Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reproductive biology of four Diplodus species Diplodus vulgaris, D. annularis, D. sargus sargus and D. puntazzo (Sparidae) in the Gulf of Tunis (central Mediterranean)

The reproductive features of four commercially important species of the Diplodus genus were studied in the Gulf of Tunis to contribute to better fisheries management on the local scale. The study was specifically aimed to estimate sex-ratio and size at first maturity, to determine spawning season, to analyse hepatic and muscular energy reserve changes and to highlight possible regional difference over the Diplodus geographical distribution. A total of 570 Diplodus vulgaris (two-banded seabream), 428 Diplodus annularis (annular seabream), 350 Diplodus sargus sargus (white seabream) and 218 Diplodus puntazzo (sharpsnout seabream) were collected from the commercial catches of the artisanal fleet between October 2004 and June 2006. Male:female ratio was initially skewed in favour of females for the four Diplodus species and especially among larger-sized individuals. Length and age at first maturity was 17.4 ± 0.2 cm total length (TL) (4 years) for D. vulgaris, 9.7 cm TL (2 years) for D. annularis, 21.0 ± 0.3 cm TL (4 years) for D. s. sargus, 21.5 ± 0.2 cm TL (3 years) for D. puntazzo and a recommendation is made for the increasing of the captured length. According to the monthly succession of gonad maturity stages and the yearly gonadosomatic index (GSI) fluctuation, the spawning season of Diplodus species present a temporal succession along the year. The two-banded seabream has a winter spawning period, the white seabream is mainly a spring spawner, the annular seabream spawns essentially in summer months and the spawning of sharpsnout seabream takes place in autumn. Generally, hepatosomatic index presented an inverse trend to GSI in relation to the breeding activity. The condition factor showed significant monthly variations affected by the sexual cycle of the Diplodus species.
Nature’s contribution to adaptation: insights from examples of the transformation of social-ecological systems

ABSTRACT Transformation of social-ecological systems due to climate change requires, transformative adaptation responses. We propose the concept of nature’s contribution to adaptation (NCA; previously called adaptation services), to reveal properties of ecosystems that provide options for future livelihoods and adaptation to transformative change. Knowledge about the capacity of ecosystems to supply NCA can inform decisions by revealing options for adaptation. We analysed eight historical and contemporary case studies of transformative adaptation and found that the five cases with medium-high degree of adaptation and use of NCA showed evidence of participative learning and co-production of adaptation options, low values contestation, low power imbalances and well-developed governance arrangements. These variables indicated that communities engaged in adaptation had ownership and agency to change how they thought and acted to implement transformative adaptation. We found the use of NCAs enabled transformative adaptation by helping people overcome current decision constraints imposed by societal values, institutional rules, or knowledge deficits to create novel options and re-frame decision contexts. The NCA concept can be applied to (1) help resolve uncertainties about nature’s contributions to people under environmental change; (2) reveal ecosystem properties of value for adaptation, but which are marginalised in current, dominant knowledge frameworks and decision-making; (3) act as a ‘boundary object’ for participative learning and co-production of adaptation options. Thus, the NCA concept represents a pragmatic, optimistic approach for societal adaptation to ecosystem transformation, countering feelings of despair that accompany the acceptance of irreversible, unavoidable loss of current ecosystem states and associated nature’s contributions to people.
Selenium‐Doped Carbon Quantum Dots Act as Broad‐Spectrum Antioxidants for Acute Kidney Injury Management

The manifestation of acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with poor patient outcomes, with treatment options limited to hydration or renal replacement therapies. The onset of AKI is often associated with a surfeit of reactive oxygen species. Here, it is shown that selenium‐doped carbon quantum dots (SeCQDs) have broad‐spectrum antioxidant properties and prominent renal accumulation in both healthy and AKI mice. Due to these properties, SeCQDs treat or prevent two clinically relevant cases of AKI induced in murine models by either rhabdomyolysis or cisplatin using only 1 or 50 µg per mouse, respectively. The attenuation of AKI in both models is confirmed by blood serum measurements, kidney tissue staining, and relevant biomarkers. The therapeutic efficacy of SeCQDs exceeds amifostine, a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration that also acts by scavenging free radicals. The findings indicate that SeCQDs show great potential as a treatment option for AKI and possibly other ROS‐related diseases.
Congratulation Strategies in Syrians' Wedding Parties in Jordan

The study aimed at examining the politeness strategies used in the Syrians' wedding parties. The sample consisted of 72 respondents from the Syrian refugees dwelling in north Jordan. Half of the sample were males, and the other half females. A questionnaire which consisted of fourteen questions was distributed to the sample. The results showed that Syrians use exaggeration in their strategies of congratulations, and they like to express their happiness to the two brides. Results also showed that Syrians avoid asking about private issues, and avoid joking in their wedding parties. Finally, the results showed no difference between males and females in using politeness strategies in Syrians' wedding parties.
Genetic Diversity of Rice False Smut Fungus, Ustilaginoidea virens and its Pronounced Differentiation of Populations in North China

