Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Possible Rumphius specimens detected in Paul Hermann's Ceylon herbarium (1672–1679) in Leiden, The Netherlands

Georg Eberhard Rumphius (1627–1702), author of the monumental work Herbarium Amboinense (1741–1755) is seen as the undisputed patriarch of Malesian Natural Sciences. Until recently, it was thought that if Rumphius had collected any specimens, they all had been lost. The recent digitisation and revision of two book herbaria in Leiden collected by Paul Hermann (1646–1695) on Ceylon revealed four specimens with reference to either Rumphius or Ambon in Hermann’s handwriting: Colocasia esculenta, Gomphrena globosa, Helminthostachys zeylanica and Biophytum sensitivum, of which the latter does not occur in Sri Lanka. Here we discuss the description of these species in both published and unpublished historic works and consider the possibility that they may represent the only extant herbarium material attributable to Rumphius.
Do ovarian reserve markers predict the subsequent pregnancy outcomes in women with recurrent pregnancy loss?

Abstract Objective(s) Chromosomal abnormalities are more commonly seen in embryos with decreased oocyte quality. Therefore aneuploidy due to diminished ovarian reserve may be one of the causative reasons of RPL. We investigated the relationship between ovarian reserve markers especially serum antimullerian hormone (AMH) level and antral follicle count (AFC) and recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Materials and methods This prospective cross-sectional clinical trial including 88 women with RPL and 84 age-matched women without RPL. Results There were statistically significant differences in body mass index, live birth number, menstrual cycle length, AFC and serum AMH level between groups. There was no statistically significant difference between groups regarding age, menstrual cycle regularity and serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (E2) levels. The percentage of women with levels of AMH<1 was 21.4% in the RPL group and 11.4% in the control group. AFC <7 in both ovaries was lower in the RPL group when compared with the control group (73.8% vs 44.3%, respectively). Conclusion(s) Serum AMH levels and AFC can be assessed in patients with RPL as a part of the work up parameters. Lower Serum AMH levels and AFC especially may predict the quantity of oocytes that may be consequently be related with RPL.
An updated global data set for diet preferences in terrestrial mammals: testing the validity of extrapolation

A species’ diet represents a key component of its ecological and evolutionary niche. At local scales, dietary composition can influence species cooccurrence patterns (Büchi & Vuilleumier 2014) and community diversity (Mougi & Kondoh 2012, Lever et al. 2014). In turn, these affect a species’ geographical range and broadscale diversity patterns (Kissling et al. 2007). Mammals are an excellent model system to study the influence of diet on ecological and evolutionary traits, as they fill a vast array of dietary niches (Eisenberg 1981, Nowak 1999, Ungar 2010) and are among the taxa for which the most comprehensive dietary information is available (Jones et al. 2009). A data set of the dietary preferences of mammalian species can be useful in elucidating a wide range of ecological processes, such as predator–prey interactions (Sinclair 2003, Jones & Safi 2011) and ecomorphological REVIEW
Types of Warrant in Mathematical Argumentations of Prospective-Teacher

This paper discusses types of warrant in mathematical argumentations stated by prospective-teacher. To solve mathematics problems, a problem solver needs argumentations to determine, yield, and bolster reasonable solution. Mathematical argumentations stated by students can be analyzed using Toulmin scheme that consists of data, claim, warrant, backing, rebuttal, and qualifier. This study focused on warrant because warrant is one of determinants of the quality of an argumentation. This study aims to describe types of warrant in mathematical argumentations. This study applied qualitative approach by collecting some data from written result, think aloud and interview. The subjects of this study are asked to investigate the truth of mathematical statements. Researchers choose prospective-teacher of Mathematics Education Study as subject, because they will be teachers of mathematics, who will give influences in the development of students’ thinking process in the mathematical argumentation. The result shows that there are three types of warrant in mathematical argumentation stated by the students, they are structural-intuitive, inductive and deductive. Both inductive and structural-intuitive warrants are considered as nondeductive. Non-deductive warrant-type is used to reduce uncertainty of the conclusion. Besides, the subjects used deductive warrant-type to remove uncertainty of the conclusion. KeywordsWarrant, Mathematical Argumentation, Prospective Teacher
Integrating the Water Framework Directive into the Habitats Directive: Analysis of distribution patterns of lacustrine EU habitats in lakes of Lombardy (northern Italy)

