Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of F1 Hybrids along with Parents for Yield and Related Characteristics in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Child)

Now a day, population and demand both are escalating day by day. The major challenges in agriculture research are the ways and means of achieving food and nutritional security (Swaminathan and Bhavani, 2013). Production of enough quantity and quality of vegetables holds the key to overcome the situation. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Child, 2n=2x=24) is one of the most popular and commercially cultivated annual herbaceous vegetable, grown in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide (Rao et al., 2007). It is estimated that the total tomato area and production in India were 0.76 million hectares and 18.39 million tonnes, respectively (Anonymous, 2015). It is rich in medicinal value having antiseptic, antioxidant and anticancerous properties. Tomato being predominantly bisexual self-pollinated crop, does not suffer much from inbreeding International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 6 Number 9 (2017) pp. 2836-2845 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
Exploring evolutionary responses to increasing temperature in an environmental opportunistic pathogen

Ashrafi, Roghaieh Exploring evolutionary responses to increasing temperature in an environmental opportunistic pathogen Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2017, 45 p. (Jyväskylä Studies in Biological and Environmental Science ISSN 1456-9701; 328) ISBN 978-951-39-7006-2 (nid.) ISBN 978-951-39-7007-9 (PDF) Yhteenveto: Lämpötilan vaikutukset ympäristössä kasvavan kalatautibakteerin evoluutioon. Diss. Environmentally growing opportunistic pathogens can grow outside the host. This makes them very sensitive to selection pressures outside the host, which in turn, could further alter disease severity. In this thesis, I used novel techniques and analyses to investigate the effect of environmental selection pressures, in particular temperature, on thermal performance, virulence, and intraspecific interactions of Flavobacterium columnare, a waterborne opportunistic bacterial pathogen of fish. The phylogenetic analysis of 83 strains from eight different geographic locations in Finland over ten years (2003-2012) were carried out using the multilocus sequence analysis (MLST/MLSA). This analysis demonstrated that strains were clearly separated into two main lineages, (I and II) which can be further divided into five genotypes. Meanwhile, isolates clustered independent from the geographic origin, host, and year with a semiclonal and epidemic population structure (where frequent recombination occurs among isolates, but time to time, one or a few fit genotypes can arise and increase rapidly to produce an epidemic clone). F. columnare isolates showed variation in their thermal tolerances and in virulence, with virulence increasing over the years. Virulence was negatively correlated with a broader thermal performance curve with a right-shift towards warmer temperatures. Most likely climate change driven changes in the disease epidemics of this bacterium are associated with increased length of growing season, extending the suitable period for disease outbreaks. Finally, competition outcome in liquid cultures seemed to be well predicted by growth and yield of isolated strains at two different temperatures. However, interference competition results measured in inhibition tests on solid agar were inconsistent with head-to-head competition, suggesting that benefits of interference while growing on a surface are relaxed in liquid culture.
Estimation of forest cover change using Sentinel-2 multi-spectral imagery in Georgia (the Caucasus)

Abstract: Our objective was to use Sentinel-2A multispectral data in order to cost-effectively detect change in forest cover in Georgia (the Caucasus). Generalized additive models (GAMs) were used to fit forest cover measures to Sentinel-2A spectral band values modified using different topographic correction methods. Canopy closure (calculated from upward-looking fisheye photographs taken beneath forest canopy) was the best forest cover measure accounted for by the Sentinel-2 spectral data that were topographically corrected using the Minnaert Correction (R2 = 0.882). Spectral bands best explaining canopy closure were Band 3 (Green), Band 8 (NIR) and Band 12 (SWIR). Our model is able to reasonably detect spatial and temporal changes in canopy closure, even in highly rugged terrain and diverse vegetation cover, and it has potential to be improved to the extent that it can be applied by managers of natural resources. Based on free open source applications in combination with cheap gadgets our approach might play an important role in monitoring the forests of countries with low economic indicators.
Predicting change in middle school students’ leisure‐time physical activity participation: A prospective test of the trans‐contextual model

