Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stem analysis of Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana, Lamb.) : techniques and concepts

Detailed stem analysis data are presented for 6 trees which ranged in age from 44 to 68 years and grew on a range of soils which varied primarily in soil texture. The use of measures of specific growth such as current annual height increment, Type 3 ring width sequences and specific volume increment is discussed in relation to supply of raw materials to the tree. The change in form of tree crown, as reflected by Type 1 ring width sequences is related to the other measures of specific growth. The use of selected parameters of tree growth in relation to tree development and its possible application in silviculture is discussed.
Susceptibility of selected European pear cultivars to infection by Stemphylium vesicarium and influence of leaf and fruit age.

Nonwounded fruit of 16 European pear cultivars (Pyrus communis) and potted Conference pear plant were inoculated with conidia of Stemphylium vesicarium. Cultivars Passe Crassane, Alexandrine, Conference, Doyenne du Comice, Duc de Bordeaux, Abate Fetel, and General Leclerc were highly susceptible. Cultivars Williams, Blanquilla, Beurre Hardy, Louis Bonne, Grand Champion, and Highland were slightly or not susceptible. The susceptibility of fruit decreased logarithmically from fruit set to harvest in very susceptible cultivars. Younger leaves developed 1.8-3 times more disease than older leave
Sharp‐tailed Grouse in the Nebraska Sandhills Select Residual Cover Patches for Nest Sites

We evaluated selection and availability of residual cover (dead standing herbage) by sharp‐ tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) at time of nest‐site selection in an intact and annually grazed grassland. We used radiotelemetry in 1988–1990 to locate 147 nests in the sandhills of Nebraska, USA, and classified 121 as initial nests and 26 as renests. We used visual obstruction readings (VOR) to measure the height and density of residual cover at nests and 373 landscape‐scale transects around leks (trap sites). We excluded 77 nests from vegetation analysis because green herbage or early livestock grazing compromised residual cover measurements. Most females selected nest sites with residual cover, mostly warm‐season grasses, taller and denser than surrounding vegetation. Visual obstruction readings at 70 nests (x̄ = 7.1 cm, SE= 0.4, range= 1.0–19.0) averaged almost twice the VOR of residual cover within 12 m of nests (x̄ = 4.0 cm, SE= 0.3, range= 0.9–11.8) and almost three times the landscape VOR (x̄ = 2.5 cm, SE= 0.1, range= 0.5–7.9). As further evidence of the importance of residual cover, >52% (n> 37) of the females (initial nests) in 1988 and 1989 completed egg‐laying and were incubating before green herbage began contributing to nest cover. More than 88% (n> 42) of the females relied on residual cover through egg‐ laying in 1990 when annual drought delayed foliar development. Interested ranchers and land managers can enhance residual cover through livestock grazing management to attract females and presumably increase nest density, a key component of annual sharp‐tailed grouse productivity. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.
A case study on the relationship between land surface temperature and land surface indices in Raipur City, India

ABSTRACT Land surface temperature (LST) depends primarily on the land surface material and climatic conditions. The present study focuses on deriving the LST of Raipur City and generating the relationship between LST and some land surface indices, like NDVI, NDWI, NDBI, NMDI, and NDBaI for better land-use planning and environmental management inside the city. These land surface indices respond in different ways with the changes of LST in an urban landscape. There are only a few numbers of research works available on the relationship of LST and land surface indices in a tropical city for pre-monsoon season. The present study has been performed on a total of fifteen multi-date Landsat data sets of the pre-monsoon season from 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018. The mono-window algorithm has been applied in retrieving the LST. Results show that LST builds a positive relation with NDBI, NDBaI, and NDWI and a negative relation with NDVI and NMDI. These relationships are stronger in the area below mean LST (low LST zones) and weaker in the area above mean LST (high LST zones). It indicates that the values of LST are largely influenced by the different land surfaces, like vegetation, water, soil, and built-up area.
The Sarchasm: Sarcasm Production and Identification in Spontaneous Conversation

