Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Size asymmetry of resource competition and the structure of plant communities

Plant communities show two general responses to gradients of soil resources: a decrease in species richness at high levels of resource availability and an associated shift in species composition from small and slow‐growing species to large and fast‐growing species. Models attempting to explain these responses have usually focused on a single pattern and provided contradicting predictions concerning the underlying mechanisms. We use an extension of Tilman's resource competition model to investigate the hypothesis that both patterns may originate from the size‐asymmetric nature of light exploitation by competing plants. The only mechanism producing changes in species richness and species composition in our model is mortality due to competition. Under the framework of the model, asymmetric light exploitation is a necessary and sufficient condition to obtain the empirically observed responses of species richness and species composition to soil resource gradients. This theoretical result is robust to relaxing the simplifying assumptions of the model. Our model shows that the traits enhancing competitive superiority depend on the mode of resource exploitation: under symmetric exploitation, competitive superiority is achieved by tolerance of low resource levels, while under asymmetric exploitation, it is achieved by the ability to grow fast and attain a large size. This result indicates that a long‐standing debate concerning the traits that enhance competitive superiority in plant communities (the ‘Grime–Tilman debate’) can be reduced into a single parameter of our model – the degree of asymmetry in resource competition. The model also explains the observed shift from below‐ground to above‐ground competition with increasing productivity, the associated increase in the asymmetry of competitive interactions and the increasing likelihood of competitive exclusion under high levels of productivity. None of these patterns could be obtained under symmetric competition in our model. Synthesis. The ability of the model to explain a wide range of observed patterns and the robustness of these predictions to its simplifying assumptions suggest that the size asymmetry of competition for light is a fundamental factor in determining the structure and diversity of plant communities.
Functional analysis of the isopentenyltransferase gene MdIPT3a from apple (Malus pumila Mill.)

Summary Plant isopentenyltransferases (IPTs) catalyse the first and rate-limiting step in the synthesis of cytokinin phytohormones. To understand the function of IPTs in apple (Malus pumila Mill.), a gene encoding an IPT (MdIPT3a; GenBank Accession No. HQ585947) was cloned from shoot tips of ‘Fuji’ apple using the reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR showed that expression of MdIPT3a was detected in shoot-tips, young leaves, bark tissue, leaf buds, floral buds, flowers, and young fruit. Transformation of tobacco plants with the MdIPT3a gene, driven by the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter, showed that over-expression of MdIPT3a led to the inhibition of root development, enhanced outgrowth of axillary buds, and a delay in flowering. Cytokinin-specific organogenesis of shoots in transformed tobacco was observed by in vitro culture of MdIPT3a-transformed leaf explants that over-expressed MdIPT3a and generated adventitious shoots on plant growth regulator (PGR)-free Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. The endogenous concentrations of isopentenyl adenosine, zeatin riboside, and dihydrozeatin were significantly higher in MdIPT3a–transformed T1 tobacco plants with more axillary buds than in non-transformed control plants. These results indicate that expression of MdIPT3a is involved in plant growth and development. Expression of MdIPT3a from the CaMV 35S promoter appears to enhance the morphogenic potential of transformed plants by increasing endogenous cytokinin levels.
Species richness, tropical forest dynamics and sampling : questioning cause and effect

Many hypotheses link tropical forest tree diversity with vegetation dynamics and productivity. Evaluations based on permanent sample plot data face problems of interpretation. I suggest, as examples, three points requiring consideration: 1) Species richness in a plot is the outcome of the detailed history of that particular site and the available species (i.e. the species pool). Diversity cannot be explained as a product of current conditions unless these are stable and the system is at equilibrium; 2) Existing permanent sample plots (PSPs) do not provide unbiased samples of global tropical forests; and 3) Variation in stand parameters may be more appropriate than averaged values when considering the maintenance of diversity, e.g. spatial and temporal variation in mortality and recruitment may be more crucial than mean values. In this note I emphasise how every site has a specific explanation for local species occurrences and that theories which do not include historical components are incomplete. The above points are illustrated by consideration of a paper by Phillips et al. where PSP data have been used to argue a causative relationship between forest productivity and species richness.
Avaliação de práticas culturais em um sistema agrícola irrigado por aspersão

