphite on previously undescribed wound repair in Eucalyptus marginata, an important forest tree of south-western Australia, which responds to phosphite treatment. Clonal lines of young plants of E. marginata without a periderm, considered resistant and susceptible to P. cinnamomi, were sprayed with phosphite and the green stems were wounded with liquid nitrogen, where a small area of the vascular cambium was damaged. Transverse hand sections showed phosphite had no effect and there was no genotypic difference on wound responses in E. marginata. Wound periderm and a ligno-suberised boundary zone formed within 7 days. The generation of new phellogen derivatives occurred and by 14 days the vascular cambium was almost fully restored with wound wood formed by 21 days. In the absence of a pathogen, phosphite did not interfere with the quality and speed of wound repair in the E. marginata clones suggesting that wound repair will not be affected when phosphite is used as a prophylactic treatment.
CLINICAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

subject and an authority on mycology. His textbook on practical dermatology, of which this is the second edition, is all the more remarkable for its simplicity and for presenting the essentials of the subject for student and general practitioner. The field of the common dermatoses is fully covered, the descriptions of clinical features are brief but adequate and clear. There is no waste of words on theoretical speculations, and aetiology is dealt with in a realistic fashion. Treatment similarly is clear and limited to common practice. Though the author's experience is related to American practice, he tackles his subject in much the same way as do his British colleagues. There is an abundance of common sense and of general medicine in his approach and teaching, blended with the distinctive and particular features of dermatological practice. There are some valuable chapters at the end of the book linking skin affections with those of other organs and indicating those dermatoses which suggest general ills. Pemphigus, which has figured largely in recent British literature, is not mentioned, or dithranol in the treatment of psoriasis. We would probably emphasize the spontaneous disappearance of cavernous angiomata and of lichen planus more than the American schools, and would doubt the necessity of gastric analysis in rosacea or of the administration of arsenic in any chronic dermatitis. But it is difficult to do other than praise this crisp presentation of the subject in an attractive small volume, admirably illustrated and of reasonable price. J. T. INGRAM.
Identifying Gene Signatures Associated with Cancer Stem Cells and Drug Resistance from Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells after Gene Targeting Treatment

Over 90% of breast cancer death is due to metastatic disease; however, the metastatic behavior of aggressive breast cancer is still not well understood. Accumulating evidence support the idea that initiation, maintenance and metastasis of tumors are through cancer stem cells (or tumor initiating cells). In this study, we focused on the representative MDA-MB-231 cells of the highly aggressive triple negative breast cancer subtype. We obtained and re-analyzed three previously published datasets on MDA-MB-231 cells after treatment targeting the expression ofGATA3, Pin1, or LSD1. Two distinct computational algorithms (dChip and GEO2R) were employed to cross-compare the resulting gene expression profiles. We identified a common gene signature consists of eight genes among the three datasets. Three of the eight genes, i.e., ABCC3, AGR2, and PTGES, were highly correlated with the properties of breast cancer stem cells and drug resistance. Thus, they are predicted as potential genemarkers of breast cancer stem cells and may serve as novel therapeutic targets to combat poor prognostic breast cancers.
Heptad breaks in α‐helical coiled coils: Stutters and stammers

The discontinuities found in heptad repeats of α‐helical coiled‐coil proteins have been characterized. A survey of 40 α‐fibrous proteins reveals that only two classes of heptad breaks are prevalent: the stutter, corresponding to a deletion of three residues, and the newly identified “stammer,” corresponding to a deletion of four residues. This restriction on the variety of insertions/deletions encountered gives support to a unifying structural model, where different degrees of supercoiling accommodate the observed breaks. Stutters in the hemagglutinin coiled‐coil region have previously been shown to produce an underwinding of the supercoil, and we show here how, in other cases, stammers would lead to overwinding. An analysis of main‐chain structure also indicates that the mannose‐binding protein, as well as hemagglutinin, contains an underwound coiled‐coil region. In contrast to knobs‐into‐holes packing, these models give rise to non‐close‐packed cores at the sites of the heptad phase shifts. We suggest that such non‐close‐packed cores may function to terminate certain coiled‐coil regions, and may also account for the flexibility observed in such long α‐fibrous molecules as myosin. The local underwinding or overwinding caused by these specific breaks in the heptad repeat has a global effect on the structure and can modify both the assembly of the protein and its interaction properties. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Elevated expression of metal transporter genes in three accessions of the metal hyperaccumulator Thlaspi caerulescens

Heavy metal hyperaccumulation in plants is an intriguing and poorly understood phenomenon. Transmembrane metal transporters are assumed to play a key role in this process. We describe the cloning and isolation of three zinc transporter cDNAs from the Zn hyperaccumulator Thlaspi caerulescens. The ZTP1 gene is highly similar to the Arabidopsis ZAT gene. Of the other two, one is most probably an allele of the recently cloned ZNT1 gene from T. caerulescens ( Pence et al; Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA 97, 4956-4960, 2000). The second, called ZNT2, is a close homologue of ZNT1. All three zinc transporter genes show increased expression in T. caerulescens compared with the non-hyperaccumulator congener T. arvense, suggesting an important role in heavy metal hyperaccumulation. ZNT1 and ZNT2 are predominantly expressed in roots and ZTP1 is mainly expressed in leaves but also in roots. In T. arvense, ZNT1 and ZNT2 are exclusively expressed under conditions of Zn deficiency. Their expression in T. caerulescens is barely Zn-responsive, suggesting that Zn hyperaccumulation might rely on a decreased Zn-induced transcriptional downregulation of these genes. ZTP1 expression was higher in plants from calamine soil than in plants from serpentine or normal soil. The calamine plants were also the most Zn tolerant, suggesting that high ZTP1 expression might contribute to Zn tolerance.
Iron and silicic acid effects on phytoplankton productivity, diversity, and chemical composition in the central equatorial Pacific Ocean

A microcosm nutrient‐amendment experiment using central equatorial Pacific Ocean (0°, 140°W) mixed‐layer waters was conducted to determine biogeochemical controls on phytoplankton with an emphasis on post‐iron enrichment nutrient uptake dynamics and species composition. The addition of either Fe (termed Fe‐only) or Fe and Si(OH)4 (termed FeSi) to on‐deck incubations resulted in growth primarily of pennate diatoms, with statistically equivalent increases relative to the control in maximum photochemical efficiency, chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentrations, particulate organic carbon and nitrogen concentrations, and dissolved inorganic carbon uptake rates. In contrast, at peak Chl a concentrations, there was a 3.4‐fold higher abundance of large diatoms and a 3.9‐ fold lower abundance of small pennate diatoms in FeSi relative to Fe‐only, which translated into a 3.5‐fold higher Si(OH)4 uptake rate and a 2.1‐fold higher biogenic silica concentration. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated that relative to cells from Fe‐only, cells from FeSi possessed the lowest protein : carbohydrate ratios, and ratios of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates relative to silica, consistent with differences in diatom C allocation or increased silicification or both. Our results suggest that after Fe addition, diatom organic matter accumulation rates (i.e., C and N uptake rates) are enhanced but the low, ambient [Si(OH)4] retards cell division rates, resulting in fewer large diatoms with relatively high C and N contents. After the simultaneous addition of Fe and Si(OH)4, enhanced rates of diatom organic matter accumulation and cell division results in more large, heavily silicified diatoms with relatively low C and N contents.