Rice false smut caused by Ustilaginoidea virens is an important constraint affecting rice yield and quality in Asia. In China, rice false smut is especially severe in the japonica rice-growing areas in the North China. Nothing is known neither about the diversity of the pathogen in this region nor about the characteristic of its local population. In this study, 110 U. virens isolates sampled from Liaoning and Beijing of North China were analysed using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers to primarily understand the genetic diversity of this pathogen and its population characteristics. At the genetic distance of 0.32, all isolates were divided into two groups. Group A consists of two subgroups differentiated at the genetic distance of 0.55, subgroup 1 included all isolates from Liaoning with an average genetic similarity over 0.82 and subgroup 2 included 27 isolates from Beijing with similarity of 0.74. Group B consists of 28 isolates from Beijing having a diversity of 0.054. The isolates from the Liaoning province, where rice false smut has generated different take-all epidemic for 20 years, showed a genetic diversity of 0.305, which was approximately equally distributed within and among populations. Whereas genetic diversity was 0.458 among isolates from Beijing, an extremely high level of genetic differentiation among 55 isolates was observed in this disease hotspot. Our results suggested that the populations among different locations where sexual stage of the pathogen was rare to be found within ecological region were similar, and the variation of this pathogen has mainly arisen via asexual mechanisms. The migration through human activities in breeding perhaps provides a means of transporting the pathogen from one region to another.
Facilitating Leadership Coach Capacity for School Leadership Development: The Intersection of Structured Community and Experiential Learning

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to examine how the leadership coaching capacities of experienced school leaders can be developed to support less-experienced school leaders to lead continuous improvement efforts. In this article, we report the findings of a 2-year study of experienced school leaders who developed their leadership coaching knowledge, skills, and dispositions to enhance the capacities of less-experienced school leaders in a research–practice partnership called the Leadership Learning Community. Research Methods: We drew on qualitative research methodology to answer the study’s research question. To collect our data, we utilized participant observations of 12 professional development days and 70 job-embedded coaching sessions over a 2-year period, yearly semistructured interviews with the eight leadership coach participants, and other artifacts related to the Leadership Learning Community. We analyzed our data using multiple rounds of coding to arrive at the themes. Findings: The findings highlight the possibilities of developing leadership coaching capacity through a combination of community-based structured and facilitated learning opportunities and experiential learning. The findings also add to the limited research regarding leadership coaching as a strategy for enhancing school leadership development. Conclusion and Implications: The results of the study provide assistance to national and state administrator organizations, educational service districts, and school district administrators endeavoring to meet the learning needs of school leaders through leadership coaching. Further research should be conducted to understand how the leadership coaching capacities of leadership supervisors and developers can be facilitated.
Effects of environmental variation on fitness of singly and multiply sired progenies of Raphanus sativus (Brassicaceae)

Two hypotheses have been proposed concerning possible fitness advantages of multiple paternity. According to the Elbow Room hypothesis, the magnitude of resource partitioning is positively correlated with the genetic diversity of competitors. This leads to the prediction that the mean fitness of competing half-siblings will exceed the mean fitness of competing fullsiblings. The Lottery hypothesis suggests that in a patchy environment a genetically diverse sibship increases the probability that a mother will produce winning phenotypes for each of several different microsites. Both hypotheses were tested in a greenhouse experiment with wild radish, Raphanus sativus. Progeny derived from factorial crosses were raised in competition as full- or half-siblings. To simulate environmental variation, the experiment was replicated across a gradient of nutrient concentrations. After 9 weeks, the aboveground biomass of all plants was harvested and oven-dried. Although dry weights were strongly influenced by nutrient level, within nutrient classes there were no significant differences in the mean dry weight of full- and half-sib competitors. Thus, there was no evidence for the Elbow Room hypothesis. In addition, there were no significant differences in numbers of winning phenotypes in the two competition regimes. Therefore, there was also no support for the Lottery hypothesis. Although competition regime did not influence the mean fitness of competing progeny, it significantly affected variation in dry weight of seedlings within pots. Higher coefficients of variation in half-sib pots suggest that interference competition may be greater in genetically diverse sibships.
A Tale of Two Women: A Comparative Gendered Media Analysis of UK Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May

