bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Production of Amylase Enzyme from Bacillus cereus Bacteria Isolated from Some Cooked Foods and Identification of Factors Influencing the Production of the Enzyme
Authors: Salam Khattab Khattab Abdul , Al-Nazzal Ahmed Ismael
Published: July 2024

(15) sample of cooked food (cooked rice) were Collected From different places and conditions in order to isolate the bacteria produced by the amylase enzyme, the samples were cultured after dilution on a medium (Nutrent agar – mannitol salt agar – starch agar – starch broth – mannitol egg yolk polymayxin agar) Agricultural tests were then conducted (shape, size, color and edge of the colonies) Microscopic tests (response to Gram stain) and biochemical tests (catalysts - oxides - indoles - red-like – voges-proskauer - jackets - Uris test – Kilger iron agar) all isolates were diagnosed in the diagnostic system VITEK2 where the results of isolation and certified diagnosis showed that (6) isolates belonging to the genes of Bacillus cereus, These isolators underwent primary and secondary sifting processes to obtain efficient isolation in the production of the amylase enzyme, Where the most efficient isolators have been obtained which has given the enzymatic effectiveness of the raw enzyme 9.65 units/ml and the quality effectiveness of 1.12 units/mg and the concentration of the protein 8.564 mg/ml.
Effect of Adding Fennel and Fenugreek Seeds to Diets of Local Female Goats on some Productive Traits
Authors: Katab Al-Shammari Haider Raad , Mohammed Afraah Mustafa , Hassan Mohammed Jasem
Published: July 2024

The study aims to determine the effect of adding fennel and fenugreek seeds to the diets of local female goats on some productive traits for the period from 12/10/2022 to 3/30/2023. Were used 24 local goats, their ages ranged between 2-3 years with an average weight of (49.8 ± 50.1) kg. The animals were randomly distributed among four treatments. The first treatment (T1) served as the control group and was fed a concentrated diet. The second treatment (T2) received a concentrated diet supplemented with Fenugreek seeds at a concentration of 12g/kg of concentrated feed. The third treatment (T3) was fed a concentrated diet supplemented with fennel seeds at a concentration of 12g/kg of concentrated feed. The fourth treatment (T4) received a concentrated diet supplemented with 6g/kg of Fenugreek seeds and 6g/kg of fennel seeds in the concentrated feed. The results showed that there was no significant improvement (0.05≤P) in the rate of feed consumption for the experimental treatments compared with the control treatment. While the animals of the second treatment recorded a significant increase in milk production from the beginning of production until day 77 of production, while the third treatment witnessed a significant decrease (0.05≥P) in the rate of milk production throughout the production period. Also, the results did not show a significant change (0.05≤P). P) in milk components (fat, protein, lactose, non-fat solids) for all experimental treatments. Also, adding fennel seeds and fenugreek to the diets of female local goats led to a significant decrease (P≤0.05) in the birth weight of male newborns of animals in the third treatment. As for female newborns, no significant differences (P≤0.05) in birth weight were recorded, but a significant decrease (P≤0.05) in the rate of weight gain was recorded during the subsequent periods of the experiment.
Effect of Addition Aqueous Extract of Camel Thorn (Alhagi maurorum) Plant Roots and Some of Immune Enhancers with Drinking Water on Productive Performance of Broilers
Authors: Mahde Martaza Hader , Hammod Ali J.
Published: July 2024

The present study was carried out in a chicken farm owned by the Animal Production Department of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Kufa. Utilizing a cohort of 300 broiler chicks (Ross 308) at the age of one day. The chicks were of undetermined sex and had an average starting weight of 37 grams. They were raised in a semi-enclosed home divided into pens of 3 square meters each. The chicks were randomly allocated to five treatments, with three replicates each treatment. Each treatment consisted of 60 chicks, with 20 chicks per replication, for a period of 35 days. The therapies were categorized as follows: Treatment 1 (T1) refers to the control group where no additional substances are added. Treatment 2 (T2) involves adding Immuno-Care to the drinking water at a concentration of 0.4 ml per litre. Treatment 3 (T3) involves adding Immunity-Stim to the drinking water at a concentration of 1 ml per litre. T4: Incorporate a 5 ml/1 litre solution of the aqueous extract derived from the roots of the camel thorn plant into the drinking water. T5: Introduce a 10 ml/1 litre solution of the aqueous extract obtained from the roots of the camel thorn plant into the water. The young birds were provided with a beginning diet from 1 to 10 days old, a grower diet from 11 to 24 days old, and a finisher diet from 25 to 35 days old. The data pertaining to the examined features were evaluated utilizing a totally randomized design. The significance of the disparities between the treatments was assessed by doing the Duncan test at a probability threshold of 0.05. The SAS statistical program was employed for the purpose of conducting the statistical analysis. The key findings were as follows: There were no notable disparities seen in the ultimate live body weight, cumulative weight growth, dressing %, or economic figure. The final feed conversion ratio showed substantial improvement when the aqueous extract of camel thorn plant roots was added at a concentration of 10 ml per liter of drinking water.
Effect of Adding Fruit Powder (Brassica oleracea) to the Diet of Ross 308 Broiler Breeder Males on some Testicular Tissue Traits
Authors: Nasser Al-Zalzal Aqeel Hajim , Ali Emad Abdul-Jabbar
Published: July 2024

