Non-controlled Conditions Research Articles

Schoolhouse risk: Can we mitigate the polygenic Pygmalion effect?

BackgroundAlthough limited in predictive accuracy, polygenic scores (PGS) for educational outcomes are currently available to the public via direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies. Further, there is a growing movement to apply PGS in educational settings via ‘precision education.’ Prior scholarship highlights the potentially negative impacts of such applications, as disappointing results may give rise a “polygenic Pygmalion effect.” In this paper two studies were conducted to identify factors that may mitigate or exacerbate negative impacts of PGS. MethodsTwo studies were conducted. In each, 1188 students were randomized to one of four conditions: Low-percentile polygenic score for educational attainment (EA-PGS), Low EA-PGS + Mitigating information, Low EA-PGS + Exacerbating information, or Control. Regression analyses were used to examine differences between conditions. ResultsIn Study 1, participants randomized to Control reported significantly higher on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Competence Scale (CS), Academic Efficacy Scale (AES) and Educational Potential Scale (EPS). CS was significantly higher in the Low EA-PGS + Mitigating information condition. CS and AES were significantly lower in the Low EA-PGS + Exacerbating information condition compared to the Low EA-PGS + Mitigating information condition. In Study 2, participants randomized to Control reported significantly higher CS and AES. Pairwise comparisons did not show significant differences in CS and AES. Follow-up pairwise comparisons using Tukey P-value correction did not find significant associations between non-control conditions. ConclusionThese studies replicated the polygenic Pygmalion effect yet were insufficiently powered to detect significant effects of mitigating contextual information. Regardless of contextual information, disappointing EA-PGS results were significantly associated with lower assessments of self-esteem, competence, academic efficacy, and educational potential.

A High Andean Hydrocolloid Extracted by Microatomization: Preliminary Optimization in Aqueous Stability.

Aqueous suspensions rely on electrostatic interactions among suspended solids, posing a significant challenge to maintaining stability during storage, particularly in the food and pharmaceutical industries, where synthetic stabilizers are commonly employed. However, there is a growing interest in exploring new materials derived from natural and environmentally friendly sources. This study aimed to optimize the stability parameters of a novel Altoandino Nostoc Sphaericum hydrocolloid (NSH) extracted via micro atomization. Suspensions were prepared by varying the pH, gelatinization temperature and NSH dosage using a 23 factorial arrangement, resulting in eight treatments stored under non-controlled conditions for 20 days. Stability was assessed through turbidity, sedimentation (as sediment transmittance), ζ potential, particle size, color and UV-Vis scanning. Optimization of parameters was conducted using empirical equations, with evaluation based on the correlation coefficient (R2), average relative error (ARE) and X2. The suspensions exhibited high stability throughout the storage period, with optimized control parameters identified at a pH of 4.5, gelatinization temperature of 84.55 °C and NSH dosage of 0.08 g/L. Simulated values included turbidity (99.00%), sedimentation (72.34%), ζ potential (-25.64 mV), particle size (300.00 nm) and color index (-2.00), with simulated results aligning with practical application. These findings suggest the potential use of NSH as a substitute for commercial hydrocolloids, albeit with consideration for color limitations that require further investigation.

Learning emotional dialects: A British population study of cross-cultural communication.

The aim of the current research was to explore whether we can improve the recognition of cross-cultural freely-expressed emotional faces in British participants. We tested several methods for improving the recognition of freely-expressed emotional faces, such as different methods for presenting other-culture expressions of emotion from individuals from Chile, New Zealand and Singapore in two experimental stages. In the first experimental stage, in phase one, participants were asked to identify the emotion of cross-cultural freely-expressed faces. In the second phase, different cohorts were presented with interactive side-by-side, back-to-back and dynamic morphing of cross-cultural freely-expressed emotional faces, and control conditions. In the final phase, we repeated phase one using novel stimuli. We found that all non-control conditions led to recognition improvements. Morphing was the most effective condition for improving the recognition of cross-cultural emotional faces. In the second experimental stage, we presented morphing to different cohorts including own-to-other and other-to-own freely-expressed cross-cultural emotional faces and neutral-to-emotional and emotional-to-neutral other-culture freely-expressed emotional faces. All conditions led to recognition improvements and the presentation of freely-expressed own-to-other cultural-emotional faces provided the most effective learning. These findings suggest that training can improve the recognition of cross-cultural freely-expressed emotional expressions.