ABSTRACT We tested sarcasm production and identification across original communicators in a spontaneously produced conversational setting, including testing the role of synchronous movement on sarcasm production and identification. Before communicating, stranger dyads participated in either a synchronous or nonsynchronous movement task. They then completed a task designed to elicit sarcasm, although no instruction to produce sarcastic content was provided. After communicating, participants immediately reviewed their conversations and identified their own and their addressees’ sarcastic utterances. No definition of sarcasm was provided. We found that participants who had moved synchronously identified more sarcasm in their own productions. They did not identify more sarcasm in their partner’s productions however. We also discovered that most identifications of sarcasm did not align across conversational participants, and neither did those of outside observers. People reported sarcasm in their addressees commensurate with the sarcasm they produced, rather than the sarcasm that their addressees self-reported. There were numerous cases of sarchasm, where producers’ intended sarcasm was not identified by addressees.
Genetic characterisation and taxonomy of species of Anisakis (Nematoda : Anisakidae) parasitic in Australian marine mammals

Abstract. Three species of Anisakis from Australian marine mammals, including Anisakis brevispiculata, A. simplex C and A. pegreffii, are described and characterised genetically on the basis of sequence data for the first and second internal transcribed spacers (ITS-1 and ITS-2) of nuclear rDNA. Parasite specimens were collected from Delphinus delphis, Tursiops truntatus and Kogia sima in Australia. A. brevispiculata is reported for the first time in Australia. However, analyses of sequence data suggests that A. brevispiculata in Australia is genetically distinct from specimens considered to represent the same species from other parts of the world. Fourth larval and adult stages of A. pegreffii were found in dolphins. Assigning larvae to A. pegreffii was based on the ITS-1 and ITS-2 sequences. A description of these larvae also is provided. Furthermore, fourth-stage larvae of A. simplex C were found in Kogia sima. Alignments of ITS-1 and ITS-2 sequences for members of A. simplex sensu lato revealed that nucleotide differences in ITS-1 can be used to differentiate among members of A. simplex sensu lato. This study reinforces the use of a combined molecular and morphological approach for the specific identification of anisakid nematodes.
Unleashing the Potential of Conversational Agents for Course Evaluations: Empirical Insights from a Comparison with Web Surveys

Recent advances in Natural Language Processing (NLP) bear the opportunity to design new forms of human-computer interaction with conversational interfaces. However, little is known about how these interfaces change the way users respond in online course evaluations. We aim to explore the effects of conversational agents (CAs) on the response quality of online course evaluations in education compared to the common standard of web surveys. Past research indicates that web surveys come with disadvantages, such as poor response quality caused by inattention, survey fatigue or satisficing behavior. We propose that a conversational interface will have a positive effect on the response quality through the different way of interaction. To test our hypotheses, we design an NLP-based CA and deploy it in a field experiment with 176 students in three different course formats and compare it with a web survey as a baseline. The results indicate that participants using the CA showed higher levels of response quality and social presence compared to the web survey. These findings along with technology acceptance measurements suggest that using CAs for evaluation are a promising approach to increase the effectiveness of surveys in general.
The effects of dung beetle activity on the numbers of parasitic gastrointestinal helminth larvae recovered from pasture samples

