bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of a diet rich in sesame (Sesamum indicum) pericarp on the expression of oestrogen receptor α and oestrogen receptor β in rat prostate and uterus
Authors: Anagnostis Aristotelis , Papadopoulos Athanasios I. 
Published: March 2009

The expression of oestrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) in the prostate and uterus tissues of Wistar rats supplied for 8 weeks with a diet rich in sesame (Sesamum indicum) pericarp (30 %) was monitored. Eight male rats, aged 6 weeks, were divided into a control group fed on a normal diet, and an experimental one, provided with the normal diet enriched with 30 % sesame pericarp. A similar experiment was performed with female rats. At the end of the experiment, the prostate and uterus tissues were surgically removed and kept at − 80°C for up to 2 months. Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) methods were used in order to investigate the levels of receptor proteins and mRNA. Significant increase in the expression of ERβ in prostate and uterus was evident in both methods, while the magnitude of the observed alteration depended on the applied method. No statistically significant change was observed in the expression of ERα in uterus. In prostate, although the increase was more evident when investigated by means of qRT-PCR, the difference in expression of ERα was not statistically significant. In both tissues, a shift of the ratio of ERα:ERβ in favour of ERβ was evident, indicating, according to existing literature, a beneficial effect of the diet provided upon the health status of the organisms. It is suggested that this effect is attributed to the lignans present in the pericarp which exert phyto-oestrogenic activity.
Distinguishing suitable biotypes ofDactylopius tomentosus(Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae) for biological control ofCylindropuntia fulgidavar.fulgida(Caryophyllales: Cactaceae) in South Africa
Authors: Mathenge C.W. , Holford P. , Hoffmann J.H. , Zimmermann H.G. , Spooner-Hart R. , Beattie G.A.C. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractCylindropuntia fulgida(Engelmann) F.M. Knuth var.fulgida(Engelmann) F.M. Knuth (Cff) (Caryophyllales: Cactaceae) is native to Mexico and Arizona and was introduced into South Africa for ornamental purposes. It subsequently became highly invasive, necessitating control. The cochineal insect,Dactylopius tomentosus(Lamarck) (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae), was selected as a potential biological control agent based on its restricted host range amongCylindropuntiaspecies and previous success in controllingC. imbricata(DC.) F. Knuth (Ci). EightD. tomentosusprovenances (Cholla, Cholla E, Fulgida, Mamillata, Imbricata, Tunicata U, Tunicata V and Rosea) fromCylindropuntiaspecies in their native ranges were reared onCff, whilst Cholla and Imbricata were also reared onCi. Large differences were found in the development and survival of crawlers, and in the reproductive capacity of females. Three subjective categories of provenance interaction with host plants were identified based on a fitness index (FI) calculated from data relating to crawler survival, female development time and fecundity: (i) thriving (FI≥1) – insects had shorter developmental times, high crawler survival and highly fecund females (Cholla); (ii) surviving (FI<1 but >0) – insects had extended development times, low crawler survival and low fecundity (Imbricata, Fulgida and Mamillata); and (iii) dying (FI=0) – insects died before or at the second instar (Rosea, Tunicata U and Tunicata V). Cholla, therefore, is highly suitable for biological control ofCffin South Africa. In addition, Cholla thrived onCffbut only survived onCiwhilst, in contrast, Imbricata thrived onCibut only survived onCff. This differential ability of provenances to thrive or survive on different host plants demonstrated that host adapted biotypes ofD. tomentosusexist; therefore, biotypes should be taken into account when considering this species as a biological control agent of cactus weeds.
