Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Growth and Yield of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) as Influenced by Poultry Manure and Biochar in Two (2) Soil Depths

Background and Objective: Unproductive soil has been a major problem to farmers, recent interest in the use of a stable organic manure (biochar) as soil amendment and poultry manure to increase soil fertility is also increasing. Hence, the experiment was conducted to assess the condition of poultry manure and biochar on the growth and yield of tomato. Materials and Methods: A greenhouse experiment was conducted at the Federal College of Forestry Ibadan, using polyethylene bag with 5 kg soil collected at two (2) soils depths, 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm depth at the botanical garden, Federal College of Forestry Ibadan. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) with four replicates. The treatments used were poultry manure (5t/ha), biochar (10t/ha), mixture of poultry manure and biochar (1:1) and control (no amendment). The tomato seeds (UC82B) were sourced from NIHORT, Ibadan and raised in a germination basket. Data were collected weekly on plant height, collar diameter and number of leaves, 50% days to flowering and yield of tomato plants from two weeks after Original Research Article Musa et al.; JEAI, 42(3): 55-63, 2020; Article no.JEAI. 56115 56 transplanting (WAT). Data collected were analyzed statistically using ANOVA while means were separated using LSD (p<0.05) where applicable. Results: In 0-15 cm soil, the growth variables (plant height, number of leaves and collar diameter) increased with various treatments used. The highest tomato height was observed with the application of biochar (10t/ha). All the treatments applied affected the number of tomato leaves at all weeks after transplanting (WAT) with poultry manure 5t/ha having the highest number of leaves at 7WAT, while collar diameter was significantly affected by various treatments from 2 to 5 WAT, with the mixture of P.M + BIO (1:1) recording the highest value and the control plot recorded the least values in all weeks. However, in 15-30 cm soil, there was significant difference in the number of leaves of tomato among all the amended soil from 5 to 7 WAT, the highest tomato leaves were obtained when the soil was amended with poultry manure (5t/ha) and can be compared with other treatments. Interaction of poultry manure and biochar(1:1) and poultry manure 5 t/ha resulted in highest height of tomato plant from 3-7 WAT as compared to the control that had the least value but were not significantly different from the sole application of biochar 10t/ha. Interaction of poultry manure + biochar (1:1) and poultry manure (5t/ha) gave the highest tomato flowering and fruits. Conclusion: Based on this result, biochar and poultry manure when added to soil, boosted the mineralization of the soil after amendment.
Metabolism of oligosaccharides and aldehydes and production of organic acids in soymilk by probiotic bifidobacteria

Summary Four strains of Bifidobacterium were assessed for α-galactosidase activity in MRS broth using p-nitrophenyl-α-d-galactopyranoside as substrate. Bifidobacteria were then used to ferment soymilk prepared from soy protein isolate (SPI), with and without d-glucose and l-cysteine supplementation. Measurements of pH and the quantification of oligosaccharides, organic acids and aldehydes in soymilk were done after 0, 12, 24, 36 and 48 h of incubation. The presence of d-raffinose stimulated the α-galactosidase activity of B. longum BB536 (BB536) and B. pseudolongum 20099 (BP20099). In soymilk, oligosaccharides and aldehydes were effectively metabolized by Bifidobacterium; d-glucose and l-cysteine supplementation enhanced the hydrolysis of raffinose and stachyose. BB536 and BP20099 degraded a significantly greater level of oligosaccharides and aldehydes than B. animalis Bb-12 and B. longum 1941 (P < 0.05). Raffinose and stachyose were completely metabolized by BB536 after 48 h. In soymilk without any supplementation, hexanal and pentanal were not detected after 12 h of fermentation with BB536 and BP20099. BB536 was the highest producer of organic acids, with an average acetic acid/l(+)-lactic acid ratio of 0.7.
Afrotropical amphibians in zoos and aquariums: will they be on the ark?

The worldwide status of the amphibians is alarming and one of the most effective conservation measures will be breeding in zoos and aquariums. In this paper, the situation for Afrotropical amphibians is highlighted. According to the Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA), one-quarter of the c. 1000 described Afrotropical species is threatened with extinction, as is one-quarter of the c. 230 described Madagascan endemics alone. Habitat destruction is the most serious threat in the region, while the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis apparently plays a minor role. However, although known to be present on mainland Africa, this pathogen has not yet been recorded on Madagascar. It could therefore pose a serious threat to the Madagascan amphibian fauna in the future. The International Species Information System (ISIS) lists only about 5% of all Afrotropical amphibians maintained in zoos and aquariums, half of which are Madagascan, with a focus on Mantella frogs. Only 16 of these species are considered to be threatened under the GAA, including 11 Madagascan species. Conservation breeding is currently practiced in a single species only: the Critically Endangered Tanzanian Kihansi spray toad Nectophrynoides asperginis. Using both GAA and ISIS, the number of species identified as threatened is about 15 times higher than the number of species currently maintained in zoos and aquariums. The Madagscan situation is slightly better because one-fifth of the 55 known threatened species is maintained in zoos and aquariums. Considerably more effort must be put into conservation breeding in the Afrotropical region.
Storage of hatching eggs: The interaction between parental age and early embryonic development