Studies have been made of the effect of the dung beetle, Onthophagus gazella, on the release of strongyle larvae from cattle faeces onto pasture. A series of faecal pats containing parasitic nematode eggs was placed on pasture, and beetles were added to some pats to give three levels of beetle activity, viz. 100 g, 200-250 g, and 500 g of faeces per pair of beetles. These pats were duplicated on irrigated and non-irrigated pasture. In both cases the numbers of strongyle larvae migrating from pats attacked by dung beetles were significantly less than those migrating from control pats containing no dung beetles. Compared with larval recoveries from control pats, the percentage reduction in numbers of larvae migrating from pats on irrigated pasture was 50% for pats of 100 g faeces per pair of beetles, 48 % for pats of 200-250 g faeces per pair, and 84% for pats of 500 g of faeces per pair. The respective figures for pats on nonirrigated pasture were 76, 86, and 93 % reduction in larval numbers. The results indicated that strongyle larvae migrated from faecal material buried by dung beetles, provided soil moisture was adequate. More larvae were recovered from the pasture surrounding irrigated faecal pats attacked by beetles than from the non-irrigated pats. During warm dry weather, surface faecal debris remaining after beetlc attack appeared to be helminthologically sterile.
Ownership structure and demand for independent directors: evidence from an emerging market

PurposeIn this study, we examine how ownership structure affects the use of independent directors in Vietnam – an emerging stock market.Design/methodology/approachWe develop logit and tobit regression models to investigate the effects of ownership structure on the propensity to use independent directors and the number of independent directors on the board, respectively. Insider ownership and the use of independent directors are proposed to have a non-linear relationship.FindingsWith a sample of 1,318 observations collected from 192 listed firms over the period from 2008 to 2017, we find that insider ownership and independent director appointment have a U-shaped relationship. It is positive when insiders hold a small proportion of shares, and turns out to be negative when insiders hold a large percentage of shares. In addition, both state ownership and foreign ownership are negatively related to firm decisions of appointing independent directors.Practical implicationsOur findings imply that minority shareholders should have appropriate actions to reduce agency costs and protect their own interests. In addition, policymakers should improve the effectiveness of corporate governance legislation to increase the presence of independent directors in order to protect minority shareholders. Moreover, government agencies also need to increase the number of independent directors in state-controlled firms as a means to improve their corporate governance. Foreign investors may be a substitute for independent directors; therefore, firms without independent directors are able to improve their corporate governance by attracting foreign investors.Originality/valueWhile the extant literature shows that independent directors can help firms decrease agency costs of equity in financial decisions and performance, there are relatively few studies investigating corporate decisions to use independent directors. This paper contributes to the literature of corporate governance mechanisms through independent directors in emerging markets.
Task content routinisation, technological change and labour turnover: Evidence from China

This article addresses the unresolved question of whether recent technological change causes job instability in a non-western context. China is now the world’s largest user of industrial robots. A Lewis turning point has been predicted, involving a transition from a plentiful supply of rural low-cost workers to a labour shortage economy in which rising labour costs drive labour-technology substitution. The routine-biased technological change hypothesis suggests that technology-induced routinisation in job task content has a profound impact on employment structure. This study captures the extent of routinisation of jobs in the transitional context of China and examines the incidence and impact of routinisation on labour turnover in the labour market. Using rotating panel data from the China Labour-force Dynamics Survey 2012, 2014 and 2016, this study, based on individual information with regard to flexibility in work schedules and degree of autonomy in workload and task content on the job, follows a recently developed measure to construct a routine intensity index and indicates a division into three routine intensity groups. The empirical findings show that the probability of job mobility is significantly increased with the magnitude of routine task intensity, suggesting that the process of technology-induced routinisation is strongly associated with labour turnover. JEL Codes: J63, J20
Embryonic development in Octopus aegina Gray, 1849

Cephalopods occur in all marine habits of the world. They are extremely important in ecological, biological and biomedical research. The genus Octopus consists of more than 100 species and along with Sepia sp. and Sepiella sp. accounts for about 50% of all described cephalopods. Octopus earns valuable foreign exchange for the country. Knowledge on the embryonic and larval development is essential for hatchery and culture techniques. Development stages of the embryo were sequenced based on morphological characters. During the course of development, the embryo reverses its position two times; the new born resembles adults in form except for its free-swimming mode of life. The gestation period of the embryo was 18 to 20 days at a temperature range of 28-30°C.
Genetic conflict and changes in heterogametic mechanisms of sex determination

