Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Continuous Micro-Environments Associated Orchid Bees Benefit from an Atlantic Forest Remnant, Paraná State, Brazil

The fragmentation and habitat loss are the main causes of pollinators decline worldwide, however very little is known about the composition and distribution of neotropical pollinators along continuous micro-environments. To fill this gap, we carried out samplings of Euglossini bees in a continuous area of forest with micro-environments of primary (remnant) and secondary (regeneration) forest of Atlantic Forest. We evaluated the differences in the composition and uniformity of orchid bees in different micro-environments, in order to characterize the responses of the local environmental changes in the attraction of bees to chemical traps. Our results indicated that the composition and uniformity were similar between the two forest fragments studied here, although there are greater abundance of some species by micro-environments. We conclude that the characteristics of the sites in a continuous environment with primary and secondary forest do not seem to have an effect on the composition of the Euglossini fauna, and that the chemical substances are complementary in the attractiveness of the orchid bee males. Thus, our findings suggest that micro-environments in a continuous matrix near forest remnants can help to promote the reintegration of the orchid bee communities and contribute to the conservation of areas in process of forest regeneration.
Electrocatalytic activity of Chemisorbed Hydroxyl ion towards Oxidation of Hydrogen peroxide anion in Alkaline media

In situ chemisorbed hydroxyl ion (OH - ) onto clean polycrystalline gold (Au (poly)) electrode showed an extraordinary enhanced electrocatalytic activity towards oxidation of hydrogen peroxide anion (HO 2 - ) in alkaline media. The oxidation of HO 2 - at the fabricated electrode was found to be a diffusion controlled process. The anodic transfer coefficient of the oxidation reaction was estimated as 0.47. Chloride ion (Cl - ) replaced the chemisorbed OH - from the surface of the modified Au (poly) (OH - )Au (poly)) electrode leading to diminishing the observed electrocatalytic activity. The optimized concentration of KOH solution for the highest catalytic activity was found to be ca. 0.1 M. A linear calibration curve for various concentrations of HO 2 - ? in the range of 0.5 to 5 mM was obtained having sensitivity equal to 1.028 A cm - 2 M - 1 . Journal of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, Vol. 41, No. 1, 29-36, 2017
The Research Priorities of People with Visual Impairments in the Netherlands

Introduction Despite the relatively high prevalence and challenges of visual impairments, limited funding is available for ophthalmologic research in the Netherlands. The research needs of people with visual impairments could aid the ophthalmological research community to optimally distribute research resources. The objective of the study presented here was to identify daily life problems, concerns, and wishes for future research from people with ophthalmological disorders, visual impairments, or deafblindness in order to set a research agenda that provides directions for future ophthalmology research. Methods A four-phase participatory research approach was carried out using mixed methods to stimulate needs-articulation. Eight focus group discussions, seven feedback meetings, and seven interviews were organized, in which 89 consumers were consulted. Surveys to prioritize the topics were developed for both the medical and sociopsychological topics, which were completed by 784 and 631 respondents, respectively. Results For the medical research agenda, research directly aimed at the cause of the ophthalmological disorders was considered more important than research aimed at improving quality of life. The themes “new and regenerative medicine,” “cause and disease mechanism,” “prevention and diagnosis,” and “improvement of current treatments” were prioritized as high. For the sociopsychological agenda, needs concerning the “improvement of technologies for people with visual impairments” and “navigation, orientation, and accessibility of public space” were considered top priorities. Discussion The identified research needs were relatively uniform across different consumer groups, providing opportunities for joint action. The research agenda included themes that can be taken up by “traditional” ophthalmological research, more broadly defined health care–related research, and more policy-influencing strategies. Implications for practitioners The research needs could help researchers and policymakers in ophthalmology and visual impairment research to guide their research focus and legislation priorities.
Ancestral reconstruction of sunflower karyotypes reveals dramatic chromosomal evolution

Mapping the chromosomal rearrangements between species can inform our understanding of genome evolution, reproductive isolation, and speciation. Here we present a systematic survey of chromosomal rearrangements in the annual sunflowers, which is a group known for extreme karyotypic diversity. We build high-density genetic maps for two subspecies of the prairie sunflower, Helianthus petiolaris ssp. petiolaris and H. petiolaris ssp. fallax. Using a novel algorithm implemented in the accompanying R package syntR, we identify blocks of synteny between these two subspecies and previously published high-density genetic maps. We reconstruct ancestral karyotypes for annual sunflowers using those synteny blocks and conservatively estimate that there have been 9.7 chromosomal rearrangements per million years – a high rate of chromosomal evolution. Although the rate of inversion is even higher than the rate of translocation in this group, we further find that every extant karyotype is distinguished by between 1 and 3 translocations involving only 8 of the 17 chromosomes. This non-random sampling suggests that certain chromosomes are prone to translocation and may thus contribute disproportionately to widespread hybrid sterility in sunflowers. These data deepen our understanding of chromosome evolution and confirm that Helianthus has an exceptional rate of chromosomal rearrangement that likely facilitates similarly rapid diversification.
Effect of Root Stocks and Grafting Techniques on Quality of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) under Polyhouse Conditions

