Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Life History Variation and the Coexistence of a Daphnia Hybrid With Its Parental Species

Life history variation and genotype composition were studied in two species of the Daphnia longispina group: the relatively large D. galeata (1.4 mm) and the smaller D. cucullata (0.9 mm). Several multi-locus genotypes of these species were compared with genotypes of their interspecific hybrid, D. cucullata X D. galeata. Both species and the hybrid co-occur in the shallow eutrophic Tjeukemeer. For two successive years, laboratory life table experiments were conducted at three temperatures (12.5? , 17.5? , and 22.5eC) and two food levels (carbon concentrations 0.62 and 1.64 pg/mL) to study the mechanisms that permit coexistence of taxa in this Daphnia hybrid species complex. Three-way analyses of variance showed significant main effects (e.g., temperature, food level, taxon) for most reproductive traits (e.g., number of newborns, age at first reproduction, number of juvenile instars, intrinsic rate of increase) among the Daphnia taxa. For size-related traits (e.g., size at maturity and offspring size) only one main effect, taxon, was found. Hybrids were intermediate to the parental species with respect to size at maturity, offspring size, and number of newborns. For developmental traits (number of juvenile instars and age at maturity) the hybrids tended to have the lowest values for all conditions. The intrinsic rate of increase (r) of the hybrid did not differ significantly from that of D. galeata, but was significantly higher than that of D. cucullata. We argue that essentially r will reach higher values for the hybrids than for D. galeata, because of the strong influence of size-selective fish predation. Our results are discussed in reference to different theories about the main- tenance of hybrid species complexes in nature.
Conjugal Relations and Stepchildren’s Well-being: Exploring the Experiences of Remarried Women in Bangladesh

Drawing on qualitative research in Sylhet, Bangladesh, this article explores the patterns of conjugal relations of remarried women who have children from previous marriage(s). We are primarily concerned here with the potential impacts of remarriage for women and children’s well-being. Regardless of gendered identity, it continues to be the case that the majority of Bangladeshi people are married only once. However, remarriage and polygamy are not uncommon, and this tends to be particularly the case among people living in poverty. This study is based on ethnographic observation and life history interviews with 12 remarried women from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Drawing on this data, we argue that remarriage can render custodian mothers’ lives more difficult through the complex negotiation between the needs and desires of their new husbands versus the well-being of their children. The sociocultural structure of Bangladesh continues to be framed by specifically located patriarchy. In this context, women’s remarriage challenges normative conjugal relations, and the resulting intrafamilial negotiations can adversely affect both mothers’ and children’s well-being.
A Forecast Model for the First Occurrence of Phytophthora Blight on Chili Pepper after Overwintering

An infection risk model for Phytophthora blight on chili pepper was developed to estimate the first date of disease occurrence in the field. The model consisted of three parts including estimation of zoosporangium formation, soil water content, and amount of active inoculum in soil. Daily weather data on air temperature, relative humidity and rainfall, and the soil texture data of local areas were used to estimate infection risk level that was quantified as the accumulated amount of active inoculum during the prior three days. Based on the analysis on 190 sets of weather and disease data, it was found that the threshold infection risk of 224 could be an appropriate criterion for determining the primary infection date. The 95% confidence interval for the difference between the estimated date of primary infection and the observed date of first disease occurrence was 8 ± 3 days. In the model validation tests, the observed dates of first disease occurrence were within the 95% confidence intervals of the estimated dates in the five out of six cases. The sensitivity analyses suggested that the model was more responsive to temperature and soil texture than relative humidity, rainfall, and transplanting date. The infection risk model could be implemented in practice to control Phytophthora blight in chili pepper fields.
Reproductive sharing among queens in the ant Formica fusca

