Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Grape Replant on The Soil Microbial Community Structure and Diversity

ABSTRACT At present, replant obstacle has become an important problem in grape production, and it has seriously restricted the development of the grape industry. This study compared the soil from a replant vineyard and a newly planted vineyard where vine had been grown for 30 years and 3 years respectively. A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the changes of plant growth when grape was grown on root zone soil, sterilized root zone soil and fallow soil from the corresponding vineyards. The variation of the microbial population of the rhizosphere soil, non-rhizosphere soil and fallow soil from different vineyards was studied based on PCR-DGGE approach. The amplified bands of the dominant population were sequenced. The results showed that the plants growth was suppressed by vine replanting, and the plants grew significantly stronger after replant soil sterilization. The bacterial and fungal diversity increased as the period of the grape planting extended. The diversity of the microbial population in the rhizosphere soil was greater than that in non-rhizosphere soil. Cluster analysis showed that the microbial population structure of the rhizosphere soil had the closest association with non-rhizosphere soil after vine replanting and they were different from the population structure of fallow soil. However, the population structure of the rhizosphere soil was different from that of non-rhizosphere and fallow soil in the newly planted vineyard. Comparing to the newly planted vineyard, grape replanting caused a great change in the microbial population of the rhizosphere soil. The relative abundance of Flavobacterium sp. (DQ339585) and Bacillus sp. (AY039821) decreased, while Pedobacter sp. (AJ871084) increased in number. Omphalina farinolens (EF413029) appeared, the relative abundance of Pestalotiopsis sp. (DQ657877, DQ657875, DQ657871), Phacidium lacerum (DQ470976) and Lecythophora decumbens (AF353597) decreased, while that of the fungus Pilidium acerinum voucher (AY48709) increased. Among them, Bacillus sp. , Flavobacterium sp. and Pestalotiopsis sp. in the rhizosphere soil of the replant vineyard had antagonism for pathogens, and the decrease in their relative amount reduced the ability to resist pathogens. The increasing number of Pilidium acerinum voucher might relate to a serious disease after vine replanting.
Sketch-Based Facial Modeling and Animation: An approach based on mobile devices

Realistic facial animation is essential so that virtual characters can convey believable emotions to the audience. However, it is very hard to achieve since traditional modeling and animation software, although very powerful, is also extremely complex, providing to the user a series of interface elements commonly referred as WIMP (Window, Icon, Menu, Pointer). As they require significant learning time, these types of software are only accessible to experienced artists. But with the evolution of user interfaces, new approaches to the human-machine interaction model have proven to be valid alternatives to the WIMP paradigm. These alternatives, know as natural user interfaces, aim to enable users to interact with computers in the same way as they interact with the world, taking advantage of abilities such as touch, speech, handwriting and eye-gazing. This dissertation proposes the use of an hybrid sketching and dragging approach to manipulate a model’s control structure, know as rig, through the use of a multi-touch capable tablet that requires no intermediate input device other that the users’ fingers. This approach, based on a pre-existing sketching algorithm aims to take advantage and explore new possibilities offered by mobile devices to significantly ease the animation process, making it accessible to non-expert users. The proposed solution was specially oriented for Apple’s iPad and developed using Unity3D engine so it seamlessly fits in the LIFEisGAME project prototype, that inspired this work a serious game that intends to help children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to recognize and express emotions through facial expressions in an interactive and creative way.
AGILE SOFTWARE PROJECT MANAGEMENT ETHODOLOGIES - PROSPECTS OF THE GREEK IT MARKET

Software Project Management and IT Project Management in general, deals with a variety of problems and difficulties resulting in time and budget overrun. During the last decades a number of methodologies have been introduced, starting from the waterfall model up to the today’s more flexible, referred to as Agile Methods, aiming at the efficient and effective IT project management. This paper aims to describe shortly the evolutionary steps and the reasons beyond the appearance of these methods, as well to identify the preconditions and the limitations for their acceptance, intending to examine the possibilities for the adoption of the Agile Methods in the Greek IT market. Despite of the factors that influence the adoption of Agile methodologies in Greece, the extent of usage and familiarity with these methods (by presenting the results of a relevant survey conducted by the University of Macedonia), is also examined.
Photosynthetic Response and Adaptation to Temperature in Higher Plants