Development and demographic parameters of Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) when feeding on rice (Oryza sativa)

Fall Armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), native to the Americas, is a polyphagous insect pest feeding on more than 350 plant species. We studied the developmental and demographic parameters of the maize (Zea mays) strain of FAW on rice (Oryza sativa), and compared the results with its prime host, maize. The developmental period from egg to adult among rice varieties did not differ significantly; however, it did differ significantly between rice and maize, as feeding on rice rather than maize extends development duration of FAW larvae by 15.15%. FAW larvae collected and reared on maize were found to be of significantly higher weight than those reared on rice at two sequential dates of their development; pupal weight however was observed as statistically similar between these two host crops. Regardless of the host, female adults always emerged before males; in maize, female FAW appeared 3.36 days earlier than males. Females derived from rice had longer pre-oviposition periods and shorter oviposition ones than those derived from maize. In rice and maize, the age-specific fecundity rate (mx) peaked at 40 days and 33 days, respectively. When the Fall Armyworm consumed maize instead of rice, there was an increase in the reproduction rate (R0), the intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm), and the finite rate of increase (λ). For instance, when FAW fed on rice, the rm value was 0.121, whereas it rose to 0.173 when FAW fed on maize. Feeding on rice instead of maize resulted in significantly longer mean length of generation (tG) and doubling time (tD) for the fall armyworm (FAW). This suggests that it took a longer time for the FAW population to double when it was fed rice under controlled greenhouse conditions. In summary, our research suggests that FAW can survive and complete its life cycle on rice plants and on multiple varieties of rice in Bangladesh. However, field verification is necessary before drawing strong conclusions as to the risk posed by FAW in rice. This requires additional studies of FAW and associated insect community dynamics under non-controlled conditions and in the context of multi-species interactions in Asian rice fields.

Applying Cold Atmospheric Plasma to Preserve the Postharvest Qualities of Winter Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. Dongzao) During Cold Storage.

Winter jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. Dongzao) is a very popular horticultural fruit worldwide, which contains a high number of bioactive compounds. Nevertheless, jujube is perishable by microbial contamination and has a short shelf life under non-controlled conditions. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) presents a great potential for food sterilization, maintain postharvest quality, and prolonged storage time. Herein, this study investigated the potential effect of CAP with different exposure times (0, 5, 10, and 20 min) on the physicochemical and biochemical changes in jujube during 15-day storage at 4°C and 90% relative humidity (RH). The results showed that CAP treatment could obviously delay ripening, but displayed no effects on the speed of weight loss and moisture content. Meanwhile, the total native aerobic bacterial count in each jujube group was restrained during whole storage. However, CAP treatment showed a time-dependent manner to improve gene expression (PAL, 4CL, DFR, ANS, LAR, and ANR) related to phenolic biosynthesis. As compared to other groups, 20-min CAP treatment can keep or increase total phenolic content (TPC), maintain antioxidant activity, and reduce oxidative damage. Furthermore, the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in jujube during middle storage were visibly reduced by 20-min CAP treatment. All in all, our findings concluded that appropriate CAP exposure time can be a promising candidate for the postharvest preservation of jujube.

Ocular Surface Temperature in DED under Natural Non-Controlled Blinking Conditions

Infrared (IR) thermography is a tool to non-invasively assess the tear film temperature. The aim was to analyze ocular surface temperature (OST) variations in dry eye disease (DED) and control eyes under natural non-controlled blinking conditions. Imaging was performed with a thermal camera (FLIR Systems Inc.) at 30 Hz framerate in 79 participants (39 DED (62.5% women, average age 48 ± 20 years) and 40 control (46.2 % women, average age 38 ± 13 years)) using non-contact IR thermography camera. Data acquisitions were performed in natural blinking conditions for 40 s. IR images were analyzed using a custom algorithm that calculates the OST indexes: mean OST, OST at the start and at the end, minimum and maximum OST, and tear evaporation rate (TER). No significant differences were found between groups in any thermal parameter analyzed (paired comparisons t-test, p > 0.05). In conclusion, the findings of this study did not reveal significant differences between DED and control eyes under natural non-controlled blinking conditions. However, the presence of clinical signs in the control group may affect the results, highlighting the role of DED diagnosis criteria.