Reproductive sharing among cobreeders, in which reproductive shares may vary from equal contribution (low reproductive skew) to reproductive dominance by one individual (high reproductive skew), is a fundamental feature of animal societies. Recent theoretical work, the reproductive skew models, has focused on factors affecting the degree to which reproduction is skewed within a society. We used the parameters provided by skew models as a guideline to study determinants of reproductive sharing in polygyne ants. As a model system we used two-queen laboratory colonies of the ant Formica fusca in which the reproductive shares of each queen was assessed from offspring by using allozymes and DNA microsatellites. We tested how the different variables included in reproductive skew models (queen-queen relatedness, potential fighting ability, productivity, and worker relatedness reflected by queen number in the colony of origin) affect reproductive sharing among queens. The results showed that the relatedness among queens explained 26% of the variation in reproductive skew. The size difference between queens (reflecting potential fighting ability), colony productivity, and worker relatedness did not have an effect on reproductive partitioning among cobreeders. To our knowledge, this is the first study to test for the effects of various determinants of skew in an experimental setting. Copyright 2003.
Feeding responses of adult seven-spotted ladybirds, Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae), to insecticide contaminated prey in laboratory arenas

Abstract The behavioural responses previously reported from Coccinella septempunctata to the organophosphate, dimethoate, have implications for the effective development of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. Through a series of simple tests, coccinellids’ consumption rates were measured from live pesticide-resistant aphids, treated with five insecticides from three chemical classes: carbamates, organophosphates and pyrethroids. This study quantifies for the first time the doses of ingested insecticide to which C. septempunctata responds, and demonstrates that a number of insecticides can cause C. septempunctata to change its feeding behaviour. Females were confirmed to eat more than males, and responses to insecticides were observed more frequently in females. Aphid consumption was reduced most in the pyrethroid treatment groups, but choice tests found no preference for either treated or untreated prey in any group. The results are discussed in terms of the mechanism by which coccinellids detect insecticides, and the consequences for IPM.
Germinação de sementes de plantas daninhas de pastagens cultivadas: Mimosa pudica e Ipomoea asarifolia.

Mimosa pudica and Ipomoea asarifolia are important weeds of cultivated pasture in the Brazilian Amazon Region. This research analyzes the effects of the change in soil and climate factors on the germination (percentage and germination speed index) of these species. Germination was monitored for a 15-day period, with daily counting and elimination of the germinated seeds. The results showed that soil factors such as aluminum, pH, calcium, and magnesium did not influence the germination of the two weed species. The germination of both M. pudica and I. asarifolia is independent of light exposure. Optimum germination (percentage and germination speed index) temperature for both species was continuous, at 30 oC or alternated 25-35 oC temperature, even though the M. pudica seeds germinated satisfactorily in continuous temperature above and under 30 oC, and in all combinations of alternated temperatures. Comparatively, the germination speed index was more sensitive to the effects of the temperature than the germination percentage. Both species responded negatively to the increase in salt concentration, with M. pudica being more tolerant to salt than I. asarifolia.
Future Transboundary Water Stress and Its Drivers Under Climate Change: A Global Study

Various transboundary river basins are facing increased pressure on water resources in near future. However, little is known ab out the future drivers globally, namely, changes in natural local runoff and natural inflows from upstream parts of a basin, as well as local and upstream water consumption. Here we use an ensemble of four global hydrological models forced by five global climate models and the latest greenhouse‐gas concentration (RCP) and socioeconomic pathway (SSP) scenarios to assess the impact of these drivers on transboundary water stress in the past and future. Our results show that population under water stress is expected to increase by 50% under a low population growth and emissions scenario (SSP1‐RCP2.6) and double under a high population growth and emission scenario (SSP3‐RCP6.0), compared to the year 2010. As changes in water availability have a smaller effect when water is not yet scarce, changes in water stress globally are dominated by local water consumption—managing local demand is thus necessary in order to avoid future stress. Focusing then on the role of upstream changes, we identified upstream availability (i.e., less natural runoff or increased water consumption) as the dominant driver of changes in net water availability in most downstream areas. Moreover, an increased number of people will be living in areas dependent on upstream originating water in 2050. International water treaties and management will therefore have an increasingly crucial role in these hot spot regions to ensure fair management of transboundary water resources.
Zinc, copper, iron, manganese and boron uptake by cotton on cracking clay soils of high pH

