Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
GENETIC GAIN IN PRO-VITAMIN A AND GENETIC DIVERSITY CHANGES OF TWO SYNTHETIC MAIZE POPULATIONS IMPROVED THROUGH MARKER ASSISTED RECURRENT SELECTION

ii ACKNOWLEDGMENT . iv CERTIFICATION BY SUPERVISORS . v DEDICATION. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS.vii LIST OF TABLES . ix LIST OF FIGURES . xi LIST OF APENDICES . xii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . xiii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 1 CHAPTER 2: LITRATURE REVIEW . 4 2.1 Micronutrient malnutrition . 4 2.2 Diversity of maize for pro-vitamin A carotenoids . 4 2.3 Recurrent selection . 5 2.4 Methods of recurrent selection . 8 2.4. 1 Intra population improvement.8 2.4. 2 Inter population improvement.8 2.5 Marker assisted recurrent selection . 8 2.6 Genetic changes due to recurrent selection . 9 2.7 The role of molecular markers in crop improvement. 11 2.8 Maize carotenoid biosynthetic pathway . 12 CHAPTER 3: MATERIALS AND METHODS . 15 3.1 Description of study area . 15 3.2 Development of marker assisted recurrent selection (MARS) population . 15 3.3 Phenotypic evaluation of marker assisted recurrent selection population . 17
Genotype × Light Quality Interaction on Rose Architecture

Plant shape, and thereby plant architecture, is a major component of the visual quality of ornamental plants. Plant architecture results from growth and branching processes and is dependent on genetic and environmental factors such as light quality. The effects of genotype and light quality and their interaction were evaluated on rose bush architecture. In a climatic growth chamber, three cultivars (Baipome, Knock Out® Radrazz and ‘The Fairy’) with contrasting architecture were exposed to three different light spectra, using white (W), red (R), and far-red (FR) light-emitting diodes (LEDs), i.e., W, WR, and WRFR. The R/FR ratio varied between treatments, ranging from 7.5 for WRFR to 23.2 for WR. Light intensity (224.6 μmol m−2 s−1) was the same for all treatments. Plants were grown up to the order 1 axis flowering stage, and their architecture was digitized at two observation scales—plant and axis. Highly significant genotype and light quality effects were revealed for most of the variables measured. An increase in stem length, in the number of axes and in the number of flowered axes was observed under the FR enriched light, WRFR. However, a strong genotype × light quality interaction, i.e., a genotype-specific response was highlighted. More in-depth eco-physiological and biochemical investigations are needed to better understand rose behavior in response to light quality and thus identify the determinants of the genotype × light quality interaction.
Dietary ecology of Markhor(Capra falconeri cashmiriensis) in winter range of Kazinag National Park, Kashmir, J&K, India

Background/Objective: Understanding winter diet composition of wild ungulates in temperate habitats is of paramount importance for devising conservationmeasures. The winter diet composition ofMarkhor (Capra falconeri), one of the least studied ungulate species, was assessed in Kazinag National Park (KNP) of Jammu and Kashmir, India.Methods: Reference slides of 15 available plant species, through micro-histological technique were prepared. Tests like Diet Selection Values (DSV), Ivlev's Electivity Index (IEI) and Chi-square tests were applied to study the selection and preference of dietary items. Findings: 80 fecal samples of markhor were analyzed in winter seasons of 2017 & 2018, and compared with reference slides to evaluate the winter diet. Fifteen (15) plant species belonging to 7 families were identified in the diet. Use of Ivlev's Electivity Index (IEI), revealed that, shrubs were strongly preferred during this season, besides one graminoid species (Poa pratensis). Among the most preferred species are, Poa pratensis (DSV=6.17) followed by Prunus tomentosa (DSV=2.42), Indigofera heterantha (DSV=2.23), Lonicera spp. (DSV=1.66) and Euonymus hamiltonianus (DSV=1.63). Chi-square goodness of fit test showed that markhor did not feed on all plant species uniformly (p< 0.05). Novelty: Our findings infer that, markhor shows feeding flexibility to adapt to change in forage availability. We recommend that plant species which are the major components of diet of markhor during resourcelean winter be conserved and propagated on prior-
Additive Main Effects and Multiplicative Interaction and Other Stability Analyses of Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.)Trotter] Grain Yield

Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.)Trotter]) is one of the most important cereal crops grown in Ethiopia. Tef production has been partly constrained by low yield and less stability of the genotypes under cultivation. Field experiments were carried out in Halaba, Loka Abaya, Bensa and Areka, South Ethiopia, from August to November, during 2016 and 2017 main cropping seasons, in order to estimate yield stability and the association between AMMI analysis and other stability parameters. Experiments were laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications using fourteen improved tef genotypes. Mean yield for Halaba, Loka Abaya2016, Loka Abaya2017, Bensa, Areka2016 and Areka2017 was 0.99, 0.45, 0.48, 1.50, 1.62 and 0.77 tons/ha, respectively. Genotypes Amarach, Boset, Simada, and Tseday exhibited high mean yield of 1.09, 1.10, 1.07 and 1.07 tons/ha, respectively. AMMI stability value (ASV) ranged from 0.17 (genotype Lakech) to 1.40 (Amarach); yield stability index (YSI) from 7 (Lakech) to 25 (Quncho); and superiority measure (Pi) from 0.015 (Boset) to 0.145 (Dega Tef). Rank correlation of yield with Pi (r = 0.97, p Wi and δi2 (r = 0.85, p Wi and δi2 (r = 1.00, p was high. Rank correlation of YSI with yield (r = 0.57, p , ASV (r = 0.75, p 1), and Pi (r = 0.68, p 1) and Wi and δi2 (r = 0.67, p genotypes Etsub, Simada and Tseday would be recommended for high yield and wide adaptation, and ASV would be used alone or jointly with YSI, Wi and δi2 for ranking of genotypes.
Relationship between urban development patterns and noise complaints in England

The role of urban planning in sound environments has recently received increased research attention. This study aims to examine the relationship between the rate of noise complaints and urban development patterns concerning planning and landscape at city/region level. Open-source government data sets are used for statistical analysis across all district and unitary local authorities in England. The indicators for urban development patterns are categorised into six groups: population, industrial structure, built-up area, transport network, commuting, and natural landscape factors. Our research found that noise complaints tend to be higher in service-dominated cities/regions with high population densities; large and uneven cities/regions also tend to have more noise complaints, as do clustered cities/regions. However, dispersed, fragmented, and/or cities/regions having ragged boundaries are likely to have less noise complaints. These findings were confirmed by analysis of transport networks and commuting factors. Finally, cities/regions with more natural landscapes and greater separation of residences from workplaces also have fewer noise complaints.
Papillomavirus can be transmitted through the blood and produce infections in blood recipients: Evidence from two animal models

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are commonly thought to be strictly sexually transmitted. However, studies have demonstrated the presence of HPV in cancers of many non-sexual internal organs, raising the question as to how the viruses gain access to these sites. A possible connection between blood transfusion and HPV-associated disease has not received much attention. We show, in two animal models, that blood infected with papillomavirus yields infections at permissive sites. Furthermore, we demonstrate that blood from actively infected mice can transmit the infection to naïve animals. Finally, we report papillomavirus infections in the stomach tissues of animals infected via the blood. Stomach tissues are not known to be permissive for papillomavirus infection, although the literature suggests that HPVs may be associated with a subset of gastric cancers. These results indicate that the human blood supply, which is not screened for papillomaviruses, could be a potential source of HPV infection and subsequent cancers. SUMMARY Human papillomaviruses cause 5% of human cancers. Currently, blood banks do not screen for these viruses. We demonstrate that blood transfused from papillomavirus-infected animals produces infections in recipients. Public health implications are significant if the same is true for humans. Definitions Local papillomavirus infection: An infection initiated by the direct application of virus or viral DNA to the site of infection Intravenous (IV) papillomavirus infection: An infection resulting from blood-borne delivery of virus or viral DNA to the site of infection.
Teacher candidates’ satisfaction with massive open online courses in Turkey