1. Embryos in eggs laid by older birds were developmentally more advanced, both at oviposition and after 24 to 42 h incubation, than those in eggs from younger birds. 2. Storage of eggs caused shrinkage of the blastoderm. The amount of shrinkage tended to decrease with parental age. 3. The developmental age of embryos after 42‐h incubation increased with parental age but was reduced by storage, with embryos in eggs from middle‐aged birds (35 to 40 weeks of age) being least retarded. 4. The rate of development in fresh eggs increased with parental age. Storage reduced the rate of development equally at all flock ages. 5. The number of malformed embryos increased with storage time. After 14‐d storage there were fewer abnormalities in eggs from birds between 31 and 49 weeks of age than in younger or older birds.
Non-contact monitoring for assessing potential bridge damages

Structural monitoring of objects is primarily executed to assess external and internal effects on the object, in order to ensure the safety of people, animals, and material assets. Such monitoring can be executed through various methods, depending on the object, conditions for execution, and purpose of the monitoring. In this case, the focus is on the execution of the monitoring of Maribor footbridge, where the dynamic effects of the object are monitored. For this purpose, geophone, accelerometer, and geodetic methods—using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Robotic Total Station (RTS) equipment—are used, of which one is controlled by the additional programme GeoComZG. The emphasis of our experiment is on the application of non-contact geodetic methods, with which the measurements of dynamic response are typically performed, as they enable measurements up to 30 and 100 Hz with RTS and GNSS, respectively. In this article, the application of various procedures of non-contact data capture on the footbridge are detailed and a comparison and analysis of the obtained values for monitoring the dynamic response of the structure are presented.
Optimising Soft Fin Ray Robotic Fingers using Finite Element Analysis to Reduce Object Slippage

This research aims to optimise soft fin ray robotic fingers by finding relationships between design parameters and the performance of the fingers using simulation and eventually experimental validation. The design parameters that were chosen to optimise were the rib angle increments of the fingers. This was done by simulating an object being displaced in the xdirection moving into the finger to simulate gripping, then being displaced in the y-direction out of the gripper to simulate slipping. To measure the gripping performance of the fingers, the deformation of the fingertip, as well as force reaction of the finger were recorded. This paper includes initial results from the conducted simulations. Keywords— soft robotics, optimisation, simulation, FEA
Drivers of adoption of small-scale irrigation in Mali and its impacts on nutrition across sex of irrigators

Irrigation is an important strategy to increase agricultural productivity, improve nutrition security and reduce climate-related risks in rural Africa, but adoption of this technology has been low. Using data from the Living Standards Measurement Study, this paper analyzes the characteristics of irrigation in Mali and its impact on nutrition across sex of irrigators. Results show that gravity irrigation is the most common technology and is practiced by 47 percent of irrigators. The share of women irrigators (3 percent of all plots) is significantly lower than that of men. Econometric results show that the proximity of crop fields to the homestead increases the propensity to use motor pumps while more remote plots are more likely to rely on gravity irrigation. Literacy and income from nonfarm activities increase the propensity to use motorized irrigation technologies. Access to motor pumps, in turn, increases consumption of fruits and vegetables, oils, spices, and cereals for female-headed households. Overall, irrigation increases consumption of nutrient-rich food groups, which significantly improves household nutrition in addition to increasing income. Participation in farmer groups increases the propensity to adopt irrigation. Farmer groups might also be an entry point for capacity building on irrigation; and groups to which women farmers belong should receive information on irrigation. Farmer groups also tend to support market participation, which is important to help address the challenge of economies of scale of small-scale irrigators.
A DYNAMIC MODEL OF RELATIONSHIPS AMONG ECOLOGY, CULTURE AND BEHAVIOR *

Over the past few years a model of ecological, cultural and behavioral relationships has been proposed and e l a b ~ r a t e d . ~ $ ~ $ ~ This model has been operationalized and evaluated by employing data from a series of field s t ~ d i e s , ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ and by general reviews of the l i t e r a t ~ r e . ~ > ~ ~ With substantial empirical material now available, it is possible to pursue an integrated evaluation of the model across the seventeen field samples collected during this period. This paper will briefly outline the sets of variables indicated in the title, present a short overview of the structure and content of the model, provide some details about the sources and methods of data collection, and then concentrate upon the relationships that emerge when the data and the model are brought together. Despite the grandiose title, it will become apparent during the presentation that the model is a research model and not a general one, and that each of the three levels of variables are defined rather narrowly. However, it is possible that the model may have some general applicability beyond the cultural or psychological confines of this program of research.
Development of a simple-identification method for actinomycetes based on partial 16S rDNA sequences as exemplified by a comparative study of Malaysian and Japanese actinomycetes