INTRODUCTION 492 ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC TEMPERATURE ADAPTATION 493 Photosynthetic Temperature Dependence in Thermally Contrasting Climates . 493 Photosynthetic Temperature Acclimation 497 Seasonal acclimation in natural habitats . 497 Studies in controlled environments 499 THE MECHANISTIC BASIS FOR PHOTOSYNTHETIC RESPONSE AND ADAPTATION TO TEMPERATURE 504 Reversible Temperature Respon.ses 505 Stomata! effec� o� the . temJH! rature response 0/ photo.rynthesis . 505 Interacttons with /lght mtenslty 507 C, photo.rynthesis (lM photorespiration 507 C, photo.rynthesis 515 Comparison 0/ plants from contrasting thermol regimes . 517 ["eversible Temperature Respon.ses 519 Low temperature sensitMty . 519 High temperature sensitivity 524 Adoptive responses in the heat stability 0/ the photosynthetic apparatus 530 CONCLUDING REMARKS 532
Evaluation of meat quality characteristics of importedchilled lambs in Saudi Arabia

This study was carried out to evalaute meat qaulity characteristics of imported chilled lambs in Saudi Arabia. Eighteen Longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle samples of three imported breeds (Sawakni, Pakistani and Australi) were used. Moisture and ether extract contents were significantly (P<0.05) different between the breeds. The breeds also showed significant (P<0.05) differences in yellowness (b*), water-holding capacity (WHC) and cooking loss percentage (CL). The best overall acceptability was showed by Australi breed followed by Pakistani. The superior WHC ratio was attained by Pakistani breed, while Austali breed showed the best CL%. The highest myofibril fragmentation index (MFI) value was scored by Pakistani breed followed by Australi. It is concluded that Australi breed was the best between the tested breeds followed by Pakistani and lastly Sawakni based on its superiority over the other two breeds in all sensory evaluation components.
Insect Pathogens as Biological Control Agents: Do They Have a Future?

Naturally occurring entomopathogens are important regulatory factors in insect populations. Many species are employed as biological control agents of insect pests in row and glasshouse crops, orchards, ornamentals, range, turf and lawn, stored products, and forestry and for abatement of pest and vector insects of veterinary and medical importance. The comparison of entomopathogens with conventional chemical pesticides is usually solely from the perspective of their efficacy and cost. In addition to efficacy, the advantages of use of microbial control agents are numerous. These include safety for humans and other nontarget organisms, reduction of pesticide residues in food, preservation of other natural enemies, and increased biodiversity in managed ecosystems. As with predators and parasitoids, there are three basic approaches for use of entomopathogens as microbial control agents: classical biological control, augmentation, and conservation. The use of a virus (Oryctes nonoccluded virus), a fungus (Entomophaga maimaiga), and a nematode (Deladenus siricidicola )a s innoculatively applied biological control agents for the long-term suppression of palm rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros), gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), and woodwasp (Sirex noctilio), respectively, has been successful. Most examples of microbial control involve inundative application of entomopathogens. The most widely used microbial control agent is the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. The discovery of new varieties with activity against Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera and their genetic improvement has enhanced the utility of this species. Recent developments in its molecular biology, mode of action, and resistance management are reviewed. Examples of the use, benefits, and limitations of entomopathogenic viruses, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, and protozoa as inundatively applied microbial control agents are presented. Microbial control agents can be effective and serve as alternatives to broad-spectrum chemical insecticides. However, their increased utilization will require (1) increased pathogen virulence and speed of kill; (2) improved pathogen performance under challenging environmental conditions (cool weather, dry conditions, etc.); (3) greater efficiency in their production; (4) improvements in formulation that enable ease of application, increased environmental persistence, and longer shelf life; (5) better understanding of how they will fit into integrated systems and their interaction with the environment and other integrated pest management (IPM) components; (6) greater appreciation of their environmental advantages; and (7) acceptance by growers and the general public. We envision a broader appreciation for the attributes of entomopathogens in the near to distant future and expect to see synergistic combinations of microbial control agents with other technologies. However, if future development is only market driven, there will be considerable delays in the implementation of several microbial control agents that have excellent potential for use in IPM programs.
Risk Constrained Trading Strategies for Stochastic Generation with a Single-Price Balancing Market

