Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Major Disjunctions in the Geographic Ranges of Seed Plants

In attempting to review and classify the major intercontinental disjunctions in the geographic ranges of seed plants, six guiding principles are followed where possible. Sixteen categories and 34 subcategories of disjuct ranges of intercontinental magnitude (Table 1) are classified according to continents and latitudinal bands involved. Widely distributed taxa are, by their very nature, disjunct; they are therefore classified along with the more traditionally discontinuous types. Thus, for the most part, only endemics and taxa with smaller intracontinental disjunctions are omitted from this review. Generalized distribution maps are presented for selected taxa characteristic of each of the dicontinuous types. Other taxa are listed for each of the categories and subcategories, and compendia of good distribution maps are cited for ready reference to additional examples. Possible explanations for the major discontinuities are discussed. Finally, a statistical summary is given of the numbers of disjunct taxa and the largest disjunct categories. Among the Angiospermae (the flowering plants), approximately 78 per cent of the 324 families, 24 per cent of the genera, and 1 per cent of the species are widely disjunct. The largest number of disjunct genera are found among the African-Eurasian-(Pacific) (600), Asian-Pacific (460), Pacific (370), North American-South American (ca. 360), Pantropical (334), North Temperate (316), and Subcosmopolitan (125) categories; the largest number of disjunct families among the Subcosmopolitan (90), Pantropical (59), North Temperate (20), African-Eurasian (Pacific) (17), and North American-South American (13) categories.
Adaptability of Crop Plants to High Temperatures Stress1

The ability of crop plants to adapt to heat stress is potentially an important component of tolerance to heat stress under field conditions. Two genotypes each of bean, potato, and soybean and tomato, with known differences in heat sensitivity as evaluated by their yield and fruit set under high temperature conditions, were used in a study of adaptability of leaf tissues to heat stress. Heat tolerance was measured by 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) reduction and conductivity tests; both methods gave similar results. The degree of heat tolerance could be expressed by either the heat killing temperature or the heat killing time, the latter being the more sensitive indicator. Heat tolerant and susceptible genotypes did not differ in heat killing time when the plants were grown at 20/15 C day/night temperature; however, the differences became dramatic after the plants were acclimated at temperatures above 30 C for 24 hours. Heat killing time was a function of the acclimating temperature with the optimum acclimating temperature found to be 35 to 37 C. Rate of heat acclimation was very fast, and a continuous high temperature treatment appeared to be necessary to retain the high level of heat tolerance. Heat tolerance of leaves was not affected by age when the plants were grown under 20/15 C condition. At 35/35 C, however, the heat tolerance of leaves was lower at the earlier stages and reached a level similar to fully grown plants after 30 days growth. The results suggest that I) the TTC reduction test in addition to the conductivity test can be used to test heat tolerance in crop plants, and 2) screening genotypes that perform well in high temperature environments is feasible at the early stage of growth by testing leaf tissue heat tolerance after the plants have been subjected to a high acclimation temperature, such as 35 C for 12 to 24 hours.
Effect of Barley β-Glucan in Durum Wheat Pasta on Human Glycemic Response

ABSTRACT High-fiber, high-carbohydrate diets, including foods with low glycemic index, have been associated with prevention and treatment of diseases such as coronary heart disease and diabetes. β-glucan, a soluble, viscous polymer found in oat and barley endosperm cell wall, was incorporated into pasta test meals. Five fasted adult subjects were fed test meals of a barley and durum wheat blend pasta containing 100 g of available carbohydrate, 30 g of total dietary fiber (TDF) and 12 g of β-glucan, or an all durum wheat pasta containing the same amount of available carbohydrate, 5 g of TDF, and negligible β-glucan. The β-glucan and durum wheat pasta resulted in a lower glycemic response as measured by average total area and maximum increment of the blood glucose curves. Lower insulin response to the β-glucan and durum wheat pasta was also indicated by lower average area and increment characteristics of the insulin curves. Barley β-glucans may be an economical and palatable ingredient for processed food pr.
The Prairie Dog and Biotic Diversity