Wing morphometry as a tool for correct identification of primary and secondary New World screwworm fly
Authors: Lyra M.L. , Hatadani L.M. , de Azeredo-Espin A.M.L. , Klaczko L.B. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractCochliomyia hominivoraxandCochliomyia macellariaare endemic Neotropical Calliphoridae species. The former causes severe myiasis in hosts while the latter is Sarcosaprophagous, but commonly found as a second invader in wounds. Due to the morphological similarity between them and the potential losses thatC. hominivoraxrepresents for cattle breeders, the rapid and correct identification of these two species is very important. In addition to a correct identification of these species, a good knowledge ofC. hominivoraxbiology can be helpful for designing control programs. We applied geometric morphometric methods to assess wing differences betweenC. hominivoraxandC. macellariaand conduct a preliminary analysis of wing morphological variation inC. hominivoraxpopulations. Canonical variate analysis, using wing shape data, correctly classified 100% of the individuals analyzed according to sex and species. This result demonstrates that wing morphometry is a simple and reliable method for identifyingC. hominivoraxandC. macellariasamples and can be used to monitorC. hominivorax. Both species show sexual dimorphism, but inC. hominivoraxit is magnified. We suggest that this may reflect different histories of selection pressures operating on males and females. Significant differences in wing size and shape were obtained amongC. hominivoraxpopulations, with little correlation with latitude. This result suggests that wing variation is also a good morphological marker for studying population variation inC. hominivorax.
IS ABSCISIC ACID INVOLVED IN THE DROUGHT RESPONSES OF BRAZILIAN GREEN DWARF COCONUT?
Authors: GOMES F. P. , OLIVA M. A. , MIELKE M. S. , DE ALMEIDA A-A. F. , LEITE H. G. , AQUINO L. A. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYAbscisic acid (ABA) accumulation in leaves of drought-stressed coconut palms and its involvement with stomatal regulation of gas exchange during and after stress were investigated. Two Brazilian Green Dwarf coconut ecotypes from hot/humid and hot/dry environments were submitted to three consecutive drying/recovery cycles under greenhouse conditions. ABA accumulated in leaflets before significant changes in pre-dawn leaflet water potential (ΨPD) and did not recover completely in the two ecotypes after 8 days of rewatering. Stomatal conductance was influenced by ABA under mild drought and by ΨPD under severe drought. There were no significant differences between the ecotypes for most variables measured. However, the ecotype from a hot/dry environment showed higher water use efficiency after repeated cycles of water stress.
GRAIN YIELD AND MORPHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES FROM 60 YEARS OF GENETIC IMPROVEMENT OF WHEAT IN IRAN
Authors: MIRI HAMID REZA 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYIn order to understanding the changes in morpho-physiological traits of wheat cultivars released from 1940 to 2000 in Iran and to determine the association of these traits with grain yield, an experiment was conducted with 15 wheat cultivars released over the past 60 years using an randomized complete block design with four replications. The experiment was conducted on an experimental farm of Arsanjan Islamic Azad University in 2005/6 and 2006/7. Results indicated that cultivar grain yield was significantly correlated with year of release over the 60 years (r= 0.878,p< 0.01). Harvest index and biological yield increased significantly with increasing grain yield. The change in the photosynthesis rate was not significant during this period but transpiration rate and stomatal conductance and chlorophyll index increased significantly. Among yield components, grain number per ear increased significantly but increase in ear number was not significant. Plant height decreased significantly in new cultivars. In conclusion the results showed that wheat yield improvement in Iran is associated with increasing harvest index, grain number per ear, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and decreasing plant height.
ASSESSMENT OF NITROGEN FIXATION POTENTIAL IN AHIPA (Pachyrhizus ahipa) AND ITS EFFECT ON ROOT AND SEED YIELD
Authors: RODRÍGUEZ-NAVARRO D. N. , CAMACHO M. , TEMPRANO F. , SANTAMARÍA C. , LEIDI E. O. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYAhipa is a legume of great interest for the production of raw materials (starch, sugar, oil and proteins) for industrial use. Its yield potential and ability to fix atmospheric N2in association with rhizobia makes it an attractive option for low input agriculture systems. At present, it is cultivated on a very small scale as a food crop in a few South American countries. Little information is available on symbiotic N2fixation in ahipa and no work has been performed on strain selection for inoculant production. Soils in southwest Europe are devoid of specific rhizobia able to nodulate on ahipa. Selecting rhizobia for symbiotic effectiveness from a collection led to the isolation of strains which provided greater shoot growth and N content under controlled conditions. In the field, inoculation at sowing with the selected strains increased significantly seed and tuberous root yield and seed protein content. The amount of N2fixed, estimated by15N natural abundance, reached 160–260 kg N ha−1. In previous work, ahipa appeared to be a promising alternative crop for the production of industrial raw materials. The results of the present study showed a yield increase in tuberous roots and seeds when applying effective rhizobia inoculants. Furthermore, a positive soil N balance was left after its cultivation making ahipa even more interesting for sustainable farming systems.
