High Coefficient Of Variation Values Research Articles

Genetic diversity in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) germplasm for vegetative and agronomic characteristics in semi-arid regions

Abstract Safflower, a semiarid crop, contains a healthy oil with high unsaturated fatty acids. Genetically diverse accessions are important for genetic maintenance of safflower and breeding proposes. The objectives of present investigation were to evaluate the morphological variation of 100 safflower accessions across two years (2022 and 2023), to explore similar genotypic groups and to identify the higher contribution of traits with to the observed variability. The highest coefficient of variation (CV) was observed for seeds per secondary capitulum, number of capitula per plant and weight of lateral capitulum in the first year and the highest CV values were observed for number of capitula per plant and capitula per lateral branch in the second year. The factor analysis identified five factors in the first year and six factors in the second as yield components, height, seed yield, capitulum diameter and phonology while number of branches was identified as the extra factor in the second year. Results showed that the variation of morphologic traits was made up of from the most measured traits of safflower. We defined seven distinct clusters, which made it possible to differentiate safflower accessions based on measured traits across two years. Of 45 accessions were grouped in similar clusters across two years, without any or similar genotype by environment interaction. Some high yielding accessions like C-47 and Lesaf-175 can be entered directly in multi-environmental trials for cultivar release proposes. The recognized variation improves as a good resource, indicating an important issue for future projects for safflower germplasm maintenance and breeding.

Variance reflects resilience to disturbance along a stress gradient: Experimental evidence from coastal marshes.

Quantifying ecosystem resilience to disturbance is important for understanding the effects of disturbances on ecosystems, especially in an era of rapid global change. However, there are few studies that have used standardized experimental disturbances to compare resilience patterns across abiotic gradients in real-world ecosystems. Theoretical studies have suggested that increased return times are associated with increasing variance during recovery from disturbance. However, this notion has rarely been explicitly tested in field, in part due to the challenges involved in obtaining long-term experimental data. In this study, we examined resilience to disturbance of 12 coastal marsh sites (five low-salinity and seven polyhaline [=salt] marshes) along a salinity gradient in Georgia, USA. We found that recovery times after experimental disturbance ranged from 7 to >127 months, and differed among response variables (vegetation height, cover and composition). Recovery rates decreased along the stress gradient of increasing salinity, presumably due to stress reducing plant vigor, but only when low-salinity and polyhaline sites were analyzed separately, indicating a strong role for traits of dominant plant species. The coefficient of variation of vegetation cover and height in control plots did not vary with salinity. In disturbed plots, however, the coefficient of variation (CV) was consistently elevated during the recovery period and increased with salinity. Moreover, higher CV values during recovery were correlated with slower recovery rates. Our results deepen our understanding of resilience to disturbance in natural ecosystems, and point to novel ways that variance can be used either to infer recent disturbance, or, if measured in areas with a known disturbance history, to predict recovery patterns.

An evaluation of corneal endothelial cell morphology in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy.

To evaluate corneal endothelial cell morphology in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). Seventy-two eyes of 36 patients with TAO presenting to the ophthalmology department between January 2018 and January 2022 were included in the study. The findings were compared with 98 eyes of 49 healthy individuals. Mean endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation (CV), maximum cell area, minimum cell area, average cell area, and hexagonality ratio were obtained using non-contact specular microscopy. The thicknesses of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) were measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT). The TAO group consisted of 36 patients, 11 (30.6%) men and 25 (69.4%) women, and the control group of 49 healthy individuals, 14 (28.6%) men and 35 (71.4%). No significant differences were determined between the TAO and control groups in terms of the specular microscopy findings of mean ECD, CV, or hexagonality ratio values (p > 0,05). However, the mean Hertel values differed significantly between the two groups (p = 0.001). When the TAO group was divided into two subgroups based on patients who had previously received prednisolone therapy and those who had not, significant differences were observed in terms of mean ECD, CV, and hexagonality ratio values (p > 0.05). Comparison of patients diagnosed with active TAO and receiving prednisolone therapy and the TAO patients with inactive disease revealed lower ECD, higher CV values, and lower hexagonality ratios in the prednisolone therapy group. These findings all suggest that inflammation in patients undergoing active disease affects the corneal endothelium.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Rice Qualities under Different Nitrogen Levels in South China.