Em um sistema agricola intensivo irrigado por aspersao, e fundamental a manutencao, em niveis elevados, da fertilidade do solo e da produtividade das especies cultivadas. Em experimentos conduzidos de 1991 a 1993, sob pivo central, em Jussara, GO, foram estudados os efeitos de tres sistemas de preparo de solo (Grade, Arado e Sem Preparo), de dois tipos de adubacao (a usada na propriedade e a baseada na analise de solo) e das culturas de arroz ( Oryza sativa L.) e de milho ( Zea mays L.) sobre o rendimento de graos de feijao ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivado em sucessao. Avaliaram-se tambem os efeitos dos sistemas de preparo sobre a produtividade do arroz e a do milho e a economicidade do sistema produtivo. O tratamento Sem Preparo teve os menores custos de producao, afetou negativamente a produtividade do arroz, nao influenciou a cultura do milho e mostrou efeito positivo no feijoeiro, apenas no terceiro cultivo. O milho provou ser a melhor cultura antecessora, com efeito positivo na produtividade do feijoeiro. Esta cultura apresentou maior custo de producao, seguida de milho e de arroz. Os tipos de adubacao nao tiveram influencia no rendimento de graos de feijao; no entanto, a adubacao baseada na analise do solo, com menor custo de producao, proporcionou a melhoria da eficiencia do sistema agricola. Semente foi o componente que mais onerou o custo de producao do feijao; no caso do milho e do arroz, foi fertilizacao.
Does Financial Flexibility foster Investment Efficiency? Evidence from an Emerging Market

This research aims to examine the relationship between financial flexibility and investment efficiency empirically, i.e., how financial flexibility effects suboptimal investments and efficiency. To attain the research objectives, we used panel data for 18 years (2000-2017) obtained from the CSMAR database; and also used the GMM estimation technique for research outcome. Our empirical results reveal that financial flexible firms can reduce the suboptimal investment by increasing investments compared to the inflexible firms and increases the investment efficiency. Also, financially flexible firms generate additional power to borrow external finance by showing a significant positive relationship with current and expected leverage. This research considers China as an emerging economy that is in the transition of being a developed country with a unique set of corporate governance, which ensures the independence of independent directors by providing authority to disclose important board decisions to the public. Besides, the governance system is highly monitored by the government, which in turn reduces and information asymmetry and enact to provide investment efficiency. Thus, the outcome of this research offers several conceptions for researchers and managers, which may be useful for both emerging and advanced countries. The results indicate that financial flexibilities lead to excess debt capacity, and this capacity can be used in the bad time when external financing is challenging to fund profitable projects, and also financial flexibility can be used to exploit lucrative projects and reduce the underinvestment or overinvestment entailing investment effectiveness. Previous research addresses the issue related to cost and benefit, information asymmetry, ownership concentration, and firms’ propensity to financial flexibility. A little research conducted on financial flexibility and investment efficiency in the developed market (in Europe and USA), and thus the issue of and financial flexibility measured in unused debt capacity and investment efficiency, is one of the fundamental research in the emerging economy.
Attractancy to Male Gypsy Moths 1 of (+)-Disparlures Synthesized by Different Procedures 1

Samples of (+)- cis -7,8-epoxy-2-methyloctadecane [(+)-disparlure], produced by 3 synthetic methods, elicit equivalent levels of male gypsy moth ( Lymantria dispar L.) trap catch in the field. Two analogues of disparlure, (+)- trans -7,8-epoxy-2-methyloctadecane and 2-methyl-8-octadecanone, have no effect on trap catch when simultaneously emitted with (+)-disparlure.
Courtship of the turtle, Pseudemys nelsoni

With the exception of Jackson and Davis' studies of the courtship of Trachemys scripta elegans (1972a) and Pseudemys concinna suwanniensis (1972b), our knowledge of the courtship patterns of these genera is based on fragmentary and anecdotal accounts (e.g., Davis and Jackson, 1973; Lardie, 1973; Jackson, 1977). Here we describe the courtship behavior of male Pseudemys nelsoni. Our results are based on the courtship behavior of two small adult males kept in the laboratory and 16 observations of courtship in the field at Rock Springs run, Apopka, Florida (Kramer, 1986). Most laboratory observations were made by UF on a male (plastron length = 18 cm) housed in a 100 x 40 x 40 cm aquarium. Water temperature varied from 22 to 30? C in the summer and from 20 to 26? C in the winter. An arti-
Bazı bitki gelişimini teşvik eden rizobakterilerin brokkoli (Brassica oleraceae L. var. italica) fide gelişimi ve fide kalitesi üzerine etkileri

