Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prediction of pedigree relationships in durum wheat varieties based on agronomic, morphological and molecular traits

For successful crop improvement, genetic diversity among crossed varieties is fundamental. Generally, varieties exhibiting great genetic distances are less related to each other and their original genetic materials may not have common pedigree. Genetic distances could be estimated by the use of morphological and agronomic traits or various molecular markers. The purpose of this study was to estimate the genetic distances among 10 durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) varieties and see whether they could be utilized as prediction criteria for genetic relationships as they are expressed by their pedigree. Genetic distances were estimated based on data from molecular analyses using RAPD and SSR markers, morphological characteristics according to Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO), and various agronomic and quality characteristics (AQC). Clustering of the varieties was based on genetic distances and pairwise comparisons were made among and within the four methods used (i.e. RAPD, SSR, CPVO, AQC) along with the pedigree data. It was concluded that CPVO and AQC data predicted more effectively the genetic relationship, as it is revealed by the pedigrees, as compared to molecular methods based on RAPD and SSR data. Yet, the molecular markers as well as the data from other methods were unreliable for an accurate prediction of the genetic diversity as it is expressed by pedigrees.
Household Savings Decision and Income Uncertainty

This paper empirically investigates the effects of changes in the interest rate as well as transitory income uncertainty on households' consumption-savings decision. Applying a structural demand model to German survey data, we estimate the uncompensated interest rate elasticity for savings, in line with the literature, to around zero. Accordingly, any policy-induced variation of net returns to savings is expected to have no significant effects on the level of savings. Moreover, we find significant effects of precautionary savings on the consumption-savings decision. As a result of a doubling of transitory income uncertainty, an average household increases savings by 4:4%. These effects vary by household composition and social status.
Mrabeh A, Batterham RL, Taylor R. Calorie restriction and not glucagon-like peptide-1 explains the acute improvement in glucose control after gastric bypass in Type 2 diabetes. Diabetic Medicine 2016, 33(12), 1723-1731

Copyright: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Steven S, Hollingsworth KG, Small PK, Woodcock SA, Pucci A, Aribasala B, Al-Mrabeh A, Batterham RL, Taylor R. Calorie restriction and not glucagon-like peptide-1 explains the acute improvement in glucose control after gastric bypass in Type 2 diabetes. Diabetic Medicine 2016, 33(12), 1723-1731, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi. org/10.1111/dme.13257. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.
Urban Heat Island Effect: ItÃ¢ÂÂs Relevance in Urban Planning

The rapid growth of urbanization leads to the cumulative effect of all the negative impacts in the form of pollution, production of waste heat from human activity, multiple diseases, water stress, and so on so forth. With the development or expansion of cities and towns significant vegetation is lost along with urban surfaces are paved or covered with buildings resulting into less shade and moisture to keep urban areas cool. It reveals the fact that Built-up areas evaporate less water resulting into elevated surface and air temperatures of the cities. The amount of urban heat island effect is experienced based on properties of urban materials which consist of solar reflectance, thermal emissivity and heat capacity along with ability to reflect, emit and absorb the suns energy. These conceptual issues lead to warming of urban areas as compared to their rural surroundings, a phenomenon known as the “heat island effect. ” An effort has been made in the present paper by the authors to describe the effect of heat island effect on urban environment and its planning. An effort has also been made to suggest mitigating measures to combat heat island effects in urban areas.
Relationships between growth and body condition development during the rearing period and performance in the first three lactations in Holstein cows.

Th e relationship between growth and development of body condition during the rearing of replace - ment heifers and their subsequent performance in the production period of Holstein cows in the Czech Republic was studied . The data set used in this study covered 733 Holstein heifers born on one farm during the years 2004-2009. The evaluated effects considered were body weight (BW), average daily gain of live weight (ADG), and body condition score (BCS) of heifers. The results demonstrated the desirable effect of the higher achieved ADG in the period before sexual maturity on the lower age at first calving (AFC), the positive influence on milk yield in the first lactation, and the negative relationship to the conception rate of heifers before first calving. Similar effects were also found for growth in the period of 9-12 months of age. In heifers with a greater growth rate before puberty there was not a significant risk of excessive BCS during the breeding period. Heifers with the highest BCS (3.5 points (p.) and more) at 14 months of age had significantly the lowest milk yield in the first and second lacta - tion compared to heifers with medium (3.5 p.) and low (3.25 p. or less) BCS. Over-conditioned heifers exhibited higher milk protein content in the first and second lactation. No effects on the third lactation were observed.
The Anticipation Effect of Marriage on Female Education: Theory and Evidence from Nepal