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of adding different levels of kohlrabi powder (Brassica oleracea var. caulorapa. L) to the diet of Ross 308 broiler breeder males on some testicular tissue characteristics. Twenty-five roosters at the age of 45 weeks were divided into five treatments, with five replicates per treatment and one rooster per replicate. Every rooster experienced the same lighting, temperature, and feeding regime. Kohlrabi powder was added to the roosters’ at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 0 mg100 g−1 feed; coded as T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5 respectively. Next, the impact of these treatments on testicular tissue features and body weight was investigated. In comparison to the control group, the results demonstrated a statistically significant (P<0.05) advantage of all treatments in Antioxidant levels. Increases in body weight, certain testicular tissue properties, volumetric density, and the relative weight of interstitial tissue and testicular seminiferous tubule components (%) as a results of study treatments. This study concluded that certain of the active ingredients in kohlrabi powder can enhance some properties of testicular tissue. It caused roosters to become more prolific as they reached an advanced age.
Effect of Pyridoxine in Ovo Injection in Broiler Hatching Eggs on Some Physiological Parameters
Authors: Alewi Husam H. , Alabdali Mohammed H. , Abdul Azzez Mohammed M.
Published: July 2024

In ovo nutrition is crucial to maximizing earnings in the production of commercial poultry, that procedure has attracted scientific interest. A total of 180 broiler fertile eggs were used to determine the impact of pyridoxine (B6) in ovo administration on hatchability and some biological blood parameters as well as the hatching chicks’ body weight. On the 12th day of incubation, eggs were assigned to three groups (three replicates in each): no treated group, treatment group (T1) vitamin B6 was in ovo injected in a dose of 0.1 ml/egg; and treatment group (T2) received 0.2 ml/egg from the vitamin. The results indicated a significant (P<0.05) improvement in the percentage of hatching chicks in the T2 group (88%) compared to other groups. Hatched chicks that received pyridoxine were meaningfully (P<0.05) have higher body weight than the control group. Regarding the blood parameters, results recorded an improvement (P<0.05) in the total blood proteins levels, that increased from (2.300 gm/dl) in the control group to (2.833 gm/dl) and (2.766 gm/dl) in T1 and T2 groups respectively. Blood glucose level was significantly (P<0.05) decreased in the T2 group, with no significant changes detected between the T1 and control group. Improvement was also detected in the PCV% noticeably (P<0.05), to upsurge from (27.8%) in control to (29.2%) in T1 and (31.1%) in T2. However, results noticed that in ovo injection with pyridoxine did not affect blood cholesterol levels. Ultimately, in ovo pyridoxine injection in the broiler fertile eggs improved hatchability, body weight, and some blood parameters.
Effect of Urea-Treated and Untreated Wheat Straw with or Without Fibrolytic Enzyme Addition on Nutrient Digestibility and Rumen Fermentation of Awassi Lambs
Authors: Abdulameer Alghazli Noor Najm , Majeed Al-Wazeer Anmar Abdulghani
Published: July 2024

A digestibility trail was conducted on 16 Awassi lambs at the ruminant farm belonging to the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq, to study the effect of untreated and urea-treated wheat straw with or without fibrolytic enzyme (Safaziyme®, enzymes cocktail contained: β-glucanase, xylanase and cellulase) supplementation on the nutrient digestibility and rumen fermentation of Awassi lambs. Animals were distributed randomly into four groups (4 lambs each) and the groups included: T1: Concentrated diet + untreated wheat straw (control); T2: Concentrate diet + wheat straw treated with 3% urea solution; T3: Concentrated diet supplemented with fibrolytic enzymes (2g/lamb/day) + untreated wheat straw; T4: Concentrated diet supplemented with fibrolytic enzymes (2g/lamb/day) + wheat straw treated with 3% urea solution. Lambs individually fed concentrate diet at 3% of live body weight while wheat straw treated with urea or untreated was offered ad libitum. Results revealed that dry matter digestibility and other nutrient digestibility were not affected significantly by experimental diets except crude fiber digestibility, it was superior (P≤0.05) when lambs fed urea treated wheat straw +fibrolytic enzymes supplementation (T4) followed by lambs fed urea treated straw (T2) as compared with lambs fed control (T1). Results revealed that ruminal pH and concentration of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) were not significantly affected by experimental diets. Total volatile fatty acids concentration was significantly higher (P≤0.05) in lambs of the T4 group followed by the T2 group. In conclusion, the combination of urea treated wheat straw + supplemented with fibrolytic enzymes enhance nutrient digestibility and rumen fermentation in Awassi male lambs.
The Impact of Natural Zeolite (Clinoptilolite) in Water on The Blood Parameters of Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) In a Recirculation Aquaculture System
Authors: Farhan Mohammed Hamed , Naser Ahmed Salahudeen
Published: July 2024

