Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of farmers' socioeconomic characteristics on access to agricultural information: empirical evidence from Pakistan.

In agriculture, the role of information cannot be over emphasized in enhancing the agricultural development. Information is cru cial for increasing agricultural production and improving marketing & distribution strategies. Agricultural extension has a strong reliance on information exchange among farmers. The present study intends to identifyvarious agricultural information source s of farmers , their access to agricultural information and its association with the socio -economic characteristics. A proportionate sample of 361 respondents was selected at random from the subscribers of three selected agricultural magazines by using Fitz gibbon table. The data were collected with the help of a pre-tested and validated questionnaire and were analyzed by using computer software Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics such as simple frequency, percentage, mean ,and standard deviation were used. On the basis of weighted score the rank order was determined. Also, bivariate analysis was used to test the level of association between the selected variables. The results showed that the print media and fellow farmers we re the major information sources of farmers. The results further revealed that education and size of land holding had highly significant positive relationship with access to agricultural information while age and farming experience had non -significant relationship. The results of the study therefore reveal that there is a dire need for the effective implementation of policies on adequate and easy accessibility of agricultural information to the farmers to enhance the agricultural production.
The fine structure of mitosis in Pavlova (Prymnesiophyceae)

The ultrastructure of mitosis in the algal flagellates Pavlova lutheri and P. salina has been examined, the observations have been compared with those reported previously from other species included in the class Prymnesiophyceae, and a number of important differences have been noted. For example, mitosis is preceded by the replication of the chloroplasts and flagellar apparatus, but in contrast to other prymnesiophytes, separation of the replicated systems does not occur until a late stage in cell division. Furthermore, there is a close relationship between the spindle microtubules and the fibrous root of the longer of the two markedly unequal flagella, and instead of the usual straight prymnesiophycean spindle, the longitudinal axis of the Pavlova mitotic spindle has a marked U- or V-shape which persists throughout metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. It is concluded that such features emphasize the validity of the order Pavlovales as a natural group within the class.
Effects of planting season and plant cultivar on growth, development, and pod production in snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

The effects of cultivar and planting season on growth development and pod yield of snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were analysed in a 2-year, 2-location experiment in Spain. Phenology, pod production, and quality differed significantly among snap bean cultivars. Planting season had a significant effect on most pod traits except the number of seeds per pod, length, thickness, soluble solids content, tenderness, and string, and this effect varied markedly among environments. High and negative correlations for vegetative growth traits between early and late planting seasons confirmed the strong planting season influence on those traits. Fresh pod yields were highest in the early planting season, and the longer pod maturation phase could be considered to be one of the main factors. Planting of snap bean earlier in the season should thus contribute to a longer growing vegetative cycle and greater productivity than normal or summer and late autumn planting. The earliest maturing snap bean cultivars would have the highest fresh pod yields in late planting seasons, while the latest maturing snap bean cultivars would have the highest yields in early and normal planting seasons. These results will allow breeders to optimise the level of earliness for each planting season without reducing the yield. This is a key requirement for snap bean crops, and it is the first step towards selecting parental lines with stability of pod traits to be used in breeding programs for different growing areas and planting seasons.
Are elevated δ15N values in herbivores in hot and arid environments caused by diet or animal physiology

Summary 1. Mammalian species from hot and arid environments often have elevated nitrogen isotope values compared to animals from similar trophic levels in more temperate climates. This pattern has most often been explained as the result of a physiological response by animals to heat and water stress. However, a positive correlation between rainfall and the δ15N values of plants and herbivorous mammalian species suggests that diet may be responsible. 2. This study uses the horn keratin of desert-adapted bovids (Dorcas gazelle and Nubian ibex) to test whether the δ15N values of herbivore body tissues are determined by heat and water stress or by the isotopic composition of their diet. The δ15N values of horn keratin are compared against several climatic factors that affect heat and water stress to determine if a relationship exists. In addition, the range of δ15N values measured in desert vegetation is used to evaluate the contribution of the diet to the isotopic values of bovid body tissue. 3. The δ15N values of desert bovid horn keratin were correlated against individual climatic factors that induce water stress and were not found to be significant. When climatic factors were combined, a significant positive correlation was found between the δ15N values of Dorcas gazelles and temperature, humidity, and rainfall. This observation contradicts the physiological stress hypothesis that predicts a negative correlation between rainfall and humidity and δ15N values. Instead, this correlation is likely attributable to denitrification processes in the soil that directly affect the isotopic values of the plants. Values for δ15N of horn keratin fall within the range predicted by discrimination between diet and consumer (Δ = 4·1‰) which supports the diet hypothesis. 4. The results suggest that the isotopic composition of the diet is the dominant factor determining the δ15N values of herbivore body tissue.
Effects of engineering charged amino acids in the C H 3 domains on antibody heavy chain dimerization

