Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
RESORPTION PROFICIENCY ALONG A CHRONOSEQUENCE: RESPONSES AMONG COMMUNITIES AND WITHIN SPECIES

Soil nitrogen and phosphorus pools shift strongly along soil chronosequences worldwide, but variation in plant nutrient resorption along these sequences is poorly understood. We quantified leaf and litter nutrient concentrations in 28 woody species along the Franz Josef soil chronosequence, New Zealand, a strong fertility gradient in temperate rain forest, to address two questions: How do leaf and litter nutrient concentrations vary along a soil chronosequence? And are the community-level responses driven by compositional differences among fertile and infertile sites, or by consistent changes in resorption proficiency within growth forms, and within species? Community-level leaf and litter N and P concentrations declined by between 67% and 88% along the soil chronosequence, and these responses were remarkably consistent within three contrasting growth forms (angiosperms, conifers, tree ferns), and within individual species. In spite of the three growth forms sharing similar responses to the soil chronosequence, tree ferns had higher absolute concentrations of leaf N, leaf P, and litter N relative to angiosperms, and higher concentrations of leaf N relative to conifers. These results clearly indicate that differences among fertile and infertile sites are driven both by compositional differences, as has been previously demonstrated, and by plasticity of individual species.
Changes in Seasonal Events, Peak Food Availability, and Consequent Breeding Adjustment in a Marine Bird: A Case of Progressive Mismatching

Abstract. The breeding schedules of birds may not change at a rate sufficient to keep up with the current pace of climate change, causing reduced reproductive success. This disruption of synchrony is called the “mismatch hypothesis. ” We analyzed data on the breeding of Thick-billed Murres (Uria lomvia) at a colony in northern Hudson Bay, Canada, to examine the relative importance of matched and mismatched timing in determining the growth rates of nestlings. From 1988 to 2007 the date of break-up and 50% clearance of sea ice in surrounding waters advanced by 17 days, and the date on which the count of murres at the colony peaked, an index of food availability, advanced by the same amount. However, the median date of egg-laying advanced by only 5 days so that the number of days between the date of hatching and the date of peak attendance and 50% ice cover increased over the study period. Nestlings' growth was reduced in years when the counts of attending adults peaked early in the season and early relative to the date of hatching. These observations suggest that the timing of breeding is not advancing to keep pace with changes in the timing of events in the arctic marine environment, leading to greater difficulty in provisioning nestlings. We also demonstrate a relationship between the state of the North Atlantic Oscillation and both the date of peak colony attendance and the growth of nestlings. This relationship suggests that large-scale ocean-atmosphere interactions influence the availability of prey for murres, although the mechanism by which this occurs is not yet understood. Our results support the idea that mismatching of avian breeding cycles with peaks in food abundance is an important consequence of global climate change.
Embryo sac development in yellow passion fruit Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa (Passifloraceae)

The yellow passion fruit, Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa, is one of the most important Brazilian fruit crops. It is an allogamous, diploid, and self-incompatible species. It has hermaphrodite, solitary flowers, located in the leaf axils and protected by leaf bracts. The flower has an androgynophore, which is a straight stalk supporting its reproductive parts. There are usually five anthers, located at the tip of each of the five filaments. The ovary is borne just above the filaments, at the top of the androgynophore; there are three styles that are united at their base, and at the top there are three stigmas. The objective of this research was to observe embryo sac development in yellow passion flowers. Ovaries at different stages of development were fixed in FAA (formalin, acetic acid and alcohol solution), hydrated, stained with Mayers hemalum, and dehydrated. Ovules were cleared by using methyl salicylate, mounted on slides, and observed through a confocal scanning laser microscope. The yellow passion fruit ovule is bitegmic, crassinucellate, and anatropous, and its gametophyte development is of the Polygonum type. After meiosis, functional megaspores under go three successive mitotic divisions, resulting in an eight-nucleate megagametophyte: the egg apparatus at the micropylar end, two polar nuclei at the cell center, and three antipodals at the chalazal end. The egg apparatus is formed by an egg cell and two synergids, each with a filiform apparatus. The mature embryo sac has an egg cell, two synergids, two polar nuclei, and three antipodes, as has been described for most angiosperms.
Molecular profiling of an interspecific rice population derived from a cross between WAB 56-104 ( Oryza sativa ) and CG 14 ( Oryza glaberrima )

