Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE WATER RELATIONS AND IRRIGATION REQUIREMENTS OF SUGAR CANE (SACCHARUM OFFICINARUM): A REVIEW

SUMMARY The results of research on the water relations and irrigation needs of sugar cane are collated and summarized in an attempt to link fundamental studies on crop physiology to irrigation practices. Background information on the centres of production of sugar cane is followed by reviews of (1) crop development, including roots; (2) plant water relations; (3) crop water requirements; (4) water productivity; (5) irrigation systems and (6) irrigation scheduling. The majority of the recent research published in the international literature has been conducted in Australia and southern Africa. Leaf/stem extension is a more sensitive indicator of the onset of water stress than stomatal conductance or photosynthesis. Possible mechanisms by which cultivars differ in their responses to drought have been described. Roots extend in depth at rates of 5–18 mm d−1 reaching maximum depths of > 4 m in ca. 300 d providing there are no physical restrictions. The Penman-Monteith equation and the USWB Class A pan both give good estimates of reference crop evapotranspiration (ETo). The corresponding values for the crop coefficient (Kc) are 0.4 (initial stage), 1.25 (peak season) and 0.75 (drying off phase). On an annual basis, the total water-use (ETc) is in the range 1100–1800 mm, with peak daily rates of 6–15 mm d−1. There is a linear relationship between cane/sucrose yields and actual evapotranspiration (ETc) over the season, with slopes of about 100 (cane) and 13 (sugar) kg (ha mm)−1 (but variable). Water stress during tillering need not result in a loss in yield because of compensatory growth on re-watering. Water can be withheld prior to harvest for periods of time up to the equivalent of twice the depth of available water in the root zone. As alternatives to traditional furrow irrigation, drag-line sprinklers and centre pivots have several advantages, such as allowing the application of small quantities of water at frequent intervals. Drip irrigation should only be contemplated when there are well-organized management systems in place. Methods for scheduling irrigation are summarized and the reasons for their limited uptake considered. In conclusion, the ‘drivers for change’, including the need for improved environmental protection, influencing technology choice if irrigated sugar cane production is to be sustainable are summarized.
The Role of Extraneous Incentives and Drivers in Farm Enterprise Diversification: A Study of Passion-Fruit (Passiflora edulis) Uptake in Uasin-Gishu County, Kenya

Despite the continued production and overdependence of traditional crops mainly maize and wheat as main source of income in the Uasin-Gishu County, poverty among farmers has been increasing. To mitigate the poverty effects, farmers have tended to substitute land under the traditional crops for high yielding and high value crops passion fruit inclusive. However, the uptake of passion fruit has been achieved with partial success. This study examined factors affecting passion fruit adoption and the extent of adoption. It further investigated the comparative profitability of passion fruit crop vis-a-vis other farm enterprises contingent on available farm resources. Cross-sectional data from 100 randomly selected farmers were collected and subjected to Heckman two-step regression analysis to determine factors affecting passion fruit adoption as well as the extent of adoption. Gross Margin Analysis and Data Envelopment Analysis methods were used to assess the comparative profitability of passion fruit crop. The results showed that availability of water for irrigation, title deeds and farming as main occupation significantly and positively affected the adoption of passion fruit while age was significant with negative effect. Private land ownership and access to extension services significantly and positively influenced the extent of adoption while age had significant negative effect. Further, this study revealed that passion fruit production was the more profitable farm enterprise than other comparable farm enterprises. The results mean more incentives and innovative drivers are necessary for crop diversification and substitution in Kenya and not sufficient for adoption of the new crops. Government and other stakeholders should formulate and implement effective policies related to promotion of adoption, production and marketing of new agricultural technologies.
Novel Results for Global Exponential Stability of Uncertain Systems with Interval Time-varying Delay

This paper presents new results on delay-dependent global exponential stability for uncertain linear systems with interval time-varying delay. Based on Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional approach, some novel delay-dependent stability criteria are derived in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) involving the minimum and maximum delay bounds. By using delay-partitioning method and the lower bound lemma, less conservative results are obtained with fewer decision variables than the existing ones. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the usefulness and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Accuracy of Nearly Extinct Cohort Methods for Estimating Very Elderly Subnational Populations

Increasing very elderly populations (ages 85+) have potentially major implications for the cost of income support, aged care, and healthcare. The availability of accurate estimates for this population age group, not only at a national level but also at a state or regional scale, is vital for policy development, budgeting, and planning for services. At the highest ages census-based population estimates are well known to be problematic and previous studies have demonstrated that more accurate estimates can be obtained indirectly from death data. This paper assesses indirect estimation methods for estimating state-level very elderly populations from death counts. A method for incorporating internal migration is also proposed. The results confirm that the accuracy of official estimates deteriorates rapidly with increasing age from 95 and that the survivor ratio method can be successfully applied at subnational level and internal migration is minor. It is shown that the simpler alternative of applying the survivor ratio method at a national level and apportioning the estimates between the states produces very accurate estimates for most states and years. This is the recommended method. While the methods are applied at a state level in Australia, the principles are generic and are applicable to other subnational geographies.
cDNA Cloning and Expression Analysis of the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Alpha6 Subunit in the Oriental Fruit Fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae)

