• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.61-67
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• 2010

The bivoltine tropical tasar ecoraces of Antheraea mylitta Drury produces cocoons for seed production under seed crop rearing (July-August with $22{\sim}30^{\circ}C$ temperature and 50~70% relative humidity) and for silk production under commercial crop rearing (September-December with $17{\sim}27^{\circ}C$ temperature and 60~80% relative humidity). To consider the impact of hybrid vigour on egg, larva, cocoon and silk related commercial traits, the $F_1$ hybrids made among Daba, Jata and Raily ecoraces were assessed successively for three years. The hybrid vigour in the $F_1$ hybrid of Daba$\times$Jata ($T_7$) was positive for egg fertility (+23.1%), shell weight (+25.6%), silk yield (+79.0%) and filament length (+68.1%), with filament of high denier (11.98d) and reduced larval span (-7.1%). The Jata$\times$Daba ($T_8$) hybrid has shown negative heterosis in egg fertility (-8.0%) compared to the other F1 hybrids, Daba$\times$Raily ($T_9$) and Raily$\times$Daba ($T_{10}$), when they rise simultaneously during the commercial crop season. The better performance of parental ecoraces ($T_4$ to $T_6$) in their commercial traits during commercial crop over parents of seed crop ($T_1$ to $T_3$) and the superior performance of $F_1$ hybrids ($T_7$ to $T_{10}$) over parents of commercial crop ($T_4$ to $T_6$) during commercial crop season indicates the apparent hybrid vigour in tasar $F_1$ hybrids. As the Daba$\times$Jata ($T_7$) and Jata$\times$Daba ($T_8$) $F_1$ hybrids have shown highest hybrid vigour, their rearing during commercial crop can optimize the silk productivity and commercial sustenance of the tasar silk industry.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.72-78
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• 2013

To establish an efficient protocol for plant regeneration of Brassica juncea L. Czern, the effects of explant types, explant ages and cytokinins on shoot regeneration were examined in this study. Shoot regeneration was markedly affected by the explant types used in the following order: cotyledon with petiole> hypocotyl> leaf with petiole> cotyledon> leaf. Five-day-old seedlings of cotyledon with petiole explants showed the maximum shoot regeneration frequency. Of the six cytokinins-6-${\gamma}$-${\gamma}$-Dimethylallylamino-purine (2-ip), 6-${\gamma}$-${\gamma}$-Dimethylallylamino-purine riboside (2-ip riboside), 6-Benzyl amino-purine (BAP), Thidiazuron (TDZ), Zeatin, Zeatin riboside-TDZ ($8{\mu}M$) was found to be the best cytokinin for shoot regeneration with the highest shoot induction frequency (80%) from cotyledon with petiole after 4 weeks. All the regenerated plantlets were developed well and they produced morphologically normal flowers.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.511-516
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study aims to determine contribution of meal frequency, self-efficacy for healthy eating, and availability of healthy foods towards diet quality of adolescents in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study was conducted among 373 adolescents aged from 13 to 16 years old. Diet quality of the respondents was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index for Malaysians. Meal frequency, self-efficacy for healthy eating, and availability of healthy foods were assessed through the Eating Behaviours Questionnaire (EBQ), self-efficacy for healthy eating scale, and availability of healthy foods scale, respectively. RESULTS: The majority of the respondents (80.7%) were at risk of poor diet quality. Males ($mean=34.2{\pm}8.2%$) had poorer diet quality than females ($mean=39.9{\pm}9.0%$) (t = -5.941, P < 0.05). Malay respondents ($mean=36.9{\pm}8.7%$) had poorer diet quality than Indian respondents ($mean=41.3{\pm}10.0%$) (F = 2.762, P < 0.05). Age (r = 0.123, P < 0.05), self-efficacy for healthy eating (r = 0.129, P < 0.05), and availability of healthy foods (r = 0.159, P < 0.05) were positively correlated with the diet quality of the respondents. However, meal frequency was not correlated with the diet quality of the respondents. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that being a male, being a Malay, low self-efficacy for healthy eating, and low availability of healthy foods contributed significantly towards poor diet quality among respondents. CONCLUSIONS: In short, sex, ethnicity, self-efficacy for healthy eating, and availability of healthy foods were associated with diet quality among adolescents. Health practitioners should take into consideration of differences in sex and ethnicity during implementation of nutrition-related intervention programs. Self-efficacy for healthy eating and availability of healthy foods should be included as important components in improving diet quality of adolescents.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.535-549
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• 2008