complementary charged amino acids engineered on the CH3 domains was investigated. The T366 and Y407 located on the CH3 domain interface of two antitumor antibodies, CC49IL2 (CC49 with an interleukin-2 attached to its carboxyl end) and COL-1, were replaced with arginine and glutamic acid residues, respectively. The possible attraction of the complementary charges to form a heterodimer was detected by simultaneously expressing the engineered CC49IL2 and COL-1 constructs in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cells. Among the combinations studied, the Y407R / T366E combination yielded the highest amount of heterodimer which is about 68% of the total dimers produced compared to about 30% and 33% for the other two combinations, T366R / Y407E and T366R:Y407R / T366E:Y407E, respectively. Modeling of the engineered mutations showed that two H-bonds could form between R407 T on CC49IL2 chain and E366 on COL-1 which could explain why the combination Y407R / T366E resulted in more of the heterodimer than the other two combinations studied. These results suggest that pairing of complementary charges engineered on CH3 region can result in the attraction of different antibody chains favoring formation of a heterodimer or a bispecific antibody.
Differential activity of allelochemicals from Secale cereale in seedling bioassays

Abstract Differential activities of BOA, DIBOA, and crude water extract of Secale cereale ‘Elbon’ were studied in culture dish bioassays using several vegetable and weed species. On average, DIBOA was about seven times more inhibitory to root growth and four times more inhibitory to shoot growth than BOA. Allelochemicals from S. cereale inhibited shoot more than root elongation of cucurbits Cucumis melo, Cucumis sativus, and Cucurbita pepo. Small-seeded crops Lycopersicon esculentum and Lactuca sativa were sensitive to S. cereale. Large-seeded crops, including the cucurbits and Zea mays var. rogusa, were tolerant. Among the small-seeded weeds Amaranthus palmeri, Digitaria sanguinalis, Echinochloa crus-galli, and Eleusine indica, E. crus-galli was least susceptible. Inhibition of germination by BOA or DIBOA occurred only in small- to medium-seeded species, including A. palmeri, D. sanguinalis, E. indica, L. sativa, L. esculentum, and Sida spinosa. Large-seeded species C. melo, C. sativus, C. melopepo, Z. mays var. rogusa, Ipomoea hederacea var. integriuscula, Ipomoea lacunosa, and Senna obtusifolia were tolerant to allelochemicals from S. cereale. This bioassay indicated a promising potential for controlling small-seeded weeds in large-seeded crops. Nomenclature:BOA, (3H)-benzoxazolinone; DIBOA, 2,4-dihydroxy-1,4-(2H)benzoxazine-3-one; Echinochloa crus-galli L. Beauv. ECHCG, barnyardgrass; Ipomoea hederacea var. integriuscula L. IPOHE, entireleaf morningglory; Eleusine indica L. Gaertn. ELEIN, goosegrass; Digitaria sanguinalis L. Scop. DIGSA, large crabgrass; Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats. AMAPA, Palmer amaranth; Ipomoea lacunosa L. IPOLA, pitted morningglory; Sida spinosa L. SIDSP, prickly sida; Senna obtusifolia L. CASOB, sicklepod; Cucumis melo L. , cantaloupe; Cucumis sativus L. , cucumber; Lactuca sativa L. , lettuce; Secale cereale L. , rye; Cucurbita pepo var. melopepo L. cv. Alef. , summer squash; Zea mays var. rogusa Bonaf, sweet corn; Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. , tomato.
Fluctuations in Numbers and Activity of Inshore Demersal Fishes in Shetland