Adult education, especially teacher education, is one of the most important issues in Turkey in order to increase the quality of education and to keep up with the countries which aim to become one of the most competitive and knowledge-based economy in the world. Therefore, most of the universities started to improve their distance learning provisions by using massive open online courses (MOOCs). The purpose of this study is to understand teacher candidates’ opinions on MOOCs and their satisfaction with MOOCs. A mixed method including qualitative and quantitative approaches was used in this study. Results show that the MOOCs have a positive effect on teacher candidates’ personal development and learning life; therefore, they are satisfied with the MOOCs. Only the satisfaction level in learner–instructor interaction is lower in asynchronous courses. As adult learners, they wanted to be more active in MOOCs. These findings improve the understanding of MOOC’s learning satisfaction and contribute to design and develop better MOOCs according to learners’ needs and demands. Keywords: adult education, teacher education, distance education;
Laboratory Study of Bilateral Supernova Remnants and Continuous MHD Shocks

Many supernova remnants (SNRs), such as G296.5+10.0, exhibit an axisymmetric or barrel shape. Such morphologies have previously been linked to the direction of the Galactic magnetic field, although this remains uncertain. These SNRs generate magnetohydrodynamic shocks in the interstellar medium, modifying its physical and chemical properties. The ability to study these shocks through observations is difficult due to the small spatial scales involved. In order to answer these questions, we perform a scaled laboratory experiment in which a laser-generated blast wave expands under the influence of a uniform magnetic field. The blast wave exhibits a spheroidal shape, whose major axis is aligned with the magnetic field, in addition to a more continuous shock front. The implications of our results are discussed in the context of astrophysical systems.
The Influence Toward the Quality of Life When Technology Meets Handmade Goods and Services

For improving the quality of life and health condition of Taiwanese, we promote handmade candles in order to service our consumers. We plan to use the convenience of technology and enhance our publicity more in the offering. We hence conducted an investigation on organic enterprises that included organic product acceptance and cognition. The result was that Taiwanese accept organic candles which can improve their physical and psychological health. On top of that, Taiwanese regard the quality of life as an important part of life. The enterprises as start-up business are willing to promote zero-carbon emission and the quality of life to Taiwanese as well.
Controversy regarding the functional conservation of cereblon CUL4-type E3 ligase substrate receptor

1Department of Immunology, Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA 2Cancer Biology Ph.D. Program, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA 3Chemical Biology Core, Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA 4Department of Oncologic Sciences, University of South, Tampa, FL, USA 5Department of Drug Discovery, Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
Coupling anammox with heterotrophic denitrification for enhanced nitrogen removal: A review

Abstract Anammox has been recognized as the current most cost-effective nitrogen removal process. However, the issue of excess nitrate residue from its effluent remains to be addressed in order to meet the increasingly stringent discharge standard. Other than nitrogen, certain types of wastewater have organic matter that also needs to be removed. Within this context, denitrification can be introduced to reduce nitrate produced in anammox process and improve effluent quality. Meanwhile, the organic content of wastewater can be also controlled. In such integrated system, maintaining the predominant role of anammox is of supreme importance in achieving the stable operation. This study reviews the strategies to establish a competition balance between anammox and denitrification processes by analyzing the kinetics of anammox and denitrifying microorganisms, discussing the favorable conditions in establishing the coupled process, and evaluating the system recovery approaches. Moreover, the dynamics of the microbial communities in response to the organic matters are also presented in order to better understand the complex interactions inside the system and provide a molecular insight in regulating the growth of the two functional bacteria for the stable coexistence. This review offers a guide for future engineering application on anammox coupled denitrification technology for advanced nitrogen removal. Graphical abstract
Method for Forecasting Electric Consumption for Household Users in the Conditions of the Republic of Tajikistan