We applied the trans-contextual model (TCM) to examine the effects of middle school students’ perceived autonomy support from their physical education (PE) teachers on autonomous motivation toward PE in school and, critically, autonomous motivation toward, and actual participation in, leisure-time physical activity (PA). The research adopted a three-wave prospective design enabling the modeling of change in the TCM constructs over time. Middle school students (N = 248) aged from 12 to 16 years reported their perceived autonomy support, autonomous motivation in PE, autonomous motivation toward leisure-time PA, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), intentions for PA in leisure-time, and leisure-time PA participation. The psychological constructs and leisure-time PA were measured at baseline (T0) and at a first follow-up occasion (T1) 5 weeks later. Another measure of PA was taken at a second follow-up occasion (T2) a further 5 weeks later. A single-indicator structural equation model using residualized change scores revealed that perceived autonomy support predicted autonomous motivation in PE (β =.345), and autonomous motivation in PE predicted autonomous motivation for leisure-time PA (β =.484). Autonomous motivation toward leisure-time PA predicted attitudes (β =.425), subjective norms (β =.264), and PBC (β =.517). Autonomous motivation toward leisure-time PA (β =.376), attitude (β =.231), and subjective norms (β =.185) predicted intentions toward leisure-time PA, and intentions predicted PA (β =.198). Findings extend research on the TCM by demonstrating its efficacy in predicting change in middle school students’ autonomous motivation across PE and leisure-time contexts, and accounting for change in intentions toward, and actual participation in, leisure-time PA.
ELF-aware pre-service teacher education: practices and perspectives

English as a lingua franca (ELF) is a recent paradigm in ELT which acknowledges non-native varieties in their own right and NNSs as having their own unique characteristics rather than assessing them against an NS benchmark. Despite the changing needs of today’s English language learners, there is little research on how to integrate ELF into pre-service teacher education programmes and English language teaching practice since there is a theory–practice gap due to lack of clear pedagogical descriptions and concrete classroom-driven data. This study presents an intensive educational model for pre-service teachers aiming to raise their awareness of the pedagogy of ELF, synthesizing theory with practice. It investigates how prospective teachers exposed to the ELF-aware teacher education model integrated ELF into their teaching and their viewpoints about the process. The entire process has been reported to contribute significantly to the participants’ professional development as well as presenting several challenges.
Malaysia’s 14th General Election: dissecting the ‘Malaysian tsunami’—measuring the impacts of ethnicity and urban development on electoral outcomes

ABSTRACT The 14th Malaysian general elections (GE14) resulted in a regime change not experienced since independence. While ethnicity has been an overriding factor in determining electoral outcomes, urbanization has recently been considered a competing factor that might weaken the effects of ethnicity. Using a new methodology to model the compositional effects of ethnicity, we analyse the effects of both factors on the GE14 in our regression models. The findings show that both ethnicity and urban development do affect electoral outcomes, with ethnicity being the more dominant factor. Additionally, multivariate results show that neither malapportionment nor redelineation explains electoral outcomes. We provide a dissection of the ‘Malaysian tsunami’ examining vote change patterns between GE13 and GE14 using an ethnic and rural-urban continuum. The analysis reveals that effects of the tsunami are not evenly spread across ethnic groups and geographical regions, with the Malay majority and ethnically mixed seats displaying contrasting voting patterns.
Association of growth hormone gene polymorphisms with pre-weaning growth traits in Savanna goats.

