Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Nutrition and Age upon Rate of Development of Terminal Staminate Inflorescences of Xanthium pennsylvanicum

1. Xanthium pennsylvanicum plants low in phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen had the same critical day length as plants supplied with a nutrient solution containing all these elements. 2. Rate of development of terminal inflorescences of -N, -K, and -P plants was considerably affected at photoperiods near the critical. Lack of phosphorus decreased the rate of development more than lack of either nitrogen or potassium; and lack of nitrogen resulted in slower development than lack of potassium. 3. With each half-hour increase in length of the dark period from 81/2 to 101/2 hours there was an increasing tendency for the plants low in phosphorus, nitrogen, or potassium to develop at the same rate as the plants grown with a non-deficient solution. Thus it appears that by increasing the length of the dark period the detrimental effect of mineral deficiency on rate of development of floral primordia may be overcome. 4. Age of leaf tissue definitely affects the critical day length. The first fully expanded leaf had a critical dark period of 9 hours, whereas in the older leaves it was between 101/2 and 15 hours. Rate of development subsequent to initiation was dependent on the length of the dark period. 5. Single young leaves may bring about induction to flower if given only one photoinductive cycle, but the flowering response is more pronounced if more cycles are given. Four photoinductive cycles brought about as rapid rate in inflorescence development in the plants defoliated except for one leaf as two cycles in the undefoliated plants. Old leaves, on the other hand, required four photoinductive cycles to bring about a change from the vegetative state. 6. The data substantiate the theory that the presence of leaf tissue other than that being photoperiodically induced decreases the effectiveness of the flower-promoting stimulus in bringing about floral initiation and the subsequent rate of development.
Testing Methods Affecting the Antagonistic Ability of Pseudomonas Biocontrol Strains

The antagonistic effect of thirteen Pseudomonas aeruginosa and thirteen strains of other Pseudomonas species was studied on the soil-borne phytopathogenic Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium solani fungi. The inhibition of pathogen colony growth was tested with two different in vitro techniques using the same type of culture media. In case of the spread slant technique the antagonists induced a significantly stronger inhibition on the growth of pathogens than in case of spot transfer. Among the 26 investigated Pseudomonas strains, P. aeruginosa strains were generally more effective against the fungal pathogens. Rhizoctonia solani proved to be affected to a greater extent by the bacterial strains studied than the Fusarium solani representative. The possibility of in vitro strain selection of biocontrol microbes is being further discussed .
Backward Bottlenecks

Teosinte, the putative ancestor of maize, is rarely found in early Mesoamerican archaeological deposits, and maize later took a very long time to develop big ears and to become an effective staple grain. These patterns are best explained by the hypothesis of early nongrain use. Consumption of teosinte or maize for stalk sugar or as a green vegetable created reverse bottlenecks at odds with the default assumption that early selection targeted grain. Such bottlenecks were especially potent in small teosinte/maize populations outside their upland habitats. The ultimate products of plant domestication should not be confused with the selection behaviors of ancient people. Such behaviors are sometimes counterintuitive, producing an archaeological record that fails to match the expectations of our reconstructed logic.
Detection of ephemeral genetic sub-structure in the narrow endemic Abies nebrodensis (Lojac.) Mattei (Pinaceae) using RAPD markers

