Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysing Daily Rainfall Measurements to Give Agronomically Useful Results. I. Direct Methods

Summary Simple methods are described for the analysis of daily rainfall measurements. The distinctive feature is that each year provides one number for any event or characteristic of interest. The resulting observations are then analysed, assuming that they are a simple random sample from a single distribution. An estimate of the probability of an event can be made directly from its relative frequency of occurrence, or alternatively a distribution (such as the normal) can be fitted. The methods are applied to agronomic questions on dry spells, the start, end and length of the growing season, and the distribution of amounts of rainfall through the year. Examples are given from Nigeria and India.
Role of Static and Dynamic Intra-abdominal Pressure Monitoring in Acute Pancreatitis

Objective This study was aimed to determine the relationship between static and dynamic intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) with the mortality and outcome of acute pancreatitis. Methods From July 2017 to December 2018, 150 patients admitted at the Institute of Gastrosciences and Liver and diagnosed as acute pancreatitis were included in the study. Intra-abdominal pressure was measured for the first few days, and mean value of day 1 (static IAP) and highest value on day 2 and day 3 (dynamic IAP) were calculated and categorized into intra-abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome. Results A statistical relationship was observed between static and dynamic IAP with the severity and mortality of acute pancreatitis. Both static and dynamic IAPs tended to be higher in nonsurvivors (83.33% and 88.88%, respectively) compared with survivors (51.51% and 63.63%, respectively). Higher IAP had more severe disease. However, IAP did not correlate with the evidence of sepsis or serum procalcitonin levels. Conclusion Determination of static IAP is an easy, useful, and inexpensive method to determine and predict the mortality of acute pancreatitis. Prevention and/or early detection of intra-abdominal hypertension helps in reducing the mortality in acute pancreatitis.
Inferring Process from Pattern in Natural CommunitiesCan we understand what we see

basic assumption of scientific investigation is that observed phenomena have underlying physical causes (Beck 1982). Understanding causes-the biotic and abiotic processes of nature-can explain why the world is the way it appears and how it can change. Biologists use the word pattern to describe the observable traits of a system and their configuration. Pattern is what is seen, whether using an electron microscope or a satellite imaging system. Biologists and other scientists apply logic, experience, and statistical analysis to explain a pattern in terms of the processes believed to underlie it. But to
Survival of Pseudomonas solanacearum in soil, rhizosphere, and plant roots

A new, selective medium was used to determine the ability of different strains of Pseudomonas solanacearum to survive in the soil or in association with plant roots in the greenhouse. When survival of two strains of race 1, two of race 2, and one of race 3 in a soil–sand mixture (ψ = −2 bars (1 bar = 100 kPa), 28 °C, was determined, populations of each strain declined at different rates, but none of the strains survived beyond 24 weeks. To study survival of P. solanacearum in the rhizosphere, seedlings of resistant hosts (pepper, tomato, castor bean) and presumed nonhosts (bean, corn) were inoculated by dipping their roots in a bacterial suspension and then replanted. Bacterial populations in the rhizosphere were determined at various intervals up to 33 weeks. The pathogen was not able to survive in the rhizosphere; when high populations were detected, they were associated with localized or systemic infection of the roots of plants that did not show wilt symptoms. When the roots of inoculated plants were .
Variability in functional traits mediates plant interactions along stress gradients

Environmental gradients may influence a plant's physiological status and morphology, which in turn may affect plant–plant interactions. However, little is known about the relationship between environmental variation, physiological and morphological variability of plants and variation in the balance between competition and facilitation. Mountain ranges in dry environments have opposing altitudinal environmental gradients of temperature and aridity, which limit plant growth at high and low elevations. This makes them particularly suitable for exploring the relationships between environmental conditions, plant phenotype and plant–plant interactions. We hypothesized that different environmental stressors will differently affect the physiological status of a nurse plant. This, then, manifests itself as variation in nurse plant morphological traits, which in turn mediates plant–plant interactions by altering microhabitat conditions for the nurse and associated species. In an observational study, we measured a series of functional traits of Arenaria tetraquetra cushions as indicators of its physiological status (e.g. specific leaf area, relative water content) and morphology (e.g. cushion compactness, size). Measurements were taken along the entire elevation range where A. tetraquetra occurs. Furthermore, we analysed how these functional traits related to soil properties beneath cushions and the number of associated species and individuals compared with open areas. Cushions at high elevation showed good physiological status; they were compact and large, had higher soil water and organic matter content compared with open areas and showed the strongest facilitation effect of the whole elevation gradient – that is, the highest increase in species richness and abundance of beneficiaries compared with open areas. Physiological data at low elevation indicated stressful abiotic conditions for A. tetraquetra, which formed loose and small cushions. These cushions showed less improved soil conditions and had reduced facilitative effects compared with those at high elevation. Synthesis. Functional traits of the nurse species varied distinctively along the two opposing stress gradients, in parallel to the magnitude of differences in microenvironmental conditions between cushions and the surrounding open area, and also to the facilitation effect of cushions. Our data, therefore, provides a strong demonstration of the generally overlooked importance of a nurse plant's vigour and morphology for its facilitative effects.
Scleral lens wear following penetrating keratoplasty: changes in corneal curvature and optics

