Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
C4 grasses from the boreal forest region of northwestern Canada

Six C4 grasses (Distichlis stricta, Muhlenbergia glomerata var. cinnoides, M. mexicana, M. richardsonis, Spartina gracilis, S. pectinata) were found in grassy openings in the boreal forest of northwestern Canada. High carbon isotope ratios and Kranz anatomy confirmed that these northern populations are functionally C4 grasses. Muhlenbergia mexicana was assumed to be a C4 grass on the basis of published data. Recent collections of C4 plants tended to have more negative δ13C values than older collections from northern locations, which may reflect decreases in δ13C of atmospheric CO2 over time. In general, northern C4 species had lower δ13C values than those reported for their southern counterparts. The boreal climate in the north supports C4 species only where the mean minimum temperature for July is at least 7.5 °C. C4 grasses were found in microsites warmed by high irradiance or geothermal activity; many of the sites had saline substrates. Northern C4 populations are rare and unique in the boreal flora an.
Male-Biased Mortality in the Butterfly Euphydryas editha: A Novel Cost of Mate Acquistion

It is generally assumed that most male reproductive effort in insects is devoted to mate acquisition, whereas most female reproductive effort isdevoted to parental investment (Thornhill and Alcock 1983). Thus, for many species, a male's reproductive success is largely determined by the number of mates he obtains. Because sexual selection favors traits that enhance an individual's ability to acquire mates (Trivers 1972), this form of selection should generally be more important for male insects than for females. To maximize their rate of mate acquisition, males can defend territories, ignal to attract females, or locate females through active search. All of these behaviors are found commonly in insects (Thornhill and Alcock 1983). For short-lived species in which males actively search for mates, especially for species that exhibit little mate choice, the most important component of mate acquisition may be the ability of males to locate females as quickly as possible. One potential outcome of selection for rapid mate location, found among insects, is indiscriminate mate-location behavior (Thornhill and Alcock 1983, pp. 131-143). This behavior, exhibited when males fail to distinguish between female conspecifics and other inappropriate objects, results in misdirected courtship or attempted copulation. Thornhill and Alcock pointed out that when the cost of "mistakes" is low, and the potential reward (location of a receptive female) is high, indiscriminate b havior should be advantageous. They assumed that the main cost associated with mistakes is only the loss of time. For many insect species, this assumption is probably correct. However, I present evidence for a novel cost associated with indiscriminate mate-location behavior in a butterfly: increased risk of male mortality. Euphydryas editha (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), a univoltine butterfly, fits the above generalization about insect allocation of reproductive effort. Although E. editha males do pass a spermatophore, this does not represent a significant paternal investment (Jones et al. 1986). Thus, most male reproductive effort is devoted to the acquisition of females, especially virgin females. Newly eclosed (teneral) E. editha adults remain motionless on the ground or in low vegetation for about an hour after eclosion while their wings harden. During this time females cannot fly and have little ability to reject courting males; thus, the first male to locate a teneral female is usually the one that mates with her. Since most E. editha females mate only once, shortly after eclosion, males that can most rapidly locate teneral females enjoy a clear selective advantage. In May 1983, while studying sources of E. editha mortality at Schneider's
Molecular characterisation of Onion yellow dwarf virus (OYDV) infecting garlic (Allium sativum L.) in Israel: Thermotherapy inhibits virus elimination by meristem tip culture

Summary Garlic (cv. Shani) was tested using single step RT-PCR and digoxygenin (DIG) labelled dot-blot for a number of viruses. Following sequence analysis it was shown that at least three different polymorphs of the potyvirus Onion yellow dwarf virus (OYDV) infect the same plant simultaneously, together with the potyvirus Leek yellow stripe virus (LYSV), the carlavirus Garlic common latent virus (GCLV) and a multitude of allexiviruses (Shallot virus X (ShVX) related viruses]. Several garlic plants free of all the viruses tested were obtained through meristem-tip culture. Plants infected with single viruses or with different combinations of viruses were similarly obtained. Meristem-tip culture was confirmed as a satisfactory method of virus eradication, while thermotherapy treatment given to mother plantlets before meristem excision was found to specifically antagonise OYDV eradication. This work uses molecular methods for the first time to examine the effectiveness of meristem-tip culture for the eradication of multiple viruses from garlic.
Carbon isotopes as indicators of elephant diets and African environments