Since the turn of this century, prairie dog populations have declined as much as 98% throughout North America, largely as a result of prairie dog eradication programs. The prairie dog is a keystone species that plays an important role in maintaining the biotic integrity of the western grasslands that stretch from southern Canada to northern Mexico. The fragmentation of prairie dog distribution has degraded diversity on those prairies, and several species depending on prairie dogs have achieved listing status under the Endangered Species Act. We propose that managing the praire dog would provide an effective avenue from single-species management to management of a system. Because prairie dogs have declined so profoundly, some form of legal protection will be required. In addition, protected areas can preserve habitat and integrate ecologically sound agricultural opportunities. Positive incentives for ranchers to manage in the interests of both livestock and wildlife will enhance the attitude change necessary for grassland conservation. These management options hinge critically on an end to U.S. government subsidies for prairie dog eradication programs. The subsidies are financially and ecologically unsound, and they only contribute to the prevailing misconceptions about the role of the prairie dog on the grasslands. Desde el comienzo de este siglo, los perros de las praderas han declinado hasta en un 98% a lo largo de America del Norte, principalmente como resultado de los programas de erradicacion. El perro de las praderas es una especie clave que juega un rol importante en el mantenimiento de la integridad biotica de las praderas del oeste que se extienden desde el sur de Canada hasta el norte de Mexico. La fragmentacion de la distribucion del perro de las praderas ha degradado la diversidad de esas praderas, y varias especies que dependen de los perros de las praderas han alcanzado el estatus para ser listadas bajo el Acta de Especies en Peligro. Nosotros proponemos que el manejo del perro de las parderas seria un medio efectivo para pasar de un manejo de especies particulares al manejo de un sistema. Dado que el perro de las praderas ha declinado en forma tan profunda, se necesitara algun tipo de proteccion legal En forma adicional, las areas protegidas pueden preservar el habitat e integrar oportunidades agricolas buenas desde un punto de vista ecologico. Incentivos positivos para los rancheros que manejan sus campos tratando de favorecer tanto el ganado como la vida salvaje mejoraran el cambio de actitud necesario para la conservacion de las praderas. Estas opciones de manejo dependen en forma critica del fin de los subsidios del gobierno de EEUU para los programas de erradicacion de los perros de las praderas. El subsidio es financiera y ecologicamente insano y solo contribuye al mantenimiento de las ideas erroneas que prevalecen acerca del rol de los perros de las praderas en las praderas.
Gibberellic acid (GA3)‐induced enhancement of α‐amylase activity in the aleurone of Shrunken‐2 maize kernels

The aleurone of RB-3 shrunken-2 (sh2) maize kernels is deficient in a-amylase activity during germination, but exogenous applications of gibberellic acid (GA3) (0.00 1-10 Mm) inducedlow levels of activity. The highest activity was measured in the aleurone of kernels treated with 10 Mm GA3 (14,600 ? 945 units), but was lower than untreated Starchy (Su) aleurone tissues (35,280 ? 5,010 units). On isoelectric focusing gels, no a-amylase isozymes were detected in the untreated sh2 aleurone using starch zymograms or immunoblots, but the 1.0 and 10 Mm GA3 treatments induced nearly all the isozymes (eight to ten) present in the Su aleurone. There was a very low level of a-amylase mRNA in the untreated sh2 aleurone, an intermediate level in the 1.0 Mm GA3-treated sh2 aleurone, and the highest level in the untreated Su aleurone. On the confocal microscope, the 1.0 Mm GA3-treated aleurone cells had enhanced levels of cytoplasmic membranes and RNA compared to untreated sh2 aleurone cells. The 1.0 AM GA3 treatment also induced shoot elongation in the sh2 seedlings. The data demonstrate that the sh2 aleurone is deficient in its function to produce a-amylases, and exogenous GA3 can partially restore cell function in the sh2 kernels.
ECTOMYCORRHIZAL FUNGAL ABOVEGROUND COMMUNITY CHANGE OVER AN ATMOSPHERIC NITROGEN DEPOSITION GRADIENT

Atmospheric nitrogen deposition has been hypothesized as one of the causal factors in the decline of ectomycorrhizal fungal (EMF) sporocarps. We assessed the effects of N deposition on EMF of forests dominated by white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) over a short, steep N deposition gradient in Alaska, USA. The study area had received high NH3 inputs from an industrial ammonia production facility for almost 30 yr. Current N inputs varied 20-fold over the gradient. High N inputs have increased soil N availability, which has led to decreased soil pH and base cation availability; increased foliar N and decreased foliar P, Mg, and K; increased tree growth; and replacement of mosses by grasses. At the six lowest N sites, 144 species were encountered, whereas only 14 species were encountered at the six highest N sites. With increasing mineral N availability in the organic horizon, there were declines in both total species richness (1994 and 1995) and total spo- rocarp abundance (1994 only). Correlation analysis identified two groups of taxa that re- sponded differently to the N inputs. One group ("nitrophobic" taxa: Cortinarius, Russula, Tricholoma, Lactarius, Hebeloma) declined in species richness or abundance with increas- ing organic horizon mineral N. In the second group ("nitrophilic" taxa: Lactarius theio- galus, Laccaria, Paxillus involutus, and Hygrophorus olivaceoalbus), sporocarp abundance was either not correlated or slightly positively correlated with organic horizon N availability. Redundancy analysis identified two axes of environmental variation that explained 62% and 7% of the variation in the EMF community and clearly distinguished the two groups of taxa. The environmental variables included in the final model were mineral soil base cations, organic horizon mineral N, and organic horizon net mineralization. These results support the hypothesis that long-term N inputs alone may lead to loss of EMF sporocarp diversity and indicate that EMF should be considered in the establishment of critical loads of N.
EARLY SUCCESSIONAL PATHWAYS AND THE RESISTANCE AND RESILIENCE OF FOREST COMMUNITIES