Expression of characteristics between generations depends on heritability and selection differential. The objective of this study was to determine inheritance of growth hormone gene (GH) and to evaluate the relationship of GH gene polymorphism and pre-weaning growth in Savanna goats. A total of 133 Savanna goats used in this study were obtained from MARDI Research Station, Kluang, Johor. From this group 63 does with GH1 and GH2 combinations were selected for breeding based on body condition score of 2.5 and above, history of kidding and reproductive soundness. The does were bred with three superior ABGG bucks in a natural breeding programme. F1 progeny were evaluated for their genotypic patterns and growth performance. Two variants: GH1 and GH5 were identified. The GH1 gene revealed polymorphisms with two genotypes: AA and AB; and GH5 gene with three genotypes: GH, GG and HH. The combination of GH1 and GH5 genotypes of P1 Savanna parents revealed four genotypic variants of ABGG, ABGH, AAGH and AAHH with frequencies of 0.47, 0.39, 0.06 and 0.08, respectively. F1 progeny with genotypic variants of ABGG and ABGH at frequencies of 0.60 and 0.40 were observed, respectively. The four parental combinations of GH1 and GH5 genes produced F1 genotypes which followed the Mendelian inheritance. The birth weight of ABGG F1 Savanna kids was higher (p<0.05) than ABGH genotype. The genetic polymorphism of growth hormone genes can be a potential marker in genomic selection and breed improvement of the goats in line with good management and environmental condition.
Quality Evaluation of African Eggplant Stored in Evaporative Coolers

Postharvest cooling of fresh produce is essential to delivering high quality produce to the consumer. African eggplants are chilling sensitive at temperatures below 10°C, there is need to store them at higher temperatures because of their tropical nature. Evaporative coolers suitable for tropical fruits storage were therefore designed and constructed. Essentially, the evaporative coolers comprised of double burnt-brick walls (1.29 × 2.55× 2.56) m external and (1.13 × 1.27 × 2.08) m internal (L × W × H). A study was conducted to evaluate the physicochemical, microbial and sensory parameters of African eggplant stored in two evaporative coolersaluminum-cladded burnt-clay-brick evaporative cooler (ABBEC) and non-cladded burnt-clay-brick evaporative cooler (NBBEC). Weight loss, total soluble solids, total titratable acidity, beta carotene content, ascorbic acid content, pH and microbial load were assessed during storage. Metabolic rates of African eggplant were highest at ambient storage, intermediate in NBBEC with the least value in ABBEC. Beta carotene, ascorbic acid and acidity decreased while total soluble solids, pH and microbial load increased during storage of African eggplant. The evaporative coolers reduced the storage Original Research Article Balogun and Ariahu; AFSJ, 18(1): 23-33, 2020; Article no.AFSJ. 60489 24 temperature and increased the relative humidity within normal level of storage thereby extending the shelf life of eggplant from ten days at ambient to twenty-one days in ABBEC storage condition. ABBEC storage is therefore recommended for stop gap extension of shelf lives of fresh produce.
Evaluation of lactation models in pasture-based dairy ewes in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Milk of Kupres, Privor and Stolac dairy ewe breeds is used for the production of the fine cheese varieties. To the best of our knowledge there are no information about milk production and milk composition of these pasture-based dairy ewes. The aim was to determine the best lactation curve model in autochthonous pasture-based dairy ewes in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Milk production was recorded and milk composition sampled (milk fat and protein) during early, mid and late lactation in 129 Kupres, 141 Privor and 129 Stolac pramenka ewes. Four lactation models (Wilmink, Cubic, Ali-Shaeffer and Guo-Swalve) were compared and selected based on the lowest coefficient of determination and root mean square error. The Guo-Swalve model described all of the measured variables most successfully. Kupres pramenka dairy ewe was the highest producing breed with 139 kg of milk during 175 days of lactation (0.79 kg/d; between lactation day 50 to 225) and showed the standard lactation curve. Privor pramenka produced 118 kg of milk during 175 days of lactation (0.67 kg/d) and Stolac pramenka 101 kg of milk during 175 days of lactation (0.58 kg/d). Both showed atypical constantly decreasing shape of the lactation curve common in low producing dairy ewes. The prediction of milk yield and milk composition from the Guo-Swalve model could be used by the national breeding program for the Kupres, Privor and Stolac pramenka sheep breeds. Additional research during a more stable management conditions is recommended for Privor and Stolac pramenka.
Dwarfing gene Rht18 from tetraploid wheat responds to exogenous GA3 in hexaploid wheat