Received: 15 February 2020 Accepted: 4 April 2020 In the work, a method is proposed that allows predicting electricity consumption by household consumers in the terrain of the Republic of Tajikistan. To take into account the factor features of the terrain of the cities of the Republic of Tajikistan, a coefficient is proposed that characterizes the terrain conditions depending on the temperatures and the difference in the heights of the cities above the sea level. The adequacy of the proposed method for predicting electricity consumption by household consumers is presented in the form of dependences of annual electricity consumption schedules obtained by calculation and experimental methods.
The Impact of Monetary Policy Communication in an Emerging Economy: The Case of Indonesia

Since the adoption of the inflation targeting framework by Bank Indonesia (BI), monetary policy communication has played an increasingly important role in BI’s policy toolkit. This paper assesses BI’s monetary policy communication from three perspectives: i) its transparency and clarity, ii) its ability to align market expectation and BI’s policy decisions (predictability), and iii) its impact on financial markets. In particular, we assess the impact of BI’s monetary policy practices by focusing on its monetary policy press releases and monetary policy reports. The results show that Bank Indonesia has made significant progress in the transparency of its communication as well as in the institutional framework to support this. Nonetheless, the results also suggest ways in which the impact of communication can be further improved, including by strengthening the clarity of policy messages, its consistency with the policy framework and the depth of the money market.
The Medical Genome Reference Bank: Whole genomes and phenotype of 2,570 healthy elderly

Population health research is increasingly focused on the genetic determinants of healthy ageing, but there is no public resource of whole genome sequences and phenotype data from healthy elderly individuals. Here we describe the Medical Genome Reference Bank (MGRB), comprising whole genome sequence and phenotype of 2,570 elderly Australians depleted for cancer, cardiovascular disease, and dementia. We analysed the MGRB for single-nucleotide, indel and structural variation in the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. Individuals in the MGRB had fewer disease-associated common and rare germline variants, relative to both cancer cases and the gnomAD and UK BioBank cohorts, consistent with risk depletion. Pervasive age-related somatic changes were correlated with grip strength in men, suggesting blood-derived whole genomes may also provide a biologic measure of age-related functional deterioration. The MGRB provides a broadly applicable reference cohort for clinical genetics and genomic association studies, and for understanding the genetics of healthy ageing. This research has been conducted using the UK Biobank Resource under Application Number 17984.
Increased spontaneous EEG signal diversity during stroboscopically-induced altered states of consciousness

What are the global neuronal signatures of altered states of consciousness (ASC)? Recently, increases in neural signal diversity, compared to those found in wakeful rest, have been reported during psychedelic states. Neural signal diversity has previously been identified as a robust signature of the state of consciousness, showing lower scores during sleep or anaesthesia compared to wakeful rest. The increased neural signal diversity during psychedelic states raises the additional possibility that it may also reflect the increased diversity of subjective experiences associated with these states. However, psychedelic states involve widespread neuropsychopharmacological changes, only some of which may be associated with altered phenomenology. Therefore, we used stroboscopic stimulation to induce non-pharmacological altered states of consciousness while measuring the diversity of EEG signals. Stroboscopic stimulation caused substantial increases in the intensity and range of subjective experiences, with reports of both simple and complex visual hallucinations. These experiences were accompanied by increases in EEG signal diversity scores (measured using Lempel-Ziv complexity) exceeding those associated with wakeful rest, in line with studies of the psychedelic state. Our findings support the proposal that EEG signal diversity reflects the diversity of subjective experience that is associated with different states of consciousness.
The Mediating Role of Affects between Mind-Wandering and Happiness

The aim of this study was to assess the mediating role of affects between mind-wandering and happiness. The study was conducted with a sample comprising 270 university students—133 men (49.26%) and 137 women (50.74%)—who filled out the Mind-Wandering Questionnaire (MWQ), the Positive and Negative Affect Questionnaire (PANAS), and the SHS subjective happiness scale. Mind-wandering was found to be negatively correlated with happiness and positive effects. Higher mind-wandering-related scores went hand in hand with scores related to both lower happiness and positive affects. Approximately half the participants yielded low mind-wandering and negative affect scores and above-average happiness and positive affects scores. In addition, one in four scored above average in terms of mind-wandering and low in terms of happiness and positive effects. Finally, the mediating role played by affects was examined. It can be concluded that although in principle mind-wandering has no direct effect on happiness, some influence can be attested when affects, both positive and negative, are taken into consideration.
Genetic and Phenotypic Assessment of Garden Peas (Pisum sativum L.) Genotypes