NERICA rices are interspecific inbred progeny derived from crosses between Oryza sativa × O. glaberrima. In this study, we evaluated 70 BC2 interspecific lines, developed by crossing a tropical japonica variety (WAB 56-104) as the recurrent parent to an O. glaberrima variety (CG 14) as the donor parent, followed by the use of anther culture to derive doubled haploids (DH) (26 lines) or eight generations of inbreeding to fix the lines (44 lines). Seven of these BC2 derived inbred lines have been released as NERICA 1-NERICA 7. This study examined the relative contribution of each parent and the extent of genetic differences among these 70 sister lines using 130 well-distributed microsatellite markers which cover 1725 cM of the rice genome. The average proportion of O. sativa recurrent parent genome was 87.4% (1,508 cM), while the observed average proportion of O. glaberrima donor genome was 6.3% (108 cM). Non-parental alleles were detected in 83% of the lines and contributed an average of 38 cM per line (~2.2% of genomic DNA). Lines that had undergone eight generations of inbreeding in the field contained significantly more non-parental alleles (av. 2.7%) compared to the DH lines (av. 1.3%) that were developed from BC2 anthers. Using both cluster and principal component analyses, two major groups were detected in these materials. The NERICA varieties (NERICA 1 to 7) clustered in one group while the remaining 63 lines clustered in another group, suggesting that the second group may offer significant opportunities for further selection and variety development.
A lung rezisztencia protein (LRP) expressziójának vizsgálata hererákokban.

A germinalis sejtes hererákok kemoterápiával jól gyógyíthatók, mert kb. 80%-os remisszió érhetô el. Ennek ellenére a daganat kemorezisztenciája (DR) miatt a betegek 15–20%-a meghal. A multidrugrezisztencia (MDR) fenotípus számos mechanizmusa ismert, amelybe az MDR/P-glycoprotein (P-gp), továbbá az ún. multidrug-rezisztencia protein (MRP) tartozik. A Lung Rezisztencia Protein (LRP) ATPhez kötött kazetta (ABC) transzporter fehérje, amely az MDR-hez kapcsolódik. Jelen munkánkban hererákokban az LRP expresszióját tanulmányoztuk, amelyet immunhisztokémiai (IH), Western blot (WB) és RT-PCR eljárásokkal, a klinikai rezisztenciát pedig a klinikai onkológia szabályai alapján határoztuk meg. 70 primer testicularis tumor IH vizsgálata során 29 (41%), a WB módszerrel 35 esetbôl 22ben (63%) emelkedett LRP-szintet állapítottunk meg. Ez utóbbi 60%-ban az LRP mRNS-szint is emelkedett expressziót mutatott. A 15 seminomából 6, az 55 non-seminomából (NSGCT) pedig 23 bizonyult pozitívnak. Az LRP-expresszió és a hererákos betegek stádiummegoszlása között nem volt összefüggés. A seminoma csoportban mind a 15 beteg kemoszenzitívnek bizonyult annak ellenére, hogy 6 tumorminta LRP-pozitív volt. A 39 kemoszenzitív NSGCT csoportba tartozó tumoros beteg közül 27 volt LRPnegatív, ezzel szemben a kemorezisztens csoportba tartozó 16 beteg 11 tumormintája bizonyult LRPpozitívnak (p=0,04). Megállapítottuk, hogy az LRP jelenléte a NSGCT-ban a klinikai kemorezisztenciával függ össze, és ebben a rosszindulatú daganatban a klinikai gyógyszer-rezisztencia újabb mechanizmusát képezheti. Magyar Onkológia, 46:339–345, 2002
The Effect of Dietary L-Carnitine Supplementation on Growth Performance, Carcass Traits, and Composition of Edible Meat in Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