Prey populations, patterns of availability, and dispersion of prey can have farreaching effects on numbers and range-sizes of terrestrial Carnivora (Macdonald, 1983; Kruuk & Parish, 1982; Kruuk & Macdonald, 1985). These parameters may therefore also affect populations of otters Lutra lutra, living in the sea around Shetland, U.K., as well as populations of fish-eating birds there. This paper presents observations on fluctuations in numbers and activity of several species of demersal fish, over a 3½ year period, along a coast in Shetland. It aims to provide information on the distribution and availability of these species to some predators, especially to the otter, but also to the heron Ardea cinerea, the black guillemot Cepphus grylle and others.
Recruitment of Estuarine-Dependent Alosines to Roanoke River and Albemarle Sound, North Carolina

The deleterious effects of dams on alosine populations are widely documented in many rivers along the Atlantic coast. Alterations to the natural hydrologic regime can disrupt spawning egg dispersal and recruitment of larvae to nursery habitats. The goal of this study was to investigate the ecological processes that influence recruitment of river herring (blueback herring Alosa aestivalis and alewife A. pseudoharengus) to nursery habitats within lower Roanoke River and Albemarle Sound North Carolina. It was hypothesized that variability in abiotic conditions and fluctuations in food abundance could structure nursery habitat and severely restrict recruitment. Ichthyoplankton and zooplankton samples were collected concurrently March through June 2008-09 at 19 stations within three areas: River Delta and Sound. Significant spatial and temporal differences were observed for river herring abundances. Abundances (number/100mÂ³ Â± SD) were significantly higher in 2009 (30.8 Â± 149.8) than in 2008 (4.1 Â± 20.9). Across both years abundances within the River (21.0 Â± 127.6) were significantly higher than those in Delta (7.4 Â± 35.4) and Sound (4.6 Â± 24.8). Yolk-sac larvae were prevalent throughout samples (32%); however larvae collected were predominantly preflexion stage (66%). Fish ages ranged from 4 to 19 days after hatch. Growth rates were similar for blueback herring (0.29 Â± 0.16 mm/d) and alewife (0.30 Â± 0.14 mm/d). Growth estimates were indicative of habitat quality and suggested riverine habitats supported the highest growth rates. Mortality estimates for blueback herring (0.76 Â± 0.23 per day) were significantly higher than mortality estimates for alewife (0.64 Â± 0.17 per day). High mortality for both years was probably related to larval dispersal and advective loss. Larvae do not appear to be food limited in this system as indicated by diet analyses and the spatiotemporal overlap between river herring and zooplankton. Decreasing zooplankton abundance was correlated with larval abundance and suggests foraging by larval alosines could negatively alter the structure of the zooplankton community. Diets varied little with early ontogeny and the smallest taxa (copepod nauplii and rotifers) accounted for over 85% of the diet. Because of a high-level of dietary overlap intraspecific and interspecific competition is substantial for anadromous alosines. The result of long-term data analysis (1984 - 2009) for larval and juvenile river herring confirms Roanoke-Albemarle stocks are in decline. Larval fish abundance was negatively affected by spring river flow (rÂ² = 0.62). High flows (> 300 mÂ³/s) resulted in larval advection from Roanoke River. Spring river flow was positively correlated with juvenile abundance (r = 0.95) and best recruitment of juveniles occurs in years with moderate spring river flow (141 - 311 mÂ³/s).
Chemical composition and sensory traits of meat of fatteners fed with mixtures containing corn oil without or with the addition of α-tocopherol acetate.

