Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Yield performance of eight snap bean genotypes grown under an organic management system in the tropics

Eight snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars and lines were grown under an organic management system in 2011 and 2012 in Lajas, Puerto Rico. Bean genotypes used in the trial were the commercial cultivars 'Contender', 'Festina', 'Fresh Pick', 'Jade', 'Nash' and 'Provider', and two experimental breeding lines PR1018-1 and PR1018-5. In 2011, 'Provider' and PR1018-5had the highest yields, with 11.2 and 11.1 t/ha, respectively, but these were not significantly different from the yields of 'Contender', 'Festina', PR1018-1 or 'Nash'. 'Jade' had the lowest yield, with 6.5 t/ha. In 2012, the highest yielding cultivar was 'Festina', with 14.6 t/ha, which was not significantly different from 'Nash' (13.8 t/ha), PR1018-5 (12.6 t/ha) or 'Jade' (12.5 t/ha). 'Contender' (9 t/ha), 'Provider' (8.4 t/ha) and 'Fresh Pick' (8.4 t/ha) had the lowest yields. This study has shown that snap beans can be successfully grown in Puerto Rico under an organic management system, with yields similar or superior to conventionally produced snap beans.
The Nexus between Carbon Emissions, Energy Use, Economic Growth and Financial Development: Evidence from Central and Eastern European Countries

The aim and novelty of this study consist of estimating the nexus between CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions, energy use, economic growth, and financial development for ten Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) over the 2000–2017 period, starting from Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) theory. The Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) method was used for testing the cointegration relationship. Granger causality estimation based on the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) and Pairwise Granger causality test were applied to identify the causality relationships between the variables and to identify the direction of causality. The implementation of the tests led to significant conclusions. In the long run, the levels of CO2 emissions and energy use do not have any influence on economic growth. Furthermore, there is a bidirectional causality among economic growth in terms of GDP and financial development variables. Thus, increasing financial development will generate more CO2 emissions and more energy use, and increasing economic growth will lead to rising financial development. In the short run, increasing financial development will generate more CO2 emissions and will lead to increased energy use and economic growth. Also, a bidirectional causality is being revealed between financial development and CO2 emissions. This indicates that financial development may help to reduce CO2 emissions.
Ethyl methane sulfonate induces morphological mutations in Capsicum annuum

The present study was carried out to induce morphological mutations in Capsicum annuum cultivar Longhi. Seeds were subjected to different treatment levels of ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS). The treated and untreated plants were self-fertilized for two generations to observe different morphological characters in M3 generation. Several unique and interesting mutants were isolated in this investigation. These independent mutants have different phenotypes from control. The most distinct mutants included tall, dwarf, sterile, early maturing and late maturing. The change in leaf area, leaf arrangement, shape of leaves, pattern of branching and symmetry of flower was also observed.
INCIDENCE AND CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS BACTERIA IN BOVINE MILK

Milk is an essential source for the ingredients needed for infant growth and adult health. Healthy milk production is important for consumer safety. The aim of the present review article was to highlight on the incidence and control of the infectious bacteria in bovine milk. Raw bovine milk is considered as a vehicle for many infectious bacterial diseases such as Bovine Tuberculosis, Brucellosis, Leptospirosis and Mycoplasma infection. The main microorganisms which isolated from bovine milk in cows with mastitis were Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus spp. , Streptococcus agalactiae, Pasteurella spp. , Klebsiella spp. , Pseudomonas spp. and Streptococcus dysgalactiae. Early and accurate diagnosis is necessary for achieving successful control programs against the infectious bacteria in bovine milk. For successful control of the infectious bacterial diseases in bovine milk, it is mandatory to follow preventive measures such as proper hygienic procedures regarding animal husbandry and handling, providing the cows with balanced nutrition, following vaccination programs against bacterial diseases, reporting of the notifiable diseases to the health authorities, meticulous inspection of the consistency and color of milk and pasteurization of milk. Vaccination programs provide protection of dairy farm animals by preventing or reducing bacterial infections which in turn can help safeguard dairy industry. The main treatment protocol of bacterial diseases in dairy cows is by using suitable antibiotics, so it is necessary to carry out drug sensitivity test before choosing the proper antibiotic. However, multidrug resistance (MDR) has become a growing threat regards the management of infectious bacterial diseases. Therefore, the introduction of alternative antimicrobial agents such as herbal treatment, probiotics, nanoparticles, and stem cells therapy is of absolute necessity to guard against bacterial multidrug resistance. Also, animal vaccinations are important tools for protection against many infectious bacterial diseases affecting bovine milk.
898-925 Molan A.pmd