Rht18, derived from Triticum durum (tetraploid) wheat, is classified as a gibberellic acid (GA)-responsive dwarfing gene. Prior to this study, the responses of Rht18 to exogenous GA on agronomic traits in hexaploid wheat were still unknown. The response of Rht18 to exogenous GA3 on coleoptile length, plant height, yield components and other agronomic traits were investigated using F4:5 and F5:6 hexaploid dwarf lines with Rht18 derived from two crosses between the tetraploid donor Icaro and tall Chinese winter wheat cultivars, Xifeng 20 and Jinmai 47. Applications of exogenous GA3 significantly increased coleoptile length in both lines and their tall parents. Plant height was significantly increased by 21.3 and 10.7% in the GA3-treated dwarf lines of Xifeng 20 and Jinmai 47, respectively. Compared to the untreated dwarf lines, the partitioning of dry matter to ears at anthesis was significantly decreased while the partitioning of dry matter to stems was significantly increased in the GA3-treated dwarf lines. There were no obvious changes in plant height and dry matter partitioning in the GA3-treated tall parents. Exogenous GA3 significantly decreased grain number spike−1 while it increased 1000-kernel weight in both the dwarf lines and tall parents. Thus, applications of exogenous GA3 restored plant height and other agronomic traits of Rht18 dwarf lines to the levels of the tall parents. This study indicated that Rht18 dwarf mutants are GA-deficient lines with impaired GA biosynthesis.
Effects of naturally occurring flavonoids on ferroportin expression in the spleen in iron deficiency anemia in vivo

Anemia due to iron deficiency is one of the unsolved issues around the globe for which oral iron supplementation is the common treatment. However, the consumption of complex diets plays an important role in modulating iron homeostasis. In this study, we aimed to examine the interaction of ubiquitous polyphenol, quercetin and related flavonoids with iron supplements in an animal model of iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Female weanling Sprague Dawley rats were kept on a low iron diet for 20 days to induce iron deficiency anemia followed with 50 mg kg−1 ferrous sulfate (FS) supplement combined in equal ratio with quercetin (Que), quercetagetin (Qtg), and patuletin (Pat) for 30 days. Besides evaluation of basic hematological parameters, we mainly investigated changes in expression of splenic ferroportin by immunohistochemistry. Our data indicate that each polyphenol shows different outcomes and regulates iron variably which might result from differences in their structures. However, the combination of various flavonoids and iron significantly increases hemoglobin, serum iron, splenic iron stores and ferroportin as compared to a model group. The QtgFS combination was found to show more control over blood parameters. Splenic iron stores achieved with the QueFS and QtgFS combinations were found to increase similarly to with FS alone. Ferroportin expression was increased as in the order QueFS < QtgFS < PatFS where quercetin showed comparatively strict control over ferroportin regulation when administered with FS compared to the other flavonoid iron combinations. This variation in regulation needs to be explained further. To conclude, different polyphenols regulate ferroportin expression and ultimately iron homeostasis differently and should be further evaluated for their effect on iron regulation.
Life table estimates of the invasive snail Physa acuta Draparnaud, 1805, occurring in India

Abstract The life table characteristics of the invasive snail Physa acuta were assessed in the laboratory using the individuals occurring in a newly colonised area in Burdwan, West Bengal, India. Using the changes in the shell length and the body weight of the snails as surrogate, the population growth of the snails was estimated along with longevity and the fecundity schedule. The cohort of P. acuta lived for a maximum of 22 weeks with a life expectancy (ex) of 7.27 weeks and the age-specific survivorship being 0.825. Increment of the shell length of the snails complied with the von Bertalanffy growth equation, lt = 11.75(1 − exp−0.17(t−0.06)), and the observed and the expected data of the length at time t (lt) did not vary significantly (z score = 0.230; P = 0.818; n=20 pairs). Following attainment of sexual maturity between 28 and 42 days, oviposition continued till 20 weeks time, with 0.1-10 eggs laid by each individual. The eggs present per capsule remained between 01 and 11, whilst the net reproductive rate (R0), intrinsic rate of increase (rm) and the finite rate of increase (λ) were 116.07, 0.1 and 1.11, respectively. The observations are similar to those made earlier on the same species but from African and South American continents. The results of the present observation are pioneer in providing the initial studies about the life history of the invasive snail P. acuta in Indian context. Using the present information as a basis, further studies including long-term population monitoring should be initiated to understand the effects of the invasive snail P. acuta in the freshwater ecosystem of West Bengal, India.
Abscisic acid ameliorates glucose tolerance and obesity-induced inflammation