EVALUATION OF CONVENTIONAL AND PROLONGED-SWELLING SODIUM DODECYL SULFATE SEDIMENTATION TESTS FOR THE PREDICTION OF BREAD WHEAT QUALITY UNDER HEAT STRESS CONDITIONS
Authors: TAHIR IZZAT S. A. , NAKATA NOBORU , ALI ABDELBAGI M. , SAAD ABU SEFYAN I. , TSUJI WATARU 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYIn non-traditional, heat-stressed environments, wheat breeding programmes were mainly concerned with the introduction and adaptation of high-yielding, heat-tolerant cultivars regardless of the end-use quality. For the recently developed quality-oriented markets, new cultivars should combine the above-mentioned traits with good grain quality to improve economic feasibility of wheat production in these environments. This study aimed to examine the suitability of the conventional sodium dodecyl sulfate sedimentation (SDSS) test for predicting bread-making quality and to evaluate the effectiveness of a prolonged-swelling SDSS test in improving the predictability of end-use quality under heat stress conditions. Conventional and prolonged-swelling SDSS volumes were measured from whole meal of 15 bread wheat genotypes grown for two seasons under two sowing conditions at Gezira Research Farm, Wad Medani, Sudan. Results of correlations of SDSS volumes with total and insoluble protein contents, mixograph peak height and mixograph descending slope indicated the suitability of the SDSS test in predicting bread-making quality under heat-stress irrigated conditions. However, the absence of significant correlations with some quality attributes, such as mixograph peak time and mixograph curve width, demonstrated the non-exclusiveness of the SDSS test for predicting all bread-making quality attributes. The prolonged-swelling SDSS tests did not improve identification of differences among genotypes over the conventional test despite similarly predicting some quality attributes and showing relatively small increases in the correlation coefficient magnitudes with others. SDSS after 10 min from settlement (SDSS10) showed strong correlations with all other SDSS volumes at various times and with most of quality attributes. This suggested that SDSS10 could be used for evaluation of bread-making quality in early generations of the breeding programme in the hot irrigated conditions of Sudan and similar environments.
EVALUATING EXPERIMENTAL AND COMMERCIAL YIELDS: AN ANALYSIS OF A SIMPLE CORRECTION TECHNIQUE FOR SUGARCANE IN SOUTH AFRICA
Authors: RAMBURAN SANESH 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYThe objective of this study was to compare historical experimental and commercial yield data for sugarcane in order to determine the general level of disparity and assess the possibility of deriving a correction factor to adjust trial yields to realistic commercial levels. Over the 29-year comparison period, trial yields (fresh stalk weight) of sugarcane were significantly higher (p < 0.001) than commercial yields by approximately 30 t ha−1. Trial and commercial yield data were used to derive a correction factor of 0.7, which can be used to successfully correct trial yields to equivalent commercial levels at both the national and regional level; however, at the local (mill supply area) level different correction factors were derived. The degree of correlation between experimental and commercial yields was found to be greater in areas of higher yield potential, and it was also established that off-station trials were more representative of the commercial potential than on-station trials. The correction factor of 0.7 can therefore be used as a tool to adjust experimental sugarcane yields to indicate likely commercial levels, thereby improving the confidence of growers in taking up recommendations for the adoption of new varieties derived from trial yields.