There is a need to comprehensively evaluate the rice quality of different rice varieties under different nitrogen treatments. Therefore, in this study, we used twenty-one hybrid indica rice varieties and twenty-three inbred japonica rice varieties with three nitrogen fertilizer levels to investigate differences in rice qualities. As compared with hybrid indica rice, inbred japonica rice had lower coefficient of variation values for grain shape, mild rice percentage, and head rice percentage, but relatively higher coefficient of variation values for chalkiness traits, appearance, and taste value of cooked rice. A principal component analysis and membership function method were used to comprehensively evaluate the qualities of rice. The overall eating quality value by sensory evaluation and head rice percentage explained 61.3% and 67.9% of the variations in comprehensive quality of hybrid indica rice and inbred japonica rice across different nitrogen levels, respectively. We also found that rice comprehensive quality was better under low nitrogen levels for hybrid indica rice, while for inbred japonica rice, properly increasing nitrogen application could improve the comprehensive quality.

Neural network systems with an integrated coefficient of variation-based feature selection for stock price and trend prediction

Stock market forecasting has been a subject of interest for many researchers; the essential market analyses can be integrated with historical stock market data to derive a set of features. It is crucial to select features with useful information about the specific aspect. In this article, we propose coefficient of variation (CV)-based feature selection for stock prediction. The unitless statistical method, CV, is widely used to obtain variability among data distributions. We calculate CV for each feature and integrate an existing method, k-means algorithm, as well as proposed methods, median range and top-M, to select a set of features with specific characteristics such as features belonging to the largest cluster, the defined range, and with the highest CV values, respectively. We apply the set of selected features to models such as backpropagation neural network (BPNN), long short-term memory (LSTM), gated recurrent unit (GRU), and convolutional neural network (CNN) for stock price and trend prediction. We demonstrate the applicability of our proposed approach using five of the existing feature selection methods, namely, correlation coefficient, Chi2, mutual information, principal component analysis, and variance threshold; comparison indicates remarkable performance enhancement using several accuracy-based, as well as error-based, metrics and the same is statistically supported using Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

Morphological variability of wild-growing crown imperial (Fritillaria imperialis L.) germplasm in central region of Iran—implications for in-situ conservation initiatives

BackgroundCrown imperial (Fritillaria imperialis L.) is a threatened bulbous plant which has great ornamental and medicinal values and importance. In the present study, a total of 100 specimens of wild-growing F. imperialis from 10 natural areas of Markazi province, Iran, representing one of the main centers of genetic diversity of this species, were evaluated using 37 phenotypic attributes during April 2021.ResultsHigh level of genetic variation within populations (75%) and low levels of genetic variation among populations (25%) was revealed. The highest coefficient of variation (CV) was found in leaf trichome (82.00%) and then margin of crown leaves (80.44%). In addition, flower color (CV = 50.86%), flower number (CV = 44.61%), peduncle diameter (CV = 33.44%), and plant length (CV = 32.55%)—all important from an ornamental point of view- showed relatively high CV values. The CV was the lowest for flower shape, filament color, bulb shape, bulblet number, and floral scent. Ward cluster analysis identified two main clusters, containing 14 and 86 specimens, respectively. The first group consisted mainly of specimens from the adjacent Shahbaz and Rasvand populations. According to the principal component analysis (PCA), the first six components of data accounted for 88.36% of total variance. The Shahbaz-1, Shahbaz-2, Shahbaz-6, Shahbaz-7, Shahbaz-9, and Bolagh-8 specimens showed the highest variation and were separated from others, which they can be used further in breeding programs, while Sarchal-2, Bolagh-3, and Chepeqli-4 specimens showed the lowest variability. Moreover, the studied populations were clustered into four distinct groups, each including populations that were geographically close to one another.ConclusionsAlthough the examined specimens revealed high genetic diversity herein, the results indicated that wild-growing populations of F. imperialis are still at risk suffering from overcollection in the most of studied areas, especially in Deh-Sad and Tureh.