The aim of conducting this study was to evaluate the use of added natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) in common carp fingerling (Cyprinus Carpio L.) breeding ponds and to demonstrate its effect on blood characteristics, This study was conducted in the fish laboratory of the Department of Animal Production - College of Agriculture - Anbar University – Iraq, For 12 weeks with an initial weight of the fish reaching (25 ± 1) gram, The study included 7 treatments, each treatment was divided into 3 replicates, in each replicate (10 fish), the first treatment (control treatment), Zeolite was added to the rest of the treatments in two ways, the first way was (add inside the filter) in proportions (5, 10, 15) g/L for the second, third, and fourth treatments, respectively, In the second way, add zeolite (inside the rearing ponds with plastic mesh bags) in proportions (5, 10, 15) g/L for the fifth, sixth, and seventh treatments, respectively, The results of the study showed a significant increase for treatments T2 On the rest of the experimental parameters in In the values of both (RBC), (MCHC) It also recorded the highest value for (PCV),(Hb) Compared to the rest of the transactions Including transaction control.
The Effect of Humic Acid and Urea on the Activity of the Urease Enzyme in Soil Planted with Daughter Potatoes
Authors: Al-Khalidi Radphan J. H. , Al-Taweel Luma S.
Published: July 2024

An experiment was conducted using a randomized block design (CRBD) that is common in factorial studies. Twenty treatments (including the control group) were used in the experiment, with three replicates. One level (4 ml kg−1 soil) of plant extracts (P1, P2, P3, and P4) were added as the initial component. These extracts were garlic cloves, pomegranate pulp and peels, eucalyptus, and myrtle, respectively. As for the second component, we have U1 and U2, which stand for 50 and 100 kg N ha−1 of urea fertilizer, respectively. The third component is humic acid, denoted by the symbol (H), added at a concentration of 80 kg ha−1; the experimental outcomes were: The urease enzyme’s effectiveness was greatly affected by the fertilizers that were added. For example, humic acid (H) had 66.35 and 61.30 µg N-NH4+g−1 soil 2h−1 of effectiveness in the two stages, respectively, while the comparison treatment (C) had the lowest effectiveness at 58.38 and 53.26. In the flowering and full maturity stages, the treatment (2U) had the highest average urease enzyme activity, reaching (85.60 and 78.48) µg N-NH4
+g−1 soil2h−1, respectively. In comparison, the comparison treatment (C) had the lowest effectiveness, at (58.38 and 53.26) µg N-NH4
+g−1 soil 2h, respectively. In comparison to the comparison treatment (C), which had the lowest effectiveness at (58.38 and 53.26) µg N-NH4
+g−1 soil2h for the flowering and full maturity stages, respectively, the combination (P3U1) substantially improved the urease enzyme’s performance, with values of 65.31 and 59.02 µg N-NH4
+g−1 soil 2h for the two stages.
The Role of Biochar in Phosphorus Concentration in Potato Plants and Phosphorus Availability
Authors: Mohammed Dheauldeen A. , Sarheed Bassam R.
Published: July 2024

The first of the two trials was a controlled laboratory trial of making plant biochar using rice straw, maize cobs, and cane refuse (B1, B2, and B3). Our goal was to enhance their phosphorus content by applying three different concentrations of the superphosphate fertiliser TSP (21% P) at 50%, 75%, and 100% of the phosphorus indicated for potato varieties F1, F2, and F3, respectively. Agricultural Research Station No. (1), University of Anbar - College of Agriculture, Anbar province - Al-Ramadi district - Al-Bu Atha region, longitude E43.32.65 and latitude N33.45.37, was the site of the second experiment, which tested the study factors in a field experiment that took place in the autumn of 2022. To test the effects of three kinds of phosphorus-enriched plant biochar, each with varying concentrations of the fertiliser, on a sandy clay loam soil that was irrigated drip-wise, we grew the Burren potato variety. In a randomised complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates, they were utilised as slow-release fertilisers to assess phosphorus availability and the residual influence of phosphorus in the soil. Compared to the control group that did not receive biochar, those plants treated with biochar that were loaded with phosphorus performed far better. For every characteristic that was measured—leaf phosphorus concentration, leaf phosphorus absorption, tuber phosphorus concentration, and residual soil phosphorus impact—the treatment with cane waste residue biochar (B3) yielded the best results. When mineral phosphorus was applied at a rate of 50% of the prescribed phosphorus fertiliser, the findings showed a considerable improvement in phosphorus concentration in the tubers, phosphorus absorption in the leaves, and phosphorus concentration in the leaves overall. However, the treatment that included adding mineral phosphorus at the prescribed rate of 100% yielded the best results in terms of the long-term effects of phosphorus on the soil.
Study of Salt Phases and Groundwater Chemically in some Iraqi Soils
Authors: Makttoof Elaf Ali , Nafawa Shatha Majied
Published: July 2024

