Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variability, Divergence, Heterosis, Combining Ability and Yield Component Studies in Sweet Potatoes (Ipomoea Batatas (L) Lam.) from Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia

Studies were conducted to examine the breeding potential of the Malaysian indigenous sweet potato germplasm. A total of 99 sweet potato accessions was collected from five different regions in the states of Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia. A total of 220 polycross progenies was obtained from sixteen randomly chosen accessions planted in a polycross block. The 99 accessions and their 220 progenies were evaluated in the field and 1 6 characters were measured. With the exception of plant type and vine thickness, other characters showed more than 20% CV values. The CV values for yield, tuber number and mean tuber woight were 76%, 57% and 48%, respectively. The means and CV's were similar for all characters between the regions indicating the presence of similar sweet potato type in all the regions. Cluster analysis showed the presence of three main groups of sweet potatoes in the states. Group 1 comprised cultivars with low yield. Cultivars in Group 2 were high yielding with spreading plant type. The third group comprised only six cultivars with orange flesh colour, big leaves, semi-compact plant type and slightly lower yield. The mean, range and CV values for all characters studied were much larger for the polycross progenies as compared to the parents. Cluster analysis showed the presence of seven groups among the progenies indicating the formation of new genotypes as a result of outcrossing. Gene interactions in the new genotypes probably have led to the presence of larger means and ranges of many characters.
The Pacific/North American teleconnection pattern and United States climate. Part II: Temporal characteristics and index specification

Abstract The PNA teleconnection index, a measure of the strength and phase of the Pacific/North American teleconnection pattern, is used to examine changes in the midtropospheric flow over North America on decadal, interannual, and intra-annual time scales. The index corroborates previous findings that a major change in the midtropospheric circulation took place over North America during the late 1950s. The time series of index values also demonstrates the existence of a previously unknown quasi periodicity in the configuration of midtropospheric heights over the North American sector. A seasonal specification analysis is conducted to identify climate system components that are closely linked to the PNA teleconnection. The selection of predictor variables is based on recent modeling and observational work suggesting their probable involvement with midiatitude flow variations. These include sea surface temperatures for locations in the tropical Pacific and North Pacific, along with Asian land surface tempe.
Implications of Coronavirus Disease 2019 for Ophthalmologists

PURPOSE: To describe and explain the implications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) for ophthalmologists considering the rapid developments in our understanding of the virology, transmission, and ocular involvement DESIGN: Evidence-based perspective METHODS: Review and synthesis of pertinent literature RESULTS: Retrospective studies highlight that &lt;1% of patients display COVID-19-related conjunctivitis However, prospective studies suggest the rate is higher (~6%) Viral RNA has been identified in tears and conjunctival secretions in patients with active conjunctivitis as well as asymptomatic cases Overall, conjunctival swabs are positive in 2 5% Samples taken earlier in the disease course are more likely to demonstrate positive virus Viral transmission through ocular tissues has not been substantiated Ophthalmologists are in the high-risk category for COVID-19 infection for several reasons: high-volume clinics, close proximity with patients, equipment-intense clinics, and direct contact with patients' conjunctival mucosal surfaces COVID-19 is predominantly contracted through direct or airborne transmission by inhalation of respiratory droplets Evidence that aerosol transmission occurs is increasing in particularly prolonged exposure to high concentrations in a relatively closed environment Based on the current evidence, ophthalmologists should consider measures that include social distancing, wearing masks, sterilization techniques, and managing clinic volumes CONCLUSIONS: A major challenge to containing COVID-19 is that many infected people are asymptomatic Droplet spread, contaminated environmental surfaces, and shared medical devices are areas that require management by ophthalmologists More studies are required to explore the role of the conjunctiva and ocular tissues in the transmission of disease
Informed consent in dental care and research for the older adult population