A. nebrodensis (Nebrodi fir, Sicilian fir) is restricted to a small area of the Madonie Natural Park in Sicily. According to recent estimates, its only population consists of 30 adult individuals and a fluctuating number of juveniles derived from natural regeneration; besides, some hundreds of cultivated plants are preserved as ex situ collection. We used RAPD data from six 10-mer primers to examine the consequences of extensive historical clearance and human pressures on the extant population. Data from multiple life stages and different habitat conditions were considered, affording an opportunity to ascertain for the first time the structure of genetic variation in the extant uneven-aged population on both spatial and temporal scale. Consistent with previous works, we found that the history of disturbance and past land use did not affect drastically the biological diversity of the present-day population. Considerable levels of genetic variation were detected both in adult and juvenile sets. The non-significant correlation between genetic and physical distances (Mantel test; r = − 0.075) revealed a random distribution of genotypes in the natural stand. When the juvenile set was divided in 17 subsets, based on maternal provenance and growing conditions, Shannon's index (54%) and AMOVA analysis (84%) indicated that most of genetic variation resides within subsets. Neighbour-joining cluster analysis supported the hypothesis of high cross-fertilization rates expected for a woody perennial species; nevertheless some grouping of related individuals suggested partial inbreeding and a weak pattern of genetic structure. Changes in structure can occur as the progeny ages and offspring thinning is responsible for moulding patterns of genetic diversity and population structure in time.
Radiation Interception and Growth of Planted and Coppice Stands of Four Fast-Growing Tropical Trees

1. To test whether coppice regrowth of short-rotation tropical trees had a higher growth per unit of intercepted radiation than the original planted stands, we measured above-ground biomass and leaf area, and we calculated light interception, in a 2-year experiment on the island of Maui, Hawaii. 2. Biomass and intercepted radiation were larger in coppiced than in planted stands of Eucalypticus camaldulensis from 3 to 12 months, and equal in the two treatments of Acacia auriculiformis throughout. For Gliricidia sepium, biomass and radiation interception were larger in coppiced than in planted stands from 3 to 9 months, but the coppiced stands stagnated and so biomass in planted stands exceeded coppice biomass from 12 to 18 months. The biomass of Leucaena diversifolia was larger in planted than in coppiced stands from 9 to 18 months, whereas intercepted radiation was somewhat less in planted than in coppiced stands from 3 to 12 months. 3. Radiation conversion ratio, E, in coppiced stands was less than or equal to E in planted stands. E was lower in coppiced than in planted stands of G. sepium and L. diversifolia, and was similar in the two treatments for the other two species. 4. Conversion ratios for solar radiation ranged from 0.76 to 1.06 g MJ −1 for planted stands and from 0.37 to 0.87 g MJ −1 for coppiced stands receiving irrigation or rainfall in excess of 300 mm over a 3-month period. 5. When stands did not receive supplemental irrigation or rainfall exceeding 300 mm over 3 months, radiation conversion ratios were positively correlated with rainfall in planted stands of all species except Leucaena diversifolia, but were not correlated in coppiced stands
Initial Mate Recognition in the British Cabbage Butterfly, Pieris rapae rapae

Abstract Visual features of the wing color, with special reference to the UV (ultraviolet) color, of the British subspecies of the cabbage butterfly, Pieris rapae rapae and its mating behavior were investigated. Both sexes of the British subspecies were found to lack UV color and differed only slightly in color in the visible color range, with female wings more yellowish. It follows that they show only slight sexual dimorphism in wing color. It was shown that the initial mate recognition was mediated visually, based on the wing color. Males discriminated between the sexes visually, but only marginally and were occasionally observed to approach other males mistakenly. The resting males approached by female-searching males displayed a flutter response, deterring the approaching males from attempting to copulate with them; i.e. it functioned as “mechanical isolation mechanism” against maladaptive copulatory attempts between males. The results are discussed in terms of the comparative ethology of the mating behavior with that of the Japanese subspecies. It is suggested that the British subspecies is ancestral to the Japanese subspecies.
Salinity promotes growth of freshwater Neochloris oleoabundans UTEX 1185 (Sphaeropleales, Chlorophyta): morphophysiological aspects