LONG-TERM LIMING REGIME INCREASES PRIME LAMB PRODUCTION ON ACID SOILS
Authors: CHEN G. , LI G. D. , CONYERS M. K. , CULLIS B. R. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYPrime lamb live weight response to lime application on pasture was measured in a grazing experiment in the high rainfall zone of the southwestern slopes of New South Wales, Australia. The pastures were limed every 6 years over 15 years. First cross South African Meat Merino lambs were used as test animals. Pre- and post-grazing pasture dry matter (DM) yield, botanical composition, feed quality and lamb live weight were monitored over 12 weeks in 2007. Results showed that liming significantly increased pasture DM yield of high quality species and improved overall pasture quality due to increased digestibility and metabolic energy content. As a result, the limed perennial and annual pastures carried 24.0% (3.6 lambs ha−1) and 29.0% (4.4 lambs ha−1) more stock than the unlimed perennial and annual pastures, respectively. Averaged across pasture types, the limed pastures produced 30.6% (131 kg ha−1) more lamb live weight gain than the unlimed pastures over 12 weeks. The live weight gain varied between grazing cycles depending on the availability of feed-on-offer and feed quality, which were closely related to the rainfall pattern. The perennial pastures did not show any advantage in animal production over annual pastures during the experimental period due to lack of moisture in the deep soil profile because of severe drought in the previous year. More seasons with normal or above average rainfall are needed to compare animal production on perennial pastures and annual pastures to investigate the advantage of perennial pastures in animal production.
POTENTIAL AND CONSTRAINTS OF LITTLE BAG SILAGE FOR SMALLHOLDERS-RESULTS AND EXPERIENCES FROM HONDURAS
Authors: REIBER CHRISTOPH , SCHULTZE-KRAFT RAINER , PETERS MICHAEL , HOFFMANN VOLKER 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYLittle bag silage (LBS) is seen as a low-cost alternative suitable for resource-poor smallholders to alleviate dry-season feed constraints. Within a research project carried out by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and partners in Honduras, LBS was tested and its use encouraged during farmer training and field days. The present study highlights the most relevant technological and socio-economic potential and constraints of LBS. Surveys and experimental results revealed great vulnerability of plastic bags to pests, particularly rodents, accompanied by high spoilage losses. The main constraints to wider adoption include availability of i) suitable and affordable plastic bags, and ii) appropriate chopping equipment and storage facilities on smallholder farms. LBS proved to be useful and could play an important role in participatory research and extension activities, as a demonstration, experimentation and learning tool that can be used to get small-scale silage novices started with a low-risk technology.
Constitutional Mimicry and Common Law Reform in a Rights-Based Post-Colonial Setting: The Case of South Africa and Malawi
Authors: Banda Sibo 
Published: March 2009

AbstractCompetent courts in Malawi must, as courts have done in South Africa, undertake a radical path in order to enhance the common law position of distinct categories of persons. This article discusses judicial appreciation of the common law-changing function of a bill of rights and its associated values, and judicial understanding as to when such a function may be brought into play. The article examines approaches taken by courts in South Africa in determining the circumstances in which the South African Bill of Rights applies to private relationships, when private parties owe each other duties arising out of the Bill of Rights and the scope of a court's authority to amend the common law in that regard. The article projects the debate, analysis and critique of these approaches onto the Malawian legal landscape through a discussion of the tenant worker contracted on the Malawi private estate.
DOES FAMINE HAVE A LONG-TERM EFFECT ON COHORT MORTALITY? EVIDENCE FROM THE 1959–1961 GREAT LEAP FORWARD FAMINE IN CHINA
Authors: SONG SHIGE 
Published: March 2009

SummaryUsing retrospective individual mortality records of three cohorts of newborns (1954–1958, 1959–1962 and 1963–1967) from a large national fertility survey conducted in 1988 in China, this paper examines the effect of being conceived or born during the 1959–1961 Great Leap Forward Famine on postnatal mortality. The results show strong evidence of a short-term (period) effect of the famine, caused directly by starvation or severe malnutrition during the period of the famine. After controlling for period mortality fluctuation, however, the famine-born cohort does not show higher mortality than either the pre-famine or the post-famine cohort. Aggregate-level cross-temporal comparisons using published cohort population counts from China's 1982 Census, 1990 Census, 1995 micro-Census, 2000 Census and 2005 micro-Census lead to the same conclusion. The relevance of these new findings for the ‘fetal origins’ hypothesis and the selection effect hypothesis is discussed.