The current study includes an assessment of shura soil and groundwater salinity in central and southern Iraq. Through research, it has been revealed that the study area is experiencing severe salinization in various environments. The reason behind this is attributed to the high temperatures, increased evaporation rates, and low surface slope. Additionally, the rise in groundwater levels has led to secondary salinization when water withdraws during dry conditions, resulting in salt accumulation in the soil profile, especially in surface horizons due to water evaporation. The results indicated a significant impact of some chemical properties of soil and groundwater, including ESP, SAR, MCAR, P.S, Na, CROSS, and the quantity of soluble salts. It is also considered a crucial indicator of soil salinity in the study area, either directly through its high statistically significant relationship with measured salinity or indirectly through its impact on increasing the SAR ratio in the soil. Chloride salts are identified as the primary cause of elevated soil salinity. When selecting the relationship between ESP and SAR in the soil.
The Effect of Adding Bio and Organic Fertilizer under Two Levels of Water Stress on the Readiness of NPK Nutrients in the Plant and the Growth Yield of the Sorghum Plant
Authors: Kareem Safa S. , Hamed Bassam Aladdin
Published: July 2024

In the spring season of 2023, a field experiment was carried out in a private field located in the al-Dura/Hor Rajab area. The purpose of the experiment was to evaluate the effects of various levels of bio-fertilizer(mycorrhiza and azospirillium bacteria) and the addition of organic fertilizer AgriM40 on the growth and yield of sorghum in saline soil. The experiment also examined the influence of two levels of water stress on the sorghum plants. The soil used in the experiment was a saline soil. The experimental design for the study site was the Split Split-Block arrangement with a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The study involved three factors: the primary factor was irrigation breaks, with two levels 5 and 10 days, the secondary factor was a bio-fertilizer consisting of a mixture of mycorrhiza fungus and azospirillium bacteria, with two levels without addition. The sub-secondary factor was organic fertilizer (Agri M40) with three levels (20, 40, and 80L ha−1). The findings indicated that the use of biofertilizer treatment (B1) yielded more favorable outcomes across many assessed parameters, including the concentration of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in the plant. Additionally, the biological yield values were recorded as 2.387, 0.505, 1.524%, and 491.58 Mg h−1, Significant differences were observed in most measurements when comparing biofertilizer and irrigation separator, The treatment involving compost and irrigation separator I5B1 demonstrated superiority in most traits, with values of 2.563, 0.549%, and 522.26 Mg h−1. Also, the results of the I5C3 treatment between the biofertilizer and the irrigation separator showed superiority in most measurements. The I5B1C3 triple interference treatment showed superiority in biological yield, which amounted to 562.53 Mg h−1.
Evaluating and Maps of Chemical Weathering Indices for Gypsiferous Soils Using Geospatial Techniques
Authors: Khalaf Ayad Abdullah , Obiad Mijbil M. , Hayyood Ezzulddin M. A.
Published: July 2024

The study aims to evaluate the status of chemical weathering of gypsiferous soils in Baiji District, Salahaldeen Governorate, Iraq, using geospatial techniques. The total area of the study is 85.24 km2. Seven soil pedons (P) were selected, and their morphology was described according to the American Soil Survey Staff principles. Soil samples were obtained from the horizons, and 56 soil samples were obtained from the surface layer 0-20 cm. The total oxides content were estimated using Spectro X-LAB 2000 XRF. Chemical weathering indices CIA, WIP, CWI, PIA, STI, MWPI, CPI, CVI, MIA (0) were calculated. The geospatial maps were prepared using the kriging interpolation model, and calculating of the strength of spatial dependence using the GS+program. Spatial distribution maps were prepared using the IDW spatial derivation technique using the ArcGIS Ver program 10.3. The results revealed spatial variation in the distribution of oxide content and chemical weathering indicators vertically and horizontally, generally, the weathering processes are relatively weak. We note from the descriptive statistics results that the chemical indicators’ values were relatively homogeneous, with the coefficient of variation (CV%) values being less than 23.56%. The spatial reliability values ranged between moderate and strong for most of the chemical indicators, and the least effective distance was for the MWPI index, which amounted to 292m.
Effect of Different Levels of Biochar on the Distribution of the Chemical Fraction of Lead in Two Soils
Authors: Abd Ali Hawraa Hussein , Al-Robai Hazim Aziz
Published: July 2024

Soil contamination with heavy metals threatens the quality of agricultural products and human health, where lead is considered one of the most dangerous heavy elements causing damage to microorganisms in the soil and the chemical properties of the soil. The current study investigated the effectiveness of using biochar average (0.0, 7.5, 15.0 and 30.0 g Kg−1) in two types of soil (clayey and sandy soil) contaminated with different concentrations of lead in the form of nitrate (75, 150, and 300 mg Kg−1. After that, chemical fractionation of the element lead (available, bound to carbonates, the residual) was performed in the two types of studied soil. The results showed that biochar had a significant effect on the distribution of lead in the soil samples, and the chemical fraction were taken in descending order of the fraction bound. Bound to carbonate > available > the residual. A larger surface area and negative charge content also make the biochar’s small pores more effective in absorbing heavy elements, allowing it to reduce the toxicity of lead in contaminated soil and make its environment more suitable for the life of microorganisms while improving some of the chemical properties of the soil.
The Impact of Clay Content and Potassium Levels on Several Growth Markers of Wheat
Authors: Abdalkadhum Kifah Abdalhusain , Oleiwi Mohammed Sallal , Obaid Al-Obaidi Basim Shakir
Published: July 2024

