Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Application of Metabolomics to Improve Tomato Fruit Productivity and Quality

Productivity and quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit largely depend on the quantity and composition of its metabolites. Recent development of mass spectrometry technology has facilitated the simultaneous detection of a large number of metabolites. This opens the possibility of investigating the mechanisms of metabolic regulation that affect fruit productivity and quality, in conjunction with genetic and omics approaches. In this article, we review recent progress in the analysis of tomato fruit metabolites based on comprehensive metabolic profiling and the identification of genes and quantitative trait loci that alter tomato fruit metabolite profiles.
Evaluation of crop coefficients for Rabi Sorghum (Sorghum bicolar monech) in semi-arid climate

Abstract Planning and strategic management of irrigation water are the key elements for successful crop production. In this study, evaluation of crop coefficients (K C ) on daily and seasonal basis was accomplished for rabi (winter or post rainy) sorghum in semi-arid climatic conditions of India. The crop coefficients for sorghum were developed using lysimetric measured actual crop evapotranspiration (ET C ) and reference evapotranspiration (ET O ) based on the FAO 56 Penman Monteith Method (FP-M). The developed K C values for sorghum during initial, crop development, mid-season, late season stages and at harvest were 0.65, 0.60, 0.50, 0.24, and 0.14, respectively. The results indicated that the actual K C values were considerably different and lower than those suggested by FAO indicating the need for developing these values at the local scale. The measured K C in initial stage was higher than that of empirical K C suggested in FAO 56 whereas K C at development (pre-flowering) stage is in close conformity with that of FAO empirical K C when sufficient moisture was present in the soil. However, the unusual decreasing trend of measured K C from 55 days after sowing of crop at flowering and grain formation stage strongly pointed towards the need of at least two protective irrigations for successful sorghum crop production if grown under rainfed situations.
Global Loyalty Challenge: Generational Perceptions of the Influence of Perceived Benefits on Satisfaction with Loyalty Programs

Globalization impacts organizations and customers already a few decades. In the context of globalization customers have more purchasing choices than even before, customers buying behaviour changes, the abundance of buying options raises the questions how to keep customers loyal. Customer loyalty becomes a challenge for any organization. Organizations face the challenge to adapt loyalty programs to different needs and deliver desirable value. Generational aspect gets a special importance, because people born in specific time of period imprint a specific and common purchasing, which is common global. This paper examines generational perceptions of the influence of perceived benefits on the satisfaction with loyalty programs for generations X and Y in grocery retailing, having in mind that customers become more loyal if they are satisfied with the rewards obtained from loyalty programs (Demoulin and Zidda, 2009). The research findings indicate that the most important loyalty programs benefits for both generations are monetary savings, social benefits and entertainment. Exploration has the strongest impact for Gen Xers, but having no meaningful impact for Millennials. On the other hand, convenience and recognition benefits are not important for both generations. The study findings indicate directions for loyalty management in grocery retailing which can be adapted globally.
Diffusion of Green Innovations: The Organizational Setup of Pilot Projects and its Influence on Consumer Perceptions

Pilot-, test- and demonstration-projects (PTDs) are a prominent tool to promote the diffusion of green technologies by activating the ‘quadruple helix’, i.e. a collaboration of industry, academia, government and civil society. However, as technology diffusion is heavily dependent on individual attributes and beliefs of potential adopters, it is important to understand the influence of a PTD’s organizational setup on the technology perceptions of potential participants. By varying the information on a PTD’s organizational setup in a survey experiment among a selected sample of potential PTD-participants, we gather first experimental evidence for the effect of different PTD-setups on the perception of green technologies. We show that the organizational setup has a significant impact on a product’s perceived contribution to the energy transition, its establishment in the market, cost-reduction potential, innovativeness and environmental friendliness. In particular, full organizational cooperation between government, university and industry seems to consistently improve perceptions compared to a partial setup. Regarding the willingness to participate in a PTD, we find that communication and support are the most imperative aspects and even more important than financial benefits. Our findings provide policy-makers with a more ample foundation on how PTDs should be designed to successfully transfer technologies to the market.
Quantitative Trait Loci Associated with Cell Wall Polysaccharides in Soybean Seed