Our group sought to determine the global status of T. gondii infection and to evaluate any continental and geographical trends by systematically examining the currently available epidemiological data on the prevalence of T. gondii infection. A comprehensive literature search was conducted from 10 electronic databases (Google Scholar, Science Direct, Embase, PubMed, PLOS ONE, Web of Knowledge, SciELO, MyAIS, Free Medical Journals, and Scopus) without date or language restrictions. Specific medical subject heading terms were used to search for human T. gondii seroprevalence studies that recruited subjects from general apparently healthy populations. The data were collated and analysed for both continental and global trends. The search identified 152 published studies that examined a total of 648,010 subjects. From these, 166,255 were seropositive for T. gondii infection indicating an average global seroprevalence rate of 25.7% (95% CI: 25.6 – 25.8%). The overall range of seroprevalence was determined to be 0.5 – 87.7%. African countries had the highest average seroprevalence rate of 61.4%, followed by Oceania with 38.5%, South America with 31.2%, Europe with 29.6%, USA/Canada with 17.5%, and Asia with 16.4%. Numerous environmental and human factors affect the differences in T. gondii seroprevalence rates observed between the various countries and continents. Monitoring the source and transmission may assist public health authorities to clarify the risk factors involved, as well as focus on implementing optimal state-specific health policies targeting T. gondii transmission control.
Efficient channel code assignment scheme for multiple users in CDMA systems

Effective transmission of multiple video signals over a CDMA system simultaneously is investigated in this work. A channel code assignment scheme that efficiently protects compressed bitstreams while minimizing multiple access interference (MAI) is proposed. First, each video signal is coded with a two-layer structure that consists of the base and the enhanced bitstreams according to the bit importance. Then, these bitstreams are protected against transmission errors with channel codes such as RCPC. Better protection of higher bit-rate video requires more multicodes in spreading, which can lead to a severe multiple access interference problem. We set up a framework to a joint design of channel codes and spreading codes with the feedback of the channel status, and provide a solution to deal with the trade-off between channel coding rates and the assigned number of multicodes to achieve efficient transmission. Preliminary experimental results are presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed channel code assignment scheme.
Toxicity of cadmium on the germination of thyme seeds

The accumulation of toxic metals (e.g., cadmium) in soil and water, and consequently in the food chain, is a concern in agriculture production due to the adverse effects of these metals on food quality and crop growth, as well as the potential harm they pose to humans and other animals. The objective of this work was to assess the toxicity of cadmium (Cd) on seed germination and initial growth of thyme. The ecotoxicological effects of four Cd concentrations (15; 30; 45; and 60 mg L-1) were evaluated. The response variables were germination percentage, first count, germination speed index, total length, shoot length, root length, seedling dry mass, and tolerance index. The study found that thyme seeds exposed to 60 mg L-1 of cadmium had a lower percentage of normal plants, a 13% reduction in seed germination, and a 65% increase in abnormal plants. The Cd had an inhibitory effect on the initial growth of the seedlings by affecting the development of the roots and aerial part. It is concluded that the presence and accumulation of Cd in the cultivation substrate reduced seed germination and initial seedling growth of thyme, and that the intensity of inhibition was directly proportional to the concentration of Cd in the solutions employed.
Dynamic seascapes predict the marine occurrence of an endangered species: Atlantic Sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus

Categorical landscapes are powerful environmental partitions that index complex biogeochemical processes that drive terrestrial species distributions. However, translating landscapes into seascapes requires that the dynamic nature of the fluid environment be reflected in spatial and temporal boundaries such that seascapes can be used in marine species distribution models and conservation decisions. A seascape product derived from satellite ocean colour and sea surface temperature partitioned mid‐Atlantic coastal waters on scales commensurate with the Atlantic Sturgeon migration. The seascapes were then matched with acoustic telemetry records of Atlantic Sturgeon to determine seascape selectivity. To test for selectivity, we used real‐time satellite seascape maps to normalize the sampling of an autonomous underwater vehicle that resampled similar geographic regions with time varying seascape classifications. Our findings suggest that Atlantic Sturgeon prefer one seascape class over those available in the coastal ocean, indicating selection for covarying environmental properties rather than geographical location. The recent listing of Atlantic Sturgeon as Endangered throughout much of their United States range has highlighted the need for improved understanding of marine habitat requirements to reduce interactions with anthropogenic stressors. Narrow dynamic migration corridors may enable seascapes to be used as a daily decision tool by industry and managers to reduce interactions with this imperilled species during coastal migrations.
Soil Sediment and Hardness of Water Reduce the Acute Toxicity of Deltamethrin to Scale Carp