Factors associated with high glucose variability in patients with type 1 diabetes

BACKGROUND: High glucose variability (GV) is recognized as a risk factor for vascular diabetic complications and hypoglycemia. Factors affecting GV in patients with diabetes needed to be clarified.AIM: To determine the factors associated with high GV in adult patients with type 1 diabetes.MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a single center cross-sectional observational study. In-patients with type 1 diabetes aged 18 to 65 years on basal bolus insulin therapy were included. Day-time and nocturnal Coefficient of Variation (CV), Mean Amplitude of Glycemic Excursions (MAGE), Mean Absolute Glucose (MAG) were calculated from continuous glucose monitoring data. The values of CV, MAGE, MAG within the upper quartile were considered high.RESULTS: The study included 400 individuals, including 111 on continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII). Patients with high GV had lower fasting and postprandial C-peptide levels and higher insulin doses. According to ROC analysis, daily insulin dose >0.69 U/kg and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥90.5 ml/min×1.73 m2 were associated with high nocturnal CV values. Dose of basal insulin >0.292 U/kg and bolus insulin >0.325 U/day were associated with nocturnal MAGE. Body mass index (BMI) ≤23.2 kg/m2, waist circumference ≤80.5 cm, daily insulin dose ≥0.69 U/kg, HbA1c ≥8.3%, eGFR ≥89.5 ml/ min×1.73m2 increased risk of high MAG at night. High day-time CV values were associated with daily insulin dose ≥0.675 U/kg and daily dose of BI ≥0.286 U/kg. The risk of high MAGE was increased with HbA1c ≥8.24% and basal insulin dose ≥0.286 U/kg. BMI ≤23.2 kg/m2, waist circumference ≤80.5 cm, daily insulin dose ≥0.69 U/kg, daily dose of bolus and basal insulin ≥0.325 and ≥0.29 U/kg respectively, and HbA1c ≥8.33% were the risk factors for high day-time MAG. Patients on CSII had lower MAGE (p<0.001) and MAG (p=0.008) compared to those on multiple daily injections.CONCLUSION: In type 1 diabetes, high GV is associated with undetectable residual insulin secretion, normal or reduced body weight, preserved kidney function, supraphysiological doses of insulin, and non-target HbA1c. Patients on CSII have a lower GV than those on multiple daily injections.

Effectiveness of Insole Colour on Impact Loading and Lower-Limb Kinematics When Running at Preferred and Nonpreferred Speeds.

While colour of red can play a significant role in altering human perception and performances, little is known about its perceptual-motor effect on running mechanics. This study examined the effects of variations in insole colours on impact forces, ankle kinematics, and trial-to-trial reliability at various running speeds. Sixteen male recreational runners ran on instrumented treadmill at slow (90%), preferred (100%), and fast (110%) running speeds when wearing insoles in red, blue, and white colours. We used synchronized force platform and motion capturing system to measure ground reaction force, ankle sagittal and frontal kinematics, and movement variability. A two-way (colour x speed) ANOVA with repeated measures was performed with Bonferroni adjusted post hoc comparisons, with alpha set at 0.05. Data analyses indicated that participants demonstrated higher impact and maximum loading rate of ground reaction force, longer stride length, shorter contact time, and smaller touchdown ankle inversion as well as larger ankle sagittal range of motion (RoM), but smaller frontal RoM in fast speed as compared with preferred (P < 0.05) and slow speeds (P < 0.001). Although insole colour had minimal effect on mean values of any tested variables (P > 0.05), participants wearing red-coloured orthoses showed higher coefficient of variation values for maximum loading rate than wearing blue insoles (P=0.009). These results suggest that running at faster speed would lead to higher impact loading and altered lower-limb mechanics and that colour used on the tops of insoles influences the wearers' movement repeatability, with implications for use of foot insole in running.