SUMMARY The present study was conducted to determine the effects of supplemental dietary L-carnitine atdifferentlevelsongrowthperformance,carcasstraits,andcompositionofediblemeatinJapanese quail. One hundred sixty-eight 1-d-old Japanese quail chicks were fed the same basal diet that was supplemented with 0 (control), 30, 40, or 50 mg L-carnitine/kg of diet. The effects of dietary L-carnitine supplementation at different levels on body weight gain, cumulative feed intake, and feed conversion ratio of Japanese quail did not differ. Supplementation of L-carnitine to Japanese quail diets from 0 to 35 d of age did not affect the hot and cold carcass yields and the relative values of heart, liver, gizzard, and abdominal fat. Levels of supplemental dietary L-carnitine did not affect the dry matter, moisture, CP, or ether extract content of the total edible meat in Japanese quail chicks.
Ten years of free‐air CO2 enrichment altered the mobilization of N from soil in Lolium perenne L. swards

Effects of free‐air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE, 60 Pa pCO2) on plant growth as compared with ambient pCO2 (36 Pa) were studied in swards of Lolium perenne L. (perennial ryegrass) at two levels of N fertilization (14 and 56 g m−2 a−1) from 1993 to 2002. The objectives were to determine how plant growth responded to the availability of C and N in the long term and how the supply of N to the plant from the two sources of N in the soil, soil organic matter (SOM) and mineral fertilizer, varied over time. In three field experiments, 15N‐labelled fertilizer was used to distinguish the sources of available N.
Effects of flavomycin and protexin on growth performance and intestinal microflora population of broiler fed diets with different levels of soy oil.

A study was conducted to determine the effects of supplementary flavomycin and protexin in diets containing different levels of soy oil on growth performance and intestinal microbial population of broiler chicks. Three hundred and sixty one-day old Ross broiler chicks were randomly allocated to 6 treatments, with 4 replicates and 15 birds per each replicate in a randomized complete block design. Treatments were: 3% soy oil + flavomycin (400g/t), 3% soy oil + protexin (500g/t), 3% soy oil without any growth promoter, 6% soy oil + flavomycin (400g/t), 6% soy oil + protexin (500g/t) and 6% soy oil without any growth promoter. The experimental period was 42 days and feed intake and body weight gain were recorded weekly. The ileal numbers of Lactobacilli and E. coli were counted at 21 and 42day of age. The results showed that addition of protexin to diets (containing 3 or 6% soy oil), reduced feed intake and weight gain significantly (P<0.05). Supplementation diets with flavomycin, resulted in significantly lower counts of Lactobacilli and E. coli. Lactobacilli counts in the ileum of birds receiving protexin were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those of the other treatments. It could be concluded that supplementing diets containing fat with protexin have negative effects on broiler performance and high numbers of lactobacilli may play a role in growth depression related to impaired fat absorption due to bile acid deconjugation.
A Comprehensive Understanding of Corpse Management in Termites

Undertaking behavior is an essential adaptation to social life that is critical for colony hygiene in enclosed nests. Social insects dispose of dead individuals in various fashions to prevent further contact between corpses and living members in a colony. Focusing on three groups of eusocial insects (bees, ants, and termites) in two phylogenetically distant orders (Hymenoptera and Isoptera), we review mechanisms of death recognition, convergent and divergent behavioral responses toward dead individuals, and undertaking task allocation from the perspective of division of labor. Distinctly different solutions (e.g., corpse removal, burial and cannibalism) have evolved, independently, in the holometabolous hymenopterans and hemimetabolous isopterans toward the same problem of corpse management. In addition, issues which can lead to a better understanding of the roles that undertaking behavior has played in the evolution of eusociality are discussed.
V600E Braf induces gastrointestinal crypt senescence and promotes tumour progression through enhanced CpG

