Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fungal pathogens secrete an inhibitor protein that distinguishes isoforms of plant pathogenesis-related endo-β-1,3-glucanases

Plant endo-β-1,3-glucanases and chitinases inhibit the growth of some fungi and generate elicitor-active oligosaccharides while depolymerizing polysaccharides of mycelial walls. Overexpression of the endo-β-1,3-glucanases and/ or chitinases in transgenic plants provides, in some cases, increased protection against fungal pathogens. However, most of the phytopathogenic fungi that have been tested in vitro are resistant to endo-β-1,3-glucanases and chitinases. Furthermore, some phytopathogenic fungi whose growth is inhibited by these enzymes are able to overcome the effect of these enzymes over a period of hours, indicating an ability of those fungi to adapt to the enzymes. Evidence is presented indicating that fungal pathogens secrete proteins that inhibit selective plant endo-β-1,3-glucanases.A glucanase inhibitor protein (GIP-1) has been purified to homogeneity from the culture fluid of the fungal pathogen of soybeans, Phytophthora sojae f. sp. glycines (Psg), and two basic pathogenesis-related endo-β-1,3-glucanases (EnGLsoy-A and EnGLsoy-B) have been purified from soybean seedlings. GIP-1 inhibits EnGLsoy-A but not EnGLsoy-B. Moreover, GIP-1 does not inhibit endo-β-1,3-glucanases secreted by Psg itself nor does GIP-1 inhibit PR-2c, a pathogenesis-related endo-β-1,3-glucanase of tobacco. Evidence is presented that Psg secretes other GIPs that inhibit other endo-β-1,3-glucanase(s) of soybean. Furthermore, GIP-1 does not exhibit proteolytic activity but does appear to physically bind to EnGLsoy-A. The results reported herein demonstrate specific interactions between gene products of the host and pathogen and establish the need to consider fungal proteins that inhibit plant endo-β-1,3-glucanases when attempting to use the genes encoding endo-β-1,3-glucanases to engineer resistance to fungi in transgenic plants.
Health Accounting in 124 Colonised Countries

Using a cross-section of 124 colonised countries, we evaluate the effect of the European share of the colonial population on human development as measured by life expectancy, fertility rate, and infant mortality rate. We find that European colonial settlement is positively related to life expectancy and negatively associated with both fertility and infant mortality rates. We show that 17.4% of life expectancy, 1.5% of the fertility rate, and 3% of the decline in infant mortality rate currently being enjoyed by non-Europe countries can be linked to their contacts with European settlers during colonisation.
Nonlinearity Matters: The Stock Price – Trading Volume Relation Revisited

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to investigate the information transfer in the relation between stock prices and trading volume. While several theoretical models establish this relation, determining its direction remains an empirical question. Conventional linear approaches, such as Granger causality, provide only limited insights. Importantly, they do not take into account the nonlinear nature of this relation which is advocated by theoretical models of noninformational trading. Moreover, they cannot deduce the dominant direction of the information transfer. Both shortcomings can be addressed by relying upon the concept of Shannon transfer entropy. In an empirical application to a large sample of stocks, we employ this model-free measure and find: (i) A substantial amount of nonlinear information transfer across stocks, and (ii) this information predominantly flows from returns to trading volume growth. Thus, we present empirical evidence that the relation between these financial variables is in fact likely to be nonlinear.
The Harberger-Laursen-Metzler Effect and Dutch Disease Problem: Evidence from South and Southeast Asia

This paper aims to investigate the Harberger-Laursen-Metzler effect in the context of fourteen selected countries from South and Southeast Asia using relevant annual data from 2000 to 2016. In addition, an attempt is made to link terms of trade shocks to initiation of the Dutch Disease problem in the local economies. Two subpanels are also considered to detect the possible SAARC and ASEAN region-specific nature of the association between terms of trade and current account balance. The study employed panel fixed effects estimation techniques to estimate the elasticities of the explanatory variables considered in the paper. Panel cointegration, vector error correction model and Granger causality tests are also considered for robustness of the findings. According to the findings, a non-linear relationship between terms of trade and current account movements is identified, revealing evidence of Obstfeld-Svensson-Razin effects which states that the HLM effect depends on the persistent nature of the TOT shock. Moreover, shocks in the terms of trade are found to be ineffective in stimulating the Dutch Disease problem.
Board Characteristics and Financial Reporting