The consequences of cytoplasmic sex‐ratio distortion and host repression for the evolution of host sex‐determining mechanisms are examined. Analytical models and simulations are developed to investigate whether the interplay between sex‐ratio distorters and host masculinizers or resistance genes can cause heterogamety switching (changes between male and female heterogamety). Switches from female heterogamety to a system analogous to male heterogamety can occur when selection favours the spread of autosomal masculinizers. However, the evolutionary outcome depends on the type of repressor and costs associated with repression, and also on aspects of population structure. Under most conditions, systems evolved to a polymorphic sex‐determining state although many systems were characterized by numerical dominance of male heterogamety.
The role of social support and its influence on exercise participation: The perspective of self-determination theory and the theory of planned behavior

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of social support from family and friends on the intention to participate in exercise. Considering self-determination theory and the theory of planned behavior, this study hypothesized that basic psychological needs, intrinsic motivation, and attitude mediate the relationship between social support and exercise intention. Data were collected from 318 college students in Singapore. Results showed that friends’ social support directly affected basic psychological needs, and basic psychological needs indirectly influenced exercise intention through intrinsic motivation and attitude. The findings indicate that the combination of social and cognitive interventions is necessary to increase exercise intention, and future research endeavor is needed to explore the comprehensive contextual paths to increase university students’ exercise intention.
Herbal Plants as New Immuno-stimulator in Poultry Industry: A Review

The aim of this study was to review research currently being carried out on the herbal plants and phytogenics that have been shown to modulate the immune system and special attention is given to the use of herbal plants on poultry herbal feed supplement. The uses of herbal plants as health promoters are gaining increasing attention in both consumer and scientific circles. Although, there are few studies which have revealed the mechanism of action of the immunostimulatory compounds of herbal plants but the exact molecular mechanisms of some herbs are not already known. There are several possible explanations for immunomodulation mechanisms of herbal plants and their derivatives that have been put forward. Our attempt here would be to look more closely at the herbal plants mechanisms involved, including from the immunomodulation point of view, and relationships between structures and activities. © 2012 Academic Journals Inc.
Sequence Analysis and Conversion of Genomic RFLP Markers to STS and SSR Markers in Italian Ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.)

To convert RFLP markers of Italian ryegrass to sequence-tagged site (STS) markers, we end-sequenced 93 previously mapped single or low-copy RFLP probes. Eighty-seven clones gave acceptable results from both forward and reverse directions, and 71 contigs were detected, while other clones could not be sequenced completely because their fragments were too long. BLAST search results showed that 16 clones matched sequences reported in rice and other plants. STS primers were designed for all the 93 clones by using Oligo software, and 66 primers amplified a single band with the expected size. Of the 2 SSR primers designed from the 2 clones containing (AT)n or (TTA)n repeats, 1 amplified an SSR. Fifty-seven (85%) of the 67 STS (and SSR) primer pairs could amplify products in perennial ryegrass, 47 (70%) in meadow fescue, and 55 (82%) in tall fescue—species closely related to Italian ryegrass. Forty percent of the STS primers detected within-cultivar length or presence /absence of polymorphisms.
Chemical examination of Swertia densifolia leaf essential oil and its repellent activity towards Apis cerana indica F.

Summary The alcoholic leaf extract of an Indian medicinal plant, Chirayata, Swertia densifolia (Griseb.) (Gentianaceae), is known to show dose-dependant attractant and repellent properties towards Apis cerana indica and Apis florea. We now report repellent activity of the essential oil obtained from these leaves on A. cerana indica F. Chemical examination of the essential oil was carried out by Gas Chromatography—Mass Spectrometry and hitherto unknown chemical constituents were identified as linalool, α-terpineol, stearic acid, hydroquinone and octadecanal. Structural assignments of the first four constituents were confirmed by comparison with the authentic samples. Bioassay of the formulations of linalool and α-terpineol in liquid paraffin showed that they were repellent to A. cerana. Beekeepers might be able to develop repellent formulations based on these findings.
Acute phase nematode infection reduces resting metabolic rate in both protein-sufficient and protein-deficient mice