Visit-to-Visit Blood PressureVariations and Hemodynamic Deterioration in Atherosclerotic Major Cerebral ArteryDisease

ObjectiveVisit-to-visit variations in blood pressure (BP) in patients with atherosclerotic major cerebral artery disease could impair the function of cerebral collaterals, leading to hemodynamic deterioration at follow-up. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between visit-to-visit BP variability and changes in hemodynamic parameters at follow-up. Materials and methodsWe evaluated 35 medically treated patients with atherosclerotic internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery disease with no ischemic episodes during follow-up (mean: 35 ± 20 months); these patients had a three-time visit for positron emission tomography examinations with 15O-gas. Differences in the mean hemispheric values of hemodynamic parameters in the cortical territory of the diseased artery between the first and third examinations (changes at follow-up) were correlated with the coefficient of variation (CoV) in three systolic BP (SBP) values at the three examinations (BP variability during follow-up). ResultsCoV values were negatively correlated with changes in oxygen metabolism or cerebral blood flow/cerebral blood volume (CBF/CBV) ratio. In 17 patients with higher CoV values (> group median, 0.072), decreases in CBF, cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen, and CBF/CBV ratio were observed at follow-up; CBV decreased in 18 patients without elevated CoV. A higher CoV was associated with a lack of statin use. ConclusionIn patients with atherosclerotic major cerebral artery disease, high visit-to-visit SBP variations during follow-up may be associated with deterioration in cerebral hemodynamics and metabolism.

On the vocal repertoire of the monkey frog Phyllomedusa venusta: distress call and the presumed non-existing advertisement call

ABSTRACT The anuran advertisement call has been widely used in taxonomic and evolutionary studies due to its essential role in species-specific recognition. For a long time, it has been presumed that P. venusta did not emit mating calls. Here, we observed the entire vocal activity period of P. venusta over the night and recorded male calls and a female distress call. We recognized and described a single male call type, identified as the advertisement call. This call has an extremely low timbre, and it is composed of a single or a sequence of pulsed notes. The multi-noted calls were usually emitted in intrasexual agonistic contexts. Although both call duration and note number have a high coefficient of variation values, they are linearly correlated, so they should be acting as a single independent variable in the P. venusta calls. As expected, the distress call is longer and with a higher timbre than the advertisement call. Interspecific comparisons were made based on the ratio between advertisement call dominant frequency (DF) and body size. This ratio is similar to those of the species of the P. tarsius group.

Regional characteristics and discrimination of the fermentation starter Hong Qu in traditional rice wine brewing

SummaryHong Qu (HQ) is a fermentation starter used to brew Hong Qu rice wine (HQ wine). The regional characteristics and discrimination of HQ are not fully understood. This study elucidates fermentation characteristics of HQ through sensory evaluation and the analysis of six physicochemical characteristics of HQ wine brewed by twenty‐nine HQ from different regions. Results showed that the complex physicochemical indices of HQ wine would be reduced to three principal components – total acidity, total sugars and non‐sugar solids by principal component analysis. Twenty‐nine HQ samples were classified into four clusters by hierarchical cluster analysis – Cluster A, B, C and D. Cluster B only included Gutian HQ (GTQ) brewing base liquors with a fresh and soft taste, the highest sensory scores and low coefficient of variation (CV). The rest three Clusters mainly included Wuyi HQ (WYQ) brewing base liquors with full‐bodied and tasteful flavours, high CV values and different sensory scores. WYQ could brew more good and less below standard liquors, while the quality of HQ wine brewed using GTQ was more even than that of WYQ. Conclusively, the geographical location and processing technology of HQ are the main external factors contributing to the regional characteristics of HQ wine.