The existence of strong potential synergies between the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Habitats Directive (HD) is widely acknowledged. Indeed, ensuring favourable conservation conditions for aquatic habitats and species of conservation concern is closely related to the achievement of a good ecological status in water bodies. However, since these two sets of European laws are generally applied without any coordination, an inefficient use of resources may adversely affect their goals. The main negative outcome is an increase in the cost of monitoring programs for collecting data in nature ( i.e. , physical and chemical parameters, species and habitats, plant communities). The use of macrophytes as a bioindicator, as imposed by the WFD, may instead help to integrate data on aquatic EU habitats and enhance knowledge of such habitats outside the Natura 2000 network. The aim of present study was to evaluate the usefulness of data collected in WFD monitoring surveys as a means of inferring the occurrence and the distribution of lacustrine aquatic habitats in countries belonging to the European Union (EU). The main aim of the analysis was to identify the depth gradient distribution of diagnostic macrophyte taxa in two EU habitats (3140, i.e. , Chara -dominated benthic communities, and 3150, i.e. , natural eutrophic lakes) using data collected in lakes in Lombardy (northern Italy), some of which are included in the Natura 2000 network (10 out 16). While recognizing the limitations of the data collected within the two frameworks, the results confirmed the marked usefulness of WFD data as a means of enhancing the knowledge available on lacustrine aquatic habitats in the EU. WFD data can actively help to improve the basic information on aquatic habitats, thereby more effectively supporting regional strategies for biodiversity conservation as well as recovery programs.
Reduction of fecal parasites by Arecha catechu L. seed and Anredera cordifolia (Ten) Steenis leaves powder in laying hens

Arecha catechu L (bettle nut) seed and Anredera cordifolia (Ten) Steenis (“Binahong”) have been shown to have anti helmintic and wound healing activities respectively. Their combine use as phytogenic additives in layers have been shown to reduce serum transaminase. Further study was conducted to evaluate the effect of A. catechu seed and A. cordifolia leaves powder supplementation on fecal parasites number and the performance of laying hens obtained from outdoor small scale layer farmers. Forty eight of 42 weeks old laying hens were allocated randomly into 4 treatment groups i.e. no supplementation (T0), supplemented with 0.025% A. catechu seed and A. cordifolia leaves powder (T0.025%), 0.05% A. catechu seed and A. cordifolia leaves powder (T0.05%), 0.1% A. catechu seed and A. cordifolia leaves powder (T0.1%). Each treatment consisted of six replicates with two hens per replicate. Supplementation were carried out by administering alternately A. catechu seed powder for 3 days followed by A. cordifolia leaves powder for another 3 days. The alternate supplementation for each groups was conducted for 18 days. Feed consumption, egg production, egg weight, hen day production (HDP) were recorded daily. Parasites counts were sampled and enumerated at the beginning and at the end of supplementation. The result showed that alternate supplementation of 0.0.025% A. catechu seed and A. cordifolia leaves powder up to 18 days to 42 weeks old laying hens reduced fecal parasites without affecting performance.
Growth Suppression of Chenopodium album Weed and Growth Promotion Effect on Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by Inoculation of δ-Aminolevulinic Acid Producing Rhizobacteria

Biotic and abiotic stresses are major constraints for crop yield and global food security. Among the biotic stresses, pathogens, insects and weeds cause significant losses in crop production (Rahman et al., 2018) and about 34% loss in yield of major crops’ are caused by weeds annually (Oerke, 2006). Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 7 Number 02 (2018) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
Food intake, preference patterns and digestion coefficients in captive giraffe (giraffa camelopardalis) offered a tannin-containing pelleted diet

We performed preference trials with 3 adult captive giraffes and a group of 3 juveniles in which the animals could choose between a regular pelleted feed and a pelleted feed of the same composition with an addition of 3 % (original weight) tannic acid. One animal completely refused the new diet item, another animal and the juvenile group ate the new diet item in varying amounts, and one animal ingested increasing amounts of the tannic acid item until it had replaced the regular pellet in its diet nearly completely. However, after 8-16 days, the intake of the new diet item decreased again in those animals that accepted it. For the two adult animals which included the tannic acid containing feed in their diet, overall daily dry matter intake increased significantly by 0.9-1.2 kg. The new diet item had no discernable influence on apparent digestibility coefficients. Our results indicate that the outcome of preference trials depends to a great extent on individual preferences, and on the duration of the choice period. The increase in food intake may have been due to the inclusion of tannic acid, or may simply have been an effect of increased food variety.
Agricultural diversity, dietary diversity and nutritional intake: an evidence on inter-linkages from village level studies in eastern India.