This article compares how the print media portrayed Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May in the first three weeks of their respective prime ministerial terms. Examining the similarities and differences between the media coverage of the two leaders, who ascended to the prime ministerial role almost 40 years apart, helps us understand how mainstream media coverage concentrates on the gendered differences of women political leaders from the masculine leadership norm. Seven major daily newspapers were examined, using feminist content analysis and feminist critical discourse analysis. The study revealed that, contrary to expectations, not only was there more attention to May’s gender than to Thatcher’s, but it was also more detailed and elaborate, particularly in the conservative press.
First record of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in Indonesia and its occurence in three provinces

The occurrence of a new invasive pest species of corn, the fall armyworms Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Indonesia is reported. Survey in 3 provinces in Indonesia: West Sumatera, Banten and West Java were conducted from March to June 2019. The first record of this pest was in 26 March 2019 in West Sumatera. Larvae were collected from each of those locations and field symptoms of damage on corn in the field were observed. Larvae were brought to and reared individually in Insect Biosystematics Laboratory of Plant Protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University. Identification of fall armyworm employed morphological and molecular analysis. Identification of the larva based on morphological characters of larvae from 3 provinces confirmed the identity of the pest. The pest as fall armyworms, while the molecular analysis indicated that Banten samples belonged to the ‘rice strain’. Collected larvae from Banten were infected by Metarhizium rileyi. The infested plants in the field showed the typical damage symptoms caused by the fall armyworm.
Cross-Cultural Questionnaires and the Necessity of Using Native Translators

In this paper, we discuss problems of comparing two European cultures in a study of emotional intelligence by relying on traditional back translation of the questionnaire and the scales used in the study (Holmstrom, Molander, & Taksic, 2008; Molander, Holmstrom, & Taksic, 2009, 2011). We compared Croatian and Swedish university students in using The Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire, which is an original Croatian questionnaire (Taksic, 1998; Taksic, Mohoric, & Duran, 2009) based on the emotional intelligence theory of Mayer and Salovey (1997). Initially, we found small differences in responding to emotional items between the two countries as revealed by traditional statistical methods. Here we illustrate a large increase of the initial differences by applying differential item functioning (DIF) procedures (Zumbo, 1999), and then reducing again differences by taken several important steps in analyzing the translated items. Most important in these latter procedures was a new translation to Swedish by a native Croatian-speaking translator.
Inhibition of Salmonella spp. isolated from mango using bacteriocin-like produced by lactobacilli Inhibición de Salmonella spp. aislada de mango usando sustancias tipo bacteriocinas producidas por lactobacilos

Five mangos from every step of the packaging process of mango as well as five samples from tap water and five samples from dip tank water were analyzed for Salmonella. Four presumptive Salmonella spp. strains were isolated from mango fruits and from water used for its washing. When identification of the strains was performed by PCR, only three strains turned out to be positive: Salmonella sp. isolated from tap water (tw), Salmonella sp. isolated from mango Ataulfo after washing (ataw) and Salmonella sp. isolated from mango Tommy Atkins after washing (tmaw). A natural but little inhibition of these Salmonella spp. was observed when single bacteriocin-like substances from Lactobacillus plantarum A6 and from L. fermentum OgiE1 were used (average reduction of 0.78 log 10 CFU). An enhanced effectiveness was observed when combining both bacteriocin-like substances (average reduction of 2.84 log 10 CFU). The addition of NaCl (40 mg/mL) to the single bacteriocin-like substances significantly improved the inhibition of Salmonella spp. (reduction of 2.67 to 2.84 log 10 CFU) but when NaCl was added to the mixture of both bacteriocin-like substances, inhibition of Salmonella spp. was not enhanced (reduction of 2.68 log 10 CFU).
Development of Alternative Technology for the Long-term Storage of Microalgal Stock Culture in Fish Hatcheries

Maintenance of algal culture faces several problems associated with climate change, contaminations, equipment failures, power failures, unexplained crashes, poor lab facilities. Microalgae are traditionally preserved by serial subculture methods that are laborious, costly, and high risk of culture contamination. While unique characteristics may not be durably maintained with general subculture, cryopreservation methods better prevent alterations from desired characteristics. Because of the cost-effective in replacing of liquid nitrogen at every interval of time and technical person needed for the preservation. The objective is to find out an alternative and a low-cost technology for the preservation of microalgae Stock culture. The microalgae Nannochloropsis salina, Chlorella volutis, Cheatoceros gracilis, Dunaliella sp. and Amphora sp. , were preserved using common cryoprotectants (methanol, DMSO, ethylene glycol and glycerol) for 6 months at –196°C and –20°C. The viabilities of the microalgae were assessed after thawing, and cell counts were measured. The preserved algae Nannochloropsis salina, Chlorella volutis, Dunaliella sp. and Amphora sp. evoked good responses with negligible changes in their survivability in 6 months incubation period when preserved at –20°C and – 196°C, while the Cheatoceros gracilis regenerate only in –196°C but not restored in –20°C. In this study, an alternative method for liquid nitrogen preservation has been standardized and this new method can be a boon for small level fish hatcheries and microalgal stock holders.
Evaluating an active optical sensor for quantifying and mapping green herbage mass and growth in a perennial grass pasture