Baldisserotto C. , Ferroni L. , Giovanardi M. , Boccaletti L. , Pantaleoni L. and Pancaldi S. 2012. Salinity promotes growth of freshwater Neochloris oleoabundans UTEX 1185 (Sphaeropleales, Chlorophyta): morphophysiological aspects. Phycologia 51: 700–710. DOI: 10.2216/11-099.1 Neochloris oleoabundans was described as a freshwater unicellular green microalga; however, some literature suggested that it was an edaphic and halotolerant alga. Neochloris oleoabundans was studied so far for its high lipid content, especially under nitrogen starvation, for possible industrial applications. Information on the morphophysiological characteristics of the alga and its photosynthetic apparatus in different culture conditions still remained incomplete. In the present work, its growth was compared using low-salinity and brackish media with increasing nitrogen supply. The morphophysiological aspects, with a special attention on its photosynthetic apparatus, were analysed through light and transmission electron microscopy, photosynthetic pigment quantification, PSII maximum quantum yield measurements and evaluations of the chlorophyll-protein assembly state. In contrast to what has been reported in previous work on the positive effect of nitrate on N. oleobundans growth, we found negative or negligible effects in our samples cultivated in low-salinity or brackish media, respectively. Brackish conditions induced a better growth of the alga, which showed some morphological variations (cell volume enlargement, cell wall thickening, increased stromatic starch and polyphosphate grains). Furthermore, brackish cultured algae were characterized by a strong increase in cellular chlorophylls and carotenoids. Fluorimetric analyses pointed to the absence of disturbance to the photosynthetic apparatus and to a higher photosynthetic efficiency in brackish cultured samples with respect to controls in the low-salinity medium, indicating a somehow better photosynthetic performance. Interestingly, the behaviour of the F680/F685+694 ratio pointed to a possible positive correlation between nitrogen supply and PSII core stability. On the whole, morphological, biochemical and biophysical results confirmed the higher acclimatized growth of N. oleoabundans in brackish media, which seem more suitable for algal growth than low-salinity ones.
Cytokine-induced Activation of Nuclear Factor-κB Is Inhibited by Hydrogen Peroxide through Oxidative Inactivation of IκB Kinase*

Rapid activation of the IκB kinase (IKK) complex is considered an obligatory step in the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in response to diverse stimuli. Since oxidants have been implicated in the regulation of NF-κB, the focus of the present study was the activation of IKK by tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) in the presence or absence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Exposure of mouse alveolar epithelial cells to H2O2 was not sufficient to activate IKK, degrade IκBα, or activate NF-κB. In contrast, TNFα induced IKK activity rapidly and transiently resulting in IκBα degradation and NF-κB activation. Importantly, in the presence of H2O2, the ability of TNFα to induce IKK activity was markedly decreased and resulted in prevention of IκBα degradation and NF-κB activation. Neither tyrosine kinases nor phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases, known regulators of NF-κB by oxidants, were involved in IKK inhibition by H2O2. Direct addition of H2O2 to the immunoprecipitated IKK complex inhibited enzyme activity. Inhibition of IKK activity by H2O2 was associated with direct oxidation of cysteine residues present in the IKK complex and occurred only in enzymatically active IKK. In contrast to previously published observations, our findings demonstrate that the oxidant H2O2 reduces NF-κB activation by inhibiting activated IKK activity.
Niche relationships within a guild of ungulate species in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, following release from artificial controls

Niche relationships and diet overlaps were compared among elk (Cervus elaphus), bison (Bison bison), bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) between 1967–1970 and 1986–1988, a period when total ungulate numbers nearly tripled on Yellowstone's northern range. Ungulate species ratios on Yellowstone's northern winter range during the latter period were 100 elk : 10 mule deer : 3 bison : 2 pronghorns : 1 bighorns. Elk numbers were positively correlated to bison, mule deer, and pronghorn numbers (r2 = 0.76, 0.97, and 0.48, respectively, P < 0.01). Few other changes in habitat use or habitat overlap occurred, and diets for only 2 of the 10 species pairs, elk-bighorn (Spearman's rank order coefficient (RHO) = 0.55, P < 0.05) and mule deer – pronghorn (RHO = 0.64, P < 0.05), were significantly associated with each other. Bison consumed more grass and fewer sedges, mule deer more fringed sage (Artemisia frigida) and more rabbit-brush (Chrysot.
Nutrient retention by tropical ecosystems: soil adsorption and plant absorption as synergistic processes

