Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic tests and their application in the management of soil‐ and water‐borne oomycete pathogen species

Oomycete diseases cause significant losses across a broad range of crop and aquaculture commodities worldwide. These losses can be greatly reduced by disease management practices steered by accurate and early diagnoses of pathogen presence. Determinations of disease potential can help guide optimal crop rotation regimes, varietal selections, targeted control measures, harvest timings and crop post-harvest handling. Pathogen detection prior to infection can also reduce the incidence of disease epidemics. Classical methods for the isolation of oomycete pathogens are normally deployed only after disease symptom appearance. These processes are often-time consuming, relying on culturing the putative pathogen(s) and the availability of expert taxonomic skills for accurate identification; a situation that frequently results in either delayed application, or routine ‘blanket’ over-application of control measures. Increasing concerns about pesticides in the environment and the food chain, removal or restriction of their usage combined with rising costs have focussed interest in the development and improvement of disease management systems. To be effective, these require timely, accurate and preferably quantitatve diagnoses. A wide range of rapid diagnostic tools, from point of care immunodiagnostic kits to next generation nucleotide sequencing have potential application in oomycete disease management. Here we review currently-available as well as promising new technologies in the context of commercial agricultural production systems, considering the impacts of specific biotic and abiotic and other important factors such as speed and ease of access to information and cost effectiveness
Teaching pervasive skills to South African accounting students

Professional accountants need to retain and maintain a broad skills set. In response to this need, the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) emphasises the mastering of pervasive skills in its competency framework and expects South African universities offering its accredited programmes to produce graduates able to demonstrate such skills at acceptable levels of competence upon entry into the workplace. This study investigates the manner in which SAICA-accredited South African universities offer and teach pervasive skills, and attempts to determine whether heads of departments have identified the teaching of these skills as being the responsibility of the university, or not. These views were solicited through an e-mailed questionnaire. The study found that although the development of pervasive skills is an outcome largely included in these accredited undergraduate programmes, their presentation and integration into the courses vary considerably, and more integration of pervasive skills into course majors should be considered. Teaching methods and practices followed by the universities show significant diversity, and this result corresponds with those reported elsewhere in the literature. It is a concern that there is only limited use of research-based projects in these undergraduate programmes. An interesting finding of the study was that heads of departments perceive the acquisition of some pervasive skills to be best achieved in the real-world, practical workplace, rather than in the theoretical confines of the universities’ lectures and tutorials.
Travelers’ Most Preferred Green Attributes for a Hotel Room

The purpose of this study, based on bundles of select environmentally friendly hotel room attributes, is to identify what kind of green hotel room business and leisure travelers would most prefer. Another purpose of the study is to assess whether customers are willing to pay more, and if so, how much more, to stay in an environmentally friendly hotel room. The hotel room most preferred incorporated a refillable shampoo dispenser, energy efficient light bulbs, and towel and linen policies, as well as key cards, and green hotel certification. Green hotel certification was the most influential attribute on preference. These results contribute to the practical advancement of the hotel industry by providing the green attributes that may be most desirable to guests. This Accepted for publication in the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 2010.
Prevalence , Enterotoxin Production and Antibiotic Resistance of Bacillus cereus İsolated from Milk and Cheese

Bacillus cereus is a type of bacteria that can cause severe food poisoning. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of B. cereus in various full-fat milk and cheese samples and to assess the HBL (haemolysin BL) and NHE (nonhaemolytic enterotoxin) production and the resistance to several antimicrobial agents of the isolates. A total of 259 samples of full-fat milk (raw, pasteurized and UHT) and cheese obtained from different retail markets in Bursa province between July and December 2013 were analysed. Isolation of B. cereus was performed using Bacara agar according to the method suggested by FDA. Twenty six (10.04%) out of 259 samples were found to be contaminated with presumptive B. cereus based on their colony morphology and microscopic appearance, by counts that ranged from 1x101 to 1.1x103 CFU/mL in raw and pasteurized milk and from 4x101 to 3.8x105 CFU/g in cheese. Thirteen isolates of B. cereus were identified by API system. However, further analysis using MALDI-TOF-MS confirmed 19 isolates as B. cereus. Thirteen out of 19 (68.4%) isolates showed evidence of only NHE toxin production while six out of 19 (31.6%) isolates were positive for both NHE and HBL production. All isolates were resistant to penicillin G, although they were susceptible to oleondamycin, erythromycin and streptomycin. There were seven different patterns of multiple antibiotic resistance in this study. In our study, 84.2% (n = 16) of B. cereus isolates exhibited multiple antibiotic resistance.
Autonomous Team for Information and Communication Technology Maintenance