Vegetation changes were studied for 21 yr in two clearcut logged and slash- burned Pseudotsuga forests in the western Cascade Range of Oregon. Detrended corre- spondence analysis (DCA) was used to examine the successional relationships among six understory communities exposed to a gradient of disturbance intensity. Euclidean distances between pre- and postdisturbance samples in ordination space were used to compare community resistance to disturbance and long-term recovery, or resilience. Ordination through time for plant communities revealed a common pattern of rapid floristic change away from predisturbance composition, followed by gradual, unidirectional return. Early, but transient, convergence of successional pathways was common among mesic- and dry- site communities, reflecting the broad distribution of colonizers and the floristic similarity of predisturbance understories. Distinct sequences were observed on moist sites, reflecting more unique residual and colonizing floras. Ordinations also revealed increasing compo- sitional change with disturbance intensity. Successional sequences were dominated by residual species on relatively undisturbed sites and by alternate suites of invading species on moderately disturbed and burned sites. Variation in the response gradient between watersheds reflected the modifying influence of local environment, stand history, and chance in succession. Resistance and resilience varied little among plant communities but were generally lowest for the depauperate Coptis community and greatest for the compositionally and structurally diverse Polystichum and Rhododendron-Gaultheria types. Both measures were strongly influenced by disturbance intensity. The stability of Pseudotsuga understories derives from the moderate tolerance of initial understory dominants to burning and in their ability to subsequently perennate from subterranean structures. Variation in the long- term response of communities reflects complex interactions between species life history, disturbance intensity, and chance, suggesting that both deterministic and stochastic factors must be considered in evaluating community stability and response to disturbance.
The Influence of Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) in The Diet of Turkey Breeder Hens

Abstract Three experiments were conducted to study the influence of the addition of 3% distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) to a corn-soy turkey breeder diet on egg production, percent fertility, and hatchability of fertile eggs. The first two experiments were conducted near the end of the laying period, and a numerical improvement in egg production was obtained in both the 28 and 56 day trials. For the third experiment, 3% DDGS was added throughout a 112 day laying period to a corn-soy diet with two levels of calcium (2.5% and 3.5%) and three levels of phosphorus (.32, .42 and .52%). This addition resulted in a significantly improved egg production and hatchability of fertile eggs. A significant interaction was found between DDGS and phosphorus as measured by hatchability and with calcium when measured by egg production.
LARVICIDAL PROPERTIES OF THREE INDIGENOUS PLANT OILS ON THE MOSQUITO AEDES AEGYPTI

Volatile oils of three Nigerian plants Ocimum gratissimum L. , [Lamiaceae] Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf [poaceae] and Ageratum conyzoides L. [Asteraceae] were screened for larvicidal activity against laboratory reared larvae of the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti L. Twenty (20) fourth instar larvae per 100 ml solution of each concentration were used and the toxicity of the oils compared with endosulfan, a commercial insecticide. Mortality was observed after 24 hours exposure. All the oils demonstrated complete larvicidal action at varying concentrations but were less potent than endosulfan. The oil from A. conyzoides was the most potent, giving 100% mortality at 120 ppm while oils from C. citratus and O. gratissiumum resulted in complete mortality at 200 and 300 ppm respectively. The study gave an insight into the possibility of formulating suitable preparations from the essential oils of these plants for use in mosquito control programme. Key Words: Volatile oils, Ocimum gratissimum, Lamiaceae, Cymbopogon citratus, Poaceae, Ageratum conyzoides, Asteraceae, larvicidal activity, Aedes aegypti L. Nig. J. Nat Prod. And Med. Vol.5 2001: 30-33
Diet selection in pigs: choices made by growing pigs given foods of different protein concentrations.

To test the proposition that growing pigs, when given a choice between two foods, are able to select a diet that meets their requirements, and to investigate the rules of diet selection, four foods (L, A, B and H) with similar energy yields, but different concentrations of crude protein (CP) (125, 174, 213 and 267 g CP per kg fresh food respectively) were formulated. The four foods were offered ad libitum either singly, or as a two-way choice using all the six possible pairs, to 40 individually caged pigs from 12 to 30 kg live weight. On the single foods the rate of food intake fell from 1001 to 971 to 961 to 868 (s.e.d. 40) g/day (F P 0·05), which were not significantly different from the highest growth rate achieved on a single food. The results suggest that pigs, when given a choice between a suitable pair of foods, are able to choose a balanced diet and to change its composition to reflect their changing requirements. The choice-feeding method may well be useful as an effective and economic way of estimating and meeting requirements, and of measuring the growth potential of pigs.
Differential Temperature-dependent Chaperone-like Activity of αA- and αB-crystallin Homoaggregates*