Laboratory and growth-chamber experiments were used to evaluate whether there was evidence for nutrient retention by tropical terrestrial ecosystems being a two-stage process involving first soil adsorption and then plant absorption. Quartz sand with and without Fe and Al oxide coatings were treated with nutrient solution, then subjected to a leaching regime that simulated early wet-season conditions at a tropical location. Nutrient cations applied were rapidly lost in the initial leaches from quartz sand without oxide coatings, but showed a more gradual loss from oxide-coated sand, indicating temporary adsorption by the latter. In a second experiment, oxide-coated sand with and without seedlings of Grevillea robusta (a non-mycorrhizal tree species) were subjected to a similar treatment and leaching losses were compared. The presence of seedlings significantly reduced the losses of all nutrient cations, with the effect being minimal for Na and greatest for K, confirming that plants can gain access to temporarily adsorbed nutrients. More typical tropical soil-vegetation systems are likely to possess properties that magnify both the adsorptive and absorptive processes that have been documented in these experiments, justifying extrapolation of the experimental results to these natural systems. The existence of a two-stage process of nutrient retention provides a plausible explanation for the resistance of most tropical ecosystems to rapid loss of nutrients following events such as fires, which provide acute nutrient loading to the system.
Length–weight relationships of 10 fish species from a Ganga River Basin tributary, Uttarakhand, India

Summary Length-weight relationships (LWRs) are described for 10 fish species belonging to three families from the Gaula River, a tributary of the Ganga River Basin in India. LWRs for these species were unknown to FishBase, and new maximum lengths are recorded for one species. These results will be useful for fishery research, management and conservation in the least-explored tributary of the Ganga River Basin.
Leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations of woody plants differ in responses to climate, soil and plant growth form

Leaf chemistry is important in predicting the functioning and dynamics of ecosystems. As two key traits, leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations set the limits for plant growth, and leaf N:P ratios indicate the shift between N- and P-limitation. To understand the responses of leaf chemistry to their potential drivers, we measured leaf N and P concentrations of 386 woody species at 14 forest sites across eastern China, and explored the eff ects of climate, soil, and plant growth form on leaf N, P and N:P ratios. In general, leaf N and P were both negatively related to mean annual temperature and precipitation, and positively related to soil N and P concentrations. Leaf N:P ratios showed opposite trends. General linear models showed that variation in leaf N was mainly determined by a shift in plant growth form (from evergreen broadleaved to deciduous broadleaved to conifer species) along the latitudinal gradient, while variations in leaf P and N:P were driven by climate, plant growth form, and their interaction. Th ese diff erences may refl ect diff erences in nutrient cycling and physiological regulations of P and N. Our results should help understand the ecological patterns of leaf chemical traits and modeling ecosystem nutrient cycling.
Improvement of N fertilization by using the nitrification inhibitor DMPP in drip-irrigated citrus trees

Nitrogen management in orchards should tend to improve the fertilizer N use efficiency for a sustainable agriculture where productivity, fruit quality and environment are reconciled. The use of specific nitrification inhibitors could increase the N fertilizer uptake and decrease the potential groundwater pollution by nitrate leaching. The aim of this experiment was to assess the effect of application frequency of the ammonium sulphate (AS) and the nitrification inhibitor (NI), 3,4-dimethylpirazole phosphate (DMPP) supply on: nitrate-N and ammonium-N seasonal changes in soil; N and Fe concentrations in the spring-flush leaves; and yield and fruit quality. The experiment was carried out with clementine cv. Nules (Citrus clementine Hort. Tanaka x Citrus reticulate Blanco) mandarins grafted on Troyer citrange (Citrus sinensis x Poncirus trifoliata) rootstock under field conditions during three consecutive years. The trees were fertilized with 324 Kg N/ha from which 192 Kg N/ha were applied as AS (21% NH4+ -N) either with or without NI, and the remainder N came from irrigation water. The AS and AS+NI were split into 1, 2 or 4 applications per month by drip irrigation. The NH4+ -N concentration in the 0-20 and 20-40 cm soil layers was significantly higher in the AS+NI treatment. By contrast, the NO3- -N concentration was significantly higher in the soil treated only with AS. Moreover, the addition of NI to AS originated a significantly higher N and Fe concentrations in the spring-flush leaves. The yield was higher and some fruit quality parameters improved in trees fertilized with AS+NI compared to those fertilized only with AS.
Single and Joint Toxicity of Sulfamonomethoxine and Cadmium on Three Agricultural Crops

