Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Longterm zero tillage and residue management practices on soil nutrient availability and productivity of pigeonpea under dryland conditions

Conservation agriculture has potential for conserving the resources and enhancing productivity to achieve the goals of sustainable agriculture. Long term conservation agriculture experiment was started with main plot treatments include zero tillage raised and flat bed, with or without residue retention on surface, after six years reduced dose of nutrients as subplots at Agricultural Research Station, Bheemarayanagudi is situated in North Eastern Dry Zone (Zone-2) of Karnataka. The soil was red sandy loam. Every year same crop Pigeonpea was cultivated. The rainfall received during 2015 was 437.6 mm, which was 17.1 percent low compared to average. Rainfall received during 2016 was 398.2 mm, which was 24.56 percent low compared to average. Pooled results of the experiment revealed that zero tillage raised bed with residue retention produced higher seed and stalk yield, sustainable yield index, organic carbon and nutrient availability and uptake than other treatments. Among the nutrient doses 100 percent given higher yield and nutrient content and uptake, but economics net returns and B:C ratio were higher where zero nutrient doses. Finally, interaction of zero tillage raised bed with residue retention along with 100 percent application of nutrient dose produced higher yields but were on far with 75 and 50 percent of nutrient doses. Thus, in long term conservation agriculture practices, nutrient dose requirement can be reduced to 50 percent in pigeonpea grown under dryland conditions.
Systematics of the Australasian Lymnaeidae

The Lymnaeidae Rafinesque, 1815 are one of the most widespread groups of freshwater snails, however, they are characterised by a long and confused systematic history largely due to problems associated with shell plasticity. Recent molecular studies that have utilised DNA sequences have failed to adequately represent the Australasian lymnaeids. The aim of this study was to understand the systematics of the Australasian Lymnaeidae, using 16S and ITS-2 sequences in tandem with a anatomical and shell studies. The native Australian and New Zealand lymnaeids are currently attributed to Austropeplea Cotton, 1942 and Kutikina Ponder and Waterhouse 1997, which are thought to be represented by three and one species, respectively. Results of this study indicate there are 5 distinct species across three genera. Phylogenetic analyses of the A. tomentosa (Pfeiffer, 1855) complex recovered two distinct species, A. tomentosa in New Zealand and A. huonensis (Tenison-Woods, 1876) in southern Australia. There was however incongruence between the anatomical and molecular phylogenies. Kutikina hispida was suggested to be closely related to the A. tomentosa complex, however, molecular phylogenies genes resolved K. hispida as sister to A. huonensis, with A. tomentosa being resolved as sister to the A. huonensis + Kutikina clade. Kutikina was therefore synonymised into Austropeplea based on the molecular phylogenies. Based on molecular and anatomical phylogenies, the more northern complex, A. lessoni (Deshayes, 1830) was more appropriately placed in the Peplimnea (Iredale, 1943), and was found to be represented by two distinct taxa, P. lessoni and P. affinis (Kuster, 1862). Phylogenetic analysis of 16S, ITS-2 and anatomical characters recovered A. viridis (Quoy and Gaimard, 1832) as relatively divergent from other members of Austropeplea. Therefore, A. viridis was placed into Viridigalba Kruglov and Starobogatov, 1985.
The evolution of sibling interactions in humans