Arastirma bitki gelisimini tesvik eden rizobakterilerin (Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria-PGPR) brokkolide ( Brassica oleracea L. var. italica ) fide gelisimi ve fide kalitesi uzerine etkilerinin belirlenmesi amaciyla yapilmistir. Calismada, Bacillus megaterium TV-3D, Bacillus megaterium TV-91C, Pantoea agglomerans RK- 92 ve Bacillus megaterium KBA-10 bakteri irklari kullanilmistir. Uygulamalar brokkoli fidelerine tohum cimlenmesinden sonra suspansiyon seklinde birer hafta araliklarla iki kez olacak sekilde yapilmistir. Arastirmada, PGPR uygulamalarinin kontrol uygulamasina gore fide boyunu % 7.85, g ovde capini % 42.56, yaprak alanini % 18.12 yaprak kuru madde miktarini ise % 41.98 oranlarina kadar artirdigi saptanmistir. Calismada, PGPR uygulamalarinin fide besin elementi icerigini Na haric artirdigi belirlenmistir. PGPR uygulamalarinin brokkoli fidelerinde aminoasit icerikleri uzerine etkileri istatistiksel olarak onemli (treonin, methionin, fenilanin ve hidroksiprolin haric) bulunmustur. Fide organik asit icerikleri ise PGPR uygulamalar ile genellikle onemli bir artis gostermistir. En yuksek giberallik asit (GA), salisilik asit (SA) ve absisik asit (ABA) icerigi P. agglomerans RK-92 uygulamasindan elde edilmistir. Arastirma sonucunda kullanilan PGPR uygulamalarinin brokkoli fidelerinde mineral madde, aminoasit, organik asit ve hormon iceriklerini etkileyerek fide gelisimi ve kalitesini olumlu etkiledigi belirlenmistir.
AN ANALYSIS OF MER1 FUNCTION DURING MEIOTIC SPLICING REGULATION IN SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE

The transition from mitosis to meiosis in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae requires a significant change to gene expression profiles. Regulation of pre-messenger RNA splicing patterns during meiosis assists in this transition by fine tuning expression of essential meiotic genes. Produced only during meiosis, Mer1p is linked to the splicing of at least three mRNAs: MER2, MER3, and AMA1. Previous evidence suggests that Mer1p activates splicing by directly recruiting snRNPs or stabilizing intermediate splicing complexes formed on pre-mRNA that contains an intronic Mer1p enhancer element. However, some splicing factors, especially accessory/non-snRNP factors, have critical roles in retaining unspliced pre-mRNAs in the nucleus. I tested if Mer1p may indirectly regulate splicing by preventing the export of pre-mRNAs to the cytoplasm and also demonstrated that a second subunit of the Retention and Splicing (RES) complex, Bud13p, has transcript-specific effects on Mer1p-activated splicing. The results indicated that Mer1p can retain unspliced pre-mRNA in the nucleus; however, nuclear retention could not be uncoupled from splicing activation. In the absence of Mer1p, the AMA1 pre-mRNA is exported to the cytoplasm, translated, but not subjected to nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) despite a premature stop codon in the intron. A novel role for the Mer1p activation domain was revealed by a two-hybrid interaction with Prp39p, an essential U1 snRNP protein. This suggests the initial contact between Mer1p and the spliceosome occurs during commitment complex assembly. Collectively, these data imply that Mer1p can retain pre-mRNAs in the nucleus only by facilitating their interaction with the spliceosome and support models for cytoplasmic degradation of unspliced pre-mRNAs that fail to assemble into spliceosomes in yeast. A two-hybrid analysis of U1 snRNP proteins and other early splicing factors tested 460 possible interactions and the several novel interactions reported here indicate a revised model for U1snRNP structure. Scherrer, Frederick, 2008, UMSL, p. iii
Resource use, plant defenses, and optimal digestion in ruminants