An experiment was undertaken to investigate the impact of clay content and potassium levels on the growth characteristics of wheat plants. The experiment consisted of three degrees of clay content, namely low, medium, and high, represented by the symbols C1, C2, and C3 respectively. The experiment used four different quantities of potassium fertilizer (0, 75, 150, 300 kg. K−1). The experiment used two factors (K0, K1, K2, K3) and was conducted with three repetitions, resulting in a total of 36 experimental units. The experiment was carried out using a randomized complete block design (RCBD). Upon reaching maturity, the plant’s height, number of tillers, leaf area, and chlorophyll index were recorded. The findings demonstrated that the presence of a high clay content had a notable impact on the augmentation of plant height, chlorophyll index, flag leaf area, and number of tillers. The potassium had a K3 level of effect. The most significant growth indicators were seen in the measurements of plant height, chlorophyll index, leaf area, and number of tillers. In addition, the combination of bi-interaction with high clay content and full potassium level resulted in a substantial improvement in all of the mentioned growth indicators for the C3K3 treatment. There were no significant differences seen between the C3K3 treatment and the C3K3 treatment for some features.
Effect of Moisture Depletion and Transpiration Inhibitors on Growth Indicators and Yield of Potatoes Under Drip Irrigation System
Authors: Jawar Fatima Abdel-Reza , Rahman Al-Saadoun Jamal Nasser Abdel , Mansour Al-Maliki Riyadh Jabbar
Published: July 2024

The study was carried out during the agricultural season 2021-2022 in the field of the College of Agriculture / University of Wasit for the purpose of studying irrigation scheduling and water consumption for potato plants depending on moisture depletion rates and the addition of transpiration inhibitors to the cultivated plant. The experiment was carried out within the split plot design with a factorial experiment according to the RCBD design, the first factor is moisture depletion and it has three levels: moisture depletion level 30% of available water A1, moisture depletion level 40% of available water A2, and moisture depletion level 50% of the available water is A3, and the second factor is transpiration inhibitors, which are three levels: Armorocs inhibitor, symbolized by B1, and licorice inhibitor, symbolized by B2, without adding B0, as these inhibitors were added by spraying on the leaves. Armorocs inhibitor (B1) was added at a concentration of 1 ml / liter of water per experimental unit to the treatments for this inhibitor, while licorice (B2) was added at a concentration of 1 ml / liter of water per experimental unit to the treatments of this inhibitor. As for the comparison treatment (without adding licorice or Armorocs), the experimental units were left without addition. A surface drip irrigation system with drippers of type (GR) was adopted in the irrigation process. Irrigation was scheduled for the growing season in light of the moisture depletion rates mentioned above, and a comparison was made between the averages of the treatments using the least significant difference L.S.D at a significant level of 5%. The results can be summarized as follows: 1. The level of depletion of 30% of the available water achieved the best values for the growth indicators of the Crop, namely, leaf area, Plant height and the total dry weight of the plant, it reached 4863 cm2 Plant−1, 74.68 cm and 4.917 Kg. experimental unit−1. 2. Licorice inhibitor was superior in Crop growth indicators represented by leaf area and the total dry weight of the plant, it amounted to 4695 cm2 plant−1, 4.757 Kg. experimental unit−1, respectively while Armorocs inhibitor was superior in plant height, as the value was75.95 cm. 3. The interaction between depletion of 30% of available water and licorice inhibitor gave the best results for the studied growth indicators of Potato.
Evaluation of the Field Performance of the Developed Combined Lines Seeder
Authors: Shannon Ali J. , Ramadhan Marwan N. , Himoud Majed S.
Published: July 2024

The field experiment was conducted in Maysan Governorate / Al-Batira in a Silty clay soil, with the aim of evaluating the efficiency of the performance of the developed combined lines seeder used for planting on lines with equal distances and appropriate depths, with covering the seeds and appropriate disintegration of the soil using spring needles, fertilizing at the same time, and opening the furrows. The experiment was carried out using two machine configurations: the seeder (B) alone and the seeder with the furrows opener (BZ), which is equivalent to the basin irrigation system and the furrows irrigation, and two tractor speeds (4 and 6) kmh−1, with the aim of knowing its effect on (pulling force, percentage of slippage, and fuel consumption). The same two factors above were also used with three seed rates (25, 30 and 35) kg dunum−1 in order to determine their effect on seed germination percentage. The results showed the following, the seeder with the furrow opener (BZ) gave the highest averages of pulling force, reaching (7.942) kN a slip percentage of (10.115)%, and fuel consumption (19.138) litres.h−1, a decrease in the average germination rate (81.344)%. The seeder-only (B) gave an increase in the average germination rate of (89.138)%. The seeding rate (35) kg dunum−1 gave the highest average germination rate (89.054)%. The tractor speed (6) kmh−1 gave the highest averages in pulling force, reaching (6.993) kN and (9.518)% in slippage, while it gave a decrease in average fuel consumption, reaching (17.502) litres.h−1, and a highest average germination rate (85.639%).
Singularities
Authors: Ridley Aaron
Published: July 2024