We study the impact of planned age at marriage on female education. We first develop a theoretical framework for jointly determining age at marriage and education. The framework hypothesises that due to a household division of labour that allocates relatively greater responsibility for housework on wives, parents discount their daughters’ schooling, with the discount increasing the earlier the planned age of marriage. We then test for this effect using household data from Nepal. We control for potential endogeneity by exploiting variations in cultural norms regarding dowry and differences in average age of female marriage among ethnicities and regions as instrumental variables. The econometric results validate our hypothesis that female education is negatively affected by cultural practices that favour early marriage.
Comparison of Microbiological Examination by Test Tube and Congo Red Agar Methods to Detect Biofilm Production on Clinical Isolates

Biofilm on medical devices can cause significant diseases and deaths and give a large effecton disease transmission among patients and health providers and potentially increasethe cost of patient treatment. By knowing the presence of biofilm on a patient, one can differentiate the treatment management for that particular patient from the patients without biofilm on their medical device. The purpose of this study was to obtain diagnostic method to detect biofilm formation on isolates from the medical devices by simple method that is easy to do and can be applied in resource-limited microbiology laboratory. 36 specimens obtained from IV Line, CVC, urinary catheter and ETT were grown on Muller Hinton agar and continued with 3 methods, i.e., Test Tube method, Congo Red Agar method and Microtiter Plate Assay method. Results of this study showed Test Tube (nephelometer), Test Tube (visual) and Congo Red Agar in order to have the same sensitivity of 100% but has higher specificity compared to Test Tube method (visual) and Congo Red Agar method in detecting biofilm production on isolates from medical devices that had been plugged into patients body. The biofilm formation inside devices depends on factors, i.e., host, device and the microorganism itself.
Slip of gels in colloid–polymer mixtures under shear

We investigate the time-dependent rheology and slip behaviour of colloidal gels formed under polymer-induced depletion attraction. The shape of the flow curves at low applied shear rates is suggestive of slip, which we confirm using confocal imaging. Time-dependent linear viscoelastic measurements show an unexpected drop of the elastic modulus below the viscous one after a critical time. We present a dynamic phase diagram characterizing the dependence of slip on polymer concentration and colloid volume fraction. Confocal imaging links slip to the restructuring of clusters with time, which leads to a reduction of the number of contacts between the colloidal network and the rheometer surfaces. Such behaviour is shear rate dependent and correlated to changes in the gel structure, which changed from independent small aggregates at high shear rates to percolated clusters at low shear rates.
Infl uence of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation on climate risk and native pastures in the northern Murray-Darling Basin

The El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is shown to have historically had signifi cant effects on climatic risk concerning seasonal rainfall, minimum and maximum temperatures, evaporation, pasture establishment and growth, and onset of the growing season of native pastures in the northern Murray-Darling Basin of southern Queensland. In this region, the effects of the La Nina pattern of temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacifi c Ocean were generally more favourable for pastures, whereas the effects of the El Nino pattern were less favourable. The potential contribution of Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) information to seasonal forecasts was assessed using historical rainfall records from 112 longterm rainfall-recording stations, and temperatures, pan evaporation and modelled pasture growth for 30 locations. Forecast skill was measured by percent change in median values, non-parametric statistical tests and cross-validated skill scores. Forecast skill, spatial homogeneity and temporal consistency of SOI-based seasonal forecasts for pasture growth were greater than for rainfall. Use of the 3-month average SOI, and to a lesser extent the SOI phase, forecasting systems has historically provided signifi cant forecasting skill for pasture conditions during spring and summer at lead times of up to 2 months. When the average SOI in winter or spring was below –5, the median pasture growth in the following spring-summer season was 20% below the longterm median (mean of the 30 sites in the study region). In contrast, when the SOI was above +5, the median pasture growth was 26% above the long-term median in the following period. Forecasts of climatic conditions in winter (rainfall, temperature, evaporation) were reasonably skilful but estimates of growth of tropical grasses during this period were very low and thus seasonal forecasts of winter growth are not so relevant. The application of seasonal climate forecasts to achieve better pasture management is discussed in relation to improving the productivity and sustainability of grazing systems. Some examples are given of pasture and livestock decisions that could be improved by taking changes in climatic risk into account during El Nino and La Nina episodes.
Effect of native prairie, crested (Agropyron crisfafum (L.) Gaertn.) wildrye (Hymus junceus Fisch.) on properties wheatgrass

Crested wheatgrass and Russian wildrye are used estensively as seeded pastures in the prairie region of western Canada. Their long-term impact on soil quality was studied at 4 sites, each including plant communities of native mised prairie rangeland and 17- to 27-year-old monocultures of crested wheatgrass and Russian wildrye, in southern Alberta, Canada. Root mass and soil chemical properties mere determined on the soil samples collected. Native rangeland had about 7.6 times more root mass than the seeded species from the 0- to 7.5cm depth and about equivalent mass from the 7.5 to JO-cm depth. For the seeded species, root mass was significantly less behveen rows than within rows. Soils in the native rangeland community had significantly greater soil organic matter and lower NOs-N, chemical indes, urease activity, and available phosphorus than those in the seeded pastures. Altering the plant community from native mised prairie to either a sequence of cropping followed by an introduced grass monoculture, or directly to an introduced grass monoculture, resulted in decreased root mass and organic matter, and monosaccharide content of dry aggregates. The seeded grasses could neither return nor maintain the chemical quality of the soils in relation to that of the native rangeland.
Characteristics of biomass burning emission sources, transport, and chemical speciation in enhanced springtime tropospheric ozone profile over Hong Kong