Seed cell wall polysaccharides (CWPs) represent a significant portion of seed dry matter (DM) in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ]. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis is a step toward identifying genes controlling CWP concentration and composition of soybean seed. The objectives of this study were to identify QTLs associated with CWP variability and investigate the relationships between seed CWP, protein, and oil content. Whole soybean seed from 'Minsoy', 'Archer', and 108 Minsoy × Archer recombinant inbred (RI) lines were analyzed for CWP using the Uppsala total dietary fiber method. For a random subsample of 73 RI lines, embryos (seed with the seed coats removed) were analyzed. Three QTLs were observed on Linkage Groups U3 (ISU A2), U7 (ISU Al), and U24 (ISU K) that represented most of the variability in CWP content expressed on a DM basis in both whole seed and embryos. A QTL for fucose was detected on U3. Linkage Group U7 contained multiple QTLs mapping at the same location for galactose, the arabinose-to-galactose ratio (Ara/ Gal), pectin, and CWP content. A QTL for arabinose was on U24. These same chromosomal regions also exhibited significant QTLs when the monosaccharide data were expressed on a CWP basis, suggesting that most of the variation in CWP was controlled by changes in the incorporation of galactose, arabinose, and fucose into CWP as total CWP concentration increased. Negative correlations of protein with oil, and the sum of protein and oil with most monosaccharides, pectin, and CWP were present within the RI population, indicating that decreasing seed CWP content will improve seed quality.
Luck, Choice and Responsibility – An Experimental Study of Fairness Views

We conduct laboratory experiments where third-party spectators can redistribute resources between two agents, thereby eliminating inequality and offsetting the consequences of controllable and uncontrollable luck. Some spectators go to the limits and equalize all or no inequalities, but many follow an interior allocation rule. These interior allocators regard an agent’s choice as more important than the cause of her low income and do not always compensate bad uncontrollable luck. Instead, they condition such compensation on the agent’s decision regarding controllable luck exposure, even though the two types of luck are independent. This allocation rule is previously unaccounted for by the fairness views in the literature, and its policy implications are fundamentally different in that it extends individual responsibility for choices made to also apply to areas that were not affected by these choices.
Estimation of Counterfactual Distributions with a Continuous Endogenous Treatment

Policy makers are often interested in the distributional effects of a policy. In this paper I propose a method to estimate the actual and counterfactual distributions of an outcome variable when the treatment variable is endogenous, continuous, and its effect is heterogeneous. The model is a triangular system of equations in which the unobservables are related by a copula that captures the endogeneity of the treatment, which is nonparametrically identified by inverting the quantile processes that determine the outcome and the treatment. Both processes are estimated using existing quantile regression methods, and I propose a parametric and a nonparametric estimator of the copula. I conduct three kinds of counterfactual experiments: changing the distribution of the treatment, changing the distribution of the instrument, and changing the rule that determines the treatment, and I discuss the estimation of each of these counterfactuals. To illustrate these methods, I estimate several counterfactuals that affect the distribution of the share of food consumption.
Zinc and cadmium accumulation in cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae) host plants and developmental instability

Developmental instability in morphological characters can occur during individual development due to various environmental stresses. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is often used as a measurement of developmental instability, but within‐environment variation (CVe) is also considered an indicator of developmental instability. Cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae) populations were reared on zinc‐ (Zn) or cadmium‐ (Cd) contaminated cabbage and radish plants. Developmental instability indicators were measured and their relations with fitness were explored. Results revealed that cabbage aphids exposed to Cd and Zn displayed considerable developmental instability, particularly fluctuating asymmetry. Differences in developmental instability between the two metals were also detected, as well as differences between the two developmental instability measurements. For almost all measured traits, FA was greater on Cd‐ and Zn‐contaminated compared to non‐contaminated host plants. In contrast, CVe of some traits was greater on non‐contaminated host plants, yet for other traits CVe was greater on contaminated host plants. There were also non‐significant inverse relationships between FA and fitness of cabbage aphid populations. Due to weak correlations between FA and different patterns of two developmental instability measurements, this study does not support the hypothesis that developmental instability is a useful bioindicator of environmental quality.
Vector-Assisted Seed Transmission of Melon Necrotic Spot Virus in Melon

Seed lots prepared from fruits collected from systemically infected melon plants were tested for seedborne melon necrotic spot carmovirus (MNSV). The hypothesis of vector-assisted seed transmission (VAST) was tested in trials with rigorous control of the vector fungus, Olpidium bornovanus. The vector also formed the basis for the most sensitive assays of seedborne virus, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was intermediate, and infectivity was the least sensitive assay. Although extracts of seeds not treated with acid reacted in ELISA, the assay did not discriminate between viral antigens and infectious virus. The superficial viral antigens and virions were removed by acid treatment of seeds, but infectious virus remained within the seed coat at levels not usually detectable by ELISA. Seedborne virus rarely infected seedlings unless the vector was present, confirming VAST as a novel means of seed transmission that is possible because of the in vitro method of virus acquisition by O. bornovanus. The incidence of internally borne MNSV ranged from 0.1 to 5.3% in the vector-based assays. In one seed lot, MNSV was primarily on the surface of seeds, with an incidence of >50% on nontreated seeds and 0% on acid-treated seeds.
A Reexamination of the Ultrastructure of Didinium nasutum and a Reanalysis of the Phylogeny of the Haptorid Ciliates