Statistical Evaluation of Burning Rate Data of Composite Propellants Obtained from Acoustic Emission Technique

The acoustic emission technique has been considered to be one of the most reliable and robust methods for the measurement of the steady burning rate of composite propellants. In this work, attempts were made to quantify the measurement variability of the burning rate of composite solid propellants by acoustic emission method using statistical tools. A total of 1100 individual measurements were subjected to statistical treatment. The combination of confidence interval and repeatability limit delineated the extent of natural dispersion in the burning rate measurement data. The very high coefficient of variation values for the propellant compositions, having a burning rate of more than 25 mm s–1 raised concerns about the suitability of the acoustic emission method for high burning rate compositions. The Reliability interval approach was employed to determine the statistically significant sample size for different composite propellants having a burning rate range of 5–31 mm s–1. The entire set of data was screened for identification of outlying observation using the Dixon Q test, and the extent of contamination was quantified. Moreover, the application of statistical techniques could have far-reaching implications for quality control perspectives of burning rate measurement by acoustic emission and could be implemented as reference tolerance limits and preventive measures for ensuring the good health of the instrument as well as propellant processing.

Effect on Sorghum Yield in The Semi-Arid Counties of Lower Eastern Kenya's

Sorghum is a key crop in Kenya's attainment of food and nutrition security. Climate is a key determinant of sorghum production under rainfed conditions. The overall objective of this study was to examine variations of sorghum yields in response to climate. This is crucial in documenting future strategic options to enhance food security in a changing climate. A longitudinal research design was used in the study. Purposive and cluster sampling techniques were used to select sorghum and climate data from lower eastern Kenya's districts covering the period 1979-2009. Association between sorghum crop yields and climate data were sought through correlation analysis, while variability in yields was determined through the coefficient of variation (CVs) and standard deviations (STDEV). There wide sorghum yield and climate variability with high CV values of up 60 % of rainfall. Kitui had the lowest variation in sorghum yields with a Standard deviation of 344.1 Kg/Ha (CV = 38.7 %) while Machakos had the highest variation with STDEV of 591.6 Kg/Ha (CV = 60.5 %). This information is useful to monitor and forecast future sorghum production under rain-fed agriculture. There is a need to continue with focused applied research to unleash sorghum's capacity to be the cornerstone of food security in Kenya.

Reliability and characterisation of the 20-maximum trampoline jump test

BACKGROUND: The 20-maximum trampoline jump test is a commonly used performance measure in competitive trampoline gymnastics. However, its reliability and characteristics are poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To determine the reliability of the 20-maximum trampoline jump test and describe its characteristics. METHODS: Thirty-two national and international level trampoline gymnasts (18 ± 5 years) performed two, 20-maximal straight jump tests, separated by 24–72 hours. Time of flight (total, jumps 1–10 and jumps 11–20), force (average and peak), horizontal displacement and contact time were measured by a competition standard system. Test-retest reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), typical error, and coefficient of variation (CV). RESULTS: Total time of flight significantly decreased between trial 1 (31.80 ± 1.98 s) and trial 2 (31.43 ± 1.99 s; p&lt; 0.05), however test-retest reliability was excellent (ICC = 0.96, CV = 1.3%). Other time of flight and force measures significantly decreased from trial 1 to trial 2, whereas contact time increased. All secondary measures displayed very high ICC (0.95–0.99) and low CV values (0.5–1.9%), except horizontal displacement (ICC = 0.54, CV = 20.6%). CONCLUSION: The 20-maximum test possesses excellent reliability for the assessment of trampoline performance in a wide population of national and international level gymnasts.

Evaluation of health status of Indian major and minor carps cultured in West Bengal, India

In Indian freshwater aquaculture, which largely depends on carps, diseases have become a major problem. This study evaluated the health status of Catla catla, Labeo rohita, Cirrhinus mrigala and Labeo bata cultured in West Bengal, India by determining the Health Assessment Index (HAI) and coefficient of variation (CV) of HAI values of each species as well as the superoxide anion production. The annual mean HAI value was the highest for L. rohita (77.51) and least for L. bata (55.30). The highest and lowest CV of HAI values were recorded for L. bata (95.80) and C. mrigala (52.55), respectively . The HAI values correlated negatively ( P <0.05) with temperature. The HAI distinguished successfully among the species, seasons and sampling areas on the grounds of temperature and water quality, with higher index values recorded in carps grown in poorly managed ponds. Labeo bata exhibited higher immune responsiveness compared to other carps. Labeo rohita was the most susceptible to diseases. The results on the high production of oxygen radicals by phagocytic cells of L. bata together with low HAI and high CV values suggested that this species may resist biotic and abiotic stressors well under culture conditions. The results suggested that HAI and superoxide anion production can be used to assess the health status of carps under the culture conditions.