[1] Tropospheric ozone (O3) enhancements have been continuously observed over Hong Kong. We studied the O3 enhancement events and assessed their relation to the springtime O3 maximum in the lower troposphere over Hong Kong using a 6-year (1993 to 1999) ozonesonde data set. We identified the source regions of biomass burning emission, and established the chemical and transport characteristics of O3-rich air masses in the enhanced O3 profiles using satellite imagery, air trajectory and trace gas data measured on board the DC-8 aircraft during the PEM-West-B experiment. We identified a total of 39 O3 enhancement events, among which 35 events (90%) occurred from late February to May and 30 events (77%) had O3 enhancement within the 2.0–6.0 km altitude. The excess O3 in the O3-rich layers adds an additional 12% of O3 into the tropospheric O3 column and results in an overall springtime O3 maximum in the lower troposphere. Forward trajectory analysis suggests that the O3-rich air masses over Hong Kong can reach central Pacific and the western coast of North America within 10 days. Back air trajectories show that the O3-rich air masses in the enhanced profiles pass over the Southeast (SE) Asia subcontinent, where active biomass burning occurs in the O3 enhancement period. We identified the Indo-Burma region containing Burma, Laos and northern Thailand, and the Indian-Nepal region containing northern India and Nepal as the two most active regions of biomass burning emissions in the SE Asia subcontinent. Ozone and trace gas measurement on board the DC-8 aircraft revealed that O3-rich air masses are found over many parts of the tropical SE Asia and subtropical western Pacific regions and they have similar chemical characteristics. The accompanying trace gas measurements suggest that the O3-rich air masses are rich in biomass burning tracer, CH3Cl, but not the general urban emission tracers. We thus believe that the springtime O3 enhancement over Hong Kong is as a result of transport of photochemical O3 produced from biomass burning emissions from the upwind SE Asian continent. The large-scale enhancements of O3 in tropical SE Asia and the subtropical western Pacific rim that result from SE Asian biomass burning activities such as presented here thus are of atmospheric importance and deserve further research efforts.
The Biophysics of Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency

In order to perform an effective immune response, leukocytes must be able to exit the vasculature and enter the interstitial space. The leukocyte adhesion cascade has evolved to slow and stop cells to allow this access. Despite extensive molecular characterization, there are still significant questions regarding the biophysical constraints of the cascade. In this thesis, we explore the requirements for cells to physically complete the adhesion cascade. In the first aim, we confirm previously published predictions regarding the synergy between E-selectin and ICAM-1, showing that a consistent level of leukocyte adhesion can be maintained using varying ratios of the two molecules. We also show that T cells require O(10^0) sites/μm^2 to support tethering, O(10^1) sites/μm^2 to support rolling, and O(10^2) sites/μm^2 to cause arrest. In addition, we characterized the migration of T cells against the direction of flow. We discovered that cells determine their direction of migration within 30 seconds of arrest. We also found that cells migrating upstream transmigrate across a HUVEC monolayer faster than cells crawling downstream. In the second aim, we determined that cells attached to a surface through a series of linkages show a non-linear decrease in the critical detachment force as the number of linkages increases. We also showed that the intrinsic off rate of the linkages can control the critical force, while the spring constant of the linkages causes less of a change. Finally, in the third aim we used simulations to quantitatively predict the effect of depletion of kindlin-3 on cellular adhesion. We predicted that adhesion would be hypersensitive to kindlin-3 expression, requiring a reduction to below 20% of normal expression levels to see an effect. We also predicted that rolling velocity would be independent of kindlin-3 expression, while both time and distance to stop would increase with decreasing kindlin-3 expression. Experiments using the Jurkat T cell line supported these predictions, with a significant decrease in cell adhesion, no change in rolling velocity, and an increase in the time to stop. Together, these aims suggest that we now have the knowledge to improve leukocyte targeting through engineering the leukocyte adhesion cascade. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering First Advisor Daniel A. Hammer
Delivering and evaluating the multiple flood risk benefits in Blue-Green Cities: an interdisciplinary approach