The cilia of Didinium nasutum are restricted to two girdles encircling the cell. Each row of cilia in both girdles is made up of two to three anterior pairs of kinetosomes followed by several single kinetosomes. Each single kinetosome has two sets of transverse microtubules, an overlapping postciliary microtubular ribbon, and a laterally directed kinetodesmal fiber. The pairs of kinetosomes are homologous to the oral dikinetids of other haptorians: the nonciliated kinetosome of the pair has a transverse microtubular ribbon that extends to line the membrane of the proboscis, a single short postciliary microtubule, and a nematodesma; the ciliated kinetosome has a ribbon of postciliary microtubules and two sets of transverse microtubules. The presence of these characters in Didinium invalidates Leipe & Hausmann's conclusion that the Didiniidae should be removed from the subclass that contains the other haptorians (Leipe, D. D. & Hausumann, K. 1989. Somatic infraciliature of the haptorid ciliate Homalozoon vermiculare (Kinetofragminophora, Gymnostomata) Ditransversalia n. subcl. and phylogenetic implications. J. Protozool. , 36:280–289). In light of this, the justification for a subclass Ditransversalia is challenged and shown to be unnecessary.
A Comparison of the Efficacy of Liquidity, Momentum, Size and Book-to-Market Value Factors in Equity Pricing on a Heterogeneous Sample: Evidence from Asia

This paper compares the size and book-to-market value factors of Fama and French (1993) alongside Momentum of Jagadeesh and Titman (1993) with two Liu (2006) liquidity factors formed from 1 year rebalancing and 1 month rebalancing respectively. A heterogeneous and comprehensive sample of the top blue chip stocks of all national Asian equity markets with further differentiation undertaken between sub samples formed for Japan only and Asia excluding Japan for period January 2000 to August 2014. Our empirical results suggest that multifactor time invariant pricing models based on augmented capital asset pricing model (CAPM) framework are ineffective in explaining the cross section of stock returns in the presence of significant inter and intra-market segmentation. However an alternative model specification based on a time varying parameter specification and using same sets of factors yields significant enhancements in explaining cross section of stock returns across universe. We find that momentum factor largely lacks significance while a time varying two factor model, based on CAPM plus liquidity factor, is optimal. The liquidity factor being that of Liu (2006) and annually rebalanced. Our findings are important for investment managers seeking appropriate factors and modelling techniques to hedge against risks as well as firm's financial managers seeking to reduce costs of equity capital.
Optimal resource allocation to vegetative and sexual reproduction of a plant growing in a spatially varying environment

Abstract An optimal-resource allocation model is developed for ramets (daughter plants), rhizomes (or other horizontal stems, such as stolons) and seeds for plants growing in a spatially varying environment. It is assumed that a parent may elongate rhizomes, and that if a rhizome encounters a patch with high resource availability, it stops growing and forms a ramet on the terminal of the rhizome in that patch, whereas the rhizome forms a ramet outside patches if it cannot encounter a favorable patch. It is shown that, with a moderate probability of seed establishment, the optimal resource allocation patterns change, largely depending on the favorability and the number of patches. That is, if patches are more favorable, parents elongate rhizomes to place their ramets in favorable patches selectively, rather than disperse seeds randomly without patch selection, because increasing favorability of patches substantially favors rhizome production over seed production. In addition, parents also emphasize rhizome elongation if there are more patches per unit area because parents need not elongate longer rhizomes. However, parents produce seeds and ramets without rhizomes or only seeds if the degree of the favorability of patches is low or the number of patches is small. On the other hand, parents produce ramets with or without rhizomes but no seeds with a smaller probability of seed establishment, whereas they emphasize seed production rather than rhizome elongation with a larger probability of seed establishment.
MENA Banking Competitiveness in the New Era of Global Financial Crisis and Increasing Political Risk

This paper investigates competitive conditions and the role of institutional environment and political risk as revenue drivers of commercial banks in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. In this paper, we examine an extended period (1999-2015) consist of political and economic unrest and transformation that includes the 2007 global crisis and the recent Arab uprising. The Panzar-Rosse model and Arrelano-Bond and System GMM methodologies have been employed to examine such issues. Our findings indicate that MENA banks are still operating under monopolistic competition conditions. With regards to political instability, bank revenues is negatively affected by such matter and policies that favour deregulation and a more inclusive role for all stakeholders in the banking system stimulate growth. The findings are beneficial in terms of valuable policy implications to structure the banking system of these countries optimally.
Institutional Investors’ Ownership Stability and Their Investee Firms’ Equity Mispricing

This study examines the impact of institutional investors' equity ownership stability and their investment horizon to determine the impact on their investee firms' equity mispricing. We treat institutional investors as a heterogenous group, i.e., dedicated, transient, or quasi-indexer as defined by Bushee (1998, 2001) since their categorization determines their trading strategy. Higher institutional ownership, higher stability in institutional investors' equity ownership, and institutional investors classified as long-term are all associated with lower equity mispricing at investee firms.
Replacement of cellular potassium by caesium in Chlorella emersonii: differential sensitivity of photoautotrophic and chemoheterotrophic growth

