Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PHYTOTOXICITY OF 10 WINTER BARLEY VARIETIES AND THEIR COMPETITIVE ABILITY AGAINST COMMON POPPY AND IVY-LEAVED SPEEDWELL

SUMMARY A field experiment was conducted in 2002/03 (year 1) and repeated in 2003/04 (year 2) to study the competitive ability of 10 winter barley (Hordeum vulgare) cultivars against common poppy (Papaver rhoeas) and ivy-leaved speedwell (Veronica hederifolia). The phytotoxic (or allelopathic) activity of barley extracts was also determined in the laboratory using a perlite-based bioassay with barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli). In the field, biomass of both weeds was reduced more (65–79%) by the competition of Alpha, Esterel, Terova or Lignee 640 barley cultivars, than with Aspen or Tersey. Biomass of ivy-leaved speedwell in competition with each barley cultivar was significantly lower than that of common poppy. In year 1, the six-row barley cultivars caused greater weed biomass reduction than the two-row, but this was not the case in year 2. Grain yield of Tersey, Aspen and Goldmarker cultivars in herbicide treatments was greater by 41, 33 and 17%, respectively, than from the corresponding herbicide untreated plots. However, grain yield of Terova, Alpha, Esterel and Lignee 640 was not significantly affected by the presence of weeds. In the laboratory, barley extracts affected the total fresh weight or root length of barnyard grass more than its germination. The germination, root length or total fresh weight inhibition on barnyard grass caused by the two six-row barley extracts was greater (43, 48 and 56%, respectively) than that caused by the eight two-row extracts (22, 34 and 43%, respectively). The results of this study indicated that barley cultivars with great competitive and/or phytotoxic ability could be used in sustainable cereal production systems in order to minimize herbicide usage.
Factors affecting the numbers of house mice (Mus musculus) in hard beech (Nothofagus truncata) forest

Nothofagus produces heavy crops of seed infrequently, and then house mouse (Mus musculus) populations increase greatly. In the Orongorongo Valley, near Wellington, seedfall of hard beech (Nothofagus truncata) and the numbers of house mice were measured for 22 years. Four heavy seedings were recorded and the numbers of mice were significantly correlated with the beech seedfall. Most mouse stomachs contained remains of arthropods, especially caterpillars and spiders, as well as plant material. Moths emerging from the litter of the forest floor in summer were sampled for seven years; the numbers of Tingena epimylia (Oecophoridae), whose larvae are litter‐feeders, were strongly correlated with beech seedfall. The correlation between the numbers of moths and mice was slightly stronger than that between the numbers of beech seed and mice. Because the numbers of T. epimylia varied so greatly, components of the litterfall were also measured for three years. In a seeding year spent male flowers were a substantial .
Changes in stubble carbohydrate content during regrowth of defoliated perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) on two nitrogen levels

Changes in stubble carbohydrate content during the regrowth of ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) grown under hydroponic conditions at two nitrogen levels were studied as a function of time by high-performance liquid chromatography. Experimental data showed that regrowth at a non-limiting nitrogen level (1·0 mol m−3 NH4NO3) involved two different physiological periods. The first occurred during the first 6 d and was characterized by the mobilization of 60 to 90% of the soluble carbohydrates (i.e. glucose, fructose, sucrose, oligofructans and polyfructans). During the second period (6.28 d of regrowth) carbohydrate contents rose to the values observed prior to cutting (20% of dry matter at the 28th d of regrowth). The effect of low nitrogen conditions (0·2 mol m−3 NH4NO3) was observed only during the second phase. Plants regrown in a nitrogen-starved medium accumulated 2·3-fold more polyfructans than plants regrown in a non-limiting nitrogen medium. Their fructose and glucose contents remained at 2% of dry matter from the end of the first phase of mobilization. The experimental results are interpreted and discussed in terms of the existence of two distinct fructan synthetic pathways.
ADDRESSING GENDER BIAS ISSUES IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EFL TEXTBOOKS: AN ANALYSIS OF GROW WITH ENGLISH

Purpose of the study: A textbook is a book containing comprehensive teaching-learning materials for a certain subject which is regularly used by both teachers and students at school. Textbooks should not contain unfair content or matters, such as gender bias. This study was conducted to examine the extent to which gender bias appears in the EFL textbook mostly employed in Aceh, Indonesia. Methodology: This research was aimed at investigating the representation levels of gender in English elementary textbooks of Grow with English book 4, book 5, and book 6. A content analysis method was used, for which every page of the textbooks was investigated to explore the five aspects of visibility, priority, feminine/masculine generic construction, activity, and occupation. Main Findings: The result of the investigation shows that every textbook contains gender bias of various representation levels. Males dominated three categories, namely priority, activity, and occupation. Meanwhile, females are only dominant in the visibility category. The results suggest that the EFL textbooks mostly used in Aceh are still not free from gender bias issues. Applications of this study: Indonesia is a country where English is used as a Foreign Language (EFL). Indonesian schools are apt to use textbooks written by Indonesian authors as the major source for English instruction in schools. Therefore, researchers should focus their attention on the content of English textbooks used in schools because they become the guidance for these students in learning. Novelty/Originality of this study: The results of the study suggest that the EFL textbook should be considered for revision to ensure that it is free from unfair content. This is aimed at national textbook designers when they have to produce a textbook for Indonesian learners so that the books they make available to schools are free from gender bias issues in the textbooks.
Comparison between immunochromatographic tests and polymerase chain reaction for FIV and FeLV diagnosis

