Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic Diversity of Fusarium Oxysporum Races Associated with Cowpea Fields in Kakamega County

Fusarium oxysporum is the most abundant and most damaging species of the genus Fusarium responsible forcrop wilt diseases in cultivated fields. It possess risk to production of banana, tomato, onions, beans, peas, palm,wheat, sorghum, maize, potatoes, garlic and cowpea among others. Fusarium involves several species that producemycotoxins associated with serious animal diseases. Fusarium is a potential threat to global food security.Furthermore, disease incidence of pathogenic Fusarium species could increase due to the effects of the predictedglobal changes. Limitation of occurrence records and diversity of the races of F. oxysporum in Kakamega Countynecessitated this study. This study aimed to characterize strains of Fusarium pathogens in cowpea fields ofKakamega County. The colonies had sparse to abundant mycelia with colour ranging from white to pale violet. Theisolates gave rise to elliptical microchonidia without septa, smooth walled terminal and intercalary chlamydosporesat times singly and paired in some cases on microscopy. Further, PCR amplification of ITS gene region in the tenisolates of F. oxysporum was performed using universal ITS primers. Fusarium the genus was amplified as afragment of about 500 bp corresponding to the region between the 18S-28S rRNA intervening sequence forFusarium spp. The selected isolates of Fusarium spp. were sequenced and submitted in NCBI database with theaccession numbers of KY855504, KY855505, KY855506, KY855507, KY855508, KY855509, KY855510, KY855511,KY855512, KY855513 and KY855514. Eight soil-borne fungal isolates [KY855505, KY855506, KY855507,KY855508, KY855510, KY855511, KY855512 and KY855514] were identified as F. oxysporum based on its cultural,morphological and molecular characteristics. KY855504 and KY855509 had molecular identity to Ascotamycota andKY855513 had the molecular identity of Phoma sp. This study contributes knowledge on genetic diversity of localpathogenic Fusarium strains useful in crop breeding and disease management of cowpea crop in KakamegaCounty, Kenya
PH—Pastharvest Technology: Sorption Isotherms of Sweet Potato Slices

Abstract The equilibrium relative humidity of sweet potato slices with two drying temperatures and different histories were determined at temperatures ranging from 5 to 50°C. Estimated parameters, fitting ability, and predictive performance for five equilibrium relative humidity models were evaluated. The modified Halsey and modified Oswin equations were found to be adequate models to describe the equilibrium relative humidity data. In comparing the results of this study with previously published data, it was determined that the equilibrium relative humidity properties varied with species. Models from existing literature, detailing equilibrium relative humidity/equilibrium moisture content data for high-starch products ( e.g. potato, cassava), were also examined. The Guggenheim–Anderson–de Boer (GAB) model was not an adequate model by checking residual plots. The parameters of the GAB model cannot be modified for prediction of the effect of temperature by the exponential function. For simplicity, an empirical linear model was developed to fit the equilibrium relative humidity/equilibrium moisture content data of sweet potato slices based on moisture content and temperature.
Factors Affecting the Consumption of Energy-Efficient Lighting Products: Exploring Purchase Behaviors of Thai Consumers

The continued usage of inefficient lighting products in residential sectors is one of the major causes of the rapid growth in global energy consumption. Their replacement with highly efficient lighting appliances could avoid large amounts of electricity consumption and reduce CO2 emissions worldwide. In this regard, the collective contribution by the residential sector is extremely important and the increase in demand for energy-efficient lighting products can help achieve sustainability goals. This study aims to examine the determinants of household consumers’ behaviors in purchasing energy-saving lighting products by applying the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as the main theoretical framework. Data (n = 288) from a survey in Thailand were analyzed using causal Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results suggested that attitude has the largest direct effect, while subjective norm was the weakest predictor of purchase intention towards light-emitting diode (LED) products. In addition, this study expands the TPB by including an investigation of a direct effect of attitude on purchase behavior. The results suggest that attitudes have a strong direct influence on the purchasing behavior for LED products. Additionally, only some socio-demographic variables have significant effects on purchase behavior. The study’s findings highlight several implications for policymakers, the private sector, and green marketers in developing practical strategies. Furthermore, suggestions and future research directions are discussed.
A ploidy chimera reveals the effects of tetraploidy in date palm