In order to evaluate ecological risk of agrochemicals in an agricultural environment, single and joint toxic effects of sulfamonomethoxine (SMM) and cadmium (Cd) on seed germination of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), Chinese cabbage (Solanum lycopersicum), and radish (Raphanus sativus L.) were investigated. The results showed that the root and shoot elongation were significantly affected under the contamination condition (P < 0.05). In the single-factor experiments, the toxic effect of SMM on crops was much stronger than that of Cd. In the joint effects of SMM and Cd, the interactive effects of the two pollutants on root/shoot elongation of the three crops were complicated, while SMM and Cd had significantly (P < 0.05) synergic effects on root/shoot elongation of the three crops. At the low concentration of SMM, SMM and Cd had significantly (P < 0.05) synergic effects on root/shoot elongation of the three crops, but antagonistic effects were found when the concentration of SMM was high.
The situation of common wheat rusts in the Southern Cone of America and perspectives for control

Approximately 9 million ha of wheat (Triticum aestivum and T. durum) is sown in the Southern Cone of America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay). Two rust epidemiological zones separated by the Andean mountain range have been described in the region. Presently, leaf rust (caused by Puccinia triticina) is the most important rust disease of wheat. The utilisation of susceptible or moderately susceptible cultivars in a high proportion of the wheat area allows the pathogen to oversummer across large areas, resulting in early onset of the epidemics. Severe epidemics cause important economic losses if chemical control is not used. The pathogen population is extremely dynamic, leading to transitory resistance in commercial cultivars. Lr34 is commonly present in the regional germplasm, but there is limited knowledge about the presence of other genes conferring resistance in cultivars. Genes Lr28, Lr36, Lr38, Lr41, and Lr43 provide effective resistance in the region. The best strategy for the stabilisation of the pathogen population and resistance is considered to be the use of adult plant resistance conferred by minor additive genes including Lr34 and Lr46. Sources of this type of resistance from CIMMYT and the region have been made available to breeding programs in the Southern Cone. Stripe rust (P. striiformis f. sp. tritici) is endemic in Chile where chemical control is required to prevent severe losses in stripe rust susceptible cultivars. Although new virulent races emerge frequently, resistance genes Yr5, Yr8, YrlO, Yrl5, and YrSp are currently effective in Chile. Some important stripe rust epidemics have occurred in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. Avoiding the use of highly susceptible cultivars appears to be an effective strategy to prevent stripe rust epidemic development in this area. There have been no serious stem rust (P. graminis f. sp. tritici) epidemics for over 2 decades; the disease was controlled by resistant cultivars. The most important genes conferring resistance in Southern Cone germplasm at the present time are probably Sr24 and Sr31. Other effective genes are Sr22, Sr25, Sr26, Sr32, Sr33, Sr35, Sr39, and Sr40. Several stem rust susceptible wheat cultivars have recently been released. The increased cultivation of susceptible cultivars may lead to higher stem rust incidence, increasing the probability of appearance of new virulent races. Since the 1BL.1RS translocation possessing Sr31 is present in a high proportion of the regional germplasm, the possible introduction of stem rust with Sr31 virulence from Africa is of great concern.