Visual rehabilitation following penetrating keratoplasty is the primary indication for approximately 15% of all scleral lens fittings. Since corneal biomechanics are altered following penetrating keratoplasty, the aim of this study was to quantify changes in anterior corneal optics following short‐term scleral lens wear in eyes with corneal grafts.
Evaluation of potential confounding factors in sediment toxicity tests with three freshwater benthic invertebrates

We examined the effects of natural sediment physicochemical properties on the results of lab tests with the amphipod Hyalella azteca, the midge Chironomus tentans, and the ohgochaete Lumbriculus variegatus Ten-day exposures with the three species were conducted with 50 uncontaminated sediment samples from Lakes Erie, Huron, Superior, and Ontario, which differed markedly with regard to characteristics such as grain-size distribution, organic carbon content, and mineralogical composition Tests were conducted both with and without the addition of exogenous food Survival of Hyalella azteca, survival and growth of Chironomus tentans, and survival/reproduction and growth of Lumbriculus vanegatus were significantly greater in tests in which the animals were fed vs those in which they were not Approximately 10% of the tests in which Hyalella azteca was not fed and 80% of tests in which the amphipods were fed resulted in >80% survival, a common criterion for defining the acceptability of tests with Hyalella azteca in clean control sediments Similarly, a relatively high percentage of the tests in which Chironomus tentans was not fed would have failed a control survival criterion of 70% for the midge Hence, there is significant potential for false positive results if Hyalella azteca or Chironomus tentans is not fed during sediment tests Predictive modeling of the assay results in relationship to sediment physicochemical characteristics failed to reveal any additional factors that influenced survival of Hyalella azteca and Chironomus tentans, or reproduction and growth of Lumbriculus vanegatus in tests in which the organisms were fed However, linear modeling did suggest that growth of fed as well as unfed Chironomus tentans may have been influenced by gram size distribution of the test sediments
Work and sport: relationships between specific job stressors and sports participation

Abstract This study examines the relationships between different job stressors and sports participation. Based on a large-scale representative sample (N = 1935), the paper tested if the number of different job stressors encountered in a job is related to sports participation. Moreover, we examined the relative impact of different stressors on sport participation. As predicted, the number of stressors encountered at work is negatively associated with leisure-time sports participation. When testing the relative effects of different job stressors, intense physical labour, shift and night work, and job insecurity (i.e. having a fixed-term contract or fearing unemployment) are negatively related to sports participation, whereas hazardous exposure (i.e. noise), bad working atmosphere, and long working hours are not related to sports participation. Hence, the total number of job stressors, but also the specificity of job stressors, should be taken into account by professionals in the fields of health research and physical activity promotion. Practioner summary: In a large-scale representative sample, we examined if different adverse job conditions are negatively related to sports participation. We found that the number of different job stressors was negatively related to sports participation. In particular, intense physical labour, shift and night work as well as job insecurity had an impact.
SEASONAL CHANGES IN WATERBIRD HABITAT AND OCCURRENCE IN LAGUNA DE SAYULA, WESTERN MEXICO

Abstract Laguna de Sayula, a seasonal freshwater wetland in Jalisco, western Mexico, supports many resident and migratory bird species, particularly during the dry season (October to May). We documented changes in habitat condition (i.e., water vs. mudflat vs. land cover) and occurrences of 12 waterbird species during the dry season. From October to February, much of the lagoon was covered with water and mudflats, and the avifauna was dominated by resident killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) and migratory long-billed curlew (Numenius americanus). Between March and May, there was significantly less area covered by water and mudflats, and killdeer and the migratory spotted sandpiper (Actitis macularia) were most common. Species tended to co-occur in plots, often in large numbers, suggesting that they were tracking patchy resources within the study area.
Analysis of QTLs for Reproductive Development and Seed Quality Traits in Soybean using Recombinant Inbred Lines