Summary: Photoautotrophic growth of Chlorella emersonii in the presence of 1 mM-CsCl resulted in a 34% increase in cell doubling time and an 83% reduction in the final cell yield as compared to growth in the absence of Cs+. In contrast, the presence of 1 mM-Cs+ had no effect on chemoheterotrophic growth in the dark with glucose. These observations were correlated with the stage of growth at which Cs+-induced cellular K+ loss was evident. For photoautotrophically growing cells this occurred during the exponential growth phase (after 4 d); for chemoheterotrophically growing cells this was during stationary phase (after 10 d). Inhibition of chemoheterotrophic cell division occurred after 2 d in 50 mM-Cs+ or 5 d in 20 mM-Cs+, and coincided with a decline in intracellular K+ to ∼2 nmol (106 cells)−1. Accumulation of Cs+ ceased after 2 d in both of these cases. Cell doubling times during chemoheterotrophic growth remained approximately constant at internal K+ levels between 7 and 28 nmol (106 cells)−1. In contrast, a decline in intracellular K+, from 42 to 19 nmol (106 cells)−1, after 4 d photoautotrophic growth in the presence of Cs+, was concurrent with the 34% increase in cell doubling times. Photosynthesizing cells accumulated approximately 2-fold more Cs+ than respiring cells after incubation for 12 h in HEPES buffer, pH 8. Culture age and intracellular K+ levels had little effect on the ability of C. emersonii to accumulate Cs+. Externally supplied K+ inhibited Cs+ accumulation to a greater extent in photosynthesizing cells (75% inhibition at 10 mM- K+, 1 mM-Cs+) than in respiring cells (50% inhibition at 10 mM-K+, 1 mM-Cs+). Greatly elevated Na+ light in the absence and presence of 10 mM-Cs+ accumulation in both cases. Incubation of cells in buffer in the light in the absence and presence of 10 mM-Cs+ resulted in decreases in cellular K+ of 44% and 77% respectively and a concomitant 66% reduction in the rate of photosynthesis in both cases. A Cs+-induced K+ loss of 71% from respiring cells had no effect on the rate of respiration. These results indicate that it is not the presence of Cs+ in cells that is growth inhibitory, but rather the resulting loss of K+ and that photosynthesis and photoautotrophic growth are more sensitive to this K+ loss than respiration and chemoheterotrophic growth.
Spawning Substrate Size, Shape, and Siltation Influence Walleye Egg Retention

Abstract We compared Walleye Sander vitreus egg retention among varying rock treatments placed in a hydraulic flume to test the influence of spawning substrate shape and size on egg retention and the influence of substrate siltation on egg adhesiveness. Egg loss from suboptimal spawning substrates has been hypothesized as a substantial source of mortality during the incubation period. To investigate the influence of substrate size and shape on Walleye egg retention, known numbers of Walleye eggs were pipetted onto rock substrate in a hydraulic flume and exposed to flowing water conditions. Eggs scoured from the substrate during each trial were collected and enumerated. Egg retention was higher in angular crushed limestone than in round glacial till and greater in coarse gravel than in larger size-classes, under all water velocity regimes. Angular coarse gravel had the highest egg retention rate (mean ± SD, 66.9 ± 3.7%), and round very coarse gravel had the lowest egg retention rate (47.0 ± 3.1%) of all th.
Effect of Electronic Banking Related Fraud on Deposit Money Banks Financial Performance in Nigeria

This study empirically ascertained the effect of electronic banking related fraud on deposit money banks financial performance in Nigeria. Empirical studies relating electronic banking and banks performance in Nigeria has been centred on its benefit of improving profitability of deposit money banks while the effect of fraud perpetrated on electronic banking platforms used by banks operating in the economy are often neglected. Specifically, we examined the effect of electronic banking related fraud on automated teller machines, mobile banking, point of sale terminals and web to return on assets, return on equity, interest income and non-interest income of deposit money banks. Comprehensive data on fraud on the various electronic banking channels from the apex regulatory agency of the banking system: Central Bank of Nigeria began in 2013 thus limiting the study to a period of four years. The Ordinary Least Square (OLS) was applied in estimating the regression equation, whereas effect of fraud on various channels of electronic banking and financial performance ascertained with the help of the granger causality analysis. The findings from the study dispelled that fraud on point of sale terminals has significant negative effect on interest income, while fraud on automated teller machines, mobile banking and web had no effect on return on assets, return on equity and non-interest income of banks. we suggested that there is need for deposit money banks to further authenticate transactions on point of sale terminal by sending confirmation code to mobile number linked to the account to affirm that the transaction was initiated the original cardholder.