The linkage between agriculture and nutrition is complex and often debated in the policy discourse in India. The enigma of fastest growing economy and yet the largest home of under- and mal-nourished population takes away the sheen from the glory of economic achievements of India. In this context, the study has examined the food consumption patterns, assessed the relationship between agricultural production and dietary diversity, and analysed the impact of dietary diversity on nutritional intake. The study is based on a household level panel data from 12 villages of Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha in eastern India. The study has shown that agricultural production diversity is a major determinant of dietary diversity which in turn has a strong effect on calorie and protein intake. The study has suggested that efforts to promote agricultural diversification will be helpful to enhance food and nutrition security in the country. Agricultural programmes and policies oriented towards reducing under-nutrition should promote diversity in agricultural production rather than emphasizing on increasing production through focusing on selected staple crops as has been observed in several states of India. The huge fertilizer subsidies and government procurement schemes limited to a few crops provide little incentives for farmers to diversity their production portfolio.
Fecundity peaks prior to sex transition in a protogynous marine batch spawning fish, black sea bass (Centropristis striata)

Fecundity peaks prior to sex transition in a protogynous marine batch spawning fish, black sea bass (Centropristis striata) Nikolai Klibansky* and Frederick S. Scharf Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 601 S. College Road, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA *Corresponding author: tel: þ252 728 8759; fax: þ252 728 8619; e-mail: nikolai.klibansky@noaa.gov. Present address: US Department of Commerce, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, 101 Pivers Island Road, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA.
Wound healing by marigold (Calendula officinalis) and turmeric (Curcuma longa) Paste: A comparative approach

Objective: This experiment was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic potency of marigold flower (Calendula officinalis) and turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome paste in wound healing. Materials and methods: Thirty six aseptic surgical wounds were tooled in six non-pregnant black Bengal goats dividing them in 3 groups. Month long information and follow-up examinations along with complications such as edema, wound dehiscence, suture abscess, exudation etc. were studied. Wound healing was assessed by observing some morphological characters as well as histopathological changes of the wounded area. Results: Results revealed that negligible elevation of suture line (1.17±0.11 mm) and significant (P<0.01) reduction of sutured area were observed in goats of turmeric group at day 3 (D3) and 7 (D7) respectively. Moreover, histologic appearance of wound of the similar group displayed splendid development of keratin layer and collagen fiber than the others from day 3 (D3). However, therapeutic efficacy of marigold flower paste was not up to the mark as turmeric in this experiment. Control group treated with povidone iodine, showed good results but took long time. Conclusion: This study could patronize veterinarians to consider the use of herbal plants specially turmeric as a great wound healer. It will also reduce toxicities created by haphazard use and applications of pharmaceutical products. The findings of this very experiment will not only prevent the skin degradation but also help to maintain the good health status of animals.
Synthesis and characterization of ZnxHg12xSeyS12y quantum dots

This article describes the synthesis of highly water-soluble ZnxHg1-xSeyS1-y quantum dots (QDs) in aqueous solution through a simple photoassisted reaction between ZnSe QDs and mercury(I) nitrate dihydrate [Hg2(NO3)2 2H2O]. In order to deduce the optimal synthesis conditions, we varied several parameters, including the concentrations of mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA) and Hg2(NO3)2 2H2O, the illumination time, and the reaction temperature. When irradiated at temperatures below 80 C, the ZnSe QDs reacted with the S ions formed rapidly from MSA and the Hg ions formed from Hg2 2? ions to form ZnxHg1-xSeyS1-y QDs through a process of photo-etching and surface combination. Under different conditions, we prepared a series of ZnxHg1-x SeyS1-y QDs that emit fluorescence at the maximum wavelengths ranging from 405 to 760 nm. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectrometry revealed that the content of Hg in the ZnxHg1-xSey S1-y QDs was greater when the synthesis was conducted at higher temperature. The Zn0.88Hg0. 12Se0.44 S0.56 QDs exhibit improved photostability than crude ZnSe QDs and possess long lifetimes (s1 * 38 ns and s2 * 158 ns).
Recovering signals of ghost archaic admixture in the genomes of present-day Africans

Analyses of Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes have characterized multiple interbreeding events between archaic and modern human populations. While several studies have suggested the presence of deeply diverged lineages in present-day African populations, we lack methods to precisely characterize these introgression events without access to reference archaic genomes. We present a novel reference-free method that combines diverse population genetic summary statistics to identify segments of archaic ancestry in present-day individuals. Using this method, we find that 7.97 ±0.6% of the genetic ancestry from the West African Yoruba population traces its origin to an unidentified, archaic population (FDR ≤20%). We find several loci that harbor archaic ancestry at elevated frequencies and that the archaic ancestry in the Yoruba is reduced near selectively constrained regions of the genome suggesting that archaic admixture has had a systematic impact on the fitness of modern human populations both within and outside of Africa.
Functional ecology and imperfect detection of species