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) is the most important leguminous crop in the world due to the high contents of protein and oil, and accumulation of various physiologically active substances. However, most of the genomic and economic traits in soybean are quantitative, controlled by multiple genes and easily affected by environmental conditions. Based on recombinant inbred lines (F8), a genetic linkage map with 177 RFLP, 150 SSR, 28 AFLP markers and 5 phenotypic markers was constructed. The map covered a distance of 2663.6 cM of the soybean genome comprising 20 linkage groups. The average distance between two adjacent marker loci was 7.89 cM. In this population, we detected thirty-nine QTLs for all the reproductive development and seed quality traits investigated, that is, three for flowering time (FT1–3), four for maturity (HAV1–4), three for reproductive period (RP1–3), three for seed hardness (RAS1–3), five for viability of seed (VIS1–5), four for germination rate of seed (GRS1–4), five for water absorbability of seed (WAS1–5) and twelve QTLs for seed weight (SWE1–6 and SWH1–6). Out of these QTLs, twenty-eight were detected in nearly the same regions of the linkage map by both IM (interval mapping) and CIM (composite interval mapping) analysis. The proportion of variance explained of these QTLs ranged from 3.4% to 67.1%. Epistatic interactions were detected among various QTLs. Especially there was a strong interaction among the effects of FT1 and FT2, and FT1 and FT3. Multiple correlation coefficients between FT1 and FT2, and FT1 and FT3 accounted for 79.6% and 74.1% of the phenotypic variation of flowering time, respectively.
Roles of Nutrients in Controlling Growth of Epilithon in Oligotrophic Lakes of Low Alkalinity

The ability of nutrients to control photosynthesis was compared in epilithon (the association on rock surfaces in the littoral zone) and phytoplankton of 13 low alkalinity lakes of the Experimental Lakes Area of northwestern Ontario. The study included (1) surveys of lakes varying in nutrient concentrations; (2) experimental additions to lakes of carbon and nitrogen (N), with or without phosphorus (P); and (3) experimental additions to lakes of sulfuric and nitric acids. Nutrient controls of planktonic and epilithic algal photosynthesis differed consistently. Phosphorus limited planktonic algal photosynthesis. In contrast, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) limited epilithic photosynthesis in both perturbed and unperturbed lakes because diffusive resistance kept the effective supply of DIC below the level needed for optimal growth. Epilithic photosynthesis was lowered when lake disturbances (e.g., acidification) reduced epilimnetic concentrations of DIC. Expected increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide can,.
New Cold Water Recent and Pleistocene Species of the Ostracod Genus Cytheropteron

The new species Cytheropteron arcticum and C. nodosoalatum which are considered to be Recent species characteristic of cold marine waters are diag nosed and described. The new species C. dimlingtonensis which is only known from the Pleistocene Bridlington Crag of England and from englacial material from the Aavatsmarkbreen glacier of Spitzbergen is also diagnosed and described.
Trichome Density and Antibiosis Affect Resistance of Tomato to Fruitborer and Whitefly Under Laboratory Conditions

Abstract The tomato fruitborer, Helicoverpa armigera Hub. , and the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Genn. , can not be easily controlled in tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. The insects are capable of rapidly evolving resistance to insecticides. Exploiting resistance mechanisms is a sustainable strategy to combat these pests. Resistance to these pests was identified in tomato accessions by evaluating resistance mechanisms. Among the accessions screened for whitefly resistance, ‘LE 598’ had more trichomes (72/mm2) on both leaf surfaces. Similarly, ‘LE 104’ had 53.0/mm2, and is resistant to fruitborer. Whiteflies preferred to lay more eggs on the abaxial (4.0 to 31.5/leaf) than on the adaxial leaf surface (1.0 to 24.5/leaf). Accession ‘COTLCVRH 1’ had the lowest number of eggs on the abaxial surface (4.0 eggs/leaf) and 1.0 egg/leaf on the adaxial surface. There was a linear relationship between trichome density and oviposition preference by whitefly (r = 0.91). Trichomes were most dense on ‘LE 104’ and it was preferred for oviposition with a mean of 42.0 (adaxial surface) and 45.3 (abaxial surface) eggs/leaf; a linear relationship was also observed between trichome density and oviposition preference by fruitborer (r = 0.52). When larvae were fed with water soluble plant extracts from selected tomato accessions, development was significantly reduced in accessions ‘LE 18’ and ‘LE 1223’. Larval mortality was highest with 56.7% in ‘LE 470’, while the highest pupal mortality (43.3%) was observed in ‘LE 18’. Highest larval period (22 d) was for larvae on ‘LE 1223’, while the lowest (16.7 d) was on the susceptible accession ‘LE 4’. The pupal period was also lowest on ‘LE 4’ (6.3 d). The maximum percent adult emergence (80.0%) was on the susceptible accession ‘LE 4’. The influence of trichomes and secondary metabolites in tomato accessions was correlated with the possible resistance to fruitborer and whitefly.
Enticing teacher candidates to the middle