These essays, six of them appearing here for the first time, address issues concerning the two key singularities that Kant identified in aesthetics: artistic creativity and aesthetic judgement. Ranging from Kant himself to contemporary debates, from song to conceptual art, from ethics to atheism, from function to failure, this collection explores the ways in which the one-off character of creativity and judgement may defy our ordinary expectations of what an explanation should be like. Intended for specialists and students alike, this collection offers a distinctive approach to aesthetics that will be of interest to any reader concerned with philosophical reflection upon the arts.
GloEC: a hierarchical-aware global model for predicting enzyme function
Authors: Huang Yiran , Lin Yufu , Lan Wei , Huang Cuiyu , Zhong Cheng
Published: July 2024

The annotation of enzyme function is a fundamental challenge in industrial biotechnology and pathologies. Numerous computational methods have been proposed to predict enzyme function by annotating enzyme labels with Enzyme Commission number. However, the existing methods face difficulties in modelling the hierarchical structure of enzyme label in a global view. Moreover, they haven’t gone entirely to leverage the mutual interactions between different levels of enzyme label. In this paper, we formulate the hierarchy of enzyme label as a directed enzyme graph and propose a hierarchy-GCN (Graph Convolutional Network) encoder to globally model enzyme label dependency on the enzyme graph. Based on the enzyme hierarchy encoder, we develop an end-to-end hierarchical-aware global model named GloEC to predict enzyme function. GloEC learns hierarchical-aware enzyme label embeddings via the hierarchy-GCN encoder and conducts deductive fusion of label-aware enzyme features to predict enzyme labels. Meanwhile, our hierarchy-GCN encoder is designed to bidirectionally compute to investigate the enzyme label correlation information in both bottom-up and top-down manners, which has not been explored in enzyme function prediction. Comparative experiments on three benchmark datasets show that GloEC achieves better predictive performance as compared to the existing methods. The case studies also demonstrate that GloEC is capable of effectively predicting the function of isoenzyme. GloEC is available at: https://github.com/hyr0771/GloEC.
CatLearning: highly accurate gene expression prediction from histone mark
Authors: Lu Weining , Tang Yin , Liu Yu , Lin Shiyi , Shuai Qifan , Liang Bin , Zhang Rongqing , Cheng Yu , Fang Dong
Published: July 2024

Histone modifications, known as histone marks, are pivotal in regulating gene expression within cells. The vast array of potential combinations of histone marks presents a considerable challenge in decoding the regulatory mechanisms solely through biological experimental approaches. To overcome this challenge, we have developed a method called CatLearning. It utilizes a modified convolutional neural network architecture with a specialized adaptation Residual Network to quantitatively interpret histone marks and predict gene expression. This architecture integrates long-range histone information up to 500Kb and learns chromatin interaction features without 3D information. By using only one histone mark, CatLearning achieves a high level of accuracy. Furthermore, CatLearning predicts gene expression by simulating changes in histone modifications at enhancers and throughout the genome. These findings help comprehend the architecture of histone marks and develop diagnostic and therapeutic targets for diseases with epigenetic changes.
Controlling false discovery rate for mediator selection in high-dimensional data
Authors: Dai Ran , Li Ruiyang , Lee Seonjoo , Liu Ying
Published: July 2024

The need to select mediators from a high dimensional data source, such as neuroimaging data and genetic data, arises in much scientific research. In this work, we formulate a multiple-hypothesis testing framework for mediator selection from a high-dimensional candidate set, and propose a method, which extends the recent development in false discovery rate (FDR)-controlled variable selection with knockoff to select mediators with FDR control. We show that the proposed method and algorithm achieved finite sample FDR control. We present extensive simulation results to demonstrate the power and finite sample performance compared with the existing method. Lastly, we demonstrate the method for analyzing the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, in which the proposed method selects several resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging connectivity markers as mediators for the relationship between adverse childhood events and the crystallized composite score in the NIH toolbox.
Causal meta-analysis by integrating multiple observational studies with multivariate outcomes
Authors: Guha Subharup , Li Yi
Published: July 2024

Integrating multiple observational studies to make unconfounded causal or descriptive comparisons of group potential outcomes in a large natural population is challenging. Moreover, retrospective cohorts, being convenience samples, are usually unrepresentative of the natural population of interest and have groups with unbalanced covariates. We propose a general covariate-balancing framework based on pseudo-populations that extends established weighting methods to the meta-analysis of multiple retrospective cohorts with multiple groups. Additionally, by maximizing the effective sample sizes of the cohorts, we propose a FLEXible, Optimized, and Realistic (FLEXOR) weighting method appropriate for integrative analyses. We develop new weighted estimators for unconfounded inferences on wide-ranging population-level features and estimands relevant to group comparisons of quantitative, categorical, or multivariate outcomes. Asymptotic properties of these estimators are examined. Through simulation studies and meta-analyses of TCGA datasets, we demonstrate the versatility and reliability of the proposed weighting strategy, especially for the FLEXOR pseudo-population.
Prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales in edible ice in Thailand
Authors: Amornchai Premjit , Wuthiekanun Vanaporn , Langla Sayan , Wongsuvan Gumphol , Aramrueang Panatda , Day Nicholas P J , Limmathurotsakul Direk
Published: July 2024

Background

The presence of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria in edible ice in tropical countries is largely unknown.