α-Crystallin, a heteromultimeric protein made up of αA- and αB-crystallins, functions as a molecular chaperone in preventing the aggregation of proteins. We have shown earlier that structural perturbation of α-crystallin can enhance its chaperone-like activity severalfold. The two subunits of α-crystallin have extensive sequence homology and individually display chaperone-like activity. We have investigated the chaperone-like activity of αA- and αB-crystallin homoaggregates against thermal and nonthermal modes of aggregation. We find that, against a nonthermal mode of aggregation, αB-crystallin shows significant protective ability even at subphysiological temperatures, at which αA-crystallin or heteromultimeric α-crystallin exhibit very little chaperone-like activity. Interestingly, differences in the protective ability of these homoaggregates against the thermal aggregation of βL-crystallin is negligible. To investigate this differential behavior, we have monitored the temperature-dependent structural changes in both the proteins using fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence quench-ing by acrylamide shows that the tryptophans in αB-crystallin are more accessible than the lone tryptophan in αA-crystallin even at 25 °C. Protein-bound 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonate fluorescence demonstrates the higher solvent accessibility of hydrophobic surfaces on αB-crystallin. Circular dichroism studies show some tertiary structural changes in αA-crystallin above 50 °C. αB-crystallin, on the other hand, shows significant alteration of tertiary structure by 45 °C. Our study demonstrates that despite a high degree of sequence homology and their generally accepted structural similarity, αB-crystallin is much more sensitive to temperature-dependent structural perturbation than αA- or α-crystallin and shows differences in its chaperone-like properties. These differences appear to be relevant to temperature-dependent enhancement of chaperone-like activity of α-crystallin and indicate different roles for the two proteins both in α-crystallin heteroaggregate and as separate proteins under stress conditions.
Niche shifting in response to warming climate after the last glacial maximum: inference from genetic data and niche assessments in the chisel‐toothed kangaroo rat (Dipodomys microps)

During Pleistocene glacial‐interglacial cycles, the geographic range is often assumed to have shifted as a species tracks its climatic niche. Alternatively, the geographic range would not necessarily shift if a species can adapt in situ to a changing environment. The potential for a species to persist in place might increase with the diversity of habitat types that a species exploits. We evaluate evidence for either range shift or range stability between the last glacial maximum (LGM) and present time in the chisel‐toothed kangaroo rat (Dipodomys microps), an endemic of the Great Basin and Mojave deserts. We modeled how the species’ range would have changed if the climatic niche of the species remained conserved between the LGM and present time. The climatic models imply that if D. microps inhabited the same climatic niche during the LGM as it does today, the species would have persisted primarily within the warm Mojave Desert and expanded northwards into the cold Great Basin only after the LGM. Contrary to the climatic models, the mitochondrial DNA assessment revealed signals of population persistence within the current distribution of the species throughout at least the latest glacial‐interglacial cycle. We concluded that D. microps did not track its climatic niche during late Pleistocene oscillations, but rather met the challenge of a changing environment by shifting its niche and retaining large portions of its distribution. We speculate that this kind of response to fluctuating climate was possible because of ‘niche drifting’, an alteration of the species’ realized niche due to plasticity in various biological characters. Our study provides an example of an approach to reconstruct species’ responses to past climatic changes that can be used to evaluate whether and to what extent taxa have capacity to shift their niches in response to the changing environment – information becoming increasingly important to predicting biotic responses to future environmental changes.
Lignin Distribution in the Tropical Bamboo Species Gigantochloa Levis

The lignin distribution within the cell walls of Gigantochloa levis was studied topochemically by means of TEM and cellular UV microspectrophotometry. The distribution of lignin structural units in different anatomical regions is described and lignification of the tropical bamboo species Gigantochloa levis is compared with that of the temperate bamboo species Phyllostachys viridiglaucescens. Considerable differences were found in cell wall structure between fibres adjacent to the vascular tissue, fibres of free fibre strands and parenchyma cells. The S2 fibre wall in general has a lamellar structure with an increasing lignin content from the centre towards the compound middle lamella. P-coumaric and ferulic acids are more widely distributed in G. levis and their content depends on the anatomical location. The early maturing fibres adjacent to the vascular tissue and at the outer culm wall reveal a maximum absorbance at 280 nm (guaiacyl peak) whereas the late maturing fibres display a shoulder at 310–320 nm. This is in contrast to P. viridiglaucescens where the late maturing fibres also show a maximum peak at 280 nm. The compound middle lamellae show higher absorbance values and are richer in p-coumaric and ferulic acid esters in comparison to the S2 wall layers. The vessel walls have a lower lignin content. A difference in lignin content between the various ages and between flowering and non-flowering culms could not be observed.