Summary Stable carbon isotope ratios have been successfully used to assess modern animal diets and to reconstruct prehistoric diets of animals and humans (Vogel & van der Merwe, 1977; van der Merwe & Vogel, 1978; Burleigh & Brothwell, 1978; Vogel, 1978a; DeNiro & Epstein, 1978; Tieszen et al., 1979; Tieszen & Imbamba, 1980; Chisholm, Nelson & Schwarcz, 1982; Tauber, 1981). We have used 13C/12C ratio measurements of bone collagen to study the diets of African elephants in twelve wildlife refuges. These represent most of the habitats in which elephants live, including such diverse plant communities as primary rain forest, savanna woodland and desert. The δ13C values were found to have a simple linear relationship with tree density in most cases. When translated into relative amounts of dietary browse (C3 plants) and graze (C4 plants), the grass content is seen to be systematically under-represented, presumably due to inefficient metabolism. This does not affect the relationship between elephant diet and tree density, which has implications for the study of elephant-woodland interactions, and for reconstructions of past African environments.
Apparent Free Space

The difficult problems associated with the entry of dissolved substances into plant cells have been made more difficult by failure to envisage the prop­ erties which must be attributed to the cells in order to account for their known behaviour in a wide range of treatments. It is generally accepted that there is, between the vacuole and the outside of a plant cell, a barrier or bar­ riers which offer a high resistance to the passage of many solutes including salts of strong acids and bases. The tonoplast which separates the vacuole from the cytoplasm is accepted as one such barrier, but many assume that there is also another barrier at the outside of the cytoplasm adjoining the cell wall. Although we believe that no such barrier exists for many solutes we do not propose to consider all the evidence in detail, nor is it the purpose of this article to survey the history of what we believe to be erroneous concepts. It might, however, be pointed out that while some investigators [e.g., Arisz (1)] have not subscribed to the widely accepted view, others [e.g., Lundegardh (15)] have described the surface of the root cell as a membrane of oriented lipoid molecules adjoining the cell wall and resistant to the entry of dissolved substances. Recently Lundegardh (16) has come to the conclusion that the evidence for a free space necessitates the abandonment of this earlier hy­ pothesis. Little has been published on the concept of apparent free space and noth­ ing has been published on the complementary concept of apparent osmotic volume, terms which have long been in use in Cambridge. Since there has been some misunderstanding of these terms and their significance, it is de­ sirable that they should be examined in some detail. Since only the outlines can be given in an article of this type, a more detailed treatment of the con­ cept setting out the basis for many of the estimations given in this paper will be published elsewhere [Briggs (4)]. In 1948, Briggs & Robertson (6) pointed out that the tissue in which the intercellular spaces have been filled with water behaves as if the movement of larger molecules (e.g., sugar) and of electrolytes were restricted mainly to the space around the vacuoles; this space was discussed as the phase in the tissue in which solutes move relatively freely and from which they are removed into the vacuoles. This space, the "free space," cannot be measured unless its properties relative to the meas­ uring system are known. We can therefore get only estimates of its dimen­ sions. For these estimates, the term "apparent free space" was proposed by
Effects of Levobupivacaine, Bupivacaine, and Ropivacaine on Tail-Flick Response and Motor Function in Rats Following Epidural or Intrathecal Administration