The past corporate accounting scandals have left the accounting profession in doubts of its integrity and relevance. Against this backdrop, we investigated the impact of board characteristics on financial reporting quality of listed manufacturing firms. The study was driven by the positivist research philosophy and a deductive research approach using a multi-method quantitative research design. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to summarize the data and to draw inference on the population studied. We employed the Generalized Linear Model Regression in testing the hypotheses stated. Findings revealed that board expertise was statistically significant and positively related to financial reporting quality at 5% level of significance, while board independence and board diversity was found to be insignificantly related to financial reporting quality at 5% level of significance. The study concluded that board characteristics partially affect financial reporting quality. Hence, we recommended that non-executive directors on the board should be reduced to cut excessive management cost.
Influence of integrated organic-inorganic Nitrogen on growth and nutrient concentration of summer Onion (Allium cepa

An experiment was carried out to assess the effect of integrated organic and inorganic nitrogen on growth and nutrient concentration in summer onion (Allium cepa var. BARI Piaz-2). The study was done on a silty clay loam soil of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University Farm, Dhaka during kharif (March to October) season. The soil of the experimental site belongs to the Tejgaon series of AEZ No. 28, Madhupur Tract, classified as Shallow Red Brown Terrace Soils in Bangladesh soil classification system. Twelve treatments were used in the experiment and in each treatment, different combinations of urea, cowdung, and vermicompost were used to supply nitrogen (N) at the rate of 120 kg/ha. The treatments were arranged in a RCBD with three replications included- control or no fertilizer supplied (T 1 ), 120 kg N/ha supplied from urea (T 2 ), 100 kg N/ha supplied from urea with 20 kg from cowdung (T 3 ), 100 kg N/ha supplied from urea with 20 kg from vermicompost (T 4 ), 80 kg N/ha supplied from urea with 40 kg from cowdung (T 5 ), 80 kg N/ha supplied from urea with 40 kg from vermicompost (T 6 ), 60 kg N/ha supplied from urea with 60 kg from cowdung (T 7 ), 60 kg N/ha supplied from urea with 60 kg from vermicompost (T 8 ), 40 kg N/ha supplied from urea with 80 kg from cowdung (T 9 ), 40 kg N/ha supplied from urea with 80 kg from vermicompost (T 10 ), 120 kg N/ha supplied from cowdung (T 11 ), 120 kg N/ha supplied from vermicompost (T 12 ). Data on plant height, number of leaves, leaf length, bulb length, and bulb weight of onion were recorded. Samples of bulb and leaf were analyzed for determining the total nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, and sulphur content. Height of plant ranged from 24.25 to 39.25 cm with lowest and highest value from T 1 and T 5 , respectively. Like plant height, the longest leaf length (34.35 cm) and bulb length (2.79 cm) was observed in T 5 , whereas the shortest leaf length (21.20 cm) and bulb length (2.40 cm) was recorded in T 1 treatment. Similarly treatment T 5 showed the highest value for both bulb weight (30.40 g) and bulb yield (12.16 t/ha), whereas the lowest bulb weight (14.90 g) and bulb yield (5.96 t/ha) was obtained from T 1 treatment. Statistically insignificant variations were recorded on number of leaves/plant. The highest nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and sulphur content in bulb (2.30, 0.185, 1.71 and 0.96%, respectively) and in leaf (2.91, 0.183, 2.45, and 0.98%, respectively) were recorded in treatment T 5 . Whereas, the lowest nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, and sulphur content in bulb (1.41, 0.055, 0.89, and 0.66%, respectively) and in leaf (2.15, 0.053, 1.71 and 0.63%, respectively) was found in T 1 . Therefore, the overall results suggest that treatment T 5 which supplied 40 kg N/ha from cowdung and rest 80 kg from inorganic urea resulted in maximum plant growth and nutrient concentration and can be recommended for optimum production of summer onion DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/bjar.v39i3. 21995 Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 39(3): 529-545, September 2014
Fitness costs of Cry1F resistance in fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda

Transgenic corn, Zea mays L. , expressing the Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) protein Cry1F has been registered for Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) control since 2003 in the USA. Unexpected damage to Cry1F corn was reported in 2006 in Puerto Rico, and Cry1F resistance in S. frugiperda from Puerto Rico was documented. The study of fitness costs associated with insect resistance to Bt insecticidal proteins is important for understanding resistance evolution and for evaluating resistance management practices used to mitigate resistance to transgenic corn. Currently, no studies have addressed the fitness costs associated with Cry1F resistance in S. frugiperda. In this study, susceptible and resistant strains with similar genetic background and their reciprocal crosses were used to estimate Cry1F resistance fitness costs. Comparisons between life‐history traits and population growth rates of homozygous susceptible, heterozygous and homozygous resistant S. frugiperda were used to determine whether the resistance is associated with fitness costs. Major fitness costs were not apparent in either heterozygotes or homozygous resistant insects. However, there was a slight indication of hybrid vigour in the heterozygotes. Additionally, two lines in which the frequency of the resistant alleles was fixed at 0.5 were followed for seven generations, after which the frequency of resistant alleles slightly decreased in both lines. The lack of strong fitness costs associated with Cry1F resistance in S. frugiperda indicates that initial allele frequencies may be higher than expected in field populations and will tend to remain stable in field populations in the absence of selection pressure (e.g. Puerto Rico).
Does Government Ideology Matter in Monetary Policy? - A Panel Data Analysis for OECD Countries

This paper examines the effect of government ideology on monetary policy in a quarterly data set of 15 OECD countries in the period 1980.1-2005.4. Our Taylor-rule specification focuses on the interactions of a new time-variant indicator for central bank independence and government ideology. The results suggest that leftist governments did not decrease short term nominal interest rates at all. In contrast, short term nominal interest rates were higher under leftist governments. A potential reason for this finding might be that leftist governments have sought to make a market-oriented policy shift by delegating monetary policy to conservative central bankers.
Labor Informality: Choice or Sign of Segmentation? A Quantile Regression Approach at the Regional Level for Colombia

The labor market in developing countries is remarkably heterogeneous with a small productive formal sector, enjoying high wages and attractive employment conditions and another large informal sector with low productivity and volatile wages. The informal sector is particularly diverse. In this paper we examine the heterogeneity of the informal sector at regional level in Colombia. In general, our findings suggest that, both voluntary and involuntary informal employment co-exist by choice and as a result of labor market segmentation. We also find that there are striking differences in labor market characteristics between cities, in particular in the traditional informal segment.
Valeur fourragere des especes prelevees par Gazella cuvieri Ogilby, 1841 au niveau du Djebel Metlili (Algerie)

The plants species interesting the diet of the gazelle of Cuvier were determined by direct observation at the level of its area of distribution. For herbaceous plants, grasses are a majority (five species) and leguminous little represented (one species: Medicago sativa). This stratum contribue to an energy level interesting in the stages of preflowering and flowering, but has little importance at the stage of fruit. At this stage, the chamephytes have also weak fodder values (0,00 to 0,33 UF/kg of DM).
The 'Peter Pan Syndrome' in Emerging Markets: The Productivity-Transparency Tradeoff in IT Adoption

Firms make investments in technology to increase productivity. But in emerging markets, where a culture of informality is widespread, information technology (IT) investments leading to greater transparency can impose a cost through higher taxes and need for regulatory compliance. This tendency of firms to avoid productivity-enhancing technologies and remain small to avoid transparency has been dubbed the “Peter Pan Syndrome. ” We examine whether firms make the tradeoff between productivity and transparency by examining IT adoption in the Indian retail sector. We find that computer technology adoption is lower when firms have motivations to avoid transparency. Specifically, technology adoption is lower when there is greater corruption, but higher when there is better enforcement and auditing. So firms have a higher productivity gain threshold to adopt computers in corrupt business environments with patchy and variable enforcement of the tax laws. Not accounting for this motivation to hide from the formal sector underestimates productivity gains from computer adoption. Thus in addition to their direct effects on the economy, enforcement, auditing and corruption can have indirect effects through their negative impact on adoption of productivity enhancing technologies that also increase operational transparency.
Leverage