In the oasis of Tozeur (Tunisia) a peculiar date palm ploidy chimera was discovered, showing a diploid (2n = 2x) and a tetraploid (2n =4x) sector and a uniform tetraploid offshoot. This chimera allowed to describe the effects of chromosome doubling on some selected features. Because both ploidies occur within one plant, there was no environmental bias. Tetraploid leaves are longer, bear larger leaflets and spines and have a thicker rachis than normal diploid leaves. During three seasons, tetraploid inflorescences appeared ten days later than their diploid counterparts. The tetraploid sector formed bunches with stalks bearing larger fruits, with a higher percentage of inedible parthenocarpic fruits, than bunches that arose from the diploid sector. Tetraploid fruits are significantly longer, wider and heavier than diploid fruits, with a larger pulp diameter, irrespective of whether they are seeded or parthenocarpic. Diploid parthenocarpic fruits are longer than seeded fruits, while tetraploid parthenocarpic and seeded fruits both show the same size. The occurrence of tetraploidy opens new perspectives in date palm breeding. Pollination of tetraploid pistils with pollen from diploid males gave rise to a relatively low number of triploid plantlets, suggesting a triploid block.
Radical news? Immigrants’ television use, acculturation challenges, and support for terrorism

ABSTRACT Previous research shows that acculturation challenges predict immigrants’ support for terrorism. Here, we acknowledge the central role of mass media use in the acculturation process. We investigate whether immigrants who infrequently use ethnic and host country media, a possible indicator or driver of marginalisation, report higher sympathy with terrorism than frequent media users. We further examine if those who prefer ethnic over host country media, which might reflect or facilitate disengagement from the host society, support terrorism more strongly. To address these research questions, we conducted secondary analyses of a public opinion poll of Muslim immigrants resident in the United Kingdom (N = 880). Focusing on immigrants’ use of ethnic and host country television channels, latent class analysis identified four groups: Frequent and Infrequent Media Users as well as Ethnic and Host Country Media Users. Overall sympathy with terrorism was low. Contesting our hypothesis, Frequent Media Users supported terrorist action more than Infrequent Media Users. Ethnic Media Users also expressed higher sympathy with terrorism than Host Country Media Users. Findings emphasise the dynamic interplay between media use and acculturation challenges; they further suggest strategies to reduce immigrants’ support for terrorism.
GOAT MILK MANGO YOGHURTS: PHYSICOCHEMICAL STABILITY DURING OR STORAGE

Goat milk and regional fruits, like the sword mango, are loaded with nutritional potential which warrant investigation as possible sources of generating income, particularly in the deficient semiarid northeastern regions of Brazil. The aim of this study is to assess the stability of the procedure in the production of processed yogurt with goat milk and sleeve pulp. Five different yogurt formulations were processed using varying concentrations of sucrose (5, 10 and 15%) and mango pulp (4, 5 and 6%). Each type of yogurt had a distinctive flavour attributed to the effect of several factors viz., dry extract, ash, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, calories, pH, acidity and water content, over a 30-day period, with stabilization being performed every 15 days. In this study, the sucrose concentration was identified as the most significant factor among the various physicochemical parameters. In the storage period a decrease in the pH values, calories, lipids, total dry extract and ash was observed, as well as an increase in the acidity values and carbohydrate and water content, in all the yogurts. Yogurts are amenable to market testing, with potential perspectives of significance for income generation and wise utilisation of the available regional premium constituents, like goat milk and sword mango, whose consumption can act as a healthy and nutritious food supplement.
High-resolution hybrid inversion of IASI ammonia columns to constrain US ammonia emissions using the CMAQ adjoint model