A Blue-Green City aims to recreate a naturally-oriented water cycle while contributing to the amenity of the city by bringing water management and green infrastructure together. The Blue-Green approach is more than a stormwater management strategy aimed at improving water quality and providing flood risk benefits. It can also provide important ecosystem services and socio-cultural benefits when the urban system is in a non-flood condition. However, quantitative evaluation of benefits and the appraisal of the relative significance of each benefit in a given location are not well understood. The Blue-Green Cities Research Project aims to develop procedures for the robust evaluation of the multiple
STUDIES ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HIGH LEVELS OF FOLLICLE STIMULATING HORMONE FOR FOLLICULAR DEVELOPMENT IN IMMATURE RATS

SUMMARY To determine whether the high FSH levels present before day 20 in female rats are of impor- tance for normal follicular development, the effect of depression of FSH levels on numbers of medium and large follicles was studied. Two approaches have been applied : depression of FSH and LH levels by injection of testosterone propionate (TP) and elimination of circulating FSH by a specific antiserum to FSH. Injection of 100 jig TP at days 5, 10 and 15 resulted in decreased FSH and LH levels and in decreased numbers of medium and large follicles at days 10, i5 and 20. Additional treatment from day 5 till day 9 with PMSG (5 IU/io g body weight/day) restored numbers of follicles towards normal at day 10. This finding indicates that the effect of TP on numbers of follicles is mediated by depression of gonadotrophin levels. Furthermore, the amounts of PMSG required to restore normal follicular development indicates that during this part of the immature period more gonadotrophin is required than during any period of the cycle in the adult. Injection of antiserum to FSH from day 7 till day i i resulted in a decreased number of large follicles on day 12. The same treatment given from day i till day 15 or from day r5 till day 19 did not induce this effect, although one injection on day I or day r5 induced atresia in many large follicles one day later. This acute effect seems to be compensated within five days. The present results support the view that the high gonadotrophin levels (especially FSH) before day 20 are a requirement for normal follicular development.
Effect of ski boot tightness on shock attenuation time and joint angle with anterior-posterior foot positioning in drop landings

Eight recreational skiers performed drop landings barefoot and wearing ski boots. The purpose of this study was to examine if different ski boot tightness affects the shock attenuation time, and minimal joint angles during landings. Shock attenuation time and joint angles were obtained via an AMTI force plate and video analysis of subjects’ drop landings. Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze differences between means for the dependent variables. Our results indicate that differences in ski boot tightness do not affect shock attenuation time during landing. Results also indicate that minimal ankle joint angle can be affected by different ski boot tightness. This implies that a tighter ski boot condition can restrict dorsiflexion of the ankle during landing.
PRIME Lab Sample Handling and Data Analysis for Accelerator-Based Biomedical Radiocarbon Analysis

Processing and measurement of 200 biomedical samples has provided an opportunity to better understand the characteristics of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) analysis of such samples. We have utilized established procedures (Vogel 1992) and developed new methods for handling various biological samples. We have included secondary standards of known isotope ratio for all assays. A method of determining maximum precision for each unknown sample value is also reported. The presented data are an update of the ongoing radiocarbon AMS biomedical program at Purdue University.
Protection from illegal fishing and shark recovery restructures mesopredatory fish communities on a coral reef

Abstract The recovery of communities of predatory fishes within a no‐take marine reserve after the eradication of illegal fishing provides an opportunity to examine the role of sharks and other large‐bodied mesopredatory fishes in structuring reef fish communities. We used baited remote underwater video stations to investigate whether an increase in sharks was associated with a change in structure of the mesopredatory fish community at Ashmore Reef, Western Australia. We found an almost fourfold increase in shark abundance in reef habitat from 0.64 hr−1 ± 0.15 SE in 2004, when Ashmore Reef was being fished illegally, to 2.45 hr−1 ± 0.37 in 2016, after eight years of full‐time enforcement of the reserve. Shark recovery in reef habitat was accompanied by a two and a half‐fold decline in the abundance of small mesopredatory fishes (≤50 cm TL) (14.00 hr−1 ± 3.79 to 5.6 hr−1 ± 1.20) and a concomitant increase in large mesopredatory fishes (≥100 cm TL) from 1.82 hr−1 ± 0.48 to 4.27 hr−1 ± 0.93. In contrast, near‐reef habitats showed an increase in abundance of large mesopredatory fishes between years (2.00 hr−1 ± 0.65 to 4.56 hr−1 ± 1.11), although only smaller increases in sharks (0.67 hr−1 ± 0.25 to 1.22 hr−1 ± 0.34) and smaller mesopredatory fishes. Although the abundance of most mesopredatory groups increased with recovery from fishing, we suggest that the large decline of small mesopredatory fish in reef habitat was mostly due to higher predation pressure following the increase in sharks and large mesopredatory fishes. At the regional scale, the structure of fished communities at Ashmore Reef in 2004 resembled those of present day Scott Reefs, where fishing still continues today. In 2016, Ashmore fish communities resembled those of the Rowley Shoals, which have been protected from fishing for decades.