The retroviruses responsible for feline immunodeficiency and feline leukemia are spread around the world, affecting a large number of animals. These diseases are lifelong and manifest when the cat is immunosuppressed, bringing numerous consequences to their health. The correct and early diagnosis helps in the management of both infected and uninfected animals in order to extend the life of these felines with quality. The present work aims to compare two different tests for the diagnosis of these diseases, in order to discuss the reason for the discrepancy between the results, to demonstrate the positive and negative points of each one and to help the clinician to choose the best method to be used in each situation. The immunochromatographic test and PCR was performed in 66 animals living in the city of Mineiros, Goias, Brazil. Among these, eight animals were positives in the immunochromatographic test and five in the PCR test for diagnosis of FIV. For FeLV, there were only one positive feline on immunochromatography and 38 positives on PCR. With this result, the conclusion is that both tests have their limitations and one should consider the pathogenesis of the agent in order perform the test correctly or associate them.
Taxonomy: no decline, but inertia

The recent literature is rich in papers sounding the alarm about taxonomy. We analyzed data from the Zoological Record (1864–2010 and 1978–2010) to show that we cannot speak of a decline. The number of authors describing new species is growing, along with the number of articles describing new species and the number of new species. We also observed a growing interdisciplinarity and a change in the number of species described per author, suggesting that taxonomy is experiencing new ways of doing research. The modalities of these changes remain to be explored. It is therefore more pertinent to speak not of a decline, i.e. of a degradation relative to a previous situation, but of inadequacy relative to its objective, namely the scientific inventory and classification of the planet's living taxa.
AIR-MIST SPRAY MODEL DEVELOPMENT IN STEEL SECONDARY COOLING PROCESS

Continuous casting is an important process to transform molten metal into solid. Arrays of spray nozzles are used along the process to remove heat from the slab letting it solidify. Efficient and uniform heat removal without slab cracking is desired during steel continuous casting, and air-mist sprays could help to achieve this goal.Air-mist nozzles are one of the important keys for determining the quality of steel as well as energy consumption for pumping the water. Based on industrial data, it is estimated that a 1% reduction in scrapped production due to casting related defects can result in annual savings of 40.53 million dollars in the U.S. Computational simulations studies can minimize defects in steel such as cracks, inclusions, macro-segregations, porosity, and others, which are closely related to the heat transfer between water droplets and hot slab surface.Conducting multiple spray experiments in order to find optimum operating conditions might be impractical and expensive in some cases. Thus, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation is aimed to be used for simulating the air-mist spray process. Because it is a challenging process due to strong air and water interaction, then numerical models have been developed to simulate water droplets. The first model involves air and water phases which then are transformed in single-phase water droplets. To do so, a Volume of Fraction (VOF) to the Discrete Phase Model (DPM) is used.VOF-TO-DPM transition model involves the primary and secondary breakup which occurs in the water atomization process, starting with a single water core, followed by a smaller compact mass of water known as lumps or ligaments due to the interaction of air, and finally converted into water droplets.The second model is using the Nukiyama-Tanasawa function size distribution which injects water droplets based on defined size range and velocity profile. A validation of droplet size and velocity against experimental data has been accomplished. The models can avoid acquiring expensive equipment in order to understand nozzle spray performance, and droplets generated. Quality, water droplet velocity, size, energy, and water consumption are the core of the current study. Last but not least, the methodology for this model can be used in any other air-mist nozzle design.
Influence of edaphic factors on the spatial structure of inland halophytic communities: a case study in China