—Information and Communication Technology is equipments of telecommunication network system. ICT has many types and numbers which it are interrelated, spread in various geographical regions of service area. The system is complex and requires simultaneous handling. If the ICT is impaired then the overall network system would be disrupted. Therefore, the maintenance of ICT is essential to keep the function and reliability of the system to avoid downtime. The ICT maintenance activities are carried out by teams work from both internal and external companies. Each teams work has its working standards and must work in an integrated way in carrying out the maintenance activities. This paper presents the results of a case study on how did the team carry out the maintenance and what were the problems, how to solve the problems that might occur, and how team performance could make the performance of telecommunications network systems remained highest standard. The preliminary study is part of the dissertation on the implementation of autonomous maintenance team at Telecommunication Company. 
Prediction of direct and indirect genetic gains and genotypic correlations in rubber tree progenies

The objective of this work was to estimate the genetic parameters, genotypic and phenotypic correlations, and direct and indirect genetic gains among and within rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) progenies. The experiment was set up at the Municipality of Jau, SP, Brazil. A randomized complete block design was used, with 22 treatments (progenies), 6 replicates, and 10 plants per plot at a spacing of 3x3 m. Three‑year‑old progenies were assessed for girth, rubber yield, and bark thickness by direct and indirect gains and genotypic correlations. The number of latex vessel rings showed the best correlations, correlating positively and significantly with girth and bark thickness. Selection gains among progenies were greater than within progeny for all the variables analyzed. Total gains obtained were high, especially for girth increase and rubber yield, which were 93.38 and 105.95%, respectively. Young progeny selection can maximize the expected genetic gains, reducing the rubber tree selection cycle.
How Well Do You Know Your Best Friend

Friends are some of our closest connections. In studies conducted by Sapadin LA [1] and Prager KJ [2] both men and women listed intimacy as the most common characteristic of close friendships. These results were substantiated in a study conducted by Berscheid E [3], Snyder M & Omoto AM [4] in which 250 undergraduate students were asked to name their deepest, closest, most intimate relationship: 14% named a family member, 47% named a romantic partner, and 36% named a friend. “Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything. ” ― Muhammad Ali
The effect of pollination intensity and incompatible pollen on seed set in Turnera ulmifolia (Turneraceae)

Controlled pollination experiments were performed on the self-incompatible distylous herb Turnera ulmifolia L. to investigate the effects of pollination intensity and large amounts of incompatible pollen on seed set. In the first experiment, known numbers of compatible pollen grains ranging from 1 to 100 were applied to stigmas of the floral morphs. In both morphs, increasing amounts of pollen generally resulted in increased levels of seed set, although considerable variance was observed at all pollination intensities. Approximately two to seven pollen grains are required to produce a single seed and more than 95 grains are required to achieve maximum seed set in T. ulmifolia. Regression analysis of the seed set data failed to detect a difference in the response of the floral morphs to pollination intensity. In the second experiment, known proportions of compatible and incompatible pollen were applied to stigmas at various time intervals. Most treatments involving mixtures of compatible and incompatible p.
Genetic Gain and Diversity under Different Selection Methods in a Breeding Seed Orchard of Quercus serrata

Abstract Genetic gain and diversity were estimated in a 13- year old Quercus serrata breeding seed orchard under three selection (rouging) methods. The selections were based on individual selection, family selection, and family plus within family selection. Genetic gain was for stem volume and gene diversity was estimated by status number concept. Both estimated genetic gain and gene diversity were compared to those before selection and among selection scenarios. Estimated genetic gain for tree volume ranged from 4.0% to 9.1% for three selection methods under 50% selection intensity. Individual selection was better than family selection for retaining higher genetic gain and status number. Family plus within family selection was the best selection method, while individual selection was more efficient at the strong selection intensity. An optimal point, which maximized gain and diversity, was occurred at 50% selection intensity that would be applied for genetic thinning in the breeding seed orchard of Quercus serrata. The effect of genetic relatedness among families and possible pollen contamination on both genetic gain and gene diversity, although were not studied but their impact, are discussed. The selection method and intensity level applied should be chosen after careful consideration of the impacts on both genetic gain and diversity for seeds produced from the seed orchard.
Effects of the Integration of Mexico into NAFTA on Trade, Industry, Employment and Economic Growth