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), a member of solanaceae family is the most important and widely grown off-season commercial vegetable crop under polyhouse conditions in Himachal Pradesh. It is the world’s largest vegetable crop known as productive as well as protective food. It is a rich source of minerals, vitamins, organic acid, essential amino acids, nicotinic acid, pantotheric acid, protein, fat, carbohydrates, iron, phosphorus, Lycopene and Beta-carotene pigments. Protected cultivation is the concept of growing potential crops in the modified natural environment for ensuring optimum growth of the crop plants without any or least stress and hence offers great scope to harness this potential of growing the high value crops by achieving independence of climate and weather, and to International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 8 Number 07 (2019) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
Controlling Big Sagebrush with Growth Regulators.

i HE possibility of using chemical sprays to kill big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) in a range improvement program is both interesting and promising. This paper presents the information gained from spraying big sagebrush with 4 formulations at 1, 2, and 3 pounds of acid equivalent per acre on 9 dates during the months of April, May, June, and July, 1950. This one-year study was planned to evaluate the possibility of practical control of big sagebrush by spraying, and to evaluate the scope of research needed as a basis for recommendations. The results and interactions reported may be of importance to an understanding of past results and to the planning of future frials.
The Rise of Technocapitalism

The rise of technocapitalism involves the commodification of knowledge in faster and more diverse ways than at any previous time in human history. This article provides insights from a macro-analytical perspective on the phenomena that mark the emergence of technocapitalism as a new form of market capitalism, and their influence on the commodification of knowledge for invention and innovation. The phenomena in question involve the rapid accumulation of inventions and of knowledge-sensitive infrastructure. The rapid reproduction of creativity and a faster diffusion of knowledge, both of which have been supported by a massification of technical education, are also important for the emergence of the new era. Their contribution to the commodification of technological knowledge is most obvious in the pervasive corporatization of invention and innovation, and even more so in the emergence of continuous invention and innovation as a standard component of corporate strategy.
The response of cauliflower var. Snowball affected by different day stages level and spacing distances

The effect of spacing distance on the growth and yield of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L.) was studied under the Agro climatic conditions of the Vegetable Research Farm of the Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, UdaiPratap Autonomous College, at Varanasi (U.P.) during year (2012-2013). Varanasi is situated between 25 15’ North latitude and 6003’ East longitude. It has subtropical climate. The city is elevated about 129.23 meters above mean sea levels. Three spacing distance between rows (S1=30cm, S2=43cm, S3=60cm) were used in this study. The avoidance of struggle for existence much depends upon placing the plants at proper distance so that they may get sufficient light and air for their proper growth and maintenance. Under this experiment, spacing 30, 45, 60 cm were given to the cauliflower plants to find out the most suitable distance at which they should be placed to grow well and yield the maximum the distance at which the least value of each growth characters was obtained, was taken as standard to compare with the values obtained with regards to the particular growth characters at other distance to find out the significant effect at placing. Thus the fresh weight of plant, fresh weight of leaves, dry weight of leaves and height of plant were found to have been significant effect at spacing 30 and 60 cm of the plant, spacing of 45 and 60 cm were found to have significant effect on fresh weight of plant, fresh and dry weight of leaves. Observation made at 20 days stage it was noted that spacing of 60 cm had significant effect on fresh weight of fresh and dry weight of leaves. At 40 days stage significant effect of 60 cm distance was observed on height of the plant, fresh weight of plant, fresh and dry weight of leaves. At 60 days stage significant effect at 60cm distance it was note that the height of the plant, fresh weight of plant, fresh weight of leaves and dries weight of leaves. At 80 days stage significant effect at 60cm distance was obtained on height of plant, fresh weight of plant, fresh weight of leaves and dry weight of leaves.
Motion Coherence and Luminance Contrast Interact in Driving Visual Gamma-Band Activity