We studied retention time decisions in mammalian herbivores in relation to food-quality and resource abundance. Under the assumption that foraging (searching and ingestion) and digestion (rumination and fermentation) are mutually exclusive events in ruminants, and that the forager is an energy (nutrient) maximizer, we use the marginal value theorem to predict changes in ingestion rate, retention time and food selectivity. If we assume that foraging time (the time it takes to obtain one gut fill of food) is inversely proportional to resource density, we predict that the optimal retention time increases as foraging time increases; optimal retention time decreases as the digestion rate parameter increases, but is unaffected by maximum digestibility; energy intake rate is differently affectd by the two food quality measures maximum digestibility and digestion rate; there are stronger incentives to be selective of high quality food if the resource is abund than if it is scarce
Resource allocation in a maize breeding program for native resistance to western corn rootworm

The objective of this study was to determine the optimum allocation of the number of plants sampled per plot and number of locations and years required for screening maize genotypes for reduced root damage caused by western corn rootworm (WCR) larvae, major pest of maize in Croatia, Europe and in the USA. Field trials were conducted at two locations Eastern Croatia, a major maize production area with natural WCR occurrence under continuous maize growing conditions. The trials were set as an incomplete lattice block design in two replications in 2007, 2008 and 2009 including 128 genotypes from various maize gene-pools. Our results suggest that the effect of year and respective interactions including year were the most important factors in maize breeding programs for native resistance to WCR. Thus, screening germplasm for WCR resistance should be made in a multi-year experiment, but not necessarily as a multi-location experiment. Resource optimization should be done by reducing number of roots per plot to minimum 4 sampled plants due to small within-plot environmental variance.
THE ROLE OF GROUNDWATER IN DETERMINING THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF INFLOWS TO A HYPERTROPHIC WETLAND SYSTEM

A number of regulated, shallow freshwater wetland systems are located on the Cape Flats coastal plain near Cape Town, South Africa. A recent geohydrological study conducted at the largest of these, Zeekoevlei, indicated the wetland systems were in effect areas of groundwater discharge. It was calculated that, in the case of Zeekoevlei, groundwater contributes some 15% of the total water input, and comprised the sole source of water during the dry summer months. Although attenuated by water level regulation, surface inflows during winter still provide an important flushing mechanism, thereby highlighting the integrative role of surface and groundwater. A crucially important finding of the groundwater study was that in excess of 35% of the annual phosphorus loading originates from an adjacent wastewater treatment works, and is discharged into the hypertrophic wetland via the subsurface. The balance of this loading originates from the catchment and from sediments accumulated within the system. Any rehabilitatory actions are unlikely to be successful unless the discharge of phosphorus-rich groundwater into Zeekoevlei is addressed as a mandatory component of a suite of remedial actions targeting the principal sources of nutrient loading.
The Integrin Tail: A Tale of Cell Motility and Division

Integrin transmembrane receptor functions are regulated by adaptor molecules binding to their and subunit intracellular domains, or tails, thus affecting integrin traffic and adhesion during e.g. cell motility. Interestingly, many cellular proteins function in both cell motility and cell division, thus raising the possibility that integrins might be involved in regulating the cell cycle. A thorough understanding of cell division is essential in cell biology and in human malignancies. It is well established that failures to complete cell cycle can give rise to genetically unstable cells with tumorigenic properties. Transformed cells promote the disruption of intercellular adhesions such as tight junctions, and this correlates with the onset of cell motility, invasion and unfavorable prognosis in cancer. In this study, we analyzed integrin regulation, mediated by adaptor binding to the subunit tail, during cell motility and cell division. We revealed a novel molecular mechanism by which Rab21, through association with the integrin subunits, drives integrin endosomal traffic during mitotic phases. In addition, we found indications for this finding in vivo, as RAB21 gene deletions were mapped in ovarian and prostate cancer samples. Importantly, the multinucleated phenotype of cultured ovarian cancer cells could be reverted by Rab21 overexpression. In this thesis work, we also show how the tight junction protein ZO-1 unexpectedly interacts with the 5 integrin cytoplasmic domain in the lamellipodia to promote cell motility and at the cleavage furrow to support separation of the daughter cells. The 5-ZO-1 complex formation was dependent on PKC which regulates ZO-1 phosphorylation and its subcellular localization. In addition, by an in situ detection method, we showed that a subset of metastatic human lung cancers expressed the -ZO-1 complex. Taken together, we were able to identify new molecular pathways that regulate integrin functions in an tail-mediated fashion. These findings firmly suggest that genetic alterations in integrin traffic may lead to progression of tumorigenesis as a result of failed cell division. Also, the interplay of integrins and ZO-1 in forming spatially regulated adhesive structures broadens our view of crosstalk between pathways and distinct adhesive structures that can be involved in cancer cell biology.
A Review of Nearctic Podagrionini, with Description of Sexual Behavior of Podagrion mantis (HYMENOPTERA:TORYMIDAE)