In order to understand the influence of edaphic factors on the spatial structure of inland halophytic plant communities, a 2.6 km2 study site, located on the lower fringe of the alluvial fan of the Hutubi River, in an arid region of China, was sampled and mapped. 105 patches were found to be homogeneous in species composition. Plant species and their coverage were recorded in each patch. 45 patches were randomly selected for the measurement of edaphic variables. A map with quadrat locations and boundaries of patches was digitized into a GIS and related to the vegetation and edaphic data matrices. CCA was used to evaluate the relative impor- tance of edaphic factors in explaining the variation of the species assemblages and to identify the ecological preferences of species. The spatial structure of the communities and the main edaphic factors were analyzed using correlograms, Man- tel correlograms and clustering under constraint of spatial contiguity. Gradient analysis showed that there are two distinct veg- etation gradients in the study area, one of which is determined mainly by soil moisture (determined by depth to the water table), and the other by soil salinity (determined by electrical conductivity and hydrolytic alkalinity of the first soil layer). However, spatial analyses showed that at the sampling scale the halophytic communities in the study area are structured along one main spatial gradient determined by the water table level. Similar spatial autocorrelation structures between the factors related to the first soil layer and the communities, given our sampling scale, could not be detected. Our results suggest that the relative importance of the effects of different edaphic factors on the spatial structure of halophytic commu- nities is scale-dependent. The partitioning of species variation indicates that in addition to edaphic factors, other factors, such as biotic interactions, may play an important role in structur- ing these communities.
P2Y2 nucleotide receptor interaction with αV integrin mediates astrocyte migration

Astrocytes become activated in response to brain injury, as characterized by increased expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and increased rates of cell migration and proliferation. Damage to brain cells causes the release of cytoplasmic nucleotides, such as ATP and uridine 5′‐triphosphate (UTP), ligands for P2 nucleotide receptors. Results in this study with primary rat astrocytes indicate that activation of a G protein‐coupled P2Y2 receptor for ATP and UTP increases GFAP expression and both chemotactic and chemokinetic cell migration. UTP‐induced astrocyte migration was inhibited by silencing of P2Y2 nucleotide receptor (P2Y2R) expression with siRNA of P2Y2R (P2Y2R siRNA). UTP also increased the expression in astrocytes of αVβ3/5 integrins that are known to interact directly with the P2Y2R to modulate its function. Anti‐αV integrin antibodies prevented UTP‐stimulated astrocyte migration, suggesting that P2Y2R/αV interactions mediate the activation of astrocytes by UTP. P2Y2R‐mediated astrocyte migration required the activation of the phosphatidylinositol‐3‐kinase (PI3‐K)/protein kinase B (Akt) and the mitogen‐activated protein kinase/extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (MEK/ERK) signaling pathways, responses that also were inhibited by anti‐αV integrin antibody. These results suggest that P2Y2Rs and their associated signaling pathways may be important factors regulating astrogliosis in brain disorders.
Examining the Interactive Endogeneity Relationship between R&D Investment and Financially Sustainable Performance: Comparison from Different Types of Energy Enterprises

This paper employs the cluster analysis to classify the energy sector into three types, namely, technology-, capital-, and labor-intensive energy company. It then studies the interactive endogenous relationship between R&D investment and financially sustainable performance and the moderate effect of the executive incentive through three-stage least squares (3SLS) of the simultaneous equations model (SEM). The results show that for the technology-intensive energy company, an increase in the previous period in R&D investment improves the current period of financially sustainable performance, and the improvement in the current period in financially sustainable performance results in a decline in financially sustainable performance in the next period, which demands an increase in R&D investment subsequently. In contrast, for the capital-intensive energy company, R&D investment can significantly improve the financially sustainable performance in the current period, and the improvement in financially sustainable performance can also promote the intensity of next period R&D investment. For the labor-intensive energy company, R&D investment depends on the company’s previous period returns, while R&D investment has no significant impact on the financially sustainable performance in the current period and the next period. In addition, the salary incentives for executives have a significant positive moderate effect on the relationship between R&D investment and financially sustainable performance, especially in the technology-intensive energy company, while equity incentives for executives do not show any significant effect in the sample for different types of companies.
Comparative Grazing Efficiency of Pulmonate and Prosobranch Snails

Radular structure and grazing effects of six snail species were examined to determine if differences in radular morphology might be related to resource partitioning through the selective removal of attached algae. Nutrient-releasing clay pots were incubated inside grazer exclosures in Douglas Lake, Michigan, for 25 days to generate a uniform growth of attached algae. The pots were collected, gently rinsed of loose material, and placed in laboratory aquaria. Five individuals of each snail (Physella gyrina, P. parkerii, Lymnaea emarginata, L. stagnalis, Helisoma anceps, and Elimia livescers) were each allowed to graze on a separate piece of clay pot. Algae on grazed and ungrazed substrata were examined using SEM and light microscopy. All snails visibly reduced algal density, leaving clearly defined grazing trails. The prosobranch Elimia livescens was significantly less effective (p < 0.05) than all pulmonates in removing attached algae. There were no significant differences among pulmonate species in grazing effect. The results indicate that variations in radular structure may be relatively more important in determining different grazing capabilities between prosobranchs and pulmonates, rather than between closely related species of the latter. If food resources are limiting to snails in this system, factors other than selective ingestion, e.g., behavioral differences, may also be operating to reduce competition.
Food, Age, and the Dynamics of a Laboratory Population of Rotifers