Abstract: The field trial was conducted during the growing season 2017-2019 in the experimental fields of the Maritsa Vegetable Crop Institute, Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The study used 10 samples of garden peas (Pisum sativum L). for measurement. Plant tall (сm), height to first fertile node (сm), length of internode (cm), number of tillers, number of branches, number of ineffective nodes, total number of nodes, total number of pods per plant, one pod per fruiting handle, two pods per fruiting handle, pod length (сm), pod width (сm), pod weight per plant, weight of green grains per plant (g), % filled grains, % unfilled grains, average number of grains per pod were assessed. Analysis variance showed significant differences between the genotypes of garden peas in all the traits studied. A lower level of the genetic variance was found compared to the phenotypic one by the number of branches, total number of nodes and one pod per fruiting handle. The coefficient of genetic variation is higher than the phenotypic one for most of the traits and ranged from 5.51-5.82% for pod width and total number of nodes to 56.98-59.09% for number of branches and % unfilled grains. For signs of plant tall (98.32% and 129.31%), height to first fertile node (91.22% and 29.32%), weight of pods per plant (86.83%, 29.32), weight of green grains per plant (83.7%, 11.89%) and % filled grains (77.81% and 24.96%). It was found high inheritance combined with high genetic progress. This is a prerequisite for increasing the biological potential on these traits and a real opportunity to create new forms of garden peas possessing such qualities. The best genotypes were found GEN 1 (22/16-n.), GEN 6 (Marsy-n.), GEN 4 (Plovdiv-n.) and GEN 9 (1/17-n.). They may be used in new breeding programs and hybrid lines may be entered in competitive variety lists.
Degrees of population-level susceptibility of Australian terrestrial non-volant mammal species to predation by the introduced red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and feral cat (Felis catus)

Context Over the last 230 years, the Australian terrestrial mammal fauna has suffered a very high rate of decline and extinction relative to other continents. Predation by the introduced red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and feral cat (Felis catus) is implicated in many of these extinctions, and in the ongoing decline of many extant species. Aims To assess the degree to which Australian terrestrial non-volant mammal species are susceptible at the population level to predation by the red fox and feral cat, and to allocate each species to a category of predator susceptibility. Methods We collated the available evidence and complemented this with expert opinion to categorise each Australian terrestrial non-volant mammal species (extinct and extant) into one of four classes of population-level susceptibility to introduced predators (i.e. ‘extreme’, ‘high’, ‘low’ or ‘not susceptible’). We then compared predator susceptibility with conservation status, body size and extent of arboreality; and assessed changes in the occurrence of species in different predator-susceptibility categories between 1788 and 2017. Key results Of 246 Australian terrestrial non-volant mammal species (including extinct species), we conclude that 37 species are (or were) extremely predator-susceptible; 52 species are highly predator-susceptible; 112 species are of low susceptibility; and 42 species are not susceptible to predators. Confidence in assigning species to predator-susceptibility categories was strongest for extant threatened mammal species and for extremely predator-susceptible species. Extinct and threatened mammal species are more likely to be predator-susceptible than Least Concern species; arboreal species are less predator-susceptible than ground-dwelling species; and medium-sized species (35 g–3.5 kg) are more predator-susceptible than smaller or larger species. Conclusions The effective control of foxes and cats over large areas is likely to assist the population-level recovery of ~63 species – the number of extant species with extreme or high predator susceptibility – which represents ~29% of the extant Australian terrestrial non-volant mammal fauna. Implications Categorisation of predator susceptibility is an important tool for conservation management, because the persistence of species with extreme susceptibility will require intensive management (e.g. predator-proof exclosures or predator-free islands), whereas species of lower predator susceptibility can be managed through effective landscape-level suppression of introduced predators.