To determine the extent and timing of uptake of some micronutrients in cotton, 35 cotton crops were surveyed in 1 season and detailed sampling of whole plants and node segments at 1 site was done in 2 seasons. The soils were cracking clays of high pH. Meaned over all sites, iron was taken up in greatest amounts (600 g/ha), followed by manganese (450 g/ha), boron (200 g/ha), zinc (60 g/ha) and copper (20 g/ha). Based on critical values established elsewhere, none of the sites was judged to be primarily deficient or excessive in any of these micronutrients, but Zn status was the lowest in plant tissue and Mn the highest. At the levels found, there were poor relationships between soil tests and subsequent uptake of each micronutrient. Copper, boron and zinc were taken up throughout the season but Fe uptake was almost complete by flowering. It was calculated that continued uptake of Zn throughout the season was necessary, as redistribution from leaves was insufficient to sustain boll requirements. An analysis of fuzzy seed and lint indicated that 3 g of copper, 12 g manganese, 13g zinc, 21g boron and 66 g of iron are removed at harvest for each bale (225 kg) of lint.
Fiber sources in diets for newly weaned piglets

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of purified cellulose, soybean hulls and citrus pulp in the diet of weaned piglets. A total of 72 piglets (36 castrated males and 36 females) weaned at 21 days of age (BW 6.45±0.66 kg) was distributed according to a randomized block design, for evaluation of performance, transit time, diarrhea incidence and blood parameters of piglets which received diets containing different sources of fiber. The experimental diets were: control diet - diet composed of corn, soybean meal and a source of lactose; control + 1.5% purified cellulose; control + 3% soybean hull and control + 9% citrus pulp. The inclusion of purified cellulose, soybean hulls and citrus pulp in diets of weaned piglets did not affect the performance or transit time of diets in the gastrointestinal tract. However, the use of purified cellulose reduced incidence of diarrhea. The use of purified cellulose, soybean hull and citrus pulp in the diet of weaned piglets does not affect performance or gastrointestinal transit time. The addition of purified cellulose promotes a beneficial effect to control the diarrhea in weaned piglets.
Floral Diversity and Distribution in the High Altitude Cold Desert of Ladakh, India

This study deals with the floral diversity and distribution patterns in plant species in relation to environmental gradients in the high altitude cold desert of Ladakh, India. An extensive literature survey and field explorations were made across the different parts of Ladakh in order to create a compilation of vascular plant species. For the quantification of vegetation, a total of eight habitat types were identified and sampled using the point intercept method. In all, 647 species of vascular plants belonging to 58 families and 243 genera were documented. Asteraceae (89 species), Poaceae (66 species), Brassicaceae (54 species), and Fabaceae (43 species) were the dominant families. Astragalus was the most dominant genus as it obtained 24 species, followed by Polygonum (18 species), Artemisia (15 species), and Potentilla (14 species). Among the habitats, riverine beds contained the highest frequency of plant species, followed by narrow gorges and tablelands. The crags and ridges had the lowest frequency of plants. Relatively high water and moisture availability may be the cause of the high frequency of plant species in riverine beds and narrow gorges. The vegetation composition was influenced by elevation; however, the intensity of change reduced at >4500-m elevation. The conservation and management of high altitude cold desert vegetation are discussed based on field observations and findings.
Strength and conditioning practices of franchise-level cricket trainers