Background. Ethics in health care and research is based on the fundamental principle of informed consent. However, informed consent in geriatric dentistry is not well docuAmrita Mukherjee, BDS, MPH; Alicia A. Livinski, MPH, MA; Joseph Millum, PhD; Steffany Chamut, DDS, MPH; Shahdokht Boroumand, DMD, MPH; Timothy J. Iafolla, DMD, MPH; Margo R. Adesanya, DDS, MPH; Bruce A.
Performance of grass and rainforest riparian buffers in the wet tropics, Far North Queensland. 2. Water quality

Riparian lands have the potential to buffer streams from hillslope sediment and nutrient transport. Most research on buffers has been conducted under laboratory or manipulated field experimental conditions. Few quantitative data exist on buffer performance under natural field conditions. This study reports measured soil loss and evaluates the effectiveness of riparian buffers on planar and convergent slopes under field hydrological conditions in Far North Queensland. The conditions are extreme for testing the effectiveness of riparian buffers as the land is steep, intensely cropped and receives high intensity rainfall. Hillslopes cropped with bananas were monitored using paired flumes. Runoff, bedload, and suspended loads were measured leaving the crop (upper sites) and leaving the riparian buffers (lower sites). Highly variable hillslope soil losses of 70 t/ha per wet season were recorded. High rates of hillslope soil loss were from areas of steep gradient with little ground cover experiencing high rainfall intensity. On planar slopes, even with high soil loss, grass buffer strips were able to trap >80% of the incoming bedload. Total N (TN), total P (TP) and suspended sediment (SS) loads were reduced between 25 and 65% by the planar slope grass buffer and within the first 15 m of the moderately convergent grass buffer. Loads leaving the moderately convergent buffer were often higher than those delivered from the crop, due to seepage after prolonged or high frequency rainfall. Under these conditions the buffer's main function is to prevent erosion rather than trap sediment and nutrients. Results from a highly convergent 5-ha hillslope, suggest that for buffers to be more effective in such topography, they should also be placed at the end of the crop rows, where contributing areas are smaller. Flow was able to concentrate within the crop and on at least one occasion was able to scour a 30-cm-wide channel through the entire width of the buffer releasing previously trapped material and making the buffer ineffective. A remnant rainforest buffer, receiving runoff from a planar slope, acted as a temporary store of sediment and nutrients that were reworked during subsequent events. This study demonstrates both a need for managed buffer strips on sloping tropical cropped land and identifies limitations on their potential effectiveness.
Time and scale size of planetary wave signatures in the ionospheric F region: Role of the geomagnetic activity and mesosphere/lower thermosphere winds

[1] The time and scale size of planetary wave signatures (PWS) in the mid latitude F region ionosphere of the Northern Hemisphere and the main pattern of their possible sources of origin are presented. The PWS involved in this study have periods of about 2–3, 5–6, 10, 13.5, and 16 days. The PWS in the ionosphere are large scale phenomena. PWS with periods of about 2–3 and 5–6 days have a typical longitudinal size of 80°, they are coherent some 6000 km apart, and they occur about 12% and 14% of the entire observational record respectively. The typical longitudinal size of PWS with periods of about 10 and 13 days is 100°, they are coherent some 7500 km apart, and they occur about 24% and 22% of the entire observational record respectively. PWS with periods of about 16 days seem to be global scale phenomena, and they occur about 30% of the entire observational record. The results estimate that geomagnetic activity variations play the most important role for driving PWS in the ionosphere. The geomagnetic activity variations can drive at least 20–30% of the PWS with periods of about 2–3, 5–6, 10 and 16 days, but even up to 65–70% for the PWS with periods of about 10 and 16 days, and they practically drive 100% of the PWS with periods of about 13.5 days. The planetary wave activity in the mesosphere/lower thermosphere (MLT) winds can drive about 20–30% of the PWS with periods of about 2–3, 5–6, 10 and 16 days. There is a significant percentage of existence of PWS in the F region apparently ‘independent’ from the geomagnetic activity variations and of the MLT winds. The latter is better expressed for PWS with shorter period. PWS with periods of about 13.5 days are an exception to that. A candidate mechanism for the ‘independent’ events may be the non linear interaction or the amplitude modulation between different PWS.
Epidemiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a descriptive study in the mid-western region of Nepal

Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze the distribution of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in terms of time, place, and person among inpatients at the Mid Western Regional Hospital (MWRH) in Nepal. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out by analyzing trends using secondary data for the fiscal years 2006–2009 in the inpatient department of the MWRH. Results: The majority of patients admitted for treatment of COPD were women (60%) and from higher ethnic groups (having a comparative advantage in terms of social and economic status), with a greater prevalence among those aged 60–69 years (37% of overall cases). The incidence of COPD increased in consecutive years, with the highest load during the winter months. The cases were most concentrated in places with easiest access to the hospital. Conclusion: COPD was found in higher proportions among women, those aged 60–69 years, and upper caste groups, during the cold months, and among residents of areas near the hospital in the mid-western region of Nepal. It is recommended that further detailed research and health education regarding COPD be carried out to reduce its burden and associated losses.
The Global Fire Product: Daily fire occurrence from April 1992 to December 1993 derived from NOAA AVHRR data

Global active fire maps have been produced over a 21-month period from April 1992 to December 1993. A contextual active fire detection algorithm has been applied to the NOAA AVHRR (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) 1.1 km images provided by the IGBP-DIS (International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme Data and Information System) 1 km AVHRR Global Land Project data set. The Global Fire Product (GFP) is composed of daily fire position tables, 10-day synthesis raster format maps containing fire density and cloud/no-data information; it is now available as the first global scale description of the spatial and temporal distribution of active vegetation fire. In answer to science community requirements the GFP supplies information which can be used to estimate fire impacts on atmospheric chemistry, climate, land use and land cover changes.
Earthquake processes in the Rainbow Mountain-Fairview Peak-Dixie Valley, Nevada, region 1954–1959

The 1954 Rainbow Mountain-Fairview Peak-Dixie Valley, Nevada, sequence produced the most extensive pattern of surface faults in the intermountain region in historic time. Five earthquakes of M>6.0 occurred during the first 6 months of the sequence, including the December 16, 1954, Fairview Peak (M = 7.1) and Dixie Valley (M = 6.8) earthquakes. Three 5.5≤M≤6.5 earthquakes occurred in the region in 1959, but none exhibited surface faulting. The results of the modeling suggest that the M>6.5 earthquakes of this sequence are complex events best fit by multiple source-time functions. Although the observed surface displacements for the July and August 1954 events showed only dip-slip motion, the fault plane solutions and waveform modeling suggest the earthquakes had significant components of right-lateral strike-slip motion (rakes of −135° to −145°). All of the earthquakes occurred along high-angle faults with dips of 40° to 70°. Seismic moments for individual subevents of the sequence range from 8.0 × 1017 to 2.5 × 1019 N m. Stress drops for the subevents, including the Fairview Peak subevents, were between 0.7 and 6.0 MPa.
Dose dependency of outcomes of intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy in new rabbit empyema 1 models 2