We present a comparison of economic development in Mexico with some OECD countries (France, Spain and the USA) and Latin American countries (Brazil and Argentina) and we analyse the evolution of employment in Mexico, having into account the positive impact that industrial development has in non-agrarian employment and the effects of the integration into NAFTA on trade and industrial development. We present an econometric model to explain non agrarian employment depending on direct and indirect effects of industrial development, and relate these findings with other studies on the effects of integration. Although the impact of integration was in many aspects positive, it is clear that it is not enough to foster industrial investment at the level necessary to achieve high rates of non agrarian employment and development in many Mexican regions. On the other hand, the problem of the negative evolution of agrarian employment of Mexico during the last years of the 20th century was more due to the consequences of the evolution of international relative prices of Agriculture than to the direct effects of the integration into NAFTA, and it was common to other countries. The main conclusions point to recommend industrial investment, to focus on regional and rural development, to increase the number of non-agrarian jobs, not only in urban areas but also in rural ones, in order to avoid compulsory emigration, and to eradicate poverty. These complementary policies would amplify the positive impact of integration and they should include a reinforcement of the recent effort to increase public expenditure on education per inhabitant in order to foster the positive effects of education on development.
The δ18O signatures of HCl‐extractable soil phosphates: methodological challenges and evidence of the cycling of biological P in arable soil

Soil phosphates exchange oxygen atoms rapidly with soil water once recycled by intracellular enzymes, thereby approaching an equilibrium δ18OP signature that depends on ambient temperature and the δ18OW signature of soil water. We hypothesized that in the topsoil, phosphates reach this equilibrium δ18OP signature even if amended by different fertilizers. In the subsoil, however, there might be phosphates with a smaller δ18OP value than that represented by the isotopic equilibrium value, a condition that could exist in the case of limited biological P cycling only. We tested these hypotheses for the HCl‐extractable P pool of the Hedley fractionation scheme of arable soil in Germany, which integrates over extended time‐scales of the soil P cycle. We sampled several types of fertilizer, the surface soil that received these fertilizer types and composites from a Haplic Luvisol depth profile under long‐term agricultural practice. Organic fertilizers had significantly smaller δ18OP values than mineral fertilizers. Intriguingly, the fields fertilized organically also tended to have smaller δ18OP signatures than other types of surface soil, which calls into question full isotopic equilibrium at all sites. At depths below 50 cm, the soil δ18OP values were even depleted relative to the values calculated for isotopic equilibrium. This implies that HCl‐extractable phosphates in different soil horizons are of different origins. In addition, it supports the assumption that biological cycling of P by intracellular microbial enzymes might have been relatively inefficient in the deeper subsoil. At depths of 50–80 cm, there was a transition zone of declining δ18OP values, which might be regarded as the first evidence that the degree of biological P cycling changed at this depth interval.
Significance of abdominal manifestations in dengue fever

Background: Dengue Fever is an Infectious condition caused by flavo virus. It is an epidemic since 4 years and its prevalence is increased in the recent years in India. The increase in India is due to rapid urbanization, population growth, increased international travel and global warming. But dengue fever is now being reported from rural backgrounds due to poor sanitation and stagnant water sources. Methods: This is an institutional cross sectional study in which we took patients presenting with fever and various other complaints related to viral fevers for 9months from 2016 June to March 2017 at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Ongole. In this study we included patients who are NS1 Ag positive and dengue ELISA positive only. We excluded whose NS1 Ag test positive but their dengue IgM ELISA report is negative. Results: In this study we have included 94 patients of all age groups who are diagnosed with dengue fever. Next in the list are nausea/vomiting (43.6%) and diarrhea (40.4%) respectively. We highlighted this in conclusion to consider abdominal manifestations association while evaluating pyrexia patients. Conclusions: As usually fluid management and regular monitoring is the main role in the management of dengue cases than platelet or blood transfusions and antibiotics. We concluded that there is significant association between abdominal manifestations and dengue fever. So abdominal manifestations should be considered while evaluating pyrexia patients to rule out dengue association in those patients and prognosis of dengue fever.
Serologic response of SPF chickens to live vaccines and other strains of Mycoplasma gallisepticum