ABSTRACT Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) play major roles in the fast synapse cholinergic transmission in the insect central nervous system, and they are recognized as potential target sites for insecticides. In this study, the full-length cDNA sequence of the nAChR alpha6 subunit (Bdor&agr;6) was isolated and characterized from the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, using the Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends (RACE) technique. The Bdor&agr;6 cDNA was 2020 bp long, containing an open reading frame of 1467 bp, which encodes 488 amino acid residues with a predicated molecular mass of 55.6 kDa. Homology analysis indicated that Bdor&agr;6 has typical features of a nAChR &agr; subunit. Phylogenetic analysis with other insect nAChR subunits suggested that Bdor&agr;6 was most closely related to D&agr;6 of Drosophila melanogaster. The developmental changes and tissue-specificity of the relative expression levels of Bdor&agr;6 were investigated using quantitative real-time PCR. The highest expression level was observed in the first instar larva and the lowest was in the pupa, and there was a descending expression level during the developmental period from the first instar larva to the pupa. The relative expression levels were 23-, 39-, 6-, 2- and 27-fold higher in the egg, first, second and third instar larvae and adult than in the pupa, respectively. Furthermore, Bdor&agr;6 was expressed in the head and thorax at 109- and 15-fold higher levels than in the abdomen. The results provided some important baseline data for further molecular studies in Bactrocera dorsalis.
Occupants’ Satisfaction and Rent paid for Residential Properties close to

The paper examined occupants’ satisfaction and rent paid for residential properties within three neighbourhoods (Olusosun, Abule – Egba, and Solous) close to waste dump sites and Ketu neighbourhood (not close to dump site) in Lagos Metropolis. Relative Satisfaction Index, Analysis of Variance and Correlation Coefficient are used to analyse the data based on the System Unit, Dwelling and Environmental Subsystems. The results show that the occupants of properties close to dump sites have a minimum level of satisfaction of 37.22, 40.48 and 27.09 percent in the system unit and subsystems; while Ketu is 60.00, 60.71 and 56.25 percent. Also, a weak linear relationship between rental value and the satisfaction of occupants in the neighbourhoods (Olusosun, 0.056 (p > 0.05); Solous, 0.026 (p >0.05); Abule-Egba, 0.062 (p > 0.05); and Ketu, 0.108 (p > 0.05) exist. The paper recommends that property investors should avoid building around dump sites to enhance property values.
Distribution of Submarine Cements in a Modern Caribbean Fringing Reef, Galeta Point, Panama

ABSTRACT Petrographic characteristics and distribution of submarine cements vary considerably throughout a section of a modern reef off Galeta Point, Panama, as disclosed by cores from thirteen drill holes up to 14 m deep. Core holes were closely spaced along two transect lines which, when combined, extend from inshore mangroves to the outer reef slope of this Caribbean fringing reef. The submarine cement is predominantly dense, submicrocrystalline-microcrystalline to porous, submicrosucrosic magnesium calcite (15 to 19 mole percent MgCO3), with minor amounts of acicular aragonite. Magnesium calcite coats, infills and forms a matrix around various reef components, whereas aragonite is generally restricted to rim cement in skeletal cavities of corals. Variations in concentration and type of submarine lithification are not related to depth in Galeta reef. Rather, submarine cementation appears to be a relatively near-surface phenomenon most prevalent in sedimentological units (facies) of the reef which were formed under conditions of high agitation and/or slow accumulation. Therefore, well-developed cement crusts and infilled rims of the Acropora palmata facies, formed under high agitation but also at a rapid rate of accumulation, grade into dense matrix cement in the agglomerate limestone of the slower accreting fore-reef pavement facies and in the extensively bored and filled corals of the coral-head facies in the fore reef. Cements are absent or generally poorly developed in the deeper fore-reef talus or in protected reef-f at rubble and back-reef sediments.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory in a Sample of Portuguese Adolescents

This paper’s purpose consists in confirming the factorial structure, as well as, the evaluation of the psychometric properties of the "Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory" (YPI), according to Confirmatory Factor Analysis procedure. The YPI is composed of 10 dimensions that further represent three hypothesized facets of the classical description of psychopathy: callousness, interpersonal manipulation and impulsiveness. A sample of 500 adolescents aged 12 to 18 (M ¼ 14.87; SD ¼ 1.67) from northern Portugal participated in this study. The results generally confirmed the factorial structure of the YPI in this sample, with some qualifications.
Brood sex ratio in the Kentish plover

