Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Flavonoids and volatiles in Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat flower from Tongxiang County in China.

Flavonoids and volatiles in a traditional herbal medicine Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat flower were determined by HPLC and GC/MS, respectively. Eight flavonoids and fifty eight volatiles were identified. Luteolin-7-glucoside and quercitrin were the most abundant flavonoids and they amounted for 85.7% of the total detected flavonoids. -Humulene was the most abundant volatile and ledene oxide-(I) the next abundant one and the two volatiles were 16.3 and 9.0% of total volatiles, respectively. The bioactivities of the partial components in C. morifolium Ramat flower were discussed. It is considered that the health benefits of C. morifolium Ramat might be related to its abundant flavonoids and volatiles.
THE ROLE OF PUROINDOLINE A AND B UPON GRAIN ENDOSPERM TEXTURE, END-USE QUALITY TRAITS AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL ASSOCIATION TO STARCH IN WHEAT

Endosperm texture in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is controlled by the Pina and Pinb genes that together comprise the Hardness (Ha) locus, and is an important criterion affecting end-product quality. The Ha encodes friabilin, a 15 kD protein primarily composed of Puroindoline A (PINA) and Puroindoline B (PINB). Both PINA and PINB interact with starch leading to a soft endosperm, but the physicochemical mechanism controlling endosperm texture is not clearly understood. Here, I isolated the role of PINA and PINB individually and in combination upon grain hardness, milling and bread baking traits. I also determined the effect of overexpressing PINA or PINB on starch bound polar lipids and PIN cellular localization. F3 recombinants homozygous for either the Pina or Pinb null Ha locus with or lacking a transgenically added Pina or Pinb were analyzed for grain hardness, PIN abundance, milling and baking traits, and levels of starch and flour polar lipids. Addition of Pina to the Pinb null Ha locus or Pinb to the Pina null Ha locus resulted in intermediate texture. Genotypes with added Pina to Pina null Ha locus and Pinb to Pinb null Ha locus were soft textured and had low flour yield, ash, small flour particles sizes, and increased PIN and polar lipid levels on starch. PINs localized to the starch granule surface in the presence or absence of the other protein but addition of Pinb to Pina null Ha locus resulted in more PINB associated to starch, increased affinity to bound polar lipids and greater negative effects on baking traits than addition of PINA. Results indicate that overexpression of PINs leads to reduced grain hardness, modified flour milling properties, negatively effects baking traits, and increased starch bound polar lipids. Further, PINA or PINB can act and localize to starch independently of the other protein leading to intermediate texture but soft texture requires both PINA and PINB but, PINB associates more with polar lipids on starch surface and negatively affect baking traits than PINA. My study shows that polar lipids mediate puroindolines association to starch and this mediation can influence endosperm texture, milling, and baking traits.
The Cradle of Agriculture

It has long been debated exactly where and when crops were first domesticated and farming began--events that directly contributed to the emergence of Western civilization. In their Perspective, Lev-Yadun and colleagues discuss botanical, genetic and archeological evidence suggesting that the cradle of agriculture lay within a small region of the Fertile Crescent (in what is now southeastern Turkey/ northern Syria) and began in the 7th millennium B.C.
Cover Crops for Weed Management in Southern Reduced-Tillage Vegetable Cropping Systems