Abstract. Ammonia (NH3) emissions have large impacts on air quality and nitrogen deposition, influencing human health and the well-being of sensitive ecosystems. Large uncertainties exist in the “bottom-up” NH3 emission inventories due to limited source information and a historical lack of measurements, hindering the assessment of NH3-related environmental impacts. The increasing capability of satellites to measure NH3 abundance and the development of modeling tools enable us to better constrain NH3 emission estimates at high spatial resolution. In this study, we constrain the NH3 emission estimates from the widely used 2011 National Emissions Inventory (2011 NEI) in the US using Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer NH3 column density measurements (IASI-NH3) gridded at a 36 km by 36 km horizontal resolution. With a hybrid inverse modeling approach, we use the Community Multiscale Air Quality Modeling System (CMAQ) and its multiphase adjoint model to optimize NH3 emission estimates in April, July, and October. Our optimized emission estimates suggest that the total NH3 emissions are biased low by 26 % in 2011 NEI in April with overestimation in the Midwest and underestimation in the Southern States. In July and October, the estimates from NEI agree well with the optimized emission estimates, despite a low bias in hotspot regions. Evaluation of the inversion performance using independent observations shows reduced underestimation in simulated ambient NH3 concentration in all 3 months and reduced underestimation in NH4+ wet deposition in April. Implementing the optimized NH3 emission estimates improves the model performance in simulating PM2.5 concentration in the Midwest in April. The model results suggest that the estimated contribution of ammonium nitrate would be biased high in a priori NEI-based assessments. The higher emission estimates in this study also imply a higher ecological impact of nitrogen deposition originating from NH3 emissions.
A Qualitative Exploration on Major Challenges of Reproductive Health in Adolescents and Youth in Iran

Article History: Received: 8 Nov 2019 Revised: 20 Feb 2020 Accepted: 15 Jun 2020 Background: Reproductive health (RH) in adolescents and youth, as one of the critical components of population health policies, plays a pivotal role in preventing risky behaviors and achieving a healthy and productive generation for the future society. Thus, this study aimed to explore the challenges of RH in adolescents and youth in Iran. Methods: Using a purposeful sampling method with maximum variation, semi-structured in-depth interviews were held with eighteen key informants in the field of RH. A Snowball sampling strategy was deployed to identify the participants. The multi-dimensional PRECEDE-PROCEED model of health promotion was used as a guiding framework for the topic guide. The transcribed interviews were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Three main themes of decision-making system, lifestyle, as well as social and epidemiological issues, were emerged from the interviews. We also explored six themes, including the knowledge and expertise about RH, policymaking and management system, environmental factors, individual factors, family and social anomalies, and epidemiological status of RH. Furthermore, twenty-five sub-themes were extracted from the main themes, which represented the challenges. Lack of understanding of the issues and absence of a coherent intellectual system that provides a collaboration of different systems in policy-making were fundamental and dominant challenges of RH for adolescents and youth in Iran. Conclusion: To meet these challenges, we require an integrated and coherent system of policy-making with a reliance on scanning individual, environmental, social, and epidemiological changes that influence RH.
Simulating the effects of improving field drainage on environmental impacts of inorganic phosphorus pollution of waterbodies from livestock farming

A simulation modelling study was carried out of the effects of poor field drainage on raising losses to the environment of inorganic phosphorus during livestock grazing and slurry spreading. The study used the weather‐driven colloid transport version of the MACRO model, as previously calibrated and tested using measurements of inorganic phosphorus in drainage water at experimental field sites. Results showed substantially higher losses with poor drainage compared to those with a properly functioning drainage system. Simulated mean losses from a single spread of slurry with poor drainage were typically at least double those with good drainage; for grazing in winter simulated mean losses were more than four times as high. These high losses arise because poor drainage raises the water table, leading to rapid movement of inorganic phosphorus attached to colloids through large water‐filled soil pores. In contrast, with good drainage leading to a lower water table, most water movements are through small soil pores where colloids with attached phosphorus become trapped. Although losses were higher in winter months (when grazing and slurry spreading would still need to be restricted even with good drainage), the benefits of improved drainage were demonstrated for all months of the year, for three soil types and at two contrasting weather sites.
Towards Spider Glue: Long-read scaffolding for extreme length and repetitious silk family genes AgSp1 and AgSp2 with insights into functional adaptation