Studying the fitness consequences of living in the presence of siblings at different life history stages, and thus how siblings differ in their fitness maximising strategies, is crucial for understanding the evolution of family dynamics. Using a large demographic dataset from historical Finland, I investigate the effects of sibling interactions on key life history traits, including dispersal phenotype (i.e. dispersing or remaining philopatric) and its direct and indirect fitness outcomes. First, I highlight opposite effects of sibling interactions depending on life history stage, and show that overall lifetime reproductive success was reduced by the presence of same-sex elder siblings, but increased by the presence of opposite-sex elder siblings (Chapter 2). These results suggest that individuals may switch their fitness maximising strategy in different life history stages. I then show that dispersal patterns are strongly influenced by intra-sex competition (over land resources for males and mating opportunities for females) with later born, disadvantaged siblings being more likely to disperse (Chapter 3). However, I find no evidence that later born children with lower access to parental resources benefitted more from dispersing than did first borns (Chapter 4). Finally, I investigate potential indirect fitness benefits of helping behaviour provided by relatives who remain philopatric and single, but I do not find evidence for alloparenting effects (Chapter 5). Overall, these results suggest that differential access to parental resources could have qualitative as well as quantitative consequences on the fitness maximising strategies of siblings with different access to resources, namely that first born offspring gained fitness both directly and indirectly, whereas later born, disadvantaged siblings only seemed to invest in their direct fitness. This thesis provides a substantial step towards understanding sibling interactions over the entire life-course rather than only focusing on early-life consequences, and stresses the need for more long-term studies of sibling interactions.
Genetic variation and covariation in productive characters of New Zealand Romney Marsh sheep

Abstract Estimates of heritability of six characteristics and the genetic and phenotypic correlations among them have been obtained from a flock of New Zealand Romney Marsh sheep. The characters studied were greasy–fleece weight, staple length, quality number, fleece quality, hairiness, and body type. The characters were recorded at 14 months of age on 697 ewe hoggets which had been shorn as lambs. Fleece quality was the only character in which there was a significant interaction between sires and years. The cause of this interaction could not be definitely decided from the data. Only records taken at mature ages were available for some of the dams. Hence heritabilities calculated from the regression of hogget record of daughter on mature record of dam could be compared with those calculated from the regression of hogget record of daughter on hogget record of dam. Though heritabilities from the latter method were generally higher, the differences were not significant. The variance of mature records.
Understanding Australian Wine Consumers’ Preferences for Different Sparkling Wine Styles

This study investigated the perceptions and preferences of Australian wine consumers towards different styles of sparkling wine, including French Champagne and Australian sparkling white, red and rosé wine, Moscato and Prosecco. An online survey of 1027 regular sparkling wine consumers captured demographic information, sparkling wine perceptions and preferences, and typical spending and consumption patterns. Consumers were segmented into three distinct clusters (‘No Frills’, ‘Aspirants’ and ‘Enthusiasts’) using the Fine Wine Instrument model. The majority of No Frills consumers were female and typically consumed sparkling wine once per month. Almost 55% of Aspirants were male with a household income of more than AU$75,000. Enthusiast consumers were also predominantly male and well educated, and 64% were under the age of 35 years. Sparkling white wine and Champagne were generally the preferred styles for each consumer group, followed by Moscato and sparkling rosé wine. Interestingly, Moscato scored favorably with both No Frills and Enthusiast segments. Almost 25% of respondents indicated that they were not familiar with Prosecco, while sparkling red wine was perceived similarly by male and female consumers. The findings from this study can be used by sparkling wine producers to better target their products and marketing to the specific needs and expectations of consumers within different segments of the Australian domestic market.
Cultivation, identification and quantification of one species of yeast‐like symbiotes, Candida, in the rice brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens

Abstract The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens Stål, which is one of the most destructive pests of rice, has been confirmed to harbor yeast‐like symbiotes (YLS) in the fat body. Several morphologically different YLS have been previously isolated and cultured in vitro from BPH, but direct evidence is lacking to further clarify whether the cultured YLS were from BPH. In this study, one species of YLS was successfully cultured in vitro and simultaneously verified to exist in the fat body of BPH by sequence analysis and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The cultured YLS isolate in vitro was identified as a member of the genus Candida on the basis of 18S rDNA (ribosomal DNA) and 5.8S‐ITS (internal transcribed spacer) rDNA sequence and a phylogenetic analysis of ITS sequences from yeast. Therefore, this yeast isolate was named as Candida‐like symbiotes. Candida‐like symbiotes was found to exist in fat bodies, ovaries and newly laid eggs of the BPH, but not in the heads, thoraxes and mid‐guts. In addition, the number of Candida‐like symbiotes in 1 × 106 of purified YLS from BPH fat bodies was speculated to be (5.32 ± 0.22) × 104 on the basis of a quantitative PCR analysis.
Deep-water fish fauna in the Eastern Ionian Sea