Methods

We evaluate the presence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales in 100 edible ice samples from drink carts in 20 markets in four provinces (five markets/province) in Thailand. Ten samples of commercially sold edible ice in sealed packages were tested as controls.

Results

Of 100 samples, 29 (29%) were culture positive for ESBL-producing Enterobacterales, with a median quantitative count of 2 colony-forming units (CFU)/100 mL (range, 1 to 40 CFU/100 mL). All control samples were culture negative for ESBL-producing Enterobacterales.

Conclusions

AMR bacteria is commonly found in edible ice from drink carts.
SNO-EANO-EURACAN consensus on management of pineal parenchymal tumors
Authors: Liu Anthony P Y , Li Bryan K , Vasiljevic Alexandre , Dewan Michael C , Tamrazi Benita , Ertl-Wagner Birgit , Hansford Jordan R , Pfaff Elke , Mynarek Martin , Ng Ho-Keung , Tsang Derek S , Gottardo Nicholas G , Gajjar Amar , Bouffet Eric , Dufour Christelle , Pizer Barry , Schiff David , Jenkinson Michael D , Lombardi Giuseppe , Wen Patrick Y , van den Bent Martin J , Huang Annie
Published: July 2024

Pineal parenchymal tumors are rare neoplasms for which evidence-based treatment recommendations are lacking. These tumors vary in biology, clinical characteristics, and prognosis, requiring treatment that ranges from surgical resection alone to intensive multimodal antineoplastic therapy. Recently, international collaborative studies have shed light on the genomic landscape of these tumors, leading to refinement in molecular-based disease classification in the 5th edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of tumors of the central nervous system. In this review, we summarize the literature on diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, and suggest pragmatic recommendations for the clinical management of patients presenting with intrinsic pineal region masses including parenchymal tumors (pineocytoma, pineal parenchymal tumor of intermediate differentiation, and pineoblastoma), pineal cyst, and papillary tumors of the pineal region.
The right to privacy and the deep self
Authors: Menges Leonhard
Published: July 2024

This paper presents an account of the right to privacy that is inspired by classic control views on this right and recent developments in moral psychology. The core idea is that the right to privacy is the right that others not make personal information about us flow unless this flow is an expression of and does not conflict with our deep self. The nature of the deep self will be spelled out in terms of stable intrinsic desires. The paper argues that this view has advantages over alternative accounts of the right to privacy, that it is extensionally adequate in interesting test cases, that there is a good reason to think that the right to privacy, thus understood, can be justified, and that this view helps identify what kind of information is protected by the right to privacy.
Evidence further linking the intestine to cardiovascular disease
Authors: Sulaiman Dawoud , Reddy Srinivasa T. , Fogelman Alan M.
Published: July 2024

Purpose of review

To review recent publications linking the intestine to cardiovascular disease.

Recent findings

Aromatic amino acid-derived metabolites produced by gut-bacteria were identified that increased or decreased the risk of cardiovascular events. Dietary phenylalanine was metabolized to phenylacetic acid by gut microbes, and converted into phenylacetylglutamine by the host, which increased thrombosis potential via adrenergic receptors and was associated with increased major adverse cardiovascular events. Another microbiota-associated metabolite of aromatic amino acids, indole-3-propionic acid, protected against heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. The mechanism by which dietary cholesterol is absorbed was found to involve the Nieman–Pick C1-like1 protein working together with a newly discovered protein called Aster. Levels of gut-derived bacterial lipopolysaccharide in serum that are an order of magnitude less than those seen in gram negative sepsis were shown to play a role in enhancing atherosclerosis and thrombosis.

Promising new therapeutic targets in the intestine for preventing or treating cardiovascular disease have been identified.
What Happens to Topics and Conversations When People With Aphasia Have Time to Repair Their Speaking Turns? A Systematic, Functional Investigation
Authors: Archer Brent , Leaman Marion C. , Mok Zaneta
Published: July 2024

People with aphasia may produce speech errors or pauses during speaking turns. A communication partner may choose to guess the person’s intended meaning, or may allow the person time to repair their turns (i.e., edited turns).

The aim of this study was to understand the topic-related effects that occur when speakers without aphasia allow their partners with aphasia to complete their own repairs. We analyzed videos of 10 people with aphasia engaged in social conversations with communication partners. We identified and extracted “PWA-initiated segments” (PWA-IS). These segments begin with turns in which PWAs carry out repairs and introduce new topics (both actions occur in a single turn). PWA-ISes continue until the last turn about the topic is completed. We calculated descriptive statistics detailing the proportion of turns/words in each conversation represented by PWA-IS’s, as well as the range and mean of these proportions across conversations. This approach allowed us to understand how many of the turns in each conversation were dependent on the new topics introduced by people with aphasia when they were afforded time for self-expression during their edited utterances. On average, 35% of turns and 38% of words occurred during PWA-ISes. In general, substantial proportions of conversations we analyzed were related to topics introduced by people with aphasia during PWA-ISes. Edited turns initiate segments composed of topically-related turns, and these segments occupied large portions of the conversations we analyzed. Giving people with aphasia time to edit their own turns may thus play an important role in steering conversation toward the topics and interactional agendas that people with aphasia wish to pursue.
Beet curly top virus affects vector biology: the first transcriptome analysis of the beet leafhopper
Authors: Han Jinlong , Cui Meihua , Withycombe Jordan , Schmidtbauer Max , Chiginsky Judith , Neher Oliver T. , Strausbaugh Carl A. , Majumdar Rajtilak , Nalam Vamsi J. , Nachappa Punya
Published: July 2024