IQ AND THE VALUES OF NATIONS
Authors: KANAZAWA SATOSHI 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe origin of values and preferences is an unresolved theoretical question in behavioural and social sciences. The Savanna-IQ Interaction Hypothesis, derived from the Savanna Principle and a theory of the evolution of general intelligence, suggests that more intelligent individuals may be more likely to acquire and espouse evolutionarily novel values and preferences (such as liberalism and atheism and, for men, sexual exclusivity) than less intelligent individuals, but that general intelligence may have no effect on the acquisition and espousal of evolutionarily familiar values. Macro-level analyses show that nations with higher average intelligence are more liberal (have greater highest marginal individual tax rate and, as a result, lower income inequality), less religious (a smaller proportion of the population believes in God or considers themselves religious) and more monogamous. The average intelligence of a population appears to be the strongest predictor of its level of liberalism, atheism and monogamy.
Focusing of a dark hollow Gaussian electromagnetic beam in a magnetoplasma
Authors: SODHA MAHENDRA SINGH , MISHRA S. K. , MISRA SHIKHA 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThis paper presents an analysis and subsequent discussion of the self focusing of a dark hollow Gaussian electromagnetic beam (HGB) in a magnetoplasma, considering ponderomotive and collisional nonlinearities. A paraxial-like approach, in which the relevant parameters are expanded in terms of radial distance from the maximum of the irradiance rather than that from the axis, has been adopted to analyze the propagation of the HGB. The nature of self focusing is highlighted through the critical curves as a plot of dimensionless radius versus power of the beam. The effect of the magnetic field and the nature of the nonlinearity on self focusing of various order HGBs has also been explored.
The contradictions of regionalism in North America
Authors: CAPLING ANN , NOSSAL KIM RICHARD 
Published: March 2009

AbstractStudents of regionalism almost reflexively include North America in their lists of regions in contemporary global politics. Inevitably students of regionalism point to the integrative agreements between the countries of North America: the two free trade agreements that transformed the continental economy beginning in the late 1980s – the Canada–US Free Trade Agreement that came into force on 1 January 1989, and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the United States, Mexico, and Canada, that came into force on 1 January 1994 – and the Secutity and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP), launched in March 2005. These agreements, it is implied, are just like the integrative agreements that forge the bonds of regionalism elsewhere in the world. We argue that this is a profound misreading, not only of the two free trade agreements of the late 1980s and early 1990s and the SPP mechanism of 2005, but also of the political and economic implications of those agreements. While these integrative agreements have created considerable regionalisation in North America, there has been little of the regionalism evident in other parts of the world. We examine the contradictions of North America integration in order to explain why North Americans have been so open to regionalisation but so resistant to regionalism.
The Southern African security order: regional economic integration and security among developing states
Authors: HENTZ JAMES J. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractTheories in international relations, predicated on particular assumptions, for explaining the relationship between regional economic integration and regional security miss the challenges to security in the developing world. Unlike the developed world, regional interdependence in much of the developing world engenders negative externalities. The relationship between regional economic integration and regional security depends on the nature of the security threats that define the region – traditional state vs state threats on one hand versus new security threats on the other hand. The nature of the security threat, or security dilemma, will determine how different forms of regional economic integration, laissez faire, functional, and developmental, define or re-define a particular regional security order. Building a ‘security community’ in the developing world, therefore, calls for new architectural principles. In the case of southern Africa, both, laissez faire (free trade area) and functional cooperation (spatial development initiatives) will foster insecurity rather than security.
The Commonwealth of Independent States: an example of failed regionalism?
Authors: KUBICEK PAUL 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was designed to manage the collapse of the Soviet Union and foster post-Soviet cooperation in political, economic, and security spheres. Over a decade into its existence, most analysts would rate it a failure: many post-Soviet states do not participate in CIS ventures, the institutional machinery of the CIS is weak, and Russia, the most dominant post-Soviet state, has tended to favour bi-lateral relationships over multi-lateral institutions. Why is this the case? This article looks at the CIS through the prism of theories of regionalism, demonstrating that the CIS was handicapped on many fronts, including emergent multi-polarity in the post-Soviet space and domestic-level political considerations in many post-Soviet states.