The aggregate gland glycoprotein glue coating the prey-capture threads of orb weaving and cobweb weaving spider webs is comprised of silk protein spidroins (spider fibroins) encoded by two members of the silk gene family. It functions to retain prey that make contact with the web, but differs from solid silk fibers as it is a viscoelastic, amorphic, wet adhesive that is responsive to environmental conditions. Most spidroins are extremely large, highly repetitive genes that are impossible to sequence using only short-read technology. We sequenced for the first time the complete genomic Aggregate Spidroin 1 (AgSpl) and Aggregate Spidroin 2 (AgSp2) glue genes of Argiope trifasciata by using error-prone long reads to scaffold for high accuracy short reads. The massive coding sequences are 42,270 bp (AgSpl) and 20,526 bp (AgSp2) in length, the largest silk genes currently described. The majority of the predicted amino acid sequence of AgSpl consists of two similar but distinct motifs that are repeated ~40 times each, while AgSp2 contains ~48 repetitions of an AgSpl-similar motif, interspersed by regions high in glutamine. Comparisons of AgSp repetitive motifs from orb web and cobweb spiders show regions of strict conservation followed by striking diversification. Glues from these two spider families have evolved contrasting material properties in adhesion, extensibility, and elasticity, which we link to mechanisms established for related silk genes in the same family. Full-length aggregate spidroin sequences from diverse species with differing material characteristics will provide insights for designing tunable bio-inspired adhesives for a variety of unique purposes.
Sustainability of Railway Undertaking Services with Lean Philosophy in Risk Management—Case Study

The sustainability of services in undertakings which operate in railway passenger transport is closely connected with efforts to provide high-quality and time-acceptable services to the customer, to achieve lean processes, to standardise work processes, to eliminate wastage and to avoid those activities which do not add any value. Considering its ecological nature and big volume of passenger transport, railway passenger transport represents an irreplaceable sustainable system for the future. These facts and the entry of new railway carriers into this system highlight the importance of managing risks in a progressive way. This article focuses on the options of risk management when versatile and flexible tools, such as Lean tools, are set correctly. The aim of this article is to introduce a proposal for the application and a specific application of Lean philosophy in risk management which impacts train delays in railway passenger transport. From the point of view of quantitative data analysis, multiple mathematical-statistical tests have been used to assess data (e.g., Anderson–Darling test, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, Jarque–Bera test, two-tailed test, Grubbs’s test and Thompson Tau test). Also, descriptive statistics and ANOVA test (Analysis of Variance) have been applied in the process of evaluating the monitored attributes. In order to assess the data dependency, Chi-Square Test and a correlation analysis have been applied. The research outcomes focus on highlighting the need for a systematic approach for train delays and to avoid delays through risk management. The case study applies selected Lean methods to monitor train delays in selected stations within the main railway corridor of the Slovak Republic for the period from 2015 to 2018. In 2019, the results were processed and created a basis for proposing a unique software tool like an aid for risk management in the case of train delays using Lean philosophy. The flexible software includes the participation of employees, and at the same time, it respects the needs of customers. The research results provide grounds for further study of risks in a challenging environment of railway undertakings, with different types of trains, railway stations as well as entire railway networks. The processed results of the article represent valuable material for railway undertakings not only in Slovakia but also for railway organisations in V4 countries.
Increased Aldehyde Formation as a Key Component of the Metabolic Syndrome in Adolescents: A Machine Learning Study