How and why do the mating opportunities of males and females differ in natural population of animals? Previously we showed that females have higher mating opportunities than males in the Kentish plover Charadrius alexandrinus. Both parents incubate the eggs, and males provide more brood care than females; thus it is not obvious why the females find new mates sooner than the males. In this study we investigated whether the sex-biased mating opportunities stem from biased offspring sex ratios. We determined the sex of newly hatched, precocial chicks using CHD gene markers. Among fully sexed broods, 0.461 ± 0.024 (SE) of chicks (454 chicks in 158 broods) were male, and this sex ratio was not significantly different from unity. The proportion of males at hatching decreased significantly over the breeding season, which occurred consistently in all 3 years of the study. Large chicks were more likely to be males than females. Neither parental age nor body size of male and female parents was related to brood sex ratio. We also sexed a number of chicks that were caught after they left their nest (range of estimated ages 0--17 days) and found that the proportion of males increased with brood age. This relationship remained highly significant when controlling statistically for hatching date. As brood size decreased due to mortality after the chicks left their nest, these results suggest that the mortality of daughters was higher than that of the sons shortly after hatching. Taken together, our results show that the female-biased mating opportunities in the Kentish plover are not due to biased brood sex ratio at hatching but, at least in part, are due to female-biased chick mortality soon after hatching. Copyright 2004.
Validation of satellite-based noontime UVI with NDACC ground-based instruments: influence of topography, environment and satellite overpass time

Abstract. Spectral solar UV radiation measurements are performed in France using three spectroradiometers located at very different sites. One is installed in Villeneuve d'Ascq, in the north of France (VDA). It is an urban site in a topographically flat region. Another instrument is installed in Observatoire de Haute-Provence, located in the southern French Alps (OHP). It is a rural mountainous site. The third instrument is installed in Saint-Denis, Reunion Island (SDR). It is a coastal urban site on a small mountainous island in the southern tropics. The three instruments are affiliated with the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) and carry out routine measurements to monitor the spectral solar UV radiation and enable derivation of UV index (UVI). The ground-based UVI values observed at solar noon are compared to similar quantities derived from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI, onboard the Aura satellite) and the second Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME-2, onboard the Metop-A satellite) measurements for validation of these satellite-based products. The present study concerns the period 2009–September 2012, date of the implementation of a new OMI processing tool. The new version (v1.3) introduces a correction for absorbing aerosols that were not considered in the old version (v1.2). Both versions of the OMI UVI products were available before September 2012 and are used to assess the improvement of the new processing tool. On average, estimates from satellite instruments always overestimate surface UVI at solar noon. Under cloudless conditions, the satellite-derived estimates of UVI compare satisfactorily with ground-based data: the median relative bias is less than 8 % at VDA and 4 % at SDR for both OMI v1.3 and GOME-2, and about 6 % for OMI v1.3 and 2 % for GOME-2 at OHP. The correlation between satellite-based and ground-based data is better at VDA and OHP (about 0.99) than at SDR (0.96) for both space-borne instruments. For all sky conditions, the median relative biases are much larger, with large dispersion for both instruments at all sites (VDA: about 12 %; OHP: 9 %; SDR: 11 %). Correlation between satellite-based and ground-based data is still better at VDA and OHP (about 0.95) than at SDR (about 0.73) for both satellite instruments. These results are explained considering the time of overpass of the two satellites, which is far from solar noon, preventing a good estimation of the cloud cover necessary for a good modelling of the UVI. Site topography and environment are shown to have a non-significant influence. At VDA and OHP, OMI v1.3 shows a significant improvement with respect to v1.2, which did not account for absorbing aerosols.
Distal Pancreatectomy with Spleen Preservation. Should it be the Norm

Traditionally, distal pancreatectomy has often included a splenectomy due to the anatomical proximity of the pancreatic tail to the hilum of spleen and the close association of the splenic vessels with the pancreas. Splenectomy in conjunction with Distal Pancreatectomy (DPS) is clearly indicated in most patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, as splenic preservation may compromise the oncologic resection. However for benign lesions or tumours with low grade malignant potential, the issue of splenic preservation remains controversial. Should it be the norm?
Evaluation of Toxic Stress of Copper Sulphate and Lead Nitrate on Hematological and Serum Biochemical Characteristics of Freshwater Cyprinid (Labeo rohita)