Functional traits are increasingly being used to understand the response of species to environmental change and their effects on ecosystem functioning. However, some ecologically important traits, such as plant height, influence the probability of species detection during field surveys. Imperfect detection of species could therefore bias measures of functional trait composition and diversity, leading to incorrect estimates of trait–environment relationships due to a process of “detection filtering. ” The importance of detection filtering for functional ecological studies remains unknown. We used hierarchical models that account for detection filtering to analyse data on 1,296 vascular plant species sampled in 362 1‐km2 plots, distributed along a 2,460‐m elevational gradient in Central Europe. We examined how detection filtering altered measures of functional diversity (multivariate functional richness and packing) and composition (community means of three traits). We also determined whether the strength of detection filtering varied over the gradient, to determine whether detection filtering biased trait–environment relationships. Species detectability was correlated with all three functional traits tested in this study, meaning that short species with small seeds and high specific leaf area values were less likely to be detected. This suggests that imperfect detection has the potential to bias measures of functional composition. Generally, measures of functional composition were not strongly affected by detection filtering, but functional packing was underestimated when detection filtering was not accounted for. In addition to the traits, distributional characteristics were important; rare species and species occurring mainly at low elevations tended to have lower detection probabilities. Overall, detection filtering did not strongly bias trait–environment relationships because the effects of the environment on functional composition and diversity were larger than the effects of detection. Our results suggest that many measures of functional composition and diversity are robust to detection filtering, but some are likely biased. Functional ecologists should consider correcting for imperfect detection, and our approach provides a simple method to do so for a wide range of datasets.
Principal component and discriminant analyses of body weight and conformation traits of Sasso, Kuroiler and indigenous Fulani chickens in Nigeria.

This study aimed at evaluating the body weight (BW) and biometric traits [breast girth (BG), neck circumference (NC), Back length (BL), wing length (WL), thigh length (TL), thigh circumference (TC), shank length (SL) and shank circumference (SC)] of two newly introduced and one Nigerian indigenous chicken strains using multivariate principal components (PCs) and to classify the three genotypes using discriminant analysis. A total of one hundred and fifty chickens of both sexes comprising equal number of Sasso, Kuroiler and the local Fulani ecotype were utilized in the study. The birds, which were six weeks old, were managed intensively in a private farm in Nasarawa State, north central Nigeria. General linear model was used to test the fixed effects of genotype and sex including their interaction on the body parameters. With the exception of BG, the univariate analysis showed that Kuroiler birds had higher (P<0.05) BW and morphometric traits than Sasso, which in turn, were superior (P<0.05) to their Fulani counterparts. Male chickens also had a comparative advantage (P<0.05) over their female counterparts in BW and linear body measurements. There was genotype * sex interaction effect on all the body traits, except TC. The phenotypic correlations among the traits were positive and significant (P<0.05; P<0.01) ranging from 0.41-0.97, 0.47-0.96 and 0.42-0.94 in Sasso, Kuroiler and Fulani chickens, respectively. Factor analysis with varimax rotation of interrelated traits revealed three PCs (Sasso and Kuroiler) and two PCs (Fulani) which accounted for 87.4, 93.9 and 78.9% of the total variance in the genetic groups. The PC-based regression models, which are preferable for selecting birds for optimal balance, accounted for 92, 95 and 88% of the total variation in the BW of Sasso, Kuroiler and Fulani chickens, respectively. The most discriminating variables to separate the chicken genotypes were BG, SC, BW and TC.
Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Aphyodite, with Description of Two New Species (Teleostei: Characidae)

The genus Aphyodite has a complex taxonomic history. It was described as monotypic, and the only diagnosis provided was “an Aphyocharax with a scaled caudal fin”. After the description, the genus was revised twice, but some morphological inconsistences remained, pending a proper morphological analysis. Currently, Aphyodite is a member of Aphyoditeinae and can be distinguished from all the other representatives of this subfamily by having the first infraorbital with a conspicuous sensory canal not reaching the anterior edge of the bone. During the revision of the genus, two new species were found: Aphyodite apiaka, new species, from the Rio Madeira basin, that can be diagnosed from its congeners by the length of the first infraorbital sensorial canal, which is longer than half length of bone; and Aphyodite tupebas, new species, from the Rio Solimões basin, that can be diagnosed from its congeners by the possession of only conical teeth in the premaxilla.
Dynamics of Major Cereals Productivity in Nepal

Cereal crops have played major roles in addressing food security issues in Nepal. In recent years there have been fluctuations in crop production and demands situations due to various reasons. Thus, the present study aims to analyze the dynamics of major cereals productivity in Nepal from 1995 to 2014. Focus group discussions were done in mid-hills and tarai of Nepal in 2015. Percentage change, compound growth rate, annual rate of change, coefficient of variation, instability index were calculated to analyze results. The result shows that the area, production and productivity of major cereals had an increasing trend over the study period. The major factors contributing on productivity increase in cereal crops were irrigation facilities, use of improved and hybrid seeds, chemical fertilizer and better technical knowhow among the farmers. For effective adoption of research outputs to improve the productivity emphasis should also be given on promotion of public private partnership (PPP) in research and development.