Purpose: To investigate the alterations in nitro-oxidative stress (OS) and antioxidant status in adolescents with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and whether these alterations occur independently from effects of overweight or obesity. Methods: Blood was collected in 47 adolescents with MetS and 94 adolescents without MetS as assessed with the International Diabetes Federation criteria. The International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) criteria were used to classify the subjects into those with overweight or obesity. We measured nitro-oxidative biomarkers including nitric oxide metabolites (NOx), lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH), and malondialdehyde (MDA), and antioxidant biomarkers, i.e. total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP), paraoxonase (PON)-1 activity, thiol (SH-) groups, as well as tumor necrosis factor-α, glucose, insulin, triglycerides, uric acid and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Results: Logistic regression analysis showed that increased MDA and NOx and a lowered TRAP/uric acid ratio were associated with MetS. Machine learning including soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) showed that the top-3 most important features of MetS were increased glucose and MDA and lowered HDL-C. Support vector machine using MDA, glucose, insulin, HDL-C, triglycerides and body mass index as input variables yielded a 10-fold cross-validated accuracy of 89.8% when discriminating MetS from controls. The association between MetS and increased MDA was independent from the effects of overweight-obesity. glucose, insulin, triglycerides and HDL-C. Conclusion: In adolescents, increased MDA formation is a key component of MetS, indicating that increased production of reactive oxygen species with consequent lipid peroxidation and aldehyde formation participate in the development of MetS. Preprints (www.preprints.org) | NOT PEER-REVIEWED | Posted: 23 June 2020 doi:10.20944/preprints202006.0283. v1
Biochar and Trichoderma aureoviride applied to the sandy soil: effect on soil quality and watermelon growth

Trichoderma spp. are an alternative to increase plant growth and as biological control agents of diseases. Biochar added to soil and Trichoderma can result in the enhancement of crop development and can aid in preventing fertilizer run-off, improving plant health, retaining soil moisture, and helping plants through drought periods. However, a knowledge gap remains regarding the combined effect of biochar and Trichoderma on soil quality and crop growth. The objective of the present study was to evaluate this combined effect and show a new approach of biochar as a route of T. aureoviride (T) inoculation. We evaluated three sources of biochar, bean husks, coCee grounds, and coCee husks, with or without T and an additional control that was devoid of biochar and T. The association of all biochar sources with T showed a significant increase in watermelon growth and soil quality. Biochar coffee grounds with T increased urease, β-glucosidase, and total organic carbon, showing the potential of this combination in these processes. Watermelon plants cultivated in soil with coffee ground biochar and T showed plant length and shoot dry biomass increases of 129% and 192%, respectively. Thus, this study found that biochar use plays an important role in the effectiveness of T. aureoviride applications and is a new instrument for sustainable agriculture.
Prevalence of Cryptosporidiosis in Ostriches from Central and South Parts of Iraq

The prevalence of ostrich’s cryptosporidiosis was determined for the first time in central and south parts of Iraq to study the effects of age, sex, and months on the infection rate and to record the morphological characterization of Cryptosporidium spp in ostriches. A total of 200 ostriches fecal samples were examined by traditional methods for the detection of the parasite. The total infection rate was 11% (22/200), and the highest infection rate was 12.26% (13/106) in chicks ( 9 months), while the lowest infection rate was 9.57% (9/94) recorded in the adult (> 9 months). The study included seven provinces in the central and south parts of Iraq, Wasit, Baghdad, Babylon, Diyala, Karbala, Al-Najaf, and Al-Qadisiyah. The highest infection rate was reported in Al-Najaf (23.53%) compared with the lowest rate (0%) in Wasit province. March reported an infection rate of 50%, while the lowest rate (0%) was registered during summer months (June, July, and August) with a significant difference (P≤0.05) among months of the study. Morphologically, the study indicated the widespread of Cryptosporidium parasites in ostriches in both central and south areas of Iraq.