Investigation of anisotropic fishing line-based phantom as tool in quality control of diffusion tensor imaging.

This work proposes a low-cost, fishing line-based phantom for quality control of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The device was applied to investigate the relationship between DTI indexes (DTIi) and imaging acquisition parameters. A Dyneema® fishing line phantom was built with fiber bundles of different thicknesses. DTI acquisitions were performed in a 3T magnetic resonance imaging scanner using an 8-channel and a 32-channel head coil. For each coil, the following acquisition parameters were changed, one at a time: diffusion sensitivity factor (b value), echo time, sensitivity encoding, voxel size, number of signal averages, and number of diffusion gradient directions (NDGD). DTIi including fractional anisotropy, relative anisotropy (RA), linear anisotropy (CL), and planar anisotropy (CP) were calculated for each image; the data were analyzed using the coefficient of variation (CV) and distributions of DTIi values. The 32-channel head coil presented higher CV values for the DTIi RA, CL, and CP when voxel size was changed. Using the phantom, dependences between diffusion-related parameters (b value and NDGD) and DTIi were also observed; the majority of these were for the smaller thickness fiber bundles. The device proved to be useful for the verification of the DTI performance over time.

The sources of electrophysiological variability in the retina of Periplaneta americana.

Variability in the electrophysiological properties of homotypic photoreceptors is widespread and is thought to facilitate functioning under disparate illumination conditions. Compound eyes of insects have three sources of variability: inter-individual, intra-individual, and intra-ommatidial, the latter two overlapping. Here, I explored the causes of variability in Periplaneta americana, a nocturnal insect characterized by highly variable photoreceptor responses. By recording from photoreceptors in dissociated ommatidia, including consecutive recordings from photoreceptors in the same ommatidium (SO), I studied the variability of six properties: whole-cell membrane capacitance (Cm), phototransduction latency, maximal conductance (Gmax) and the slope factor of the sustained Kv current, absolute sensitivity in dim light, and sustained light-induced current (LIC) amplitude in bright light. Coefficient of variation (CV) metrics were used to compare variances in four experimental groups: SO, same animal (SA), all data combined "full sample" (FS), and full sample of all SO recordings (FSSO). For the normally distributed parameters Cm, Gmax, slope factor, and latency, the highest CV values were found in FS and FSSO, intermediate in SA, and the lowest in SO. On average, SO variance accounted for 47% of the full-sample variance in these four parameters. Absolute sensitivity and LIC values were not normally distributed, and the differences in variability between SO and FS/FSSO groups were smaller than for the other four parameters. These results indicate two main sources of variability, intra-ommatidial and inter-individual. Inter-individual variability was investigated by exposing adult cockroaches to constant light or dark for several months. In both groups, the majority of CV measures for the six parameters decreased compared to control, indicating substantial contribution of phenotypic plasticity to inter-individual differences. Analysis of variability of resting potential and elementary voltage responses revealed that resting potential is mainly determined by the sustained Kv conductance, whereas voltage bump amplitude is mainly determined by current bump amplitude and Cm.

Test-Retest Reliability of Graph Theoretic Metrics in Adolescent Brains.

Graph theory analysis of structural brain networks derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has become a popular analytical method in neuroscience, enabling advanced investigations of neurological and psychiatric disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate (1) the effects of edge weighting schemes and (2) the effects of varying interscan periods on graph metrics within the adolescent brain. We compared a binary (B) network definition with three weighting schemes: fractional anisotropy (FA), streamline count, and streamline count with density and length correction (SDL). Two commonly used global and two local graph metrics were examined. The analysis was conducted with two groups of adolescent volunteers who received DTI scans either 12 weeks apart (16.62 ± 1.10 years) or within the same scanning session (30 min apart) (16.65 ± 1.14 years). The intraclass correlation coefficient was used to assess test-retest reliability and the coefficient of variation (CV) was used to assess precision. On average, each edge scheme produced reliable results at both time intervals. Weighted measures outperformed binary measures, with SDL weights producing the most reliable metrics. All edge schemes except FA displayed high CV values, leaving FA as the only edge scheme that consistently showed high precision while also producing reliable results. Overall findings suggest that FA weights are more suited for DTI connectome studies in adolescents.