31 The incidence of empyema (EMP) is increasing worldwide, generally occurs with pleural loculation and impaired drainage is often treated with intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy (IPFT) or 33 surgery. A number of IPFT options are used clinically with empiric dosing and variable 34 outcomes in adults. To evaluate mechanisms governing intrapleural fibrinolysis and disease 35 outcomes, models of Pasteurella multocida and Streptococcus pneumoniae were generated in 36 rabbits and the animals were treated with either human tissue (tPA) plasminogen activator or 37 prourokinase (scuPA). Rabbit EMP was characterized by the development of pleural adhesions 38 detectable by chest ultrasonography and fibrinous coating of the pleura. Similar to human EMP, 39 rabbits with EMP accumulated sizable; 20-40 ml fibrinopurulent pleural effusions associated 40 with extensive intrapleural organization, significantly increased pleural thickness, suppression of 41 fibrinolytic and plasminogen activating activities and accumulation of high levels of plasminogen 42 activator inhibitor 1, plasminogen and extracellular DNA. IPFT with tPA (0.145 mg/kg) or scuPA 43 (0.5 mg/kg) was ineffective in rabbit EMP (n=9 and 3 for P. multocida and S. pneumoniae, 44 respectively). 2 mg/kg tPA or scuPA IPFT (n=5) effectively cleared S. pneumoniae induced 45 EMP collections in 24h with no bleeding observed. While intrapleural fibrinolytic activity for up to 46 40 min after IPFT was similar for effective and ineffective doses of fibrinolysin, it was lower for 47 tPA than for scuPA treatments. These results demonstrate similarities between rabbit and 48 human EMP, the importance of pleural fluid PAI-1 activity and levels of plasminogen in the 49 regulation of intrapleural fibrinolysis and illustrate the dose dependency of IPFT outcomes in 50 EMP. 51 in These results demonstrate the dose dependence of outcomes of IPFT in a rabbit model proenzyme aggregate, our demonstrate that IPFT outcomes are dose-dependent, whether tPA or scuPA used in EMP models, in part attributable to variation in the levels of EMP fluid PAI-1 from subject to The clinical ramifications of this study relate to the greater variability of PAI-1 levels in EMP fluids the comparable processing of tPA and scuPA within the and eye Our observations suggest that
BMPix and PEAK tools: New methods for automated laminae recognition and counting—Application to glacial varves from Antarctic marine sediment

We present tools for rapid and quantitative detection of sediment lamination. The BMPix tool extracts color and gray scale curves from images at pixel resolution. The PEAK tool uses the gray scale curve and performs, for the first time, fully automated counting of laminae based on three methods. The maximum count algorithm counts every bright peak of a couplet of two laminae (annual resolution) in a smoothed curve. The zero‐crossing algorithm counts every positive and negative halfway passage of the curve through a wide moving average, separating the record into bright and dark intervals (seasonal resolution). The same is true for the frequency truncation method, which uses Fourier transformation to decompose the curve into its frequency components before counting positive and negative passages. The algorithms are available at doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.729700. We applied the new methods successfully to tree rings, to well‐dated and already manually counted marine varves from Saanich Inlet, and to marine laminae from the Antarctic continental margin. In combination with AMS14C dating, we found convincing evidence that laminations in Weddell Sea sites represent varves, deposited continuously over several millennia during the last glacial maximum. The new tools offer several advantages over previous methods. The counting procedures are based on a moving average generated from gray scale curves instead of manual counting. Hence, results are highly objective and rely on reproducible mathematical criteria. Also, the PEAK tool measures the thickness of each year or season. Since all information required is displayed graphically, interactive optimization of the counting algorithms can be achieved quickly and conveniently.
Outgoing longwave radiation and its diurnal variation from combined ERBE and Meteosat observations: 1. Estimating OLR from Meteosat data

Radiative transfer calculations show that measurements in two relatively narrow spectral domains, corresponding to the atmospheric infrared window and to a band of water vapor absorption, can account for nearly all of the variance of outgoing longwave radiation integrated over the entire thermal spectrum. Statistical analyses of simultaneous colocated Meteosat radiance and Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) radiant exitance data, for the months of November 1984 and April and July 1985, yield regression coefficients for estimating longwave radiant exitance MLW from radiances observed in the Meteosat infrared (IR) window and water vapor (WV) channels, with root-mean-square errors of the order of or less than 10 W m−2. The coefficients thus obtained are in good agreement with coefficients relating MLW, IR and WV from analysis of results of radiative transfer calculations. Meteosat data can then be used to estimate MLW at times not sampled by ERBE. Although some biases appear to exist over areas of heterogeneous cloud cover, they should not significantly affect studies of strong diurnal variations.
An analysis of the operational GFS simplified Arakawa Schubert parameterization within a WRF framework: A Hurricane Sandy (2012) long‐term track forecast perspective