The objective of this study was to investigate whether protein deficiency concurrent with the acute phase of infection with the murine nematode Heligmosomoides bakeri (Durette-Desset, Kinsella and Forrester, 1972; Tenora and Barus, 2001) affected the resting metabolic rate (RMR) in BALB/c mice, and whether deworming caused RMR to return to normal. Mice fed either a protein-sufficient (PS, 24%) or protein-deficient (PD, 3%) diet were infected with 100 larvae, and then treated with an anthelmintic drug on 9 and 14 days postinfection (dpi). RMR was measured on –2, 2, 7, and 19 dpi. The results showed that protein deficiency did not affect RMR at any of these times. RMR was unchanged immediately following infection (2 vs. –2 dpi) at the time when larvae are first embedded in the serosal musculture. Surprisingly, at 7 dpi when larvae migrate from the serosal musculture into the intestinal lumen, RMR was significantly lower in both diet groups compared with earlier time points. This reduced RMR persisted even a.
Experiments on the nutrition of the dairy heifer

Summary Eight experiments, comprising four randomized-block feeding trials each with 20–45 animals and four changeover-design nitrogen (N) balance trials each with 6–10 animals, were used to study the effect of the addition of formaldehyde to fishmeal and to casein, of severe heating of fishmeal, and of tannin treatment of a mixture of vegetable protein-rich foods on the utilization of N for growth. Added in moderate amounts to rations demonstrated within the experiments to be deficient in N, quantities, but not the preparations, of N in the diet were critical to growth save at very low N intakes when the untreated foodstuffs were used more efficiently. Additional energy given in isonitrogenous rations increased growth, reducing N losses in the urine.
A THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF ALGAL CELLS TO THE ATTENUATION OF LIGHT WITHIN NATURAL WATERS I. GENERAL TREATMENT OF SUSPENSIONS OF PIGMENTED CELLS

SUMMARY A theoretical treatment of light attenuation within suspensions of phytoplankton, which takes account of the heterogeneous distribution of pigment in the system, is described. As a measure of the effect of canopy structure on light attenuation, a new parameter, the penetration coefficient (Pλ) is introduced, this being defined as the ratio of the downward monochromatic radiation flux at a given depth in the suspension to that within an equivalent solution of the algal pigments. A set of rules is established, applicable to cells of any shape or orientation, which characterizes the relationship between the penetration coefficient and the parameters of canopy structure (cell number, size, pigment composition etc.). A standardized procedure for calculating the spectral distribution of, and the vertical attenuation coefficients for, photo-synthetically active radiation within model phytoplankton suspensions, is outlined.
IMPLANTATION SYSTEMS AND SURFACE IRRIGATION FOR MAIZE CROP IN LOWLAND AREAS

The raised seedbed implantation system and the use of surfaceirrigation can be important practices to enable rotation with rice and ensure the expression of the productive potential of maize in lowland areas. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the use of implantation systems and surface irrigation on agronomic characteristics and grain yield of maize crop in lowland areas. Two experiments were conducted in the experimental lowland area of the Federal University of Santa Maria – UFSM, during the 2014/15 crop season. The experiments consisted in the use of implantation systems with and without raised seedbeds and surface irrigation. The evaluated characteristics were plant height, shoot dry mass, leaf area index, yield components and grain yield. Plant height, leaf area index and shoot dry mass are higher when maize is grown in raised seedbeds in lowland areas. The raised seedbed system can be considered an efficient way to improve drainage in the cultivation area, resulting in a higher grain yield. The use of irrigation during periods of water deficit, in the critical period of crop growth, increases the grain yield of maize grown in lowland areas.