Design of real-time and long-term hydrologic and water quality wetland monitoring stations in South Florida, USA

Hydrologic regimes in tropical and subtropical regions (e.g. hurricanes, tropical storms, and droughts) impact biogeochemical processes in created and restored wetlands with variability of wet/dry seasons and extreme weather events. Our South Florida Wetland Monitoring Network (SFWMN) with three real-time hydrologic, water quality, and meteorological field stations was established by the Everglades Wetland Research Park of Florida Gulf Coast University in the subtropical Southwest Florida, USA, beginning in 2012. The stations include a restored freshwater marsh (RFM) and adjacent meteorological field station; a restored brackish water marsh (RBM); and a created freshwater treatment wetland system and adjacent meterological station (CFTW). Continuous observations of water depth, temperature, salinity, and pH for the period of January 2012 to January 2016 indicate significant differences among the restored freshwater marsh, the restored brackish marsh, and the created freshwater treatment wetlands for water temperature and pH for wet and dry seasons. The brackish wetland salinity fluctuated between 26.16 (in the dry season) to 1.03ppt (in the wet season).The real-time dataset allowed up-to-date information of the frequency and duration of severe weather events illustrating, for example, that 70% of the 2012 annual rainfall (1129mm) occurring in July and August with a 75.4mm precipitation during one event—tropical storm Isaac on August 26–28, 2012. This storm led to a water stage peak in the brackish wetland due to excessive watershed runoff, not tidal surges, and salinity decreased from 22.3 to 5.5ppt.The coefficient of variation (CV) for water depth and water quality from all wetland monitoring stations exhibited similar variations during all seasons, except when the salinity for the brackish marsh (RBM) had the highest CV values (1.02) in the wet season. Principal component analysis (PCA) at each station identified the variance in water depth and water quality parameters as due to seasonal changes of precipitation in distinct wet and dry seasons. The data from these monitoring stations are also used for research by scholars and students as well as for teaching a better understanding of wetlands dynamics and function in the classroom. As a whole, these stations are being used to bring awareness about the fragile and unique hydrological conditions of wetlands in subtropical Southwest Florida, especially for long-term conditions related to sea level changes and more frequent tropical storms.

Short Communication: Evaluation of quantitative and qualitative morphological characters of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) germplasm

Purwati RD, Herwati A. 2016. Evaluation of quantitative and qualitative morphological characters of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) germplasm. Biodiversitas 17: 461-465. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) germplasm collection in ISFCRI was characterized aiming to distinguish the morphological characters of each genotype. Based on that information it would be possible to observe the diversity and to choose appropriate parent genotypes for successful hybridization. The investigation was carried out in the Pasirian Experimental Station, Lumajang District, East Java, Indonesia located at 110 m above the sea level (113° E, 8° S) in the 2015 growing season. Thirty-three germplasm accessions were characterized. Each accession was planted in 32 m² plot size with four lines. Fertilizer dose was 75 kg Nitrogen + 30 kg P2O5 + 30 kg K2O per ha. The results showed that the low variation value in some quantitative characters such as seed size, weight of 100 seeds, seeds thickness, plant height, leaf size, ray floret length, bract length, head diameter, the flowering time, and seed oil content. The qualitative characters exhibited high coefficient of variation values with only one exception-pollen formation in sunflower inflorescences. These results indicated that on the base of their qualitative morphological characters, sunflower accessions possessed high diversity. The seed size and seed thickness showed significant positive correlation with 100 seeds weight. These two characters might be used as selection criteria in sunflower breeding programs for appropriate screening of parental genotypes included in hybridizing process aiming the increase of plant productivity.