Traditionally, identification of bacteria, including actinomycetes, has been very time consuming and laborious, except for some pathogenic species for which simple identification methods have been established. With most animals and plants, real-time identification of many individuals is possible with the naked eye or opticalmicroscopic observation. For bacterial identification, incubation prior to morphological observation and various tests for phenotypic characteristics are needed. These difficulties have affected both basic and applied research on bacteria. Bacteria have few morphological characteristics that can be used to estimate phylogenetic relationships. Molecular phylogenetic methods were applied to bacterial taxonomy earlier than for other organisms (Olsen et al., 1994; Larsen et al., 1993). Nucleotide sequences for the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene have been published for almost all actinomycete species, and reference to these sequences allows for easy identification of a wild strain. However, DNA sequencing and analysis involves many steps, requires expensive equipment and chemical reagents, and is particularly difficult when many strains are to be analyzed. Fortunately, advances in DNA sequencing technology and high-through-put analytic methods are achieved every year. Furthermore, the potential for ‘DNA barcoding’ of animals and plants has gained in popularity in recent years (Ratnasingham & Hebert, 2007). Thus, methods based on DNA sequencing have the potential to be the most generally applicable for identification of not only bacteria but also plants, animals, and other taxa in the near future. In natural product-based drug discovery programs, the chemical diversity and novelty of the screening sources are important. Expanding the taxonomic diversity of isolates might lead to expansion of the chemical diversity. The utility of tropical actinomycetes is expected, but presently there are too few data (Wang et al., 1999). With regard to basic research on actinomycetes, few distributional studies, which should form the foundation of ecological investigations, have been undertaken. One of the most important reasons for this is the nature of the bacterial identification method described above. The use of molecular phylogenetic data is the most promising solution to this problem and, in particular the simplification and cost-minimisation of procedures are aimed for.
Progress in Auxetic Mechanical Metamaterials: Structures, Characteristics, Manufacturing Methods, and Applications

Auxetic mechanical metamaterials (AMMs), as an exciting paradigm of metamaterials, have attracted increasing attention due to their interesting mechanical properties (e.g. negative Poisson's ratio), as well as the emergence of advanced manufacturing technology (e.g. 3D printing). Although various reviews on AMMs, their structures, properties, and applications, have existed, it still lacks a comprehensive review in terms of manufacturing methods. Herein, the latest progress in AMMs is extensively reviewed, including AMMs’ structures, characteristics, manufacturing methods, and applications. In addition, the current challenges and future works of AMMs are concluded and discussed. This Review aims to serve as a collection of knowledge that supplies more comprehensive understanding and inspiration to support further developments of AMMs from the perspective of design and manufacturing.
Oxidation of Inorganic Sulfur Compounds in Acidophilic Prokaryotes

The oxidation of reduced inorganic sulfur compounds to sulfuric acid is of great importance for biohydrometallurgical technologies as well as the formation of acidic (below pH 3) and often heavy metal‐contaminated environments. The use of elemental sulfur as an electron donor is the predominant energy‐yielding process in acidic natural sulfur‐rich biotopes but also at mining sites containing sulfidic ores. Contrary to its significant role in the global sulfur cycle and its biotechnological importance, the microbial fundamentals of acidophilic sulfur oxidation are only incompletely understood. Besides giving an overview of sulfur‐oxidizing acidophiles, this review describes the so far known enzymatic reactions related to elemental sulfur oxidation in acidophilic bacteria and archaea. Although generally similar reactions are employed in both prokaryotic groups, the stoichiometry of the key enzymes is different. Bacteria oxidize elemental sulfur by a sulfur dioxygenase to sulfite whereas in archaea, a sulfur oxygenase reductase is used forming equal amounts of sulfide and sulfite. In both cases, the activation mechanism of elemental sulfur is not known but highly reactive linear sulfur forms are assumed to be the actual substrate. Inhibition as well as promotion of these biochemical steps is highly relevant in bioleaching operations. An efficient oxidation can prevent the formation of passivating sulfur layers. In other cases, a specific inhibition of sulfur biooxidation may be beneficial for reducing cooling and neutralization costs. In conclusion, the demand for a better knowledge of the biochemistry of sulfur‐oxidizing acidophiles is underlined.
Intraguild predation among biological-control agents: theory and evidence