Abstract With growing agricultural demands from both conventional and organic systems comes the need for sustainable practices to ensure long-term productivity. Implementation of reduced- or no-till practices offers a number of environmental benefits for agricultural land and maintains adequate yield for current and future production. Concerns over satisfactory pest control options, particularly weed control, have contributed to the slow adoption of conservation practices in many areas. To identify effective alternative weed management options for use in conservation systems, research in the Southeast has continued to evaluate the use of cover crops in conjunction with reduced-tillage practices. A number of cover crop species, including cereal grains, legumes, and Brassicaceae species, that have potential to suppress weeds through direct crop interference or allelopathic potential have been investigated. Many recent research projects in the Midsouth and southeastern United States have assessed the success of cover crops in reduced-tillage row crop settings with promising outcomes in some systems. However, continued research is necessary to identify appropriate cover crop and tillage systems for use in other agricultural settings, such as vegetable crops and organic production systems. Resumen Con el incremento en la demanda de productos agrícolas tanto de sistemas convencionales como orgánicos, viene la necesidad de prácticas sostenibles que aseguren la productividad a largo plazo. La implementación de prácticas de labranza reducida o cero ofrece un número de beneficios ambientales para la tierra agrícola y mantiene rendimientos adecuados para la producción actual y futura. La preocupación con respecto al control satisfactorio de plagas, particularmente de malezas, ha contribuido a la lenta adopción de prácticas de conservación en muchas áreas. Con el objetivo de identificar opciones alternativas para el manejo de malezas, las investigaciones en el Sureste han continuado para evaluar el uso de cultivos de cobertura en combinación con prácticas de labranza reducida. Se han investigado varias especies como cultivos de cobertura, incluyendo cereales, leguminosas y especies Brassicaceae, que tienen el potencial de suprimir malezas mediante la interferencia directa del cultivo o por su potencial alelopático. Muchos proyectos de investigación recientes en el Sur medio y en el Sureste de los Estados Unidos han evaluado el éxito de cultivos de cobertura en cultivos extensivos y bajo labranza reducida con resultados promisorios en varios sistemas. Sin embargo, se necesita que la investigación continúe para identificar cultivos de cobertura apropiados y sistemas de labranza para el uso en otros sistemas agrícolas, tales como vegetales y sistemas de producción orgánica.
Automation of visualization process for organizational and technological design solutions

This article studies modern software packages used in drawing construction master plans and their elements. A special emphasis is placed on increasing the level of design works, improving their quality, and expanding the community of technically unskilled users. The article describes approaches to solving the task of visualization of organizational and technological solutions and gives a comparative analysis thereof. It presents a visualization diagram of an organizational and technological solution for the construction of a building. It also highlights the most promising direction in graphic modeling of a construction process for buildings and structures with visualization seen as the most objective solution to address the assigned task.
Dimorfismo sexual alar em Aedes scapularis (Diptera: Culicidae)

A deteccao do sexo de mosquitos da familia Culicidae e importante em estudos faunisticos e epidemiologicos, pois somente as femeas possuem competencia vetora para patogenos. O dimorfismo sexual de genitalia e de apendices cefalicos e, em geral, facilmente visivel em culicideos. As asas tambem podem ser dimorficas e assim poderiam complementar o procedimento de sexagem. No entanto, tal distincao nao e facilmente notavel a observacao direta. Visando descrever formalmente o dimorfismo sexual alar em Aedes scapularis, um culicideo vetorialmente competente para arbovirus e filarias, asas de machos e femeas foram comparadas usando-se metodos de morfometria geometrica e analise estatistica multivariada. Nestas analises, populacoes dos municipios Sao Paulo e Pariquera-Acu (Estado de Sao Paulo) foram amostradas. A forma das asas mostrou evidente dimorfismo sexual, o que permitiu um indice de acuracia de 100% em testes-cegos de reclassificacao, independentemente da origem geografica. Ja o tamanho alar foi sexualmente dimorfico apenas na populacao de Sao Paulo. Aparentemente, a forma alar e evolutivamente mais estavel que o tamanho, interpretacao que esta de acordo com a teoria de Dujardin (2008b), de que a forma alar de insetos seria composta por caracteres geneticos quantitativos e pouco influenciada por fatores nao-geneticos, enquanto que o tamanho alar seria predominantemente determinado por plasticidade decorrente de influencias ambientais.
Short-term community dynamics in the phyllosphere microbiology of field-grown sugar beet