Efficiently measuring and mapping green herbage mass using remote sensing devices offers substantial potential benefits for improved management of grazed pastures over space and time. Several techniques and instruments have been developed for estimating herbage mass, however, they face similar limitations in terms of their ability to distinguish green and senescent material and their use over large areas. In this study we explore the application of an active, near infrared and red reflectance sensor to quantify and map pasture herbage mass using a range of derived spectral indices. The Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index offered the best correlation with green dry matter (GDM), with a root mean square error of prediction of 288 kg/ha. The calibrated sensor was integrated with a Global Positioning System on a 4-wheel motor bike to map green herbage mass. An evaluation of representative, truncated transects indicated the potential to conduct rapid assessments of the GDM in a paddock, without the need for full paddock surveys.
A Novel Family of Efficient Power-Flow Methods With High Convergence Rate Suitable for Large Realistic Power Systems

High-order power-flow (PF) solution methods are techniques with higher convergence rate than the standard Newton–Raphson (NR). This feature normally provokes that less iterations are necessary for achieving the required convergence tolerance. This advantage enables important computational savings in realistic large-scale power systems, since some expensive computations may be avoided. This article develops and analyzes a novel family of multistep PF solution techniques. The introduced solution paradigm just involves an LU decomposition along with other cheap computations each iteration. In addition, it is proved that its convergence order is equal to the number of steps considered. A comparison with other high-order PF techniques available in the literature reveals that the introduced paradigm is more efficient when more than three steps are taken. Hence, two PF methods with fourth and fifth convergence rate are developed and validated in 12 systems under different demand conditions. Results prove that the developed PF solution methods are able to notably outperform NR and the other high-order PF solvers proposed in the literature.
The effect of osmotic dehydration and starch coating on the microbiological stability of apples

This paper examines the effect of starch coating and the osmotic dehydration in sugar beet molasses on the microbiological stability of apples. One-half of the osmotically treated/untreated apples were protected by starch coating, resulting in four sample groups (namely the K, P, OD and OD+P sample groups). E. coli, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes were not detected in any of the samples. Enterobacteria were present in the K and P samples in the first four days (indicating a downward trend), but were not subsequently detectable. The total number of microorganisms (TVC) was found to be uniform in each sample group. However, the TVC values were significantly higher in the K and P sample groups than those of the OD and OD + P samples. Yeasts and molds were detected in the K and P samples, whereas the presence of yeasts and molds in the OD and OD+P samples was confirmed only after four days of storage. The results obtained indicate that osmotic dehydration is a suitable method for maintaining microbial stability, whereas starch coating did not justify its purpose.
CD19-SELECTED B LYMPHOCYTES SYNTHESIZE, SECRETE AND MIGRATE IN THE PRESENCE OF IL-8. TNF-α AND γIP-10 ARE ALSO B LYMPHOCYTE MIGRATORY FACTORS

Abstract B lymphocytes are responsible for antigen uptake and presentation, as well as antibody production. These reactions require close cell-to-cell contact between B lymphocytes and monocytes. In this study we demonstrate that interleukin 8 (IL-8), γ-immune protein 10 (γIP-10) and tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) all induce a significant chemokinetic response of human B lymphocytes. Among the cytokines tested, rIL-8 was the strongest B lymphocyte migratory factor with a migratory index (MI) of 2.03±0.32, ( P P P 6 B lymphocytes). Our data indicate a possible mechanism by which B lymphocytes make contact with other cells, during immuno-inflammatory processes.
FACTORS INFLUENCING BETA-AMYLASE ACTIVITY IN SORGHUM MALT

An investigation into factors influencing beta-amylase activity in sorghum malt confirmed that ungerminated sorghum grain exhibited essentially no beta-amylase activity. Malted sorghum had beta-amylase activity less than 25% of the level in barley malt. Neither reducing agents nor papain affected beta-amylase activity in sorghum, indicating that the enzyme is not in a bound form, unlike in barley. Isoelectric focusing indicated that sorghum beta-amylase comprises just one major and one minor isozyme of pl approximately 4.4–4.5, unlike the many isozymes all of higher pl in barley. However, like barley, sorghum beta-amylase was more temperature-labile than its alpha-amylase. Beta-amylase activity in sorghum malt was increased by germination time, high germination moisture and over the germination temperature range investigated (24–32°C), 24°C gave the highest activity. The beta-amylase activity of sorghum malts was significantly correlated with malt diastatic power, despite the fact that alpha-amylase and not beta-amylase is the predominant diastatic enzyme in sorghum malt.