Abstract Theoretical and empirical evidence developed in four subdisciplines of biological control (biocontrol of plant pathogens, weeds, nematodes, and arthropods) is brought to bear upon a shared question: the significance of intraguild predation. Intraguild predation ("IGP") occurs when two species that share a host or prey (and therefore may compete) also engage in a trophic inter-action with each other (parasitism or predation). We describe the prevalence of IGP and its role in the population dynamics of biological-control agents and target pests. IGP is a widespread interaction within many, but not all, communities of biological-control agents. IGP appears to be pervasive among communities of control agents associated with nematode or arthropod pests. Common forms of IGP include pathogens that infect both herbivores and parasitoids of the herbivore; facultative hyperparasitoids, which can parasitize either an herbivore or a primary parasitoid of the herbivore; predators that attack herbivores that harbor a developing parasitoid; and predators that attach each other. In contrast, IGP appears to be relatively uncommon among biological-control agents of plant pathogens because trophic interactions are less important than competition or antibiosis. Likewise, biological-control agents of weeds interact primarily through competition alone because host ranges are mostly restricted to plant taxa. Empirically based simulation models and general analytical models of interactions involving arthropod pathogens or facultative hyperparasitoids yield variable and often conflicting predictions for the influence of IGP on the success of biological control. Models for predator-predator interactions, however, consistently predict that IGP disrupts biological control. All the field-documented cases of IGP leading to disruption of biological control stem from studies of predators, including mites, insects, and predatory fishes. IGP between two predators or between a predator anti an adult parasitoid does not require mortality of the shared prey/host (i.e., the target pest); thus, IGP can be intense, resulting in high levels of mortality for one or both of the natural enemies, while the total mortality imposed on the target pest population is minimal. For this reason, we hypothesize that IGP by predators is particularly likely to influence the efficacy of biological control. Our ability to develop successful programs of biological control will be enhanced by field studies that address the complexity of trophic interactions occurring in agroecosystems. There is a critical need for additional manipulative experiments conducted in the field that test not only population ecology theory for two-species interactions, but also community ecology theory for multispecies interactions.
Proximate analysis and physico-chemical properties of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.).

Proximate, physico-chemical and elemental analysis of groundnut were determined. The results showed that the groundnut oil contained 47.00% fat, 38.61% protein, 5.80% moisture, 1.81% carbohydrate, 3.70% crude fibre and 3.08% ash. Minerals (mg/100g) included: Na (42.00±0.71), K (705.11±0.86), Mg (3.98±0.04), Ca (2.28±1.94), Fe (6.97±1.62), Zn (3.20±0.11), P (10.55±0.68). The physico-chemical characteristics showed; saponification value, 193.20mgKOH/g, iodine value 38.71 (g/100g), acid value 5.99 (mgKOH/g), free fatty acid (mgKOH/g) 3.01 peroxide value 1.50 (meq/kg) and refractive index 1.449. The predominant fatty acid was found to be oleic acid (41.11%). The groundnut can thus be considered as a good source of protein with high nutritional value.
Quantifying the Effect of Real Estate News on Chinese Stock Movements

ABSTRACT Both traditional finance and modern behavioral finance consider that the volatility of the stock market comes from the release, dissemination and absorption of information from different views. With the rapid growth of Chinese housing prices and the public’s attention to the issue, listed firms related to Chinese real estate have come to represent one of the most important sectors in Chinese stock markets. In this study, we quantify news articles using natural language processing techniques and investigate the impact of regulatory policies and firm-specific news on real estate stocks in this active market covered by a large amount of information. Our three main findings are as follows: (1) the simple and effective quantitative measure of news emotion can be used to study the media-aware stock movements in the real estate sector of the Chinese stock market; (2) policy news leaks ahead of time, which leads to abnormal fluctuations in the stock market 14 days before the release of information, while the stock market fluctuates only slightly and briefly after the news release; and (3) news pessimism indicates downward pressure on market prices, and optimism tends to increase market prices. News-sensitive stocks perform better than other stocks, with a Sharpe ratio higher than 0.2.
Effectiveness of buffer zone support programs in mitigating illegal logging by rural people: A case of Gunung Palung National Park in West Kalimantan, Indonesia

Illegal logging has threatened the precious biodiversity of Gunung Palung National Park in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. This study focused on the effectiveness of buffer zone support programs to mitigate illegal logging activities inside the national park. Decentralization policy changed the buffer zone management body from the central government to a complicated one involving various local stakeholders, but there was no change in the stereotype, typically scattering of seedlings. The result of a sample settlement that can be categorized to wet rice farming revealed that the people utilized the adjacent environment on a sustainable basis, but at the same time engaged in destructive activities in distant places. The factor that might drive them to commercial logging was the existence of surplus male labor force, not necessarily rural poverty as suggested in previous studies. It is recommended that buffer zone support programs should pay more attention to differentiation inside rural societies and focus on creation of working opportunities for the younger generation suffering from unemployment. K e y w o r d s : I n d o n e s i a , G u n u n g P a l u n g National Park, buf fer zone, illegal logging, and decentralization