Background The purpose of this investigation was to determine the strength and conditioning practices implemented by cricket trainers and coaches at an elite level. Methods An online survey, adapted from previous strength and conditioning questionnaires, was sent to trainers currently working with the franchise cricket teams in South Africa. The survey consisted of four main sections including a general strength and conditioning, cricket- specific and injury prevention category. Results The results indicated that trainers (n = 5) implement planned sessions throughout the different phases of the season and that certain injury prevention practices are applied. Furthermore, player workload is monitored for all disciplines (batsmen, bowlers and fielders). Conclusion These results can be used as a tool to educate coaches and trainers to ensure the correct strength and conditioning practices are implemented. Additionally the study showed that strength and conditioning practices at the elite level can be implemented without specialised equipment and facilities, which is important for teams that are constantly travelling. Lastly it showed the importance of looking at all aspects of health and skill related fitness.
Testing lineage and comparative methods for inferring adaptation

The competing lineage (homology) and comparative (convergence) methods for inferring adaptation are distinguished by their falsification and verification practices, respectively. Although these are substantially different paradigms of historical inference, their theoretical and philosophical presuppositions can be tested in a rigorous and comparable manner. Several such tests were performed. Sufficient outright failures were recorded for both methods to call into question their validity as sources of increased knowledge of adaptation.
Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus Esculentus) Control and Peanut Tolerance to S-Metolachlor and Diclosulam Combinations

Field studies were conducted in different peanut-growing areas of Texas during the 1999 through 2001 growing seasons to evaluate yellow nutsedge control and peanut tolerance to diclosulam alone applied PRE, S-metolachlor alone applied POST, or diclosulam applied PRE followed by (fb) S-metolachlor applied POST. Yellow nutsedge control was > 80% at five of six locations when diclosulam at 0.018 or 0.026 kg/ha applied PRE was fb S-metolachlor applied POST at 0.56, 1.12, or 1.46 kg ai/ha. Peanut stunting was noted with diclosulam at the High Plains locations but not at the Rolling Plains or south Texas locations. This stunting with diclosulam was due to a combination of peanut variety and high soil pH. Peanut yield was not always increased where yellow nutsedge was controlled. Nomenclature: Diclosulam, N-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)-5-ethoxy-7-fluoro[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine-2-sulfonamide; S-metolachlor; yellow nutsedge, Cyperus esculentus L. CYPES; peanut, Arachis hypogaea L. , ‘Flavor Runner 458’, ‘Florunner’, ‘Georgia Green’
Compressive properties and least limiting water range of plough layer and plough pan in sugarcane fields

In this work, we aimed to investigate changes in compressive properties and least limiting water range (LLWR) of the plough layer and plough pan induced by successive years of sugarcane cultivation. Undisturbed soil samples were collected in a sugarcane field at the plough layer and below tillage depth (plough pan). Uniaxial compression tests were performed for a water tension (h) range of 30 to 15,000 hPa for calculations of the compressive parameters N (the specific volume at 1 kPa), λ (compression index) and κ (recompression index), besides the precompression stress (σp). The LLWR was examined through the water retention and penetration resistance curves. σp linearly increased with the increase in the compaction state (plough pan) and h, whereas κ decreased with the increase in the h with no significant effect of compaction level. N and λ presented peaks at intermediate h values (100–2,000 hPa). Considerable reductions in the LLWR were observed from the plough to plough pan layer, which was induced by the increase in the soil penetration resistance. These results suggest that the residual plough pan induced by the successive years of intensive use of machinery for field operations in sugarcane areas originates a soil layer of lower compressibility and higher strength that further increases as the soil dries in response to h. Moreover, the consequent increase in the soil penetration resistance from the plough to plough pan is the main factor negatively affecting the LLWR.
Comparative Analysis of Recurrent Neural Network Architectures for Reservoir Inflow Forecasting