Abstract Most teacher candidates enter education programs as elementary or secondary teachers, despite the call for uniquely prepared middle grades teachers and despite the fact that nearly one-third of teaching jobs available are in grades 5–8 schools. This article describes a middle level education course required by candidates at all licensure levels, as well as a mixed methods study conducted to assess the impact of the course on education students’ desire to teach early adolescents. Quantitative results suggested the significance of the course field placement in the candidates having had meaningful interactions with early adolescents, as well as the impact of the course on participants’ perspectives on their own middle level experiences. In qualitative results, positive themes that emerged from written rationales for teaching preference were the developmental age of the student and self-interest; the negative themes were developmental age of the student and preference for younger students. Course factors that most influenced candidates toward or away from middle level teaching were teaching advisory and exploratory lessons and participating in a field experience. Though most teacher candidates overlook the possibility of middle grades teaching, this study offers hope that participation in a thoughtfully designed middle level education course can influence candidates toward work with young adolescents.
Experimental studies on the afferent innervation of the cat's heart

T. 'p to the present time tliere lias been little agreement concerning the morpliology of the sensory terminations within the heart. ('onsequcntly only slight consideration lias been given to the routes which the axis cyliiiclers of such terminal ions follow in passing from this org:.an. Although most iieuroanatomists agree that sensory elements are present, there exist those who deny the very cxistcncc of such an innervation (Fnkutakc, '35). (Icrtainly the striking eleinent in cardiac innervation is its motor supply. Ilistorically this was the first element to lie studied. The sensory apparatus was not even considered until the latter part of the nineteenth century. Tho first suggestion of sensory endings in the heart was made by Rerkley in 1894. He found a iype of fiber in the heart which had swellings along subterminal and terminal fibers. Because of the concept then currelit that such fibers were sensory, Berkley asked whether or not the newly (liscovcred fihers could be so considerecl. Since the time of Berkley 's paper a cardiac ending which did not lie in close relation to muscle fibers, ganglia, or blood vessels, aiid \vhich rcsenibled the sciisory endings found elsewhere in the body was, therefore, thonglit to be sensory.
Ecphoric processes in episodic memory

Ecphory is a process by which retrieval information provided by a cue is correlated with the information stored in an episodic memory trace, thus providing the basis for the subjective experience of remembering and the corresponding memory performance. Particularly relevant to the study of ecphoric processes are experiments in which the material that is to be remembered is held nominally constant and in which both encoding conditions and retrieval conditions are systematically varied. The results of such experiments have imposed certain constraints on theories of retrieval and have led to the revision of several previously popular theoretical ideas. Some illustrative experimental data are described, and one version of a theoretical schema of retrieval is summarized. The schema holds that what a person remembers is a product of a synergistic interaction between the memory trace and the retrieval information, the nature and particular features of the recollective experience being determined by the properties of both the trace and the cue.
SSR-Based DNA Barcodes as a Tool for Identification of Eggplant Genotypes

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is an important crop in terms of economic and genetic significance in tropical and subtropical regions. The Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR) eggplant breeding program produced five genotypes with increased yield and excellent producer acceptance. Molecular profiles of these genotypes were developed using 39 EST-SSR primers for maximum discrimination and repeatability at 35 loci. In total there were 181 alleles with the number of alleles per locus ranging from 9.0 (EEMS 24) to 3 (EEMS 46 and EEMS 20), with a mean of 5.02 alleles per locus ranging from 85 to 300 bp. Polymorphic information content of the markers ranged from 0.343 to 0.794. Expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.560 to 0.880 and the probability of identity ranged from 0.010 to 0.376. Pair-wise comparison of microsatellite data led to development of an unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean dendrogram and DNA barcodes for easy and accurate identification of eggplant genotypes with combinations of their morphological traits. The results indicate that ‘IIHR-3’ and ‘IIHR-7’ originated from a single source and ‘Arka Anand’ is a cross between ‘IIHR-3’ and ‘SM-6-6’, indicating a good fit with genetic similarity values. The DNA barcode fingerprint can be deposited and used for clear identification of eggplant genotypes and to address intellectual property rights–related issues.
Analysis of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Height Characteristics over the Arctic Ocean Using the Aircraft and GPS Soundings

Abstract Utilizing aircraft sounding data collected from the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA, 1998) campaign, the authors evaluated commonly-used profile methods for Arctic ABL height estimation by validating against the ‘true’ ABL height from aircraft sounding profiles, where ABL height is defined as the top of the layer with significant turbulence. Furthermore, the best performing method was used to estimate ABL height from the one-year GPS soundings obtained during SHEBA (October 1997–October 1998). It was found that the temperature gradient method produces a reliable estimate of ABL height. Additionally, the authors determined optimal threshold values of temperature gradient for stable boundary layer (SBL) and convective boundary layer (CBL) to be 6.5 K/100 m and 1.0 K/100 m, respectively. The maximum ABL height during the year was 1150 m occurred in May. Median values of Arctic ABL height in May, June, July, and August were 400 m, 430 m, 180 m, and 320 m, respectively. Arctic ABL heights are clearly higher in the spring than in the summer.