of 200 mg/kg of mixture for the experimental group were used. The addition of vitamin E to the diet caused a significant decrease in MUFA level in longissimus and semimembranosus muscles (p<0.05) along with an increase in the PUFA level in the ham and the loin respectively from 20.34% and 14.84% to 22.98% and 16.48%. The differences were not significant. The addition of α-tocopherol acetate to the diet fattened with the corn oil caused an increase in unsaturated fatty acids from the n-6 family, mainly the linoleic (C18:2) and arachidonic (C20:4) acids. A significant decrease of the oleic acid (C18:1) in the semimembranosus muscle of fatteners from the experimental group from 39.4% to 35.2% (p<0.01) was found. A tendency to reduce the CLA level in the semimembranosus muscle of pigs obtaining higher doses of α-tocopherol acetate was observed. A significant decrease in the total cholesterol level in the semimembranosus muscle from 68.4 to 52.8 (mg/100g) and a tendency to reduce its content in the longissimus muscle were found in this study. It was observed that the addition of the α-tocopherol acetate in the amount of 200 mg/kg of mixture significantly increased the α-tocopherol level (p<0.01) in longissimus and semimebranosus muscles respectively from 1.58 and 1.56 to 3.37 and 3.33 (µg/g of fresh meat). The effect of vitamin E on the derivative metabolites of lipid oxidation (TBARS) after 60 days of storage at -19°C was not observed. The positive influence of the α-tocopherol acetate in the diet on the improvement of the palatability and the flavour of the semimembranosus muscle of ham was observed in this study.
SEASONAL AND SPATIAL DIFFERENCES IN DIET IN THE WESTERN STOCK OF STELLER SEA LIONS (EUMETOPIAS JUBATUS)

Abstract We identified prey remains from 3,762 scats (feces) of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus). Scats were collected from 1990–1998 on island sites across most of the range of the United States western stock of the species. Walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) and Atka mackerel (Pleurogrammus monopterygius) were the 2 most common species of prey, followed by salmonids (Oncorhynchus) and Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus). An additional 16 species of fish and unidentified cephalopods were considered primary in the diet, either because they occurred in >5% of scats collected across the range in winter and summer or because they consistently occurred among the top 3 prey items in particular islands or island groups. Capelin (Mallotus villosus) occurred at very low frequencies despite their predominance in the diet of Steller sea lions before the 1980s. Regions of diet similarity suggest area-specific foraging strategies, with strong seasonal patterns in consumption of most species of prey. Patterns in prey consumption and characteristics of prey indicate that Steller sea lions target prey that are densely schooled in spawning or migratory aggregations at the continental shelf or along oceanographic boundary zones. We suggest that regional diet patterns among the western stock reflect regional foraging strategies of females learned at islands near the natal rookery site.
Ecological consequences of amphibian larvae and their native and alien predators on the community structure of temporary ponds

SUMMARY 1. Connections between consumers and resources in food webs are complex and affect the structure and functioning of ecosystems. We assessed the influence of amphibians as consumers on the structure and functioning of temporary ponds, determining their impact on macrophyte abundance, zooplankton diversity and water chemistry. 2. The effect of amphibians may be modulated by interactions with predators or competitors that alter tadpole density or behaviour. Therefore, we also investigated the consumptive and non-consumptive effects of native and invasive predators on amphibian larvae and pond ecosystems. 3. High amphibian density decreased macrophyte biomass and zooplankton diversity and increased water turbidity and nutrient content. These effects were largely attributable to tadpoles of the largest herbivorous species, spadefoot toads (Pelobates cultripes). In the absence of spadefoot toads, amphibians unexpectedly affected plant biomass positively. 4. Invasive crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) altered community structure in similar ways to high densities of amphibians and caused greater mortality of amphibian larvae than did native predators. 5. The high herbivorous impact of spadefoot toads and invasive crayfish carried over to the following hydrological cycle.
Predation and kin-structured populations: an empirical perspective on the evolution of cooperation

In animal societies, kin selection is a critical evolutionary process, with cooperation evolving principally among relatives living in kin-structured populations. Theoretical and empirical studies have largely focused on population viscosity--the timing or distance of dispersal--as the key factor generating kin structure. This is despite extensive theoretical broadening of the factors and processes influencing effective population size, variance in reproduction, and relatedness. Here, we explore predation mortality as a specific driver of population-level reproductive skew and variance in fecundity to show how a common and perhaps underappreciated event in organism life history can give rise to patterns of relatedness. We develop our case study around an empirically derived model where elevated relatedness arises from predation that alters the timing and nature of offspring mortality, essentially driving variance in fecundity. This leads to dramatic changes in the emergent kin structure of the surviving breeding population. Our in-silico experiments recover the theoretical predictions that when predation acts on clusters of individuals and effectively removes whole family groups (i.e., broods), rather than individuals, from the pool of potential recruits, there is a greater kin structure in the emergent adult population. We conclude that empirical attempts to understand the factors promoting kin-structured populations and the evolution of sociality should now match theoretical efforts to be more inclusive of ecological process generating life history and demographic variability. Copyright 2011, Oxford University Press.
The life history of Haplorchis pumilio (Looss, 1896) from cultured tilapias