Existing information on the ichthyofauna of the Eastern Ionian Sea (Greece) was enriched by a recent research project carried out in its northern part at depths ranging from 300 to 1200 m. The frequency of occurrence of the identified fish species and their abundance were examined. In total, 101 fish species were identified. Their number and abundance decreased significantly with depth. Argentina sphyraena presented the highest frequency of occurrence and Chlorophthalmus agassizi the highest abundance at depths ranging between 300 and 500 m. In the depth zone 500-700 m, Chlorophthalmus agassizi predominated in abundance and Phycis blennoides in frequency of occurrence. In the zone 700-900 m, Galeus melastomus and Nezumia sclerorhynchus showed both the highest abundance and frequency of occurrence. These two species were also the most abundant at depths 900-1200 m, whereas Lampanyctus crocodilus was the most frequently encountered. Four species (Benthocometes robustus, Microichthys coccoi, Nemichthys scolopaceus and Epigonus constanciae) are reported for the first time in Greek waters, and twenty species are reported for the first time in the Greek Ionian Sea. Moreover, one specimen of Caelorinchus mediterraneus IWAMOTO & UNGARO, 2002, a species that has only recently been described for the Mediterranean Sea, was also identified.
AN UPDATED ESTIMATE OF THE WORLD STATUS AND POPULATION TRENDS OF THE GREAT BUSTARD OTIS TARDA

SUMMARY. —An updated estimate of the world status and population trends of the great bustard Otis tarda. Aims: To present an updated estimate of the status and trends of the great bustard Otis tarda worldwide, provide a baseline for future evaluations of the conservation status of the species and identify regions where more precise census work is needed. Results and Conclusions: The world population is estimated to be between 43,500 and 51,200 individuals, of which ca. 60 % occur in Spain. The results suggest that total numbers have not decreased during the last decade, in contrast to the declining trend currently assumed. This is largely due to the overall positive tendency recently observed in the Iberian Peninsula. Some small central European populations that had been decreasing for several decades are also recovering now, apparently due to active conservation measures. However, a reduction in range is still occurring, with a tendency to concentrate at sites with high-quality habitat. This recommends keeping conservation efforts and the species’ protection status worldwide. More accurate surveys are needed in Russia, northwest China, Turkey and Ukraine in order to confirm numbers and trends in these countries.
Neuropharmacological properties of Launaea resedifolia

Launaea resedifolia (L.) Kuntze (family: Asteraceae), synonym Scorzonera resedifolia L. , is a medicinal plant used in the Libyan folkloric medicine mainly for the treatment of hepatic pains. However, there is no report on any pharmacological evaluation of L. resedifolia available to date. In this study, the neuropharmacological potential of the ethanol extract of this plant has been assessed in animal models. Launaea resedifolia extracts exhibited an inhibitory effect on the locomotor activity of mice in the open field test, an anti-nociceptive effect by increasing the hot plate reaction time in the hot plate test, and an anti-inflammatory activity in the carrageenan-induced paw oedema. Furthermore, a sedative effect was evident from the decrease in the onset of pentobarbitone sleeping time and increase in the duration of pentobarbitone sleeping time rats. The ethanol extract also demonstrated a significant decrease in the mortality rate induced by picrotoxin by about 66%, and a considerable reduction in the body weight of mice compared to the control groups.
Shifts in Contraceptive Use in the City of Tehran, Iran: 2000-2014

Results: In 2014, 82% of women used contraceptive methods (48% modern methods, and 34% traditional methods). Withdrawal (33%) and condoms (21%) had the highest prevalence, compared with female sterilization (9%), IUD (7%) and Pills (7%). Over 2000-2014, the use of withdrawal and condoms increased by 69% and 20%, respectively. In contrast, the prevalence of female sterilization, pills, male sterilization, and IUD decreased respectively by 20%, 42%, 45% and 51% over the same period. The use of withdrawal method increased with women’s age. Withdrawal and condom were used by 67% of contraceptive users, who mostly hold higher education levels, were employed, and lived in upper residential districts. In contrast, users of modern methods, namely sterilizations, IUD and pills, mostly hold lower levels of education and income, were unemployed, lived in the lower residential districts, and had two or more children.
Effect of Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense) Residue on Growth of Some Crops