Synchronized neuronal population activity in the gamma-frequency range (> 30 Hz) correlates with the bottom-up drive of various visual features. It has been hypothesized that gamma-band synchronization enhances the gain of neuronal representations, yet evidence remains sparse. We tested a critical prediction of the gain hypothesis, which is that features that drive synchronized gamma-band activity interact super-linearly. To test this prediction, we employed whole-head magnetencephalography (MEG) in human subjects and investigated if the strength of visual motion (motion coherence) and luminance contrast interact in driving gamma-band activity in visual cortex. We found that gamma-band activity (64 to 128 Hz) monotonically increased with coherence and contrast while lower frequency activity (8 to 32 Hz) decreased with both features. Furthermore, as predicted for a gain mechanism, we found a multiplicative interaction between motion coherence and contrast in their joint drive of gamma-band activity. The lower frequency activity did not show such an interaction. Our findings provide evidence, that gamma-band activity acts as a cortical gain mechanism that nonlinearly combines the bottom-up drive of different visual features in support of visually guided behavior.
The Eects of Fiscal Shocks on Measured TFP

Many empirical studies nd a positive unconditional relation between TFP and defense spending. We examine the response of TFP to an unexpected defense spending shock. The positive relation continues to hold: unexpected shocks to defense spending tend to increase TFP and output and decrease private investment. Yet, the output multiplier is zero when the TFP channel is shut down. We examine various explanations for this phenomenon. We nd that changes in defense spending induce a sectoral reallocation, suggesting that the eects of unanticipated government spending shocks on output are induced mostly by supply factors. JEL classication : E32, E62
Genetic evaluation of Pinus taeda clones from somatic embryogenesis and their genotype x environment interaction

The objective of this study was to evaluate the genotype x environment interaction and to estimate the genetic components of variance and mean using mixed models in early selection of 238 clones of Pinus taeda propagated by somatic embryogenesis. The experiment consisted of a complete blocks design, with 12 replications, with one plant per plot, in four environments, at 1, 3, and 4 years of age. Estimates of heritability and of genetic gains in the evaluated environments showed good prospects for selection of superior genotypes. The effect of genotype x environment interaction was pronounced for all traits investigated. With the simultaneous selection for stability and adaptability, 10% genetic gain was obtained in relation to the mean of the commercial controls. This estimated gain indicates that the somatic embryogenesis technique has been effective in propagation of clones with good productive potential.
Site Preparation Effects on 20 Year Survival and Growth of Douglas-Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and on Selected Soil Properties

: Long-term effects of site preparation on tree performance and soil properties are not well known. Five site preparation treatments were evaluated to determine how they affected survival and growth of Douglas-fir 3, 10, and 20 yr after planting, and soil bulk density, C, N, P, and organic matter concentrations at 0 to 20 cm soil depth 21 yr after planting. The site preparation treatments were imposed following logging of three harvest units of old-growth forest on a volcanic soil in southwestern Washington; the units were logged to leave 17, 38, and 53 ton/ha of woody residue. The site preparation treatments were hand-pile-and-burn, machine-pile-and-burn, scarification, broadcast burn, and control. Mean survival ranged from 86% at age 3 to 70% at age 20, and average tree heights at 3, 10, and 20 yr were 0.6, 4.1, and 11.7 m. The scarification treatment had the best growth; at age 20, its average tree was 21% taller, 26% larger in diameter, grid 82% greater in volume than the control. The hand-pile-and-burn treatment did n ot differ from the control in tree growth; the machine-pile-and-burn and broadcast burn treatments were intermediate in their growth response. Average soil bulk density was 0.74 g/cm 3 , organic matter concentration was 118 g/kg, and C, N , and P concentrations were 49, 1.6, and 0.7 g/kg with no significant treatment effects. Site preparation may have benefited growth of the trees on these units by decreasing competition from invading and regrowing vegetation, increasing nutrient availability, or increasing soil temperature. West. J. Appl. For. 18(1):44-51.
Correspondence among methods of zooplankton biomass measurement in lakes: effect of community composition on optical plankton counter and size-fractionated seston data

The effectiveness of the optical particle counter (OPC) to estimate zooplankton biomass depends on the variability in zooplankton shape and the presence of interfering particles. In marine environments where zooplankton are composed of similarly shaped copepods, an average shape is relatively easily obtained. However, in freshwater environments, spheroid cladocerans mix with ellipsoid copepods and make the application of a single morphometric model difficult. To expand the use of the OPC to freshwater environments, we developed new ellipsoid models for three common lake types (eutrophic, mesotrophic, and oligotrophic). In addition, we assessed how closely different size fractions of seston corresponded to zooplankton biomass. When expressed in common dry mass units, OPC- and seston-derived zooplankton biomass estimates showed a 1:1 correspondence with taxonomically derived estimates in productive lakes (r > +0.70, P 200 mm) than in eutrophic or oligotrophic lakes (>500 mm). The presence of algae and rotifers had no detectable influence on OPC and size-fractionated seston estimates. Overall, these analyses suggest that OPC and seston provide reliable estimates of lacustrine zooplankton biomass as long as region-specific ellipse models and size fractions, respectively, are used.
Students ' Conceptual Thinking in Geogr