Curly top disease, caused by beet curly top virus (BCTV), is among the most serious viral diseases affecting sugar beets in western USA. The virus is exclusively transmitted by the beet leafhopper (BLH, Circulifer tenellus) in a circulative and non-propagative manner. Despite the growing knowledge on virus-vector interactions, our understanding of the molecular interactions between BCTV and BLH is hampered by limited information regarding the virus impact on the vector and the lack of genomic and transcriptomic resources for BLH. This study unveils the significant impact of BCTV on both the performance and transcriptome response of BLHs. Viruliferous BLHs had higher fecundity than non-viruliferous counterparts, which was evident by upregulation of differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) associated with development, viability and fertility of germline and embryos in viruliferous insects. Conversely, most DETs associated with muscle movement and locomotor activities were downregulated in viruliferous insects, implying potential behavioural modifications by BCTV. Additionally, a great proportion of DETs related to innate immunity and detoxification were upregulated in viruliferous insects. Viral infection also induced notable alterations in primary metabolisms, including energy metabolism, namely glucosidases, lipid digestion and transport, and protein degradation, along with other cellular functions, particularly in chromatin remodelling and DNA repair. This study represents the first comprehensive transcriptome analysis for BLH. The presented findings provide new insights into the multifaceted effects of viral infection on various biological processes in BLH, offering a foundation for future investigations into the complex virus-vector relationship and potential management strategies for curly top disease.
Impact of extreme weather events on the occurrence of infectious diseases in Belgium from 2011 to 2021
Authors: Yin Nicolas , Fachqoul Zineb , Van Cauteren Dieter , van den Wijngaert Sigi , Martiny Delphine , Hallin Marie , Vandenberg Olivier
Published: July 2024

The role of meteorological factors, such as rainfall or temperature, as key players in the transmission and survival of infectious agents is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to compare meteorological surveillance data with epidemiological surveillance data in Belgium and to investigate the association between intense weather events and the occurrence of infectious diseases. Meteorological data were aggregated per Belgian province to obtain weekly average temperatures and rainfall per province and categorized according to the distribution of the variables. Epidemiological data included weekly cases of reported pathogens responsible for gastroenteritis, respiratory, vector-borne and invasive infections normalized per 100 000 population. The association between extreme weather events and infectious events was determined by comparing the mean weekly incidence of the considered infectious diseases after each weather event that occurred after a given number of weeks. Very low temperatures were associated with higher incidences of influenza and parainfluenza viruses, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, rotavirus and invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes infections, whereas very high temperatures were associated with higher incidences of Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., parasitic gastroenteritis and Borrelia burgdorferi infections. Very heavy rainfall was associated with a higher incidence of respiratory syncytial virus, whereas very low rainfall was associated with a lower incidence of adenovirus gastroenteritis. This work highlights not only the relationship between temperature or rainfall and infectious diseases but also the most extreme weather events that have an individual influence on their incidence. These findings could be used to develop adaptation and mitigation strategies.
Characterizing decision-making opportunities in undergraduate physics coursework
Authors: Montgomery Barron J. , Price Argenta M. , Wieman Carl E.
Published: July 2024

A major goal of physics education is to develop strong problem-solving skills for students. To become expert problem solvers, students must have opportunities to deliberately practice those skills. In this work, we adopt a previously described definition of problem solving that consists of a set of 29 decisions made by expert scientists. We quantified the amount of practice undergraduate physics students get at making each decision by coding the decisions required in assignments from introductory, intermediate, and advanced physics courses at a prestigious university. A research-focused capstone course was the only example that offered substantial practice at a large range of decisions. Problems assigned in the traditional coursework required only a few decisions and routinely reduced potential opportunities for students to make other decisions. In addition, we modified traditional physics coursework to offer more decision-making practice. We observed that this increased the number of decisions students actually made in solving the problems. This work suggests that to better prepare undergraduates for solving problems in the real world, we must offer more opportunities for students to make and act on problem-solving decisions.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
On uniform edge-n-colorings of tilings
Authors: Abila Agatha Kristel , De Las Peñas Ma. Louise Antonette , Tomenes Mark
Published: July 2024

An edge-n-coloring of a uniform tiling {\cal T} is uniform if for any two vertices of {\cal T} there is a symmetry of {\cal T} that preserves the colors of the edges and maps one vertex onto the other. This paper gives a method based on group theory and color symmetry theory to arrive at uniform edge-n-colorings of uniform tilings. The method is applied to give a complete enumeration of uniform edge-n-colorings of the uniform tilings of the Euclidean plane, for which the results point to a total of 114 colorings, n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Examples of uniform edge-n-colorings of tilings in the hyperbolic plane and two-dimensional sphere are also presented.