False positive serologic reactions and difficulties in the diagnosis of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) in chickens have increased lately as a result of infection by low virulent MG strains and the use of live MG vaccines in poultry. The objective of this study was to evaluate the serologic responses of SPF chickens exposed to the three commercially available live MG vaccines, and one low virulent MG strain (MG-70), contributing to the diagnosis and monitoring of MG infection in birds. Six groups of SPF chickens were used. The control group was not infected nor challenged; one group was infected with the low virulent strain MG-70 (MG-70); three groups were immunized and named after the MG vaccine used, i.e., MG-6/85, MG-ts11, and MG-F; and finally one group was infected with the virulent MG standard strain, MGR. Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPDPCR) was used to compare the strains to each other, to the standard MG-A5969, and to MGR. All strains were found to be genetically distinguishable from each other. Birds in the control group showed negative results throughout the experiment and showed no cross-reaction with M. synoviae in any serologic test. ELISA tests at 21 days post first exposure (P1E) and seven days after the second exposure (P2E), evidenced that 25% of the MG70 birds were positive, whereas vaccine groups yielded higher positivity rate, i.e., 57%, 43% and 29% for MG-6/85, MG-ts11 and MG-F, respectively. Serum plate agglutination (SPA) evidenced the first positive results at 35 days P1E on birds in the MG-F group at the rate of 100%; followed by 40% of birds in the MG-70 group at 63 days P1E. Chickens in MG-ts11 and MG 6/85 groups had identical behavior and yielded 100% positive SPA at 77 days P1E. In regard to hemagglutination inhibition (HI), 14 % of the birds in MG-F and MG-ts11 reacted at 42 days P1E, while MG-70 and MG-6/85 groups yielded positive results only after challenge; MG-70 birds reacted at 56 days P1E at the rate of 17% against 63 days P1E for 100% of MG-6/85 birds. The time lag for positive serologic response was monitored on a weekly basis and was statistically different among groups (p<0.05) by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). No clinical signs or gross lesions were seen in the control, vaccinated or MG-70 infected birds. Tracheitis and airsaculitis were observed in birds in the MG-R group. MG was isolated from all studied groups.
Electrically Small Probe for Near-field Detection Applications

The microwave near-field detection technique is of interest to many researchers for characterizing materials because of its high sensitivity. It is based on sensing buried objects by producing an evanescent field.The advantage of evanescent fields is their capability to interrogate electrically small objects. In the past, near-field probes have been designed to sense magnetic materials. For dielectric materials, a near-field probe that senses the permittivity of the materials is important. This work presents a novel design of a near-field probe that generates a dominant electric field. The probe is an electrically small dipole measuring approximately 0. 07λ in length operating at 216.3 MHz. The antenna is matched to a 50Ω system using two chip inductors distributed symmetrically on the dipole. The numerical and measurement results show that the proposed design is highly sensitive and capable of sensing subsurface object. The proposed design is compact, lightweight and applicable for microwave applications.
PROSPECT OF ANTIFEEDANT SECONDARY METABOLITES AS POST HARVEST MATERIAL

Pest control agents using plant-based material have been proposed and used as alternatives to synthetic chemicals for integrated pest management. Phytochemicals have been known to have little or no harmful effects on pose humans or the environment as they are safe and mostly biodegradable in nature. The bioactivity of plant-based compounds has been widely reported in numerous literature and is a subject that is gaining more relevance by the day. The antifeedant technique for control of post harvest pest have been studied extensively though mostly at laboratory level and only very few plant-based compounds or formulations have actually been used in agricultural post harvest processes. Plant-based antifeedants secondary metabolites are found among chemical compounds such as phenols, alkaloids, quassinoids, chromenes, saponins, polyacetylenes,, cucurbitacins, cyclopropanoid acids, terpenoids and their derivatives. This paper discusses some of these compounds and their effect against known storage pests.
Mortgage Refinancing, Consumer Spending, and Competition: Evidence from the Home Affordable Refinancing Program

Using loan-level mortgage data merged with consumer credit records, we examine the ability of the government to impact mortgage refinancing activity and spur consumption by focusing on the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP). The policy relaxed housing equity constraints by extending government credit guarantee on insufficiently collateralized mortgages refinanced by intermediaries. Difference-in-difference tests based on program eligibility criteria reveal a significant increase in refinancing activity by HARP. More than three million eligible borrowers with primarily fixed-rate mortgages refinanced under HARP, receiving an average reduction of 1.45% in interest rate that amounts to $3,000 in annual savings. Durable spending by borrowers increased significantly after refinancing and regions more exposed to the program saw a relative increase in non-durable and durable consumer spending, a decline in foreclosure rates, and faster recovery in house prices. A variety of identification strategies suggest that competitive frictions in the refinancing market partly hampered the program’s impact: the take-up rate and annual savings among those who refinanced were reduced by 10% to 20%. These effects were amplified for the most indebted borrowers, the key target of the program. These findings have implications for future policy interventions, pass-through of monetary policy through household balance-sheets and design of the mortgage market.