Hardness of water and soil sediment were able to reduce the toxicity of deltamethrin significantly scale carp fry. LC50 (96 h) values of deltamethrin, which was 0.102 mg L”‘in soft water increased to 0.8 mg L−1in hard water, further when soil sediment was included r to 2.71 mg L−1. Other two treatments of soil sediments i.e. medium hard water with sediments (96 h LC50,0.989 mg L−1) and very hard water with sediments (96 h LC50, 1.808 mg L−1) were also able to reduce the toxicity of deltamethrin significantly in comparison to their respective water treatments (96 h LC50, 0.396 mg L−1and 0.495 mg L−1, respectively). ET value at 1 mg L−1 had also increased significantly from 5.69 h in soft water to 92.63 h in hard water and further to 301.98 h in hard water and soil sediments treatment. A simple method for determination of acute toxicity test of chemical with soil sediment for fish was described.
REGULAR ARTICLE PHYTASE FROM BACILLUS SP. STRAIN LA12: ISOLATION, PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION

Phytate take effect as an anti-nutrient element in food and feed materials. Thus, phytase, by catalyzing phytate, hydrolyzing the phosphomonoester bonds and releasing the inorganic phosphorous, decrease the phytate and enhance their nutritional value. Therefore, in this study, Bacillus sp. strain LA12was isolated from natural origins and the phytase production activity was evaluated. The novel extracellular phytase was produced and precipitated by saturated ammonium sulfate. The ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-sepharose and the sizeexclusion chromatography on Sephadex G-100 were used to purify the enzyme. The results showed that the purification yield and concentration of final enzyme were 5.9% and 18.4%, respectively. Based on SDS-PAGE results the molecular weight of the phytase was determined about 73 kDa. Optimal activity of the enzyme was obtained at pH of 5.5 and 60 oC. Kinetic parameters Km and Vmax were 0.197 mM and 1.174 μmol/min, respectively. Mg, Co and EDTA accelerated the effect on phytase activity; whilst adding other metal ions such as Ca, Zn and Fe in both concentrations could decrease its activity. Moreover, Mn ion didn’t show indicative effect on its activity. The purified phytase exhibits good thermal stability after incubation at 50-70°C for 30 min, whereas the phytase activity drastically decreased up to 61% at 80°C. This study indicated that the purified phytase has the desired characteristics and can promisingly be used for hydrolyzing of phytate in food and feed.
First insights into the molecular population structure and origins of the invasive Chinese sleeper, Perccottus glenii, in Europe

The aim of our study was to provide a first overview of the population genetic structure of the invasive Chinese sleeper,Perccottus glenii, (Actinopterygii: Odontobutidae) in European water bodies. This species originates from inland waters of north-eastern China, northern North Korea and the Russian Far East. The 1172 bp long portion of the cytochrome b gene was sequenced from Chinese sleeper specimens collected from a variety of water bodies in Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia (European part) and Ukraine. Our study revealed that the invasive Chinese sleeper in Europe consists of at least three distinct haplogroups that may represent independent introduction events from different parts of its native area; i.e. three founding populations: (1) Baltic haplogroup that may originate either from fish introduced inadvertent from Russia or from some unidentified source (release by aquarists). So far, this haplogroup has been found only in the Daugava basin in Latvia. (2) East-European haplogroup that may originate from an unintentional introduction to the Volga basin in Russia and has expanded westward. So far, this group was recorded in the Volga, Upper Dnieper and Neman drainages in Belarus, Lithuania, and Russia. (3) Carpathian haplogroup, that originated from individuals unintentionally introduced with Asian cyprinid fishes to Lviv region in Ukraine and are now widely distributed in Central Europe.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Reliability of the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ) for Arabic Speaking Patients with Type II Diabetes