L. rohita, the common freshwater cyprinid in Pakistan, is currently living in such habitats that are contaminated with heavy metals. Copper and lead metals are considered as the strong aquatic pollutants in this area. The aim of the study was to determine 96h LC50 values of copper sulphate [CuSO4.5H2O] and lead nitrate [Pb(NO3)2] for L. rohita and also to demonstrate the effects of their acute concentrations on hematology and serum biochemistry of the candidate fish. The 96h LC50 values for [CuSO4.5H2O] and [Pb(NO3)2] were found to be 3.15 mg/L and 6.80 mg/L respectively. Based on LC50 values, the experiments were conducted for 96h at acute concentrations of [CuSO4.5H2O] and [Pb(NO3)2] and data revealed a significant decrease (P<0.01) in RBC count, Hb, WBC count, and PCV. In contrast, a significant increase (P<0.01) in mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) values was observed for treated groups indicating the signs of anemia. Among biochemical indices, the significantly higher values (P<0.01) for plasma NH3, LDH, TRIG, CHOL, LDL, VLDL, UA, CPK, and BRN were observed in experimental groups compared with the control. In contrast, lower value of AP, UR, HDL and ALB were observed in treated groups compared with control. The study revealed that copper sulphate and lead nitrate are toxic agents for L. rohita. The study also apprehends the fish consumers as a diet towards the similar hematological and biochemical consequences with the consumption of such metal accumulated fish meat.
DOES CHILD CODE-SWITCHING DEMONSTRATE COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE?: A COMPARISON OF SIMULTANEOUS AND SEQUENTIAL BILINGUALS

Over the past four decades, code-switching (CS) has been established as a mark of high linguistic competence among adult simultaneous (2L1) bilinguals, those who acquired two ‘first’ languages before age three. The status of CS among second language (L2) learners, who learned one language after age three, is much less clear; children represent an especially understudied population in this line of inquiry. This study aims to address this research gap and presents a comparison of child 2L1 bilinguals and child L2 learners in kindergarten, first and second grade of a Spanish immersion program. Twelve hours of recorded spontaneous classroom speech were analyzed for grammatical categories, switch points, and conversational strategies of CS. The results of this study show that the grammatical patterns and conversational strategies of child L2 learner CS strongly parallel those of 2L1 child bilinguals, pointing toward a high level of linguistic competence. Based on these findings, it is suggested that proficiency rather than language background may be a greater factor in CS patterns. Furthermore, evidence of the strategic use of CS by 2L1 and L2 learners alike suggests the potential benefit of an alternative bilingual pedagogy, which normalizes the use of CS as a linguistic resource instead of the more commonly evoked ‘deficit perspective’ on L2 learner CS.
Assessment of three strategies practiced by fishery managers for restoring native brown trout (Salmo trutta) populations in Northern French Alpine Streams

– The efficiency of three strategies carried out by fisheries managers to restore native Mediterranean brown trout populations threatened by non-native Atlantic populations were assessed. The strategies tested were (i) genetic refuge area where stocking is banned, (ii) stocking with Mediterranean fry and (iii) translocation of wild Mediterranean spawners. Using two discriminatory microsatellite loci between Atlantic and Mediterranean alleles, we compared the genetic composition of samples before and after the changes of practices. The three strategies had several detectable effects in the standing populations causing strong temporal changes in departures from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and linkage equilibrium between loci and the apparition of new Mediterranean alleles. The significant reductions in the proportions of Atlantic alleles observed over time can mostly be explained by the disappearing of the pure non-native Atlantic trout after the stopping of hatchery releases. The results, however, also suggest that the active strategies carried out by managers led to intraspecific introgression between both non-native Atlantic and native Mediterranean strains.
Dosimetric characterization and spectroscopic study of radiochromic films as natural dye dosimeters

Radiochromic films were prepared with PVA gel matrix and natural dyes (Turmeric, Walnut and Henna) with three concentrations, that is, C1=0.5 g/L, C2=0.25 g/L and C3=0.13 g/L having pH value 4 for acidic samples and 10 for alkaline samples. The thickness of the film was fixed to be 0.05 mm. The behavior of the dyes was studied on the basis of change in specific absorbance with concentration, change in specific absorbance with absorbed dose; effect of pH on specific absorbance, electrical conductivity, molar extinction coefficients, and percentage decoloration. Absorption spectra for un-irradiated and Gamma irradiated films were studied. ʎmax for T= 451 nm, for W=340 nm and for H=320 nm was recorded. Absorbance at each ʎmax was found by using spectrophotometer and specific absorbance was calculated. Response curve for specific absorbance versus concentration showed linear behavior for each dye. Plot of specific absorbance versus dose made the behavior of the dye clear and it was noticed that acidic samples of all the dye samples worked best. Maximum degree of decoloration in the Turmeric, Walnut and Henna dye films was observed to be 94%, 51.5% and 93.7% respectively. XRD analysis was performed and it was found that for Turmeric, %age crystallanity as well as C.I decreased while for Walnut and Henna both factors increased. Moreover, mechanical properties of dye films were studied which showed that due to irradiation some changes had occurred in the crystal structure which is the major reason of decoloration of the dye films.