The majority of human colorectal cancers (CRCs) are initiated by mutations arising in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumour suppressor gene. However, a new class of non- APC mutated CRCs has been deﬁned that have a serrated histopathology and carry the V600E BRAF oncogene. Here we have investigated the pathogenesis of serrated CRCs by expressing V600E Braf in the proliferative cells of the mouse gastrointestinal tract. We show that the oncogene drives an initial burst of Mek-dependent proliferation, leading to the formation of hyperplastic crypts. This is associated with b -catenin nuclear localization by a mechanism involving Mapk/Erk kinase (Mek)-dependent, Akt-independent phosphorylation of Gsk3 b . However, hyperplastic crypts remain dormant for prolonged periods due to the induction of crypt senescence accompanied by upregulation of senescence-associated b -galac-tosidase and p16 Ink4a . We show that tumour progression is associated with down-regulation of p16 Ink4a through enhanced CpG methylation of exon 1 and knockout of Cdkn2a conﬁrms thisgeneisa barrier totumour progression.Our studies identify V600E BRAF as an early genetic driver mutation in serrated CRCs and indicate that, unlike APC -mutated cancers, this subtype arises by the bypassing of a V600E Braf driven oncogene-induced senescence programme.
Species pool: the concept, its determination and significance for community restoration.

The concept of species pool is reviewed. It is suggested to maintain the terms regional pool and local pool but replace actual pool by community pool. The regional and local pool are considered as selections from the regional and local flora based on ecological similarity. It is also suggested to include in the community pool a selection of species present only as diaspores in the diaspore bank (including diaspores from the seed rain), the selection being based on the same ecological criteria. Four approaches to determine the species pool are discussed: ecological, functional and phytosociological similarity, and an experimental approach. The phytosociological approach appears to be promising. The species pool is elaborated as a fuzzy set in the sense that each species of a community or a local or regional flora is a member of any community, local or regional species pool with different degrees of membership. This membership is defined as a probability of a species to become part of the community pool of a target community which is a function of the ecological (environmen-tal/functional/phytosociological) similarity of the species with the target community; the shortness of the distance of its nearest populations, the frequency/abundance, the dispersal capacity, the actual presence of dispersal mechanisms, the germinability of newly arrived diaspores, and the longevity of seeds (viability) in the diaspore bank. The information on species pools is needed for designing experiments where the number of species in a community is to be manipulated, for instance in restoration management.
(−)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate Blocks the Induction of Nitric Oxide Synthase by Down-Regulating Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Activity of Transcription Factor Nuclear Factor-κB

Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in inflammation and multiple stages of carcinogenesis. We investigated the effect of various tea polyphenols and caffeine on the induction of NO synthase (NOS) in thioglycollate-elicited and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated peritoneal macrophages. Gallic acid (GA), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the major tea catechin, were found to inhibit inducible NOS (iNOS) protein in activated macrophages. EGCG, a potent antitumor agent with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, inhibited NO generation, as measured by the amount of nitrite released into the culture medium. Inhibition of NO production was observed when cells were cotreated with EGCG and LPS. iNOS activity in soluble extracts of lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages treated with EGCG (5 and 10 microM) for 6-24 hr was significantly lower than that in macrophages without EGCG treatment. Western blot, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and Northern blot analyses demonstrated that significantly reduced 130-kDa protein and 4.5-kb mRNA levels of iNOS were expressed in lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages with EGCG compared with those without EGCG. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay indicated that EGCG blocked the activation of nuclear factor-kappaB, a transcription factor necessary for iNOS induction. EGCG also blocked disappearance of inhibitor kappaB from cytosolic fraction. These results suggest that EGCG decreases the activity and protein levels of iNOS by reducing the expression of iNOS mRNA and the reduction could occur through prevention of the binding of nuclear factor-kappaB to the iNOS promoter, thereby inhibiting the induction of iNOS transcription.
Short Communication: Quantitative Trait Loci Analysis on 17 Nonproduction Traits in the New Zealand Dairy Population

Seven New Zealand Holstein-Friesian families and two Jersey families, a total of 274 sires, were analyzed in a granddaughter design for marker-quantitative trait loci associations. For 17 nonproduction traits (management, size, and conformation traits), an acrossfamily analysis was undertaken using multimarker regression procedures. Threshold levels were set empirically by permuting the data. A quantitative trait locus for stature was identified on chromosome 14, which was significant at the 15% experimentwise level (suggestive linkage). The quantitative trait locus was identified to be segregating in three of the nine families.
Inter- and intrapopulation variation in the defensive chemistry of the red seaweed Laurencia dendroidea (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta)