Short-term fluctuations in the number of culturable microorganisms and the composition of the bacterial community colonising the phyllosphere of field grown sugar beet were determined at 6 h intervals over a 42 h period. The number of culturable bacteria and Erwinia were found to fluctuate diurnally, increasing in size overnight and declining during daylight hours. In contrast, the number of Arthrobacter and yeasts were constant throughout the study, even after rainfall. Over most of the study the number of filamentous fungi and pseudomonads decreased. The short-term fluctuations in bacterial numbers were similar in magnitude to those detected over most of the previous season. No significant variation was observed in microbial numbers between samples taken from three locations within the field. Fatty acid analysis of isolated bacteria revealed the community to be similar in composition to that detected during the same period the previous year and indicated no significant short-term temporal or spatial variation. To limit the effects of diurnal fluctuations on the number of culturable bacteria detected, it is recommended that in long-term studies, samples be collected at the same time of day on each occasion.
Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes of primary producers in coral reef ecosystems

To examine the importance of new primary production and nitrogen fixation in coral reef ecosystems, we compared δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of various organic materials (coral tissues, macrophytes, particulate organic materials, and zooplankton) from Palau (7°N) and Ishigaki (24°30'N) coral reefs in the western Pacific Ocean. The δ 15 N (4-6‰) abundance of coral tissues suggests that zooplankton was not the main source of N for these corals. Low δ 15 N values of other benthic primary producers (2-6‰) indicate that their nitrogen originates from nitrogen fixation. These values and the high δ 13 C (-6 to - 9‰) of macrophytes sampled at the landward part of both coral reefs lead us to conclude that coral reef ecosystems are sinks of CO 2 because of primary production accompanied by uptake of new nitrogen.
Low genetic diversity at allozyme loci in Juglans cinerea

Butternut (Juglans cinerea L.) is a minor component of the temperate deciduous forest region of northeastern North America, but it is severely affected by the butternut canker (Sirococcus clavigignenti-juglandacearum Nair, Kostichka, and Kuntz) in the southern part of its natural range. Genetic diversity and population structure in as-yet unaffected or only slightly affected natural populations were evaluated at 12 isozyme loci. The genetic diversity estimates were low with values much below those estimated in other species of the same genus or in boreal tree species, with 25 and 13.9% polymorphic loci at the species and population levels, respectively; 1.3 and 2.3 alleles per locus and per polymorphic locus, respectively, at the species level; and an average observed heterozygosity of 0.028. Population differentiation was low, with the exception of one unique population. The implications for advanced conservation are discussed.Key words: butternut, isozymes, Sirococcus, canker, population structure.
Immune response and survival

Immune responses have evolved to defend hosts efficiently against the debilitating effects of parasites on host fitness. However, there are relatively few studies of the efficiency of the immune system in terms of providing hosts with an ability to defend themselves against parasitism. A meta-analysis of the literature on survival of birds in relation to non-specific immune response to challenge with an antigen or other measures of immune function demonstrated a mean effect adjusted for sample size of 0.43 across 12 studies. This observation shows that relatively simple estimates of non-specific immune responses often reliably predict a large and significant amount of variation in survivorship.
Predator exposure leads to a short-term reversal in female mate preferences in the green swordtail, Xiphophorus helleri

Ecological factors have been shown to influence mate choice, resulting in the alteration, loss, and even reversal of mate preference. One such factor is the presence of a predator during mate choice, because females that associate with conspicuous males may experience a higher risk of mortality in high-predation environments. Despite accumulating studies demonstrating predator-induced plasticity in female preferences, it is still unclear how these changes affect the strength or direction of selection. Additionally, even though the temporal dynamics of female plasticity (and the cues that induce it) have important implications for the evolutionary dynamics of sexual selection, little is known about this temporal aspect of mate preferences. Here, we addressed this gap using female green swordtails, Xiphophorus helleri, which typically prefer males with long swords. We first examined mate preference in the control (no predator) treatment and asked whether the preference changes immediately following predator exposure. In this experiment, females preferred long-sworded males in the control treatment and short-sworded males in the predator treatment. This suggests that natural and sexual selection may act synergistically in high-predation environments, with both favoring this shorter sword length. We then asked whether females still prefer short-sworded males 24h after exposure to the predator. Our results demonstrate that the reversal in female mate preference does not persist after 24h, suggesting that the effect of predators on mating behavior may be more complex than previously thought. Predator encounter rate may thus have the potential to influence sexual selection dynamics in natural populations.
CHARACTERIZATION OF SPANISH PYRENEAN STREAM HABITAT: RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN FISH COMMUNITIES AND THEIR HABITAT