Trading energy from wind and other forms of stochastic generation in competitive electricity markets is challenging due to the limited predictability of these resources. This paper examines the specific case of single-price balancing markets and derives risk-constrained strategies in a probabilistic framework, going beyond the trivial zero/max solution, which would have participants offer either zero or their maximum energy production based on a prediction of whether the system will be in net up- or down-regulation. The zero/max approach is unacceptable in reality as it exposes the participant to potentially huge imbalance charges, and would violate price taker assumption for a portfolio of significant size. Here, we propose several trading strategies that control risk by hedging against penalising balancing prices in favour of rewarding ones by contracting forecast generation plus some adjustment. These strategies are formulated in a probabilistic framework to address the presence of forecast uncertainty and asymmetric costs in balancing markets. A case study using data from the Great Britain electricity market is presented and it is shown that the proposed strategies are able to simultaneously increase revenue and reduce risk using risk-constrained strategies. Furthermore, the required forecasts of electricity prices and system length are produced using standard tools and widely available explanatory information and are found to have sufficient skill to increase revenue compared to not hedging.
Corporate boards and environmental offence conviction: evidence from the United Kingdom

Purpose This paper aims to report the results of an investigation into the relationship between corporate boards and the likelihood of a firm being convicted of an environmental offence in the United Kingdom (UK). Design/methodology/approach The study uses binary logistics regression analysis to model the relationship between corporate boards and the likelihood of a firm being convicted of an environmental offence in the UK, controlling for firm size, financial leverage and profitability. Findings The results suggest that the likelihood of a firm being convicted of an environmental offence increases with board size but decreases with the presence of a woman on the board. No support is found for the authors’ hypotheses about the proportion of outside directors and the presence of a lawyer on the board. Marginal effects’ results also show that adding one member to the board increases the chance of a firm being convicted for an environmental offence by 4.2 per cent, while having a woman on the board decreases the likelihood of a firm being convicted of an environmental offence by 31.8 per cent. Research limitations/implications The sample size of 55 firms is small which could affect the generalisability of the study. Originality/value The study uses proprietary data obtained from the UK Environmental Agency to provide evidence for the first time how corporate boards affect the chances of a listed firm being convicted of an environmental offence in the UK.
Relationship between age at first start and racing performance in Polish Thoroughbreds and Arab horses.

Abstract. Genetic and phenotypic parameters for age at first start (AFS) and performance traits were estimated for Polish Thoroughbred and Arab horses using restricted maximum likelihood (REML) with an animal model. The traits representing a horse’s racing performance were log of earnings (EA) and square root of number of starts (NS). Separate analyses per first racing season and whole career were carried out. The first racing season comprised 1 759 Thoroughbreds and 1 026 Arab horses. The racing results of whole racing career were available for 1 319 Thoroughbreds and 815 Arab horses. The model accounted for fixed effects of birth year, month of birth, sex and trainer. The average of AFS of Thoroughbreds was 933.2 days for first racing season and 935.1 for whole career. The same AFS was observed at first season and whole career (about 1 199 days) in Arab horses. Heritability estimates for AFS were rather low (0.15-0.21) . All genetic correlations for Arab horses between age and performance traits varied from moderate to high (from −0.25 to −0.85). For whole career of Thoroughbreds, the genetic correlations had opposite signs compared to those observed in Arabs. Genetic correlation between AFS and EA in first racing season was very low in Thoroughbreds (−0.07), whereas high between AFS and NS (−1); the corresponding values for Arab horses were −0.25 and −0.76. The opposite signs of phenotypic and genetic correlations (0.16 vs −1 and −0.24 vs 1 in first season and whole career, respectively) between AFS and NS in Thoroughbreds were observed. Phenotypic correlations between AFS and performance traits were close to zero for whole career while were rather low and moderate (−0.22 and −0.37) for first season in Arab horses. Delay of the first start of Thoroughbreds is favourable from the point of view of future racing performance in whole career and has no effect on earnings in the first racing season. Arab horses beginning their career at a young age are start frequently and earn more money then those beginning their career later.
MEASURING THE EFFECT OF PRODUCT PLACEMENT STRATEGY ON ATTITUDINAL ASPECTS