Precise Agriculture: Effective Deep Learning Strategies to Detect Pest Insects

Pest insect monitoring and control is crucial to ensure a safe and profitable crop growth in all plantation types, as well as guarantee food quality and limited use of pesticides. We aim at extending traditional monitoring by means of traps, by involving the general public in reporting the presence of insects by using smartphones. This includes the largely unexplored problem of detecting insects in images that are taken in noncontrolled conditions. Furthermore, pest insects are, in many cases, extremely similar to other species that are harmless. Therefore, computer vision algorithms must not be fooled by these similar insects, not to raise unmotivated alarms. In this work, we study the capabilities of state-of-the-art (SoA) object detection models based on convolutional neural networks (CNN) for the task of detecting beetle-like pest insects on nonhomogeneous images taken outdoors by different sources. Moreover, we focus on disambiguating a pest insect from similar harmless species. We consider not only detection performance of different models, but also required computational resources. This study aims at providing a baseline model for this kind of tasks. Our results show the suitability of current SoA models for this application, highlighting how FasterRCNN with a MobileNetV3 backbone is a particularly good starting point for accuracy and inference execution latency. This combination provided a mean average precision score of 92.66% that can be considered qualitatively at least as good as the score obtained by other authors that adopted more specific models.

Investigating phosphate-adsorption behaviour on a real ferrallitic-ferritic soil using a pluralistic approach under non-controlled conditions

Context Ferralsols, which cover approximately 6% of the Earth’s continental surface, have unique phosphorus (P) retention properties.Aims The research investigates P adsorption properties under non-controlled conditions on lateritic soil samples, combining different methodological approaches.Methods Ferralsol samples were analysed using (1) adsorption kinetics and capacities (wet chemical experiment methods), (2) scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy and (3) attenuated transmission reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR).Key results Wet chemical experiments accord with previous studies on lateritic soils where chemisorption mechanisms govern P adsorption. Further, P adsorption appears to affect soil particles’ structural stability and release of iron (Fe) species in solution. SEM mapping confirmed the location of P compounds in Fe-rich areas. ATR-FTIR identified two inner-sphere complexes: monodentate (FeO)PO2(OH) and bidentate (FeO)2PO(OH) at wavenumber positions 958±5, 1042±5 and 1095±8cm−1; and 930±5, 983±10, 1005±5 and 1122±9cm−1, respectively. Also, a band centred at 1030±4cm−1 suggested evidence of ternary complexes for P concentrations above 500mgP/L. Combined methods suggested the potential involvement of redox mechanisms and other ionic species in the formation and types of phosphate surface complexes.Conclusions Our approach builds on previous work in this field by showing evidence of complex ionic interactions governing P retention on lateritic soils. Novel insights are evidence of fluctuations in physical and chemical factors with phosphate adsorption and suggestion of inner-sphere and ternary surface complexation mechanisms.Implications Given the wide global distribution of lateritic Ferralsols, our findings have important implications for key emerging challenges relating to P cycling for crop production and environmental impact.

Effects of Traditional and Modern Post-Harvest Withering Processes on the Composition of the Vitis v. Corvina Grape and the Sensory Profile of Amarone Wines.

In the Valpolicella area (Verona, Italy) Vitis vinifera cv. Corvina is the main grape variety used to produce Amarone wine. Before starting the winemaking process, the Corvina grapes are stored in a withering (i.e., dehydrating) warehouse until about 30% of the berry weight is lost (WL). This practice is performed to concentrate the metabolites in the berry and enrich the Amarone wine in aroma and antioxidant compounds. In compliance with the guidelines and strict Amarone protocol set by the Consorzio of Amarone Valpolicella, withering must be carried out by setting the grapes in a suitable environment, either under controlled relative air humidity (RH) conditions and wind speed (WS)—no temperature modification is to be applied—or, following the traditional methods, in non-controlled environmental conditions. In general, the two processes have different dehydration kinetics due to the different conditions in terms of temperature, RH, and WS, which affect the accumulation of sugars and organic acids and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites such as stilbenes and glycoside aroma precursors. For this study, the two grape-withering processes were carried out under controlled (C) and non-controlled (NC) conditions, and the final compositions of the Corvina dried grapes were compared also to evaluate the effects on the organoleptic characteristics of Amarone wine. The findings highlighted differences between the two processes mainly in terms of the secondary metabolites of the dried grapes, which affect the organoleptic characteristics of Amarone wine. Indeed, by the sensory evaluation, wines produced by adopting the NC process were found more harmonious, elegant, and balanced. Finally, we can state how using a traditional system, grapes were characterised by higher levels of VOCs (volatile compounds), whilst wines had a higher and appreciable complexity and finesse.