Due to the stochastic nature and complexity of flow, as well as the existence of hydrological uncertainties, predicting streamflow in dam reservoirs, especially in semi-arid and arid areas, is essential for the optimal and timely use of surface water resources. In this research, daily streamflow to the Ermenek hydroelectric dam reservoir located in Turkey is simulated using deep recurrent neural network (RNN) architectures, including bidirectional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM), gated recurrent unit (GRU), long short-term memory (LSTM), and simple recurrent neural networks (simple RNN). For this purpose, daily observational flow data are used during the period 2012–2018, and all models are coded in Python software programming language. Only delays of streamflow time series are used as the input of models. Then, based on the correlation coefficient (CC), mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NS), results of deep-learning architectures are compared with one another and with an artificial neural network (ANN) with two hidden layers. Results indicate that the accuracy of deep-learning RNN methods are better and more accurate than ANN. Among methods used in deep learning, the LSTM method has the best accuracy, namely, the simulated streamflow to the dam reservoir with 90% accuracy in the training stage and 87% accuracy in the testing stage. However, the accuracies of ANN in training and testing stages are 86% and 85%, respectively. Considering that the Ermenek Dam is used for hydroelectric purposes and energy production, modeling inflow in the most realistic way may lead to an increase in energy production and income by optimizing water management. Hence, multi-percentage improvements can be extremely useful. According to results, deep-learning methods of RNNs can be used for estimating streamflow to the Ermenek Dam reservoir due to their accuracy.
Technology Adoption Strategies in the Supply Chain: The case of Vietnamese Young Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

The paper, using a three-wave unbalanced panel of 3252 observations of young small and medium-sized firms in 2011–2013, examines the effect of direct linkages between firms with foreign direct investment and young small and medium-sized firms on technology adoption strategies and the further influence of technology transfers from such linkages on technology adoption strategies. Moreover, the paper analyzes the extent that economic obstacles may cause young small and medium-sized firms to choose different adoptions. Our analysis shows that exporting firms do not tend to conduct embodied backward/forward adoptions, but more likely adopt the embodied backward purchasing. In addition, the impact of competitiveness follows an inverse U-shaped pattern for the embodied backward adoption, but a U-shaped pattern for the disembodied adoption. In terms of market power, there exists an inversed U-shaped pattern for the embodied backward adoption. Under the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) linkages and vertical spillovers, it is found that technology transfer through backward/forward linkages is associated with the embodied ones, whereas a linkage with FDI domestic customers/suppliers is less likely associated with the embodied ones. In addition, under technology transfer, firms facing economic constraints may overcome these by looking for other financial sources and embodied technology transfer. The paper suggests the path for FDI firms, young small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and technology adoption strategies in the future.
Efficacy of Phytopharmaceuticals From the Amazonian Plant Libidibia ferrea for Wound Healing in Dogs

We comparatively evaluate two distinct formulations containing 5% of Jucá (Libidibia ferrea) for wound healing in dogs. An excision model study was performed in 11 dogs with three dermal wounds in each animal, which were treated with: (1) topical phytopharmaceutical based on Carbopol (PyC) containing 5% Jucá ethanolic extract; (2) topical phytopharmaceutical based on Astrocaryum murumuru butter (PyM) containing 5% Jucá ethanolic extract; and (3) commercial ointment (control). Wound treatment was carried out on alternated days starting at day (D) one until D21. Macroscopic (all time-points) and histological (D0 and D21) analyses were performed. The antimicrobial activity of Jucá was evaluated through Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). Phytochemical analysis of Jucá revealed 3.1% phenolic compound content expressed in rutin and the presence of hydrolyzable tannins and flavonoids. The mean wound retraction was 33.7 ± 5.5, 34.0 ± 4.7, and 28.4 ± 4.9 % for PyC, PyM, and control groups, respectively, with higher wound retraction for both herbal-treated groups compared to the control (P < 0.05). Alcoholic extract of Jucá had antimicrobial activity against the microorganisms Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida krusei at different degrees, with MIC ranging from 250 to 16.625 μg/ml. Microscopic evaluation showed that the phytotherapic formulations contributed to better dermal wound healing through wound fibroplasia. The alcoholic extract of Jucá pods has great potential for wound healing in dogs and can be used in the development of commercially viable phytotherapic formulations.