Vicarious calibration for the satellite sensor relies on simulated TOA (Top-of-Atmosphere) radiances over various targets. In this study, TOA visible radiance was calculated over ocean targets which are located in five different regions over the Indian and Pacific ocean, and its possible use for the satellite sensor calibration was examined. TOA radiances are simulated with the 6S radiative transfer model for the comparison with MODIS/Terra and SeaWiFS measurements. Geometric angles and sensor characteristics of the reference satellites were taken into account for the simulation. AOT (Aerosol Optical Thickness) from MODIS/Terra, pigment concentrations from Sea WiFS, and ozone amount from OMI measurements were used as inputs to the model. Other atmospheric input parameters such as surface wind and total column water vapor were taken from NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data. The 5-day averaged radiances over all targets show that the percent differences between simulated and observed radiances are within about ${\pm}5%$ in year 2005, indicating that the calculated radiances are in good agreement with satellite measurements. It has also been shown that the algorithm can produce the SeaWiFS radiances within about ${\pm}5%$ uncertainty range. It has been suggested that the algorithm can be used as a tool for calibrating the VIS bands within about 5% uncertainty range.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.189-211
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• 2005

This paper makes an effort to compare the recently evolved soft classification method based on Linear Spectral Mixture Modeling (LSMM) with the traditional hard classification methods based on Iterative Self-Organizing Data Analysis (ISODATA) and Maximum Likelihood Classification (MLC) algorithms in order to achieve appropriate results for mapping, monitoring and preserving valuable coastal wetland ecosystems of southern India using Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) 1C/1D LISS-III and Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper image data. ISODATA and MLC methods were attempted on these satellite image data to produce maps of 5, 10, 15 and 20 wetland classes for each of three contrast coastal wetland sites, Pitchavaram, Vedaranniyam and Rameswaram. The accuracy of the derived classes was assessed with the simplest descriptive statistic technique called overall accuracy and a discrete multivariate technique called KAPPA accuracy. ISODATA classification resulted in maps with poor accuracy compared to MLC classification that produced maps with improved accuracy. However, there was a systematic decrease in overall accuracy and KAPPA accuracy, when more number of classes was derived from IRS-1C/1D and Landsat-5 TM imagery by ISODATA and MLC. There were two principal factors for the decreased classification accuracy, namely spectral overlapping/confusion and inadequate spatial resolution of the sensors. Compared to the former, the limited instantaneous field of view (IFOV) of these sensors caused occurrence of number of mixture pixels (mixels) in the image and its effect on the classification process was a major problem to deriving accurate wetland cover types, in spite of the increasing spatial resolution of new generation Earth Observation Sensors (EOS). In order to improve the classification accuracy, a soft classification method based on Linear Spectral Mixture Modeling (LSMM) was described to calculate the spectral mixture and classify IRS-1C/1D LISS-III and Landsat-5 TM Imagery. This method considered number of reflectance end-members that form the scene spectra, followed by the determination of their nature and finally the decomposition of the spectra into their endmembers. To evaluate the LSMM areal estimates, resulted fractional end-members were compared with normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), ground truth data, as well as those estimates derived from the traditional hard classifier (MLC). The findings revealed that NDVI values and vegetation fractions were positively correlated ($r^2$= 0.96, 0.95 and 0.92 for Rameswaram, Vedaranniyam and Pitchavaram respectively) and NDVI and soil fraction values were negatively correlated ($r^2$ =0.53, 0.39 and 0.13), indicating the reliability of the sub-pixel classification. Comparing with ground truth data, the precision of LSMM for deriving moisture fraction was 92% and 96% for soil fraction. The LSMM in general would seem well suited to locating small wetland habitats which occurred as sub-pixel inclusions, and to representing continuous gradations between different habitat types.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.1-21
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• 1995

The characteristics of the Asian summer monsoon have been investigated for the periods of 1993/1994, the contrasting years in a view of the summer monsoon precipitation. In order to investigate the monsoon features over the eastern Asian monsoon region, the cloudiness(using the extensive data derived by the geostationary meteorological satellite), the condition of underlying surface including sea-surface temperature, and the summer rainfall are analyzed and some comparisons with 1993 and 1994 are also made and the characteristic differences are discussed. An analysis of the 2-degree latitude-longitude gridded 5-day mean high cloud amount data shows the detailed movement and persistence of the convective activities. In order to describe the spatial and temporal structures of the intraseasonal oscillation for the movement and evolution of the monsoon cloud, the extended empirical orthogonal fnction analysis with the twenty-day window size is used for the each year. Also, in order to find out the periodicity of the equatorial convective cluster, Fourier harmonic analysis is applied to the each year. The most prevailing intraseasonal oscillations of high cloud amount are 61 day mode and 15day mode in the equatorial and the subtropical oceans. However it was found that the most prevailing modes over the equatorial western Pacific and Indian Ocean were different for each year, hence raising the possibillity that the contrasting monsoon presipitation may be more fundamentally related to the interaction of intraseasonal oscillations and seasonal variation of convective activities over the lower latitude ocean.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2005