Field and greenhouse experiments were established to determine the phytotoxicity of Canada thistle [Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. ] residue on crop growth. Field examination of infestations showed that as Canada thistle shoots increased in an area, the number of kochia [Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad. ], marshelder (Iva xanthifolia Nutt.) and foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum L.) plants decreased. Conversely, as Canada thistle shoots decreased, the aforementioned annual and perennial plants increased. In greenhouse studies, roots and shoots of Canada thistle that were mixed with soil reduced the growth of sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L. ‘Mono Hy D2’), wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ‘Centurk’), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. ‘Dawson’), and Canada thistle seedlings. Corn (Zea mays L. ‘Jacques No. 1004’) and dry edible beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L. ‘Great Northern No. 59’) grown in soil treated with Canada thistle residue were affected to a lesser extent. When Canada thistle residue was mixed with soil, crop growth was inversely proportional to the amount of Canada thistle residue added to the soil. Both roots and shoots of Canada thistle were toxic to crops when mixed with the soil. The effects of Canada thistle residue on crop growth lasted for about 60 days. Neither autoclaving residue and soil nor fertilization of soil had any effect on residue toxicity. Canada thistle leaf leachate inhibited the growth of sugarbeets watered daily with the leachate.
The Relationship between English Language Learner Characteristics and Online Self-regulation: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Learner beliefs, anxiety, and motivation are three common learner characteristics. They have consistently been found to account for language learning performance. Meanwhile, self-regulation is critical in sustaining online learners’ continuous efforts and predicting their learning outcomes. Despite the massive and rapidly increasing number of online English learners, few studies have clarified the assumed relationships between learner characteristics (learner beliefs, anxiety, motivation) and self-regulation in the online English learning context. This study aims to fill the gap by conducting structural equation modeling analysis to examine their relations. To fulfill the research purpose, we adopted the previous questionnaires with sufficient reliability as instruments to evaluate students’ online English learner beliefs, learning anxiety, learning motivation and online self-regulated English learning. The valid responses collected from 425 Chinese undergraduate university students enrolled in an online academic English writing course provided the data source. The results indicated that learner beliefs positively predicted, while learning anxiety negatively predicted, online self-regulated English learning. Online English learning motivation was a mediator in these associations. The findings suggested that stronger learner beliefs of self-efficacy and perceived value of English learning promoted learning motivation and self-regulation. In contrast, higher learning anxiety, such as test anxiety and fear of negative evaluation, harmed learners’ motivation and their online self-regulated English learning.
Sensitivity of forage turnip to the herbicide tepraloxydim

The objective of this study was to evaluate the responses of Raphanus sativus to the application of the herbicide tepraloxydim by analyzing photosynthetic and biometric characteristics of the plants. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse and treatments were instituted when the plants had five expanded leaves. The herbicide tepraloxydim was applied at doses of 0, 75, 100, and 125 g of active ingredient per hectare (g a.i. ha -1 ). The herbicide dose of 125 g a.i. ha 1 led to a small decrease in the photosynthetic rate, water use efficiency, effective quantum yield of PSII, rate of electron transport, and the concentration of chloroplastidic pigments in the leaves of R. sativus . On the other hand, there was a small increase in CO 2 concentration in the substomatal chamber. The number of branches, leaves, flowers, plant height and dry mass of the stem and flowers were reduced more prominently in response to herbicide doses than the photosynthetic characteristics. Therefore, treatment with tepraloxydim inhibits the growth and formation of the leaves, branches and flowers of R. sativus at the stage of development analyzed. However, doses of 75, and 100 g a.i. ha -1 neither compromise the photosynthetic apparatus nor the stability of cell membranes.
Analysis of a Cotton Gene Cluster for the Antifungal Protein Osmotin