Two clones of the rotifer Euchlanis dilatata were derived from a single parent by parthenogenesis so that in succeeding generations the individuals of one clone (the young orthoclone) were always derived from young parents and those of the other (the old orthoclone) from old parents. These clones were fed four different food concentrations (1.6, 4.9, 16.4, and 49.2 mg/ml) of three different algal species (Chlamydomonas reinhardti, Euglena gracilis, and E. geniculata). Rates of increase, birth, death, survivorship, net reproduction, and generation time were measured for all combinations of these variables. Growth rates of individual animals depend on food concentration and not age or food species. Although population growth rates in mass culture are related to both food species and food concentration, the ultimate density of the population depends only on food concentration. Individuals of the young orthoclone have higher rates of population increase than those of the old orthoclone. When Euchlanis fees upon Chlamydomonas the rates of increase are higher than when Euglena gracilis serves as food. E. gracilis, in turn, leads to higher rates than E. genicultata. The rate of population increase is directly related to the density of food for concentrations up to 16.4 mg/ml, but a further increase in food concentration does not result in a corresponding increase in the rate of population growth. These different rates of increase result more from corresponding differences in net reproduction (number of eggs laid by the average female in her lifetime) than from the schedule of egg laying of survivorship. The different rates of population growth can not be explained by differences in the rate of food intake and must result from either differences in assimilation or chemical differences in the foods themselves.
Ejection of algae in the green hydra symbiosis

Green hydra appears to regulate strictly the symbiotic algae within its digestive cells. Numbers of algae in the Frome and Jubilee strains were not affected by either sulphate enrichment of the medium or starvation, although numbers of algae fell when photosynthesis was inhibited by darkness and /or DCMU, due to cessation of algal growth. Treatment with glycerol or the antibiotic trimethoprim caused ejection of algae; trimethoprim, but not glycerol, also inhibited algal growth. Glycerol and trimethoprim caused an increase in numbers of algae at the apical ends of digestive cells, and appearance of cohesive algal pellets in treated hydras' coelenterons and in the culture dish; in control hydra and those treated with darkness or DCMU, fewer algae were at the apexes of digestive cells, and no algal pellets were produced. It was concluded that ejection of algae is not the normal regulatory mechanism in the green hydra symbiosis, although the fact that certain treatments may cause algal ejection should be taken into account when algal proliferation is measured in green hydra.
Specificity and Insecticidal Activity of Chilean Strains of Bacillus thuringiensis

Abstract Twenty-eight samples containing Bacillus thuringiensis were obtained from 137 soil samples collected from the Maule Region of Chile. Two isolates were selected for evaluation of insecticidal activity against two agronomically important insects, according to the following criteria: colony and parasporal inclusion morphology, SDS-PAGE, Western blot, and flagellar serotypes. Results showed that strains indexed as 114 (var. kurstaki serotype H3a3b3c) and G11g (var. kenyae serotype H4a4C) synthesized entomocidal proteins of the Cry I group. The insecticidal activity of strain 114 was similar to control strain var. kurstaki HD-1 toward Scrobipalpula absoluta larvae and presented 30% of activity of control strain against Helicoverpa zea larvae. Isolate G11g was found to be approximately 20% less active than the other screened strains.
Benchmarks in the Spotlight: The Impact on Exchange Traded Markets

The Fix for precious metals is a global pricing benchmark that provides pricing and liquidity provision for market participants. We exploit the gradual change in the century old auction process to quantify the efficiencies related to more transparent pricing for several precious metals. Our focus is on the market impact of this change on exchange listed products. We find that reforms to the Fix structure have reduced quoted and effective bid-ask spreads for exchange traded futures contracts and improved overall market depth. The results imply a positive spillover effect stemming from more timely and accurate pricing information. The conditions under which we observe the benefits from transparency are related to product liquidity and the degree of market segmentation.
The preliminary study in the development of e-Physics module integrated ethnoscience

Purpose of curriculum 2013 is to demand actif and independent student in learning. One effort that can be done by teacher is to make an e-modul. By combining technology into the module, it is expected to be able make student more motivated to study physics. In addition, curriculum 2013 also provides opportunities for student to learn through culture. One way to do this is by presenting learning resources (e-modules) with scientific knowledge that is integrated with the surrounding culture or ethnosciens. This research is a descriptive research. Data collection techniques were carried out using interviews and questionnaires. Based on the result of the analysis, it is necessary to develop an e-physics module integrated ethnosciense.
Food of the Rocky Mountain Whitefish Prosopium williamsoni (Girard)

A study of 365 stomachs indicates the chief food to be aquatic insect larvae and other bottom forms. The type of food varies with locality, age, and season, depending on availability. The whitefish is of value as a game and food fish, but it may compete with trout and salmon for food, and may also destroy the eggs and young of these species.