Abcisic acid (ABA) is a natural phytohormone and PPARgamma agonist that significantly improves insulin sensitivity in db/db mice. Though it has become clear that obesity is associated with macrophage infiltration into white adipose tissue (WAT), the phenotype of adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) and the mechanisms by which insulin- sensitizing compounds modulate their infiltration remains unknown. We used a loss-of- function approach to investigate whether ABA ameliorates insulin resistance through a mechanism dependent on immune cell PPARgamma. We characterized two phenotypically distinct ATM subsets in db/db mice based on their surface expression of F4/80. The F4/80 ATMs were more abundant and expressed greater concentrations of chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) and CCR5 when compared to F4/80 ATMs. ABA significantly decreased CCR2F4/80 infiltration into WAT and suppressed monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) expression in WAT and plasma. Furthermore, the deficiency of PPARgamma in immune cells, including macrophages, impaired the ability of ABA to suppress infiltration of F4/80 ATMs into WAT, repress WAT MCP-1 expression and improve glucose tolerance. We provide molecular evidence in vivo demonstrating that ABA improves insulin sensitivity and obesity-related inflammation by inhibiting MCP-1 expression and F4/80 ATM infiltration through a PPARgamma- dependent mechanism.
Lesson Design Of Geometric Sequences Based On The 6-Question Cognitive Theory

Abstrak The effective teaching design of mathematics should be designed carefully by teachers according to the situation of students' learning and the analysis of teaching materials. Its teaching design should run through the origin and development of knowledge generation, and reasonably ensure the continuity and integrity of teaching. Based on the theory of "6-Question Cognitive Theory", This research using development method with steps to make comparisons between the this paper attempts to make a comparison between the "equal ratio sequence" and the "equal ratio sequence". Results in this study show that The teaching design of "6-Question Cognitive Theory" knowledge embodies the coherence, completeness and operability of the teaching design from six aspects: where the mathematical knowledge comes from, the essence of the knowledge, the connection and difference between the new knowledge and the old knowledge, the transformation of the knowledge, how to apply the knowledge and the process of reflecting the knowledge generation, so as to provide a theoretical and practical reference for the teaching design of high school mathematics Test.
Demographic Characteristics of Lichen Simplex Chronicus and Prurigo Nodularis Patients: 5-Year Policlinic Evaluation

Materials and Methods: We investigated the cases of LSC and PN in 63,206 patients who applied to the outpatient clinic of the Dermatology Department of Istanbul University Cerrahpasa-Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine between 01.11. 2007 and 01.12. 2011. The data was recorded in a computer data entry program based on the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems diagnostic code system and were retrospectively reviewed.
Response to natural selection in Senecio lautus

Phenotypic change can occur as an adaptive response to contrasting ecological conditions. In this study, we use reciprocal transplant experiments between sand Dune, Island and rocky Headland populations of an Australian plant to determine whether leaf shape variation between populations is due to genetic differences that have occurred as a result of adaptation under divergent natural selection. We created a synthetic population of hybrids to segregate the variation between ecotypes, and transplanted it into the three native environments. We found evidence that after one round of selection in the field, leaf shape diverged toward the native character in each environment, and that individual plants that were more similar to the wild populations in each case displayed higher fitness. Leaf size, as measured by the first principal component, was closely related to fitness variation in Dune and Island environments, whereas leaf shape was most predictive of individual fitness differences in the Headland environment. Further, levels of variation differed between wild plants and transplant survivors, with the smallest difference found in the Headland sites, suggesting that selection is strongest in this environment. The response to selection of leaf shape traits in survivors, and the association between similarity to wild populations and fitness, suggests that ecological differences between the three locations are one of the main drivers in the emergence of trait differences between these populations.