This study explores students' conceptual thinking by examining the extent and complexity of their concept identification and organization in geography. The study investigated students' conceptual thinking through identification of salient geography concepts and construction of individual concept maps at three academic achievement and grade levels. The study involved 66 geography students from the 6th-, 9th-, and 12th-grade. Results from the study indicate students' conceptual thinking in geography is reflected in their achievement and grade levels. Other variables may be important contributors to students' conceptual thinking but those were not investigated. ANOVA results indicate not only increased conceptual understanding with increased achievement and grade levels, but also with increased performance on background knowledge, concept identification, and concept map construction instruments. Correlations among knowledge questions, number of concepts, and concept mapping scores also were statistically significant. In addition, attitude towards geography was statistically significant for achievement and grade; travel experience was statistically significant for achievement. (EH) ******************************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ********************************************************************************
The perception of obstacles to innovation. Foreign multinationals and domestic firms in Italy

This paper looks at the perception of obstacles to innovation of both foreign multinational enterprises (MNEs) and domestic firms located in Italy. Drawing on firm-level data from the Italian third Community Innovation Survey (CIS3), we show that important differences in firms’ perception of obstacles to innovation occur both across macro-regions and types of firms (i.e. foreign multinationals versus domestic firms belonging to a group and single domestic firms). The results offer support to the typical North-South divide that exists in the Italian innovation system. In addition, firms belonging to a group (especially foreign MNEs) appear to be less sensitive to their socio-economic and institutional context than single domestic firms.
Mixed Convection in a Lid-Driven Cavity Utilizing Nanofluids

Heat transfer enhancement in a two-sided lid-driven cavity utilizing nanofluids is investigated for various pertinent parameters. A model is developed to analyze the behavior of nanofluids taking into account the solid volume fraction . The top and bottom moving walls are maintained at different constant temperatures while the vertical walls are adiabatic. The numerical approach is based on the finite volume technique with a staggered grid arrangement. The SIMPLE algorithm is used for handling the pressure velocity coupling. Numerical solutions are obtained for wide range of parameters and copper water nanofluid is used with Pr = 6 . 2. Numerical results show the inclusion of nanoparticles into the base fluid has produced an augmentation of the heat transfer coefficient, which has been found to increase appreciably with an increase of particles volume concentration. Detailed results are presented in the form of streamlines, isotherms and average Nusselt numbers.
Litter production and turnover in four types of subtropical forests in China

Aboveground litter production( leaves,twigs,fruits,flowers) is an important component of the nutrient cycling in forests. In order to quantify annual litter production of subtropical forests and to better understanding of the effects of secondary forests on nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems,litter production,composition and turnover were investigated in four dominant subtropical forest types in Hunan Province,China. The four forest types included three types of secondary forests( i.e. a Pinus massoniana and Lithocarpus glaber mixed forest,a Choerospondias axillaries deciduous broadleaved forest,and a L. glaber and Cyclobalanopsis glauca evergreen broadleaved forest) and a Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation forest. The results showed that mean annual litter productions in the four forests ranged from 414.40 g m-2a-1to 818.22 g m-2a-1,with the maximum in P. massonana and L. glaber mixed forest( 818.22 g m-2a-1),followed by C. axillaries deciduous broadleaved forest( 794.56 g m-2a-1) and L. glaber and C. glauca evergreen broadleaved forest( 723.67 g m-2a-1),and the minimum in C. lanceolata plantation forest( 414.40 g m-2a-1). Leaf litter was the dominant component in the total litter and contributed about 59.92%) to 66.62% in total litter production. Monthly changes in litterfall pattern showed two peaks in both C. lanceolata plantation forest and C. axillaries deciduous broadleaved forest,while no obvious litterfall pattern was found for P. massonana and L. glaber mixed forest and C. glauca and L. glaber evergreen broadleaved forest.The contribution of dominant tree species toward annual litter production became less important with increasing of the tree species richness in the studied forests. In the study site,C. lanceolata and P. massonana contributed significantly great amount of litterfall to monthly litter production in their corresponding forested stands,and therefore,control the seasonal variations in litterfall in the forests. However,the tree species of C. axillaries,L.glaber and C. glauca did not exhibit such dominance in the seasonal change patterns. Among the four forest types,C. lanceolata plantation forest had the lowest decomposition rate( 0.31) and the longest turnover time( 3.2 years),while C. axillaries deciduous broadleaved forest had the highest decomposition rate( 0.45) and the lowest turnover time( 2.2 years). It was found that the decomposition rate and turnover time of litterfall were accelerated with increasing in the tree species richness in the studied forests. Our results indicated that the secondary forests had relative high annual litter production,high decay rate and short turnover time,which provided benefits for nutrient return and maintaining site fertility in forest lands.