Background and Objectives Commercially available bupivacaine is a racemic mixture of S(−)-and R(+)-enantiomers. Although the S(−)-enantiomers levobupivacaine and ropivacaine are less toxic to the cardiovascular and central nervous systems than bupivacaine, their relative efficacy has not been determined. This study directly compares the dose response of levobupivacaine, ropivacaine, and bupivacaine following epidural and intrathecal administration in the rat. Methods The time course of change in tail-flick latency and qualitative motor function was studied in rats following epidural or intrathecal administration of 0.25-0.75% levobupivacaine, ropivacaine, or bupivacaine in blinded, randomized fashion. Results Levobupivacaine and bupivacaine produced comparable and significantly enduring antinociceptive effects compared with ropivacaine at all test concentrations following both epidural and intrathecal administrations. Duration of motor block at lower local anesthetic concentrations (epidurally and intrathecally) was comparable with levobupivacaine and ropivacaine but significantly shorter than with bupivacaine. Epidural 0.75% levobupivacaine and bupivacaine showed more enduring motor block than ropivacaine. Conclusions Levobupivacaine, given epidurally or intrathecally, produces longer lasting antinociceptive action than ropivacaine at equivalent concentrations and similar motor blocking effect at lower concentrations in both epidural and intrathecal administrations. Levobupivacaine-induced prolongation of the tail-flick latency is comparable to that of bupivacaine, as is motor blocking effect at higher concentrations. The possibility of significant differential block with levobupivacaine compared with bupivacaine warrants further study.
Evaluation of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Toxicity Using Chlorophyll a Fluorescence Imaging in Lemna gibba

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs), used in antifouling paints of boats, are released in the environment and can induce toxicity to aquatic organisms. In this report, we used chlorophyll a fluorescence imaging to evaluate CuO NPs toxicity in Lemna gibba. This approach allowed to evaluate the differential effect of CuO NPs on photosynthesis of whole L. gibba plants. Exposure to 0.1 to 0.4 g/L CuO NPs during 48h induced strong inhibition of photosynthetic processes resulting in a decrease of plant growth. By using fluorescence imaging, different photosynthetic parameters were evaluated simultaneously in microplate conditions. Imaging of <path id="x46" d="M493 503l-29 -4q-13 56 -28 80q-13 22 -35.5 29.5t-78.5 7.5h-76q-22 0 -27.5 -5t-5.5 -27v-238h103q66 0 82.5 12t25.5 62h29v-193h-29q-9 54 -25.5 67t-82.5 13h-103v-181q0 -64 15 -78.5t84 -19.5v-28h-272v28q61 5 74.5 19.5t13. 5 78.5v399q0 64 -13 78t-72 19v28 h440q1 -40 10 -147z" /> fluorescence yield showed the decrease of leaf photosynthetic active surface for whole plants exposed to CuO NPs. This method showed that CuO NPs inhibited photosystem II maximal, photosystem II operational quantum yields, and photochemical quenching of fluorescence associated with electron transport. Nonphotochemical fluorescence quenching as an indicator of energy dissipation not used in photosynthesis was shown to be increased by the effect of CuO NPs. Such approach in microplate conditions provides synchronous high repetition measurements for numerous plants. This study may give a reliable methodological approach to evaluate toxicity risk of NPs in aquatic ecosystems.
WHY SHORT‐TERM EXPERIMENTS MAY NOT ALLOW LONG‐TERM PREDICTIONS ABOUT INTRAGUILD PREDATION

Equilibrium models are increasingly employed in applied ecology, but often because of experimental logistics, only short-term laboratory experiments are performed. Here, we use simple models to examine the management relevance of this disconnection between theory and experiments in communities with intraguild predation (IGP). Equilibrium theory shows that IGP can promote coexistence of competitors on a shared resource. However, adding the intraguild predator can result in higher resource densities than in a system with the intraguild prey alone with its resource. This has important management implications when the shared resource is a pest species whose population is controlled by natural enemies. Our models demonstrate why short-term experiments and studies ignoring alternate resources may bear no relationship to a system at equilibrium. Short-term experiments quantifying only attack rates can predict a broad range of outcomes. By ignoring conversion efficiency, consumer longevity, and immigration, short.
A Toxic Principle in the Leaves of Ailanthus

1. The presence of a substance that was toxic to other tree seedlings was demonstrated in aqueous extracts of foliage from Ailanthus altissima (Mills) Swingle. 2. The effect of concentration of, and the response to, this extract was tested on thirty-five species of gymnosperms and on eleven species of angiosperms. Members of all species, with the exception of those of Fraxinus americana L. , were adversely affected.
Characterization of 11 microsatellite loci derived from genomic sequences of polychaete Capitella capitata complex