Keys to Nearctic tribes of Monodontomerinae and genera and species of Podagrionini are given. Two genera and 7 species are recognized: Pachytomoides is reported from the Western Hemisphere for the first time with the description of P. zygas new species, from Florida; Podagrion is represented by isos and oon new species, from Florida, and brasiliense Howard, crassiclava Gahan, mantidiphagum Girault, and mantis Ashmead. Two new combinations are proposed for South American species transferred from Podagrion: Pachytomoides megistus (DeSantis) and Pachytomoides insolens (DeSantis). The presence of 1 ( Podagrion ) or 2 ( Pachytomoides ) metasternal carinae between the hindcoxae is discussed as a new generic character. Sexual behavior in Podagrion mantis is described as it occurred on a natural substrate (mantid ootheca) and in petri dish observation chambers. Observations of adult emergence, male aggression for possession of oothecae, courtship, and copulation are given. Mating behavior performed on the ootheca is highly stereotyped and strongly sequenced. Mating behavior on the artificial substrate is weakly sequenced with certain of the behavioral acts often being omitted or repeated.
Epigenetic Regulation of Replication-Dependent Histone mRNA 3 End Processing

Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) was shown to be the Ser/Thr kinase that phosphorylates the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the largest subunit of RNA Polymerase II (RNAPII) at serine residue 2 in mammalian thus regulating its activity following transcriptional inititiation. Furthermore, CDK9 was suggested to also regulate co-transcriptional histone modifications and mRNA processing events. Our studies show that CDK9 functions in maintaining global levels of histone H2B lysine 120 monoubiquitination (H2Bub1) and guides a complex network for additional histone modifications, including histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) and H3K36me3. However, these modifications seem to not only be dependent upon phosphorylation of the CTD but include other CDK9 targets like suppressor of Ty 5 homolog (SUPT5H), negative elongation factor-E (NELF-E) and probably the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2A (UBE2A). Interestingly, we found that CDK9 activity and the mentioned histone modifications are necessary for maintaining proper replication-dependent histone mRNA 3 end processing since CDK9 knockdown resulted in an inefficient recognition of the correct cleavage site and led to read-through of RNAPII to an alternative downstream polyadenylation signal. Furthermore, induction of a G1 cell cycle arrest by accumulation of p53 resulted in an increase in polyadenylated replication-dependent histone mRNA transcripts as well via reduced expression of the E2F-dependent histone-specific transcription regulator nuclear protein Ataxia Telangiectasia locus (NPAT). We could show that NPAT can directly interact with the positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) and thus recruits CDK9 to replication-dependent histone genes playing a role in proper replication-dependent histone mRNA 3 end processing. These latest results uncover a mechanism of a regulated switch from processed replication-dependent histone mRNA transcripts to polyadenylated ones during a normal cellular process.
Recent data on whales and dolphins (Mammalia: Cetacea) from the Cape Verde Islands, including records of four taxa new to the archipelago

Based on both stranding and sighting records, recent data on the status and distribution of whales and dolphins in the Cape Verde Islands are presented, including records of four taxa new to the archipelago, viz. Common minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata, Dwarf sperm whale Kogia sima, beaked whale Mesoplodon cf. europaeus and False killer whale Pseudorca crassidens. Distribution elsewhere in the tropical eastern Atlantic and some taxonomic issues are discussed.