Three overlapping genomic clones covering 29.0 kilobases of cotton DNA were found to encompass a cluster of two presumptive osmotin genes (OSMI and OSMII) and two osmotin pseudogenes (OSMIII and OSMIV). A segment of 16,007 basepairs of genomic DNA was sequenced from the overlapping genomic clones (GenBank Accessions AY303690 and AF304007). The two cotton osmotin genes were found to have open reading frames of 729 basepairs without any introns, and would encode presumptive osmotin preproteins of 242 amino acids. The open reading frames of the genes are identical in sequence to two corresponding cDNA clones (GenBank Accessions AF192271 and AY301283). The two cDNA inserts are almost full-length, since one lacks codons for the four N-terminal amino acids, and the other cDNA insert lacks the coding region for the 34 N-terminal amino acids. The cotton osmotin preproteins can be identified as PR5 proteins from their similarities to the deduced amino acid sequences of other plant osmotin PR5 preproteins. The preproteins would have N-terminal signal sequences of 24 amino acids, and the mature 24 kilodalton isoforms would likely be targeted for extracellular secretion. Prospective promoter elements, including two ethylene response elements, implicated as being positive regulatory elements in the expression of a number of PR-proteins, occur in the 5'-flanking regions. The mature osmotin proteins accumulate in cotton plants treated with the inducers ethephon and hydrogen peroxide. Thus, the two cotton osmotin genes encode osmotin proteins. The coding regions of the two genes have been expressed and isolated as fusion polypeptides in a bacterial expression system. Binary constructs containing the open reading frames of the two osmotin genes under the control of the 35S CaMV promoter have been generated for eventual production of transgenic Arabidopsis and cotton plants for potential constitutive expression of the osmotin proteins for increased resistance against fungal pathogens.
Intron evolution in a phylogenetic perspective: Divergent trends in the two copies of the duplicated def gene in Impatiens L. (Balsaminaceae)

The history of MADS box genes is well‐known in angiosperms. While duplication events and gene losses occur frequently, gene structure and intron positions are very conserved. We investigated all six introns in a duplicated MADS box gene (deficiens, def) in selected Impatiens taxa, thereby assessing intron features. For the first time, our study provides a comparison of molecular changes in all introns of a gene from a phylogenetic perspective. Interestingly, a uniform pattern of molecular evolution in the introns of each copy was not observed, but intron length increases, decreases, and size retention can be found in each copy. A tendency to accumulate long autapomorphic indels is also present, thus, a longer intron length does not reflect a higher number of parsimony‐informative characters. Substitution rates vary between introns of each gene copy. While four of the six introns of def1 exhibit a change in their substitution rate, five of the six def2 introns maintain their rates throughout the genus albeit at different levels. In MADS box genes several regulatory sequences are found residing in introns. Thus, presence of putative regulatory motifs was investigated. Most of them are not conserved in position and usually present in only one of the gene copies. In addition, the potential for phylogenetic reconstruction of introns in both def copies is shortly discussed.
Self-determination and people with intellectual disability: a construct analysis from a professional perspective

ABSTRACT Research in the field of disability have stressed self-determination as a key construct, both at the individual level, because of its impact on quality of life, and at the organisational level, as it stands as a fundamental concept for programmes and services design. As the construct comprehension and attributed importance may influence professionals’ practices, this study aims to explore professionals’ beliefs and knowledge about self-determination, and align them with the newest theoretical framework. Four discussion groups were held with professionals (teachers and educators working with adults) that were analysed through thematic analysis, obtaining a total of 21 indicators. Results indicate that professionals are familiar with many of the more specific self-determination components. Professionals comprehension of the construct is fairly aligned with the newest theoretical framework, although greater abstraction is needed to embrace the whole model complexity. Finally, the implications raising how professionals’ perspectives contribute to the promotion of self-determination of people with intellectual disability are discussed, and future lines of research are outlined.