Eleven microsatellite loci derived from the genomic sequence data of Capitella capitata were characterized using 30 samples. The observed number of alleles per locus ranged from four to 36. The levels of observed and expected heterozygosities for polymorphic loci were from 0.10 to 0.87 and from 0.37 to 0.98, averaging 0.52 and 0.77, respectively. Analyses of Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and genotypic linkage disequilibrium suggest the possible presence of both null alleles and Wahlund effect. One of the 11 loci was difficult to amplify for genotyping. Therefore, the rest 10 loci are good molecular markers for population genetic analysis.
Assessment of stem shearing force for three alfalfa cultivars grown under dryland and irrigated conditions

The Ottawa Texture Measuring System was used to assess the shearing force of three alfalfa cultivars at similar physiological maturity. Shearing force of stems varied among growing conditions and shearing locations. A significant positive relationship was observed between shearing force and stem diameter. Shearing force may indicate stem fragility and provide a rationale for differences in forage breakdown during mastication. Key words: Alfalfa, Ottawa Texture Measuring System, Warner-Bratzler blade, physical property, shearing force
Chemical and sensory changes in iced Nephrops norvegicus as indices of spoilage

Summary Changes in trimethylamine (TMA), total volatile bases (TVB), hypoxanthine and pH, and in cooked odour, flavour and texture have been followed during the iced storage of Nephrops norvegicus at approximately monthly intervals in order that seasonal variations could be investigated. None of the chemical methods investigated could give a prediction of age-in-ice to a standard error of less than 2 days. Initial TMA and TVB figures were significantly higher than other published figures.
Human Recombinant α1(V) Collagen Chain

Human embryonic kidney cells (293-EBNA) have been transfected with the full-length human α1 chain of collagen V using an episomal vector. High yields (15 μg/ml) of recombinant collagen were secreted in the culture medium. In presence of ascorbate, the α1(V) collagen is correctly folded into a stable triple helix as shown by electron microscopy and pepsin resistance. Circular dichroism data confirm the triple-helix conformation and indicate a melting temperature of 37.5 °C for the recombinant homotrimer. The major secreted form is a 250-kDa polypeptide (α1FL). N-terminal sequencing and collagenase digestion indicate that α1FL retains the complete N-propeptide but lacks the C-propeptide. However, α1FL might undergo a further N-terminal trimming into a form (α1TH) corresponding to the main triple-helix domain plus the major part of the NC2 domain. This processing is different from the one of the heterotrimeric (α1(V))2α2(V) and could have some physiological relevance. Analysis of cell homogenates indicates the presence of a 280-kDa polypeptide that is disulfide-linked through its C-terminal globular domain. This C-propeptide is rapidly cleaved after secretion in the medium, giving the first evidence of a C-terminal processing of recombinant fibrillar collagens. Rotary shadowing observations not only confirm the presence of a globular domain at the N-terminal end of the molecule but reveal the presence of a kink within the triple helix in a region poor in iminoacids. This region could represent a target for proteases. Together with the thermal stability data, these results might explain the low amount of (α1(V))3 recovered from tissues.
Liganded Androgen Receptor Interaction with β-Catenin

A yeast two-hybrid assay was employed to identify androgen receptor (AR) protein partners in gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuronal cells. By using an AR deletion construct (AR-(Δ371–485)) as a bait, β-catenin was identified as an AR-interacting protein from a gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuronal cell library. Immunolocalization of co-transfected AR and FLAG-β-catenin demonstrated that FLAG-β-catenin was predominantly cytoplasmic in the absence of androgen. In the presence of 5α-dihydrotestosterone, FLAG-β-catenin completely co-localized to the nucleus with AR. This effect was specific to AR because liganded progesterone, glucocorticoid, or estrogen α receptors did not translocate FLAG-β-catenin to the nucleus. Agonist-bound AR was required because the AR antagonists casodex and hydroxyflutamide failed to translocate β-catenin. Time course experiments demonstrated that co-translocation occurred with similar kinetics. Nuclear co-localization was independent of the glycogen synthase kinase-3β, p42/44 ERK mitogen-activated protein kinase, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathways because inhibitors of these pathways had no effect. Transcription assays demonstrated that liganded AR repressed β-catenin/T cell factor-responsive reporter gene activity. Conversely, co-expression of β-catenin/T cell factor repressed AR stimulation of AR-responsive reporter gene activity. Our data suggest that liganded AR shuttles β-catenin to the nucleus and that nuclear interaction of AR with β-catenin may modulate transcriptional activity in androgen target tissues.
Litter spider succession after clear-cutting in a western coniferous forest