Hurricane Sandy (2012) is known as an incredibly destructive storm and one defined meteorologically by its large size, and its significant forecast track spreads among various operational models roughly 1 week before landfall. While the operational European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts model accurately depicted a northeastern United States landfall, the Global Forecasting System (GFS) model consistently forecast a track toward the North Atlantic Ocean. Using a Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model framework, Bassill ( ) suggested that these differences were primarily a function of differences between the two models' cumulus parameterization (CP). This study also uses a WRF model framework to examine the simplified Arakawa Schubert CP used in the GFS model. It is found that increasing the deep convective entrainment coefficient produces more realistic forecast tracks for forecasts initialized roughly 1 week before landfall. This occurs through a reorientation of the precipitation (and associated latent heating) around Sandy during a critical time period in which it was interacting with a series of upper troughs to its west and northwest. Reorienting the latent heating reshapes the upper tropospheric steering pattern toward the one that is more negatively tilted and consistent with observations.
Topical versus caudal ketamine/bupivacaine combination for postoperative analgesia in children undergoing inguinal herniotomy

Address for correspondence: Dr. Hala Saad Abdel‐Ghaffar, Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt. E‐mail: hallasaad@yahoo.com ABSTRACT Background: Multiple studies claim that caudal administration of ketamine causes effective postoperative analgesia. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical effectiveness of ketamine after caudal or topical administration in pediatric patients undergoing inguinal herniotomy. Patients and Methods: This randomized, comparative, double‐blind study included eighty children (aged 6 months to 6 years) received either 1 ml/kg of 0.25% bupivacaine/ketamine 0.5 mg/kg for caudal analgesia (caudal group) or 0.3 ml/kg of 0.25% bupivacaine/ketamine 0.5 mg/kg sprayed by the surgeon around the spermatic cord and upon the ilioinguinal nerve before wound closure for topical analgesia (topical group). The duration of postoperative analgesia, pain scores, rescue analgesic consumption, sedation score, hemodynamic monitoring, and side‐effects were evaluated 48 h postoperative. Results: Kaplan–Meier survival analysis of analgesia free time demonstrated a significant advantage of topical ketamine (TK) group over caudal ketamine (CK) group. The duration of postoperative analgesia was longer in TK group than in CK group (28.74 ± 2.88 vs. 21.43 ± 5.01 h, P = 0.000). Fewer children asked for oral analgesics in the topical group (24 of 36, 66.7%) than in the caudal one (28 of 32, 87.5%; P < 0.01). Postoperative pain scores at the 6th till 48th h were lower in topical group with comparable analgesic consumption between two groups. In the caudal group, four subjects suffered from retention of urine: Two presented with a residual motor block and two had photophobia. Conclusion: Wound instillation of bupivacaine/ketamine is a simple, noninvasive, and effective technique that could be a safe alternative to CK for postoperative analgesia in children undergoing inguinal hernia repair.
New microfossils from the neoproterozoic (Sinian) Doushantuo Formation, Wengan, Guizhou Province, southwestern China

Well-preserved, three-dimensional microfossils are reported from a 3.7 m thick black phosphorite bed in the Sinian Doushantuo Formation at Wengan Phosphate Mine, Guizhou Province, southwest China. The diverse assemblage, observed in thin sections, comprises planktonic acritarchs, benthic cyanobacteria, bacteria, and thallophytes. Twenty one taxa are recognized, including 1 new genus and 4 new species. Acritarchs include Baltisphaeridium rigidum sp. nov., Vulcanisphaera phacelosa sp. nov., Comasphaeridium magnum Zhang 1984, Cymatiosphaeroides yinii sp. nov., Dicrospinasphaera zhangii gen. et sp. nov., Echinosphaeridium maximum (Yin, 1987) Knoll, 1992, Ericiasphaera sp. , ? Ericiasphaera sp. , Hocosphaeridium scaberfacium Zang & Walter, 1992, Meghystrichosphaeridium sp. , Meghystrichosphaeridium wenganensis Chen & Liu, 1986, Polyhedrosphaeridium sp. The cyanobacteria and bacteria comprise Paratetraphycus giganteus Zhang, 1984, Gloeodiniopsis lamellosa (Schopf, 1968) Knoll & Golubic, 1979, Globophycus sp. , Myxoc.