Analogue physical modelling using granular materials (i.e., sandbox experiments) has been applied with great success to a number of geological problems at various scales. Such physical experiments can also be simulated numerically with the Discrete Element Method (DEM). In this study, we apply the DEM simulation to the collision between the Indian subcontinent and the Eurasian Plate, one of the most significant current tectonic processes in the Earth. DEM simulation has been applied to various kinds of dynamic modelling, not only in structural geology but also in soil mechanics, rock mechanics, and the like. As the target of the investigation is assumed to be an assembly of many tiny particles, DEM simulation makes it possible to treat an object with large and discontinuous deformations. However, in DEM simulations, we often encounter difficulties when we examine the validity of the input parameters, since little is known about the relationship between the input parameters for each particle and the properties of the whole assembly. Therefore, in our previous studies (Yamada et al.,2002a,2002b,2002c), we were obliged to tune the input parameters by trial and error. To overcome these difficulties, we introduce a numerical biaxial test with the DEM simulation. Using the results of this numerical test, we examine the validity of the input parameters used in the collision model. The resulting collision model is quite similar to the real deformation observed in eastern Asia, and compares well with GPS data and in-situ stress data in eastern Asia.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.423-431
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• 2021

Purpose: To assess the effect of combination probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM-I 3799 and Bacillus subtilis CU-1 in outpatient management of acute watery diarrhea in children. Methods: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study was conducted in 180 participants aged six months to five years with acute mild to moderate diarrhea. All were enrolled from six centers across India and centrally randomized to receive S. boulardii CNCM-I 3799 and B. subtilis CU-1 or a placebo along with oral rehydration salts and zinc supplementation. Each participant was followed up for three months to assess recurrence of diarrhea. Results: The mean duration of diarrhea in the probiotic and placebo groups were 54.16 hours and 59.48 hours, respectively. The difference in the duration of diarrhea in those administered with probiotic or placebo within 24 hours of diarrhea onset was 25.21 hours. Furthermore, the difference in duration of diarrhea was 13.84 hours (p<0.05) for participants who were administered with probiotics within 48 hours. There were no significant differences in the stool frequencies between the two arms. After three months, 15% in the probiotic group and 18.5% in the placebo group reported episodes of diarrhea. The mean duration of diarrhea was considerably lower in the probiotic group, 31.02 hours versus 48 hours in placebo (p=0.017). Conclusion: S. boulardii CNCM-I 3799 and B. subtilis CU-1 combination was effective in reducing the duration of diarrhea when administered within 48 hours of diarrhea onset. Similarly, it reduced recurrence of diarrhea and its intensity in the subsequent three months.

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.2-11
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• 2017

Packaging is the last defensive barrier that protects food products from insect infestation during storage. However, though packaging films are hermetically sealed, insects can still be attracted by strong olfactory cues and penetrate through packaging materials, resulting in contamination. Insect contamination may cause consumers to be repulsed by contaminated food products. Especially, it is well known that stored-product insects cause critical problems in the cereal industry by inducing quantitative and qualitative damages to the grain products. The contaminations are caused by insects' metabolic byproducts and body parts, consequentially caused customer repulsion. Therefore, it is necessary to repel and control insects. However, management systems for storage insects in food industry have been inadequate for many years. Synthetic pesticides has been widely used, but pesticides may accumulate in foods, causing acute and chronic symptoms in consumers. For this reason, there is a growing need for the development of natural insecticides that can replace synthetic pesticides. Thus, various reports about anti-insect packaging materials and strategies to repel insects were introduced in this study. Furthermore, we suggested new strategies to develop an insect-repelling active packaging materials which could be applied in the food packaging industry.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.535-543
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• 2020

In addition to the ubiquitous roles of cellular RNA in genetic regulations, gene expression and phenotypic variations in response to environmental cues and chemotactic signals, the regulatory roles of a new type of RNA called extracellular RNAs (exRNAs) are an up-and-coming area of research interest. exRNA is transported outside the cell through membrane blebs known as membrane vesicles or extracellular vesicles (EVs). EV formation is predominant and conserved among all microbial forms, including prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and archaea. This review will focus on the three major topics concerning bacterially derived exRNAs, i.e., 1) the discovery of exRNA and influence of extraneous RNA over bacterial gene regulations, 2) the known secretion mechanism for the release of exRNA, and 3) the possible applications that can be devised with these exRNA secreted by different gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Further, this review will also provide an opinion on exRNA- and EV-derived applications such as the species-specific exRNA markers for diagnostics and the possible roles of exRNA in probiotics and the epigenetic regulations of the gut microbiome.