Oliveira A.S. , Sudatti D.B. , Fujii M.T. , Rodrigues S.V. and Pereira R.C. 2013. Inter- and intrapopulation variation in the defensive chemistry of the red seaweed Laurencia dendroidea (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta). Phycologia 52: 130–136. DOI: 10.2216/12-058.1 Variation in the production of defensive chemicals by seaweeds is an important feature to understand the ecological and evolutionary aspects of the predator–prey interactions in marine systems. In this study, we evaluated the inter- and intrapopulation variations in the amount of elatol, which is a sesquiterpene produced as a chemical defence in specimens from four populations of the red seaweed Laurencia dendroidea along the Brazilian coast. The concentration of elatol varied from 2 to 10 times among the L. dendroidea individuals but was approximately three orders of magnitude broader among the populations from 0.001% to 1.24% of the dry weight. The specimens collected at lower latitudes produced low amounts of defences, which did not support the hypothesis that chemical defences increase with a decrease in latitude. When cultivated under distinct temperatures, L. dendroidea specimens produced more defences (= elatol) under high temperatures (25°C). Although we observed a genotypic relevance for chemical defence, the environmental differences along the Brazilian coast support the hypothesis that the variability observed in elatol production by L. dendroidea was most likely influenced by small-scale changes in environmental factors.
The usefulness of different commercial strains of slaughter turkey females for extensive system of management and feeding

Abstract The aim of this study was to estimate the usefulness of turkey females derived from two commercial strains for the extensive system of feeding and management. The experiment included 100 female turkeys from each of two commercial lines, BUT9 and BIG6, which, after the 6th week of rearing, were randomly divided into two groups: the control (C) and the extensive (E), with five replications in each. In the 7th week of life, birds from the E groups were transferred to a building with an open access to runs. All birds were given balanced diets appropriate to their age. Birds from the E group were fed the balanced diets diluted with crushed wheat in various proportions and were additionally given green fodder and steamed potatoes. During the experiment, the production effects of birds: body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and survival rate were registered. Turkeys were slaughtered after 16 weeks of rearing. Before slaughter, blood samples were collected for haematological and serum biochemical indices determination. The European efficiency factor, protein conversion ratio and the mean cost of feeding were calculated. Significantly smaller body weight gains were observed in the heavier line in treatment E, suggesting the lighter birds may be more useful for the extensive rearing system. This fact could show better usefulness of middle heavy turkeys for the extensive rearing system. The influence of the rearing system on haematological parameters of turkey blood, demonstrated by a bigger number of red blood cells and the decrease of mean corpuscular volume in the blood of experimental birds, was stated. As well as the rearing conditions influenced level of aspartate, total protein and glucose; their level was higher, whereas the levels of lactate dehydrogenase, cholesterol, uric acid, phosphorous and iron were lower in the blood serum of birds from the E groups.
An Atlas of Orchid Pollination: European Orchids

This work follows on from the 1995 publication on European orchids. The atlas is now completed with a second part, containing data on the pollination of orchids of the continents of America, Asia, Africa (including Madagascar) and Australia (including New Zealand). The first part of the book is adapted from the general account of the previous publication and is extended with chapters on taxonomy and pollinators. The general account deals with such things as the history, evolution, morphology, chemistry and genetics of orchid pollination. The second part gives a systematic account for each continent of all well known details. The text is designed to have relevance for orchid lovers whether professional or amateur.
GENETIC ANALYSIS FOR GRAIN YIELD AND VARIOUS MORPHOLOGICAL TRAITS IN MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) UNDER NORMAL AND WATER STRESS ENVIRONMENTS

A genetic analysis study was carried out for various morphological traits in a complete 8 × 8 diallel cross of maize inbred lines under normal irrigation and drought conditions. Estimation of genetic components of variation and graphical presentation deduced that most of the traits like days to pollen shed, anthesis -silking interval, ear height, kernel rows per ear, 100-kernel weight, shelling percentage, grain yield per plant showed over-dominance type of inheritance under both normal and drought conditions unlike leaf rolling which showed partial dominance under normal but over -dominance type of inheritance under drought conditions. It can be inferred that because of over -dominance nature of inheritance of most of the yield related traits, heterosis breeding can be pursued to exploit high yielding hybrids with considerable drought tolerance.