Background Treatment satisfaction is an important indicator for treatment compliance and glycemic control. Although psychometric properties of the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire have been confirmed in several languages, it remains unclear the extent to which the factorial structure of this tool is valid for Arabic speaking populations. Purpose This study set out to confirm the construct validity of the Arabic version of the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ) by investigating the fit of published factor structures and the reliability of responses in patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Methods Data were from a large cross-sectional study of 1002 patients with diabetes in Jordan. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to compare three different models of the 8-item questionnaire (one factor, two factors, three factors) across patients treated with insulin and patients treated with oral hypoglycaemic medications. Results Statistics covered the factorial validity and omega reliability coefficient (Ωw) of the DTSQ. We were able to replicate the three different models of the 8-item Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire reported in previous studies, yet a two-factor model provided the best fit to the data in our sample with omega reliability coefficient (Ωw) of the subscales above 0.70. Conclusion The finding suggests a cross-cultural invariance of the factor structure of the Arabic version of the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire, as we were able to replicate the same factor structure using the Arabic translated version of the tool and using non-English speaking participants. Within known limitations and gaps in the literature, healthcare professionals working with Arabic speaking patients may find this tool useful for identification of high-risk patients and those in need for interventions to promote glycemic control.
Wiesen Dynamics between Neurofeedback , Spirituality and Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Neurofeedback is a technique offering the opportunity to gain control over specific aspects of the own brain signal by means of real time feedback. However, mechanisms of neurofeedback learning are not entirely understood. The present study focused on the established relation between self-regulation and spirituality and applied it to the context of neurofeedback learning. In the present investigation, neurofeedback learning indices after a one session EEG neurofeedback learning were compared among a spiritual group and a matched control group. Furthermore, neurofeedback performance has been related to white matter properties by means of diffusion tensor imaging. The spiritual group performed significantly better in an SMR/theta ratio neurofeedback protocol as the control group. There were no group differences of fractional anisotropy (FA) or mean diffusivity (MD) between both groups. Pooling all participants together lower fractional anisotropy was associated with higher neurofeedback performance in the forceps minor and right anterior thalamic radiation. In the spiritual group specifically, lower FA in the right middle cerebellar peduncle, right superior longitudinal fasciculus, right corticospinal tract, anterior thalamic radiation bilaterally, forceps minor and body of corpus callosum was related to higher neurofeedback performance. These findings could indicate a better self-regulation of brain activity especially in the spiritual group reflected by a reduction of the awareness of the self as well as a reduction of intriguing top-down control and automatic processes.
THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALITATIVE DATA COLLECTION ON STUDIES ASSESSING THE EFFICACY OF COMPUTER-FACILITATED INSTRUCTION

Traditional instruction in developmental Math course was compared to computer-facilitated instruction using Prentice-Hall’s Interactive Math computer program. Two groups of students were used, a control group receiving traditional instruction, and an experimental group using the interactive math software. Toward the end of the semester, qualitative interview data were collected from a subset of subjects and from the course instructor to clarify instructional methods and procedures and provide insight into quantitative findings. Both groups realized improvements in mathematics achievement following instruction. However, while the attitude of the control group toward math learning remained the same, that of the experimental group was greatly improved over the course of instruction. Analysis of the qualitative data within the context of educational theory revealed that the computer-facilitated instruction was not implemented in a manner designed to make the best use of this instructional modality. The results concerning mathematics achievement cannot be said to denote the superiority of traditional instruction. These findings highlight the importance of collecting qualitative data in otherwise quantitative studies assessing computer-facilitated instruction. What was revealed, however, was a significant improvement in students’ attitudes towards learning math. Those using the interactive math program experienced far less math anxiety. Their stress level was greatly reduced and their confidence enhanced.
University of Groningen Urinary renin-angiotensin markers in polycystic kidney disease

26 In autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) activation of the renin27 angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) may contribute to hypertension and disease 28 progression. Although previous studies focused on circulating RAAS-components, 29 preliminary evidence suggests APDKD may increase urinary RAAS-components. Therefore, 30 our aim was to analyze circulating and urinary RAAS-components in ADPKD. We cross31 sectionally compared 60 patients with ADPKD to 57 patients with non-ADPKD chronic 32 kidney disease (CKD). The two groups were matched by gender, estimated glomerular 33 filtration rate (eGFR), blood pressure, and RAAS-inhibitor use. Despite similar plasma levels 34 of angiotensinogen and renin, urinary angiotensinogen and renin excretion were 5to 6-fold 35 higher in ADPKD (P<0.001). These differences persisted when adjusting for group 36 differences, and were present regardless of RAAS-inhibitor use. In multivariable analyses, 37 ADPKD, albuminuria, and the respective plasma concentrations were independent predictors 38 for urinary angiotensinogen and renin excretion. In ADPKD, both plasma and urinary renin 39 correlated negatively with eGFR. Total kidney volume correlated with plasma renin and 40 albuminuria, but not with urinary renin or angiotensinogen excretions. Albuminuria 41 correlated positively with urinary angiotensinogen and renin excretions in ADPKD and 42 CKD. In three ADPKD patients who underwent nephrectomy, the concentrations of albumin 43 and angiotensinogen were highest in plasma followed by cyst fluid and urine; urinary renin 44 concentrations were higher than cyst fluid. In conclusion, this study shows that, despite 45 similar circulating RAAS-component levels, higher urinary excretions of angiotensinogen 46 and renin are a unique feature of ADPKD. Future studies should address the underlying 47 mechanism and whether this may contribute to hypertension or disease progression in 48 ADPKD. 49 50