Many stylized facts of leverage, trading, and asset prices obtain in a frictionless general equilibrium model that features agents’ heterogeneity in endowments and time- varying risk preferences. Our model predicts that aggregate debt increases in expansions when asset prices are high, volatility is low, and levered households enjoy a “consumption boom. ” Our model is consistent with poorer households borrowing more and with intermediaries’ leverage being a priced factor. In crises, levered households strongly delever by “fire selling” their risky assets as asset prices drop. Yet, as empirically observed, their debt-to-wealth ratios increase as higher discount rates make their wealth decline faster.
Growth differences in 0-group plaice Pleuronectes platessa as revealed by otolith microstructure analysis

Otolith increm ent analysis of 0-group plaice P leuronectes p la tessa L. from the North Frisian W adden Sea (F. R. Germany) revea led significant d ifferences in s ize-a t-age b e tw ee n 1981 and 1982. Backdating sh o w ed se t t lem ent to have occurred at about the sam e da te in both years. Since w a ter tem pera tu re conditions during the su b seq u en t m onths in 1981 a n d 1982 w ere also almost identical, it is concluded that food limitation o ccurnng in different parts of the nursery may h ave led to growth differences. The sam e holds true for differential growth of subpopula tions in different nursery a reas in 1981. Grow th acceleration was reflected in the m ean w idth of daily increments, deposi ted during the bottom-living stage, in otoliths of plaice which en co u n te red rich feeding a reas during the season. Furthermore, slower growth rate was observed in 0-group plaice populat ions on the e d g e of the W ad d en Sea. However, time of settlement, as show ed by daily increm en t readings, proved to be the sam e as in populations in the main nursery ground. In this case, re ta rded growth outside the nursery can be a ttr ibuted to water tem pera ture , food limitation or the action of b reakers .
Runnable Debt and Asset Liquidity Creation

I study the economic tradeo between the ex-ante bene ts of using runnable debt and the expost costs of runs. To empirically test this tradeo , I ask how runnable debt in uences banks’ choice of asset liquidity. I study this question in the context of the 2016 US money market mutual fund reform, which led to an exogenous reduction in banks’ runnable debt. Using this regulatory shock, I nd that a reduction in liquidity run risk leads to an increase in lending and asset liquidity creation. This evidence supports a bank liquidity risk management explanation: the threat of a run incentivizes banks to behave in a risk aversion fashion and invest less in illiquid assets to avoid costly asset re sales. Consistent with theoretical predictions of classical risk management models, I document the largest increase in lending/liquidity creation by low capitalized banks, as well as an increase in risk-taking by banks more a ected by the shock. These results provide insight into the value of nancial intermediaries by highlighting an important link between bank risk management and liquid debt issuance. More broadly, the ndings show how bank risk management matters for liquidity regulation, deposit insurance, and provision of credit to the real economy.
Temperature reaction norms of Daphnia magna: the effect of food concentration.

1. The effects of temperature and food concentration on the fitness of Daphnia magna were tested in a 4 x 4 factorial flow-through design. Food ranged from 0,1 to 1.0 mg C L -1 and temperature ranged from 15 to 30 °C. 2. The juvenile growth rate (g j ) was used to construct reaction norms for temperature at varying food concentrations. Two clones isolated from the same pond at different seasons did not differ with respect to their temperature responses. Reaction norms had the shape of an optimum curve with highest values around 20 °C. There was a significant temperature-food interaction as the temperature response was most pronounced when the food was not limiting. 3. Differences in fitness were a consequence of different responses of physiological parameters to food and temperature. Age and size at first reproduction, as well as egg numbers, decreased with increasing temperature and decreasing food concentration. 4. As the temperature effect was strongest at the highest food concentrations, it can be concluded that environmental warming may affect D. magna more through a temperature rise earlier in spring rather than in summer.
Using Temperature and Salinity Tolerances to Predict the Success of the Shimofuri Goby, a Recent Invader into California