Spanish Pyrenean streams are characterized by extreme summer drought and torrential flows during spring snowmelt and their fish communities are dominated by trout at high altitudes and by barbel in the lower reaches. The Instream Flow Incremental Methodology (IFIM) was adapted to analyse the fisheries habitat of Spanish streams. Parameters were developed that measure the particular characteristics of these streams, taking into account the habitat needs of the main developmental stages (adults, juveniles, fry and spawning) in different seasons. For this analysis ‘potential habitat’ was defined as that determined by hydraulics and geomorphological features. ‘Real habitat used’ was defined by the fish population characteristics (densities, biomass, age-structure and population dynamics). Habitat complexity was calculated as the diversity of habitats of different developmental stages and different species. Habitat conditions during summer-drought were analysed by the simulation of low flow conditions as measured by guaging stations. Habitat parameters were measured in several stream reaches and compared with the charactistics of the fish populations they supported by multivariate analysis. The results show that fish abundance increases downstream along the river continuum, indicating that the habitat carrying capacity increases downstream. The depth and rock surfaces are the main factors limiting the capacity of the stream to provide refuges. Trout populations are also influenced by submerged macrophytes. This IFIM eveluation of stream habitat was not correlated with fisheries features because factors other than hydraulics appear to limit trout population in the Pyrenean streams. Hydraulic factors may limit the fish populations during brief periods, but population recovery from these disturbances may take longer than the time available between disturbances events.
Morphological and Genetic Differences between Japanese and Chinese Red Ark Shell Scapharca broughtonii

Morphological and genetic differences between Japanese and Chinese red ark shell Scapharca broughtonii were examined. Differences were recognized between the two forms in all of the morpholog ical characters examined. In particular the number of radial costae and shell weight index differed sufficiently for unequivocal differentiation of the forms, when used in combination. Isozyme analyses of genetic characters indicated differences in allelic frequencies at the MEP-1*, PGM* and PROT * loci. The genetic distance (D value) between the Japanese and the Chinese forms, calculated from iso zymic allele frequencies was 0.108, suggesting significant genetic independency of the two forms. The considerable morphological and genetic differences suggested that the Chinese red ark shell is a distinct subspecies or species from Scapharca broughtonii.
Identification of leaf rust resistant gene Lr10 in Pakistani wheat germplasm

Leaf (brown) rust is the major disease of wheat in Pakistan and other countries. The disease is more effectively controlled when several rust resistance genes are pyramided into a single line. Molecular survey was conducted to screen 25 Pakistan wheat germplasm for the presence of leaf rust resistance gene Lr10 using specific STS primer. The survey revealed that out of the 25 germplasm/lines grown in Hazara University Botanic garden, 18 genotypes were observed with Lr10 gene, while seven genotypes did not show the presence of Lr10 gene. The identification of Lr10 in Pakistan wheat germplasm will help in accelerating the breeding program in future, including the pyramiding of different resistant genes in wheat varieties.
Yield, carbon isotope discrimination, canopy reflectance and cuticular conductance of barley isolines of differing glaucousness

The roles of wax bloom (glaucousness) in discrimination against stable isotope 13 C (A) and yield were studied for 2 years on a pair of near-isogenic lines of two-rowed barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) differing in their degree of glaucousness of the spike and the upper vegetative parts of the plant other than leaf blades. The effects of glaucousness on canopy reflectance and cuticular conductance were also assessed. Plants were grown under fully irrigated and rainfed Mediterranean conditions for 2 years. Grain yield for both years and total straw biomass measured in the second year were higher in glaucous than non-glaucous lines under both irrigated and rainfed conditions. Δ followed the same pattern in both grain and straw with the highest values in the glaucous line under irrigation and the lowest in the non-glaucous line under rainfed conditions. Differences in yield and A between the lines were greater under irrigated than rainfed conditions. The higher Δ of the glaucous line suggests that these plants had lower transpiration efficiency (net photosynthesis to transpiration ratio) than the non-glaucous line in the long term. Canopy reflectance at some of the wavelengths of the PAR region (400-700 nm) was significantly higher in the glaucous than in the non-glaucous line under both irrigated and rainfed conditions. Rainfed conditions also increassed canopy reflectance in the PAR region. No significant effect of either glaucousness or water regime was observed in cuticular conductance or amount of cuticular waxes of the flag leaf blades or the ear.
Ground-Dwelling Arthropod Distribution and Movement Across a Fragmented Riparian Forest