Conventional advertisements due to its over exposure are losing their effectiveness; consequently product placement strategy is becoming a popular marketing tool. The aim of this paper is to ascertain the influence of predictors variable “product placement” on dependent variables (“brand recall, purchase intention and brand loyalty”. This study has a sample of 300 respondents who were selected via Mall intercept method. The data was evaluated through a multiple steps procedure and the overall model tested through SEM. The model was able to successfully explain who consumer’s reacts on product placement strategy. The results were consistent with the earlier literature, and all the three hypotheses failed to be rejected. This study revealed that the strongest effect of product placement was on brand loyalty. Purchase intention and brand recall also significantly affect product placements.
Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Rhizobium leguminosarum on the growth and nutrient status of Dalbergia sissoo Roxb.

Dalbergia sissoo, an important tree of tropical regions, is grown as monoculture or in agroforesty systems because of the quality of its wood and its effects on soil fertility through N2 fixation. Low soil fertility in tropical regions results in poor plant growth. This is significant in the case of forest trees, since they are generally transplanted without considering the fertility status of soil. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) (a plant-growth promoting fungus through higher nutrient uptake), Rhizobium leguminosarum strain DSP2 (a N2 fixer) and Pseudomonas fluorescens strain GRPr (a plant-growth promoting bacterium), on the growth and nutrient acquisition of Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. Mollisol and Entisol were used to compare the effects of different soils. A tetrapartite interaction of AMF, P. fluorescens strain GRPr, R. leguminosarum strain DSP2 and D. sissoo showed improved plant growth response in the Entisol compared to uninoculated plants. The interaction of AMF with DSP2 was found; however, AMF did not show the same growth responses in combination with either GRPr or DSP2 and GRPr regardless of soil type. AMF and GRPr showed decreased plant growth, suggesting that enhanced plant growth was dependent on the bacteria - AMF combination used. We suggest that, in the case of D. sissoo, choice and testing of the combination of beneficial organisms is necessary to get desired plant growth promotion.
ESTUDI DE LA SENSIBILITAT CORNEAL I ELS SEUS FACTORS CONDICIONANTS EN PACIENTS AMB PTERIGI

El pterigi es una lesio fibrovascular de caracter benigne de la conjuntiva bulbar que avanca cap al limbe esclerocorneal i envaeix la superficie de la cornia. L'objectiu d'aquest treball final de master va ser analitzar si l'existencia del pterigi causa una disminucio de la sensibilitat corneal a la zona afectada per la lesio i si aquest fet condiciona la percepcio de desconfort ocular dels pacients. Es van incloure en l'estudi 39 ulls de 39 pacients amb pterigi de l'Hospital de Terrassa-CST. Les proves cliniques realitzades en aquest estudi han consistit en un questionari d'historia clinica, un questionari de simptomatologia (Salisbury Eye Evaluation Questionnaire), l'estesiometria corneal, la medicio de l'osmolaritat lacrimal, la determinacio del temps de ruptura lacrimal (BUT), del volum de llagrima amb el test de Schirmer, l'avaluacio de les caracteristiques cliniques del pterigi i de l'estat de la superficie anterior ocular mitjancant observacio directa amb biomicroscopia i la presa d'imatges fotografiques per a la posterior medicio de les dimensions del pterigi (l'area total del pterigi, la longitud d'invasio corneal, l'area d'invasio corneal i la longitud d'invasio limbica). Els pacients mostraven una perdua de sensibilitat corneal global, una perdua de sensibilitat corneal a la zona lesionada pel pterigi significativament major que a la part no lesionada, i simptomes de desconfort ocular. Aquesta perdua de sensibilitat sembla estar lligada a les lesions que la patologia produeix en els teixits corneals, sobretot a nivel subbasal.
Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in equine: An emerging disease

Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus infection can represent a hazard for equine health, and supports the opinion that inappropriate administration of antimicrobials and hospitalization/surgery represent risk factors for MRSA colonization and infection in horses. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was first isolated in 1960. Equine MRSA infection is an important emerging zoonotic and veterinary disease. Usually colonizes in the anterior nares, skin and mucous membrane and causes infection in immunocompromised patients. MRSA is of two types: hospital associated MRSA or community associated MRSA. Considering antimicrobial therapy of animals infected with MRSA, the risk for further development of resistance in the infecting strain needs to be considered. The choice of the antimicrobial should always be based on susceptibility testing. Many equine MRSA are still susceptible to commonly used ‘routine’ antimicrobials. Diagnosis can be done by isolation, disc diffusion test, cefoxitin disk screen test, latex agglutination test, etc. For the detection of mecA (methicillin resistance) and femA (S. aureus specific) genes, a multiplex PCR performed using primers.
The Graphene MachZehnder Modulator Based on Sandwiched Structure

A Graphene Mach-Zehnder modulator based on sandwiched structure is proposed where bi-layer graphene is inserted inside the silicon waveguide to enhance the modulation ability. The calculated results show that the modulator exhibits an excellent performance in terms of small footprint and high extinction ratio. Besides, the modulation ability of the waveguide remains stable under the variations of the temperature and the wavelength of the incident light.
Properties of Market-Based and Survey Macroeconomic Forecasts for Different Data Releases

We compare the accuracy of the survey forecasts and forecasts implied by economic binary options on the U.S. non-farm payroll change. For the first-release data both the market-based and survey forecasts are biased, while they are rational and approximately equally accurate for later releases. Both forecasts are also more accurate for later releases. Because of predictability in the revision process, this indicates that the investors in the economic derivatives market are incapable of taking the measurement error in the preliminary estimates efficiently into account. This suggests that economic stability could be enhanced by more accurate first-release figures.
Functional Connection Between Yeast Dynamin and Retromer at the Endosome

Intracellular trafficking from the late endosome to Golgi in cells is termed retrograde transport, essential for recycling of important macromolecules including cell membrane receptors. Retrograde transport is regulated by a family of proteins known as the “Retromer” composed of 5 VPS proteins (Vps5, Vps17, Vps26, Vps29, and Vps35). Retromer acts as the coat proteins for vesicles emerging from late endosomes. Loss of Retromer function has been previously implicated in both Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Vps1, a yeast dynamin-like protein, plays a role in intracellular trafficking. Vps1 has been shown to localize at the endocytic sites to promote pinching off of endocytic vesicles. The goal of this study was to further investigate the relationship between the Retromer and Vps1. My data show colocalization between Vps1 and the Retromer, and that Vps1 knockout cells show a decrease in Retromer targeting to endosomes, a phenotype reminiscent of human Alzheimer’s disease. In order to evaluate the functional relationship of the Retromer and Vps1, colocalization and interaction studies, both genetic and physical, were conducted. The data suggest that various Retromer proteins interact with Vps1 on both the genetic and physical levels. I explore this possible relationship, further expanding Vps1’s role as an intracellular trafficking mediator.