The metacercaria of Haplorchis pumilio (Looss, 1896) (Digenea: Hetero-phyidae) was found to occur commonly in intensively reared tilapias (Tilapia, Sarotherodon) in an East African fish farm. The life cycle on the farm was found to involve the gastropod Melanoides tuberculata (Muller) as the first intermediate host. The infection was experimentally transmitted to fish in fresh water from naturally infected molluscs. The salinity of the water on the farm varied with season from 0 to 3%0, but cercariae were shown to remain infective up to 10%0 although longevity was reduced at 7.5%0. Piscivorous predators, Ardea cinerea L. , Phalocrocorax sp. and Varanus sp. , which were resident or regular visitors to the farm were heavily infected with the parasite. Mice, hamsters and pigeons were found to be convenient laboratory hosts. H. pumilio shows a lack of specificity at the second intermediate and final host level as well as a wide geographic range and has been reported to infect man. Its potential as a possible cause of zoonoses, and control methods are discussed.
Ontogeny of Cranial Epi-Ossifications in Triceratops

Abstract Historically, the scarcity of non-adult Triceratops fossils collected from Upper Cretaceous sediments of North America limited our understanding and promoted controversy with regard to the morphology, and presence or absence of cranial epi-ossifications in this widely known horned dinosaur. The recent discovery of several exceptionally well preserved juvenile and subadult Triceratops skulls and numerous juvenile, subadult, and adult cranial elements, from the Hell Creek Formation of eastern Montana, confirms the ontogeny and morphology of epi-ossifications in this study. We propose to standardize the terminology for these four cranial epi-ossifications: epinasal, epijugal, epiparietal, and episquamosal. We describe the ontogeny and timing of the fusion of each of these epi-ossifications and the rostral from a cranial growth series. Although the timing is variable, the epinasal fuses first, followed by the rostal, the epijugals, the episquamosals, and lastly by the epiparietals. Co-ossification of the epinasal, rostral and epijugals unites several of the anterior (rostral-nasal-premaxillae) and lateral (jugal-quadratojugal) skull elements. In combination with forward directed postorbital horns and a massive fan-shaped frill, cranial epi-ossifications may have enhanced visual display and species communication in Triceratops.
TRILOBITE SYSTEMATICS: THE LAST 75 YEARS

Abstract The progress achieved in trilobite systematics over the last 75 years is briefly reviewed. Different approaches to phylogenetics have influenced the way trilobites have been classified. Classical evolutionary taxonomy, the stratigraphical approach, and cladistics have all contributed in different ways to the current classification, which has evolved piecemeal, and is still unsatisfactory is some ways. Nonetheless, progress towards a phylogenetic classification has been made, especially as the result of information from ontogenies provided by well-preserved silificified material. Trilobites are a well-defined clade within a larger arachnomorph group. Agnostida have been excluded from Trilobita, but are perhaps best considered as specialised trilobites, at least until limbs of eodiscids are described. The outstanding problems in classification of each trilobite order are reviewed. Most are concerned with the recognition of the appropriate Cambrian sister taxa, and the discovery of the relevant ontogenies. It is very likely that post-Cambrian clades “root” deeply into the Cambrian. The coherence, or otherwise, of Proetida, Asaphida, Corynexochida and the lichid/odontopleurid groups will be resolved by such studies. The problems of paraphyly in Ptychopariida and Redlichiina may prove more obdurate. The temporal brevity of certain Cambrian family ranges may be partly a taxonomic artefact. The possibility of a late Cambrian gap in the record on some clades should be considered.