Abstract The ability to predict patterns of species dispersal across habitat edges takes on increasing conservation relevance as land-scapes become more fragmented. We assessed edge responses for four ground-dwelling arthropod taxa by measuring their distribution and movement patterns across a forest edge associated with a forested riparian buffer and an adjacent upslope clearcut at a single site. We used Spatial Analysis by Distance Indices to describe the spatial distribution of arthropods, habitat variables, and the associations between them across a 49 × 63 m pitfall trapping grid with 80 trapping stations. We used mark-release-recapture techniques to measure the distance, rate, and direction of arthropod movement within and between habitat types. Scaphinotus angusticollis (Coleoptera; Carabidae) was restricted to the cool, moist portion of the riparian buffer and was not observed to cross the forest edge. The carabids Pterostichus lattini and Scaphinotus marginatus had more eurytopic distributions across all habitats. Higher overall mobility for S. marginatus may explain, in part, the greater frequency of movement for this species across the forest/clearcut edge. Lycosid spiders, strongly associated with the clearcut, also moved into one portion of the riparian buffer that was warmer and drier. They had a relatively high frequency of movement across the clearcut/forest boundary. These results suggest that ground-dwelling arthropod taxa are likely to respond differently to habitat edges, and that their habitat affinities and mobility strongly influence movement patterns across the landscape. Understanding these patterns of distribution and movement will aid the sustainable management of forest and riparian arthropod taxa in fragmented landscapes.
Respiration rates of the fan mussel Pinna nobilis at different temperatures

We studied the bivalve Pinna nobilis in experimental conditions in order to measure its respiration rate (RR) and evaluate its adaptability to variable environments. We measured the RR of 30 fan mussels (34.0– 64.9 cm shell length) and produced RR profiles at three different temperatures: estimated optimum living temperature of 20 8C and minimum and maximum conformability temperatures (16 and 25 8C respectively). The fan mussel is a high oxygen consumer and RR is reduced at the conformability limits of temperature in comparison to the estimated optimum living temperature (T ¼ 16 8C, 3.1+ 1.2 mg O2 h 21 ; T ¼ 20 8C, 12.0+ 3.9 mg O2 h 21 ; T ¼ 25 8C, 8.5+ 3.8 mg O2 h 21 ; n ¼ 18 in each case). The data indicate that individuals were more stressed at 16 than at 25 8C. These observations will be of value for evaluating the potential distribution of P. nobilis, especially in shallow lagoons during summer when oxygen supply is potentially limiting.
Characterization of sorghum genotypes for yield and other agronomic traits through genetic variability and diversity analysis

Studies on the genetic variability and diversity analysis were carried out with 39 sorghum genotypes for nine quantitative characters. The Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H'), a measure of dissimilarity was found to be highest for number of leaves per plant, plant height and leaf width and these characters had high heritability coupled with high genetic advance. Of the 36 correlations, 24 were significant at P=0.05 and 21 were significant at 0.01 and 14 were found to be of useful correlations (r>±0.500). Among the useful correlations, yield had significant correlation with days to 50% flowering, leaf length, leaf width and panicle weight. In path analysis, panicle weight had positive direct effect on single plant yield. First three principal components explained more than 70% of variation which reduced nine characters into seven characters and confirmed the correlation analysis. The highest diversity index (0.879) was observed between TNS598 and IS5030. Hierarchical clustering divided the genotypes into six clusters. Promising genotypes were identified for early flowering, plant height, number of leaves, leaf length and yield based on cluster mean values.