Abstract Shimofuri gobies Tridentiger bifasciatus recently invaded the San Francisco Estuary of California and appear to be physiologically well suited to the region. To assess the range expansion capability of the shimofuri goby, I used standard techniques to measure the critical thermal maxima (CTMax) at eight combinations of temperature (10°C and 20°C) and salinity (0, 5, 10, and 20‰) and I measured chronic upper salinity tolerance (CUST) at 20°C. Shimofuri goby CTMax was 37°C when acclimated to 20°C and was 31–34°C when acclimated to 10°C. These values surpass those of most other resident fishes and allow the gobies to survive in small isolated pools at low tide, where temperatures change quickly and often exceed 30°C. Shimofuri goby CUST was 17‰, typical for estuarine fishes, but insufficient to allow for range expansion through seawater. Shimofuri gobies have been transported via the California State Water Project into freshwater reservoirs, where they appear to have established reproducing populati.
Alavesia Waters and Arillo–a Cretaceous‐era genus discovered extant on the Brandberg Massif, Namibia (Diptera: Atelestidae)

Two new extant species of the fossil genus Alavesia Waters & Arillo (A. brandbergensissp.n. and A. daurasp.n.) are described from the Brandberg Massif, Namibia. The genus is reassigned to the family Atelestidae (subfamily Atelestinae) on the basis of male terminalia (elongate gonocoxal apodemes, ventral apodemes, subapical surstylus), female terminalia (absence of tergum 10) and a three‐articled stylus. This is the first record of Atelestidae from the Afrotropical Region. A genus‐level phylogeny of the Atelestidae is resolved, in which Alavesia is the sister genus to the remaining genera of the Atelestinae. The biogeographic history of the genus is briefly discussed, as is the significance of this and other relict Diptera on the Brandberg.
Effect of U.S. Monetary Policy on Emerging Sovereign CDS-Bond Market

In a frictionless market, the CDS-bond basis, defined as CDS spread minus bond spread should be zero. I show that the emerging market CDS-bond basis systematically declines when US interest rates fall. The basis deviations are temporary and occur in both pre and post the financial crisis of 2008-09, although the effect is arguably stronger post crisis. The relationship is driven by a rise in investor demand to sell CDS when US rates are low and the investor motive is most consistent with reaching for yield. Aggregate outstanding sovereign CDS positions held by investors show net CDS sold increases when the rates fall. I also find the largest mutual funds in the emerging debt market are net sellers of CDS during 2006-2016 and show similar sensitivity to interest rates. <br>
Bacteria in coral reef water types: removal of cells, stimulation of growth and minaralization

Water samples were collected at a fringing coral reef in overlying water, in bottom water between corals and in crevices under coral colonies, and analyzed for nutrient concentrations, bacterial numbers and production. We found decreasing bacterial densities from overlying water through bottom water into crevices (range 9 to 2 X 105 ml-l). Bacterial specific growth was enhanced in reef crevices (range 0.005 to 0.04 h-'). Although bactenal growth was enhanced, bacterial numbers were reduced, showing a transfer of bacterial biomass into the reef. The differences in bacterial numbers and grnwth between water types depended on water movement and bottom relief Nutrients were enhanced in reef crevices as a result of mineralization. Mineralization of bacterla removed by filterfeeders could contribute 11 and 21 '70 to the increase in N and P, respectively, in coral reef crevices.
State-Owned Enterprises: Rationales for Merges and Acquisitions

The paper contributes to the empirical literature on M&A deals performed by SOEs with a detailed analysis of the reported rationales from a sample of SOE-led acquisitions over the last decade. The sample includes 355 worldwide M&A deals performed by SOEs as acquirers over the period 2002-2012. The data set was obtained by combining firm-level information from two sources, Zephyr and Orbis (Bureau Van Dijk). The analysis is on a case-by-case basis for the rationales of the sample. Overall, the most important message arising from our analysis is that rescue of firms in financial distress is a relatively minor one role played by contemporary SOEs in spite of the Great Recession, while shareholder value maximization and long term strategic goals are more frequently the objective of the observed deals.