The litter spiders of a coniferous forest in western Oregon were trapped in pitfalls to study the effects of, and recovery after, clear-cutting. Traps were placed in old-growth sites (150–450 years) and in clearcuts of three different ages (4–7, 16–19, and 22–31 years); each age-class was represented by sites that differed along a gradient of moisture availability. A total of 8905 individuals were collected over the 2-year study period, comprising 93 species, 54 genera, and 15 families. Visual pursuit hunting spiders dominated clearcuts, while "sit and wait" microweb and trapdoor spiders dominated mature forests. Most of the common forest species were reestablished in the wettest sites by 30 years after clear-cutting; species composition in dry 30-year-old clearcuts more closely resembled the fauna of shrubby wet 16-year-old clearcuts. Microenvironmental conditions and the availability and species composition of prey are the most likely factors behind variation in spider species composition among sites. P.
Stoichiometric Phosphorylation of Cardiac Ryanodine Receptor on Serine 2809 by Calmodulin-dependent Kinase II and Protein Kinase A*

The ryanodine receptor of cardiac muscle performs a central role in excitation-contraction coupling. Phosphorylation of the channel on serine 2809 (in rabbit or the corresponding serine 2808 in man) alters function in vitro, although the impact of this in vivo has not been established. We have produced a pair of antisera to the serine 2809 phosphorylation site to aid description of the incidence and consequence of phosphorylation of this receptor. One of these antisera is specific for the serine 2809 phosphorylated form of the cardiac ryanodine receptor; the other antiserum is specific for the serine 2809 dephosphorylated receptor. These antibodies have been used to demonstrate that both protein kinase A and calmodulin-dependent kinase II are capable of phosphorylating serine 2809 in vitro. Both kinases phosphorylate serine 2809 to full stoichiometry, but this is accompanied by the incorporation of more (radioactive) phosphate into the receptor by calmodulin-dependent kinase II than by protein kinase A. These data suggest that calmodulin-dependent kinase II phosphorylates at least four sites in addition to serine 2809 in vitro.
GLUCOSINOLATE CONTENT OF CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLE CROPS

A study of the glucosinolate content of seven common cruciferous vegetables showed wide variation between crops and, in some cases, between cultivars. High progoitrin levels were found in rutabaga (Brassica napobrassica Mill.). Glucosinolates that hydrolyze to give ionic thiocyanate were present in all samples analyzed. Rapine broccoli (B. oleracea var. italica Plenck) had the highest content of thiourea derivative.
Effects of Low Temperature and Shading during Flowering on the Yield Components in Soybeans

Abstract Northern Japan, Hokkaido has cold weather damage in agriculture almost every four years. Cold weather damage to soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr] during flowering is especially severe and is caused by both low temperature and insufficient sunlight. Therefore, the damage should be analyzed from both aspects. We analyzed the effects of low temperature and shading during the flowering season on seed yield and yield components in two varieties of soybeans : cv. Hayahikari, an excellent cold weather tolerant variety, and cv. Toyomusume, a cold weather sensitive variety. The soybean plants were exposed to a low temperature of 18°C day/13°C night, shaded (50%) without low temperature treatment, or shaded at a low temperature, during the four-week flowering season. The control plants were kept under normal conditions. The results indicated that cold weather damage is mainly caused by the low temperature, which severely reduced the number of pods per plant, in Toyomusume. However, shading also reduced the number of pods per plant in both varieties. All of the yield components examined were reduced by cold weather more severely in Toyomusume than in Hayahikari. Furthermore, shading combined with low temperature treatment caused greater damage in both Hayahikari and Toyomusume than either a low temperature or shading treatment alone.