Use of a protective antimicrobial coating to reduce the microbial load in public transportation – a real-scenario study

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The need to disinfect and sanitise private or public spaces, as a consequence of the pandemic caused by the Sars-Cov-2 virus, has raised new questions and demands in the sanitary field, including new cleaning and sanitising practices. Public transportation is one of the sectors most impacted by this new reality. The greatest cause for concern in terms of infection risk is related to the high flow and close contact between individuals and the constant sharing of surfaces. In fact, human pathogens have been detected on surfaces highly touched in public transportation. In this study, the antimicrobial activity of the Progen Guard Technology 24H coating (CTEQ - Indústria Química, Portugal|) on surfaces of public buses during their normal daily operating period was investigated. METHODS: Three different buses circulating in Santo Tirso (north of Porto Metropolitan Area, Portugal) between October and December 2020 were part of this study. Swab samples were taken from three surfaces treated with the product and from three untreated surfaces (treated and untreated doorbell buttons, ceiling-mounted handles, stanchions) immediately after product application and every 24 h for 4 days. Immediately after collection, samples were transported to the laboratory and enumeration of total aerobic microorganisms at 30 ºC was performed. RESULTS:For the analyzed parameter and the investigated surfaces, it was concluded that the application of Progen Guard Technology 24H significantly reduces the total microbial load on surfaces immediately after application (86.3% to 98.8%) and for at least 24 hours (72.7% to 98.7%) in a real context - naturally contaminated surfaces and non-controlled conditions. CONCLUSIONS:These are promising results concerning the prevention of the spread of contaminants in public spaces. This antimicrobial coating deserves to be further investigated in other real-life scenarios where environmental microbial contamination is a cause for concern (e.g., healthcare settings). KEYWORDS: Non-chemical stressors, microbes, Infectious diseases

3D Distance Measurement from a Camera to a Mobile Vehicle, Using Monocular Vision

Estimation of distance from objects in real‐world scenes is an important topic in several applications such as navigation of autonomous robots, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), and augmented reality (AR). Even though there is a technology for this purpose, in some cases, this technology has some disadvantages. For example, GPS systems are susceptible to interference, especially in places surrounded by buildings, under bridges or indoors; alternatively, RGBD sensors can be used, but they are expensive, and their operational range is limited. Monocular vision is a low‐cost suitable alternative that can be used indoor and outdoor. However, monocular odometry is challenging because the object location can be known up a scale factor. Moreover, when objects are moving, it is necessary to estimate the location from consecutive images accumulating error. This paper introduces a new method to compute the distance from a single image of the desired object, with known dimensions, captured with a monocular calibrated vision system. This method is less restrictive than other proposals in the state‐of‐the‐art literature. For the detection of interest points, a Region‐based Convolutional Neural Network combined with a corner detector were used. The proposed method was tested on a standard dataset and images acquired by a low‐cost and low‐resolution webcam, under noncontrolled conditions. The system was tested and compared with a calibrated stereo vision system. Results showed the similar performance of both systems, but the monocular system accomplished the task in less time.

Image and Ray Tracing Analysis of a Parabolic Dish Collector to Achieve High Flux on a Solar Volumetric Reactor

The need to achieve a uniform distribution of concentrated solar flux in the photovoltaic, thermal or any other receivers is a common problem; therefore, the optical characterization of the concentration system is necessary to determinate the physical characteristics of the receptors. In this work, a parabolic dish concentrator of 1.65x1.65 m2, developed by research from the University of Arizona, is optically characterized under normal operating conditions, also known as environmental conditions that refer to non-controlled conditions as solar radiation, environmental temperature and wind velocity that could affect slightly, by thermal and mechanical efforts, the distribution profiles of the concentrated solar radiation. The set used for the evaluation consisted of the parabolic mirror and Chilled Lambertian Flat Surface installed in the focal point on the optical axis of the mirror. The evaluation was divided into two parts: a theoretical part that consist on using ray tracing simulation and an experimental part that corresponds to image analysis. The used methodology in this work has been stablish in many researches, so this is a reliable method. The global optical error was 2.3 mrad under normal operating conditions.

Jujube fruit: A potential nutritious fruit for the development of functional food products

• Jujube fruit is a rich source of nutritional compounds. • The processing and development of jujube-based food products is summarized. • The biological activities of jujube products are discussed. • This review will be useful for research and application of jujube fruit. Jujube belongs to the Rhamnaceae family and is a popular fruit worldwide. Jujube has a long history of usage as traditionally healthy food. However, jujube fruits have a short shelf-life and it can be stored for no more than ten days under non-controlled conditions. Thus, the processing of jujube to product is one of the best options for long time storage. This review aims to highlight the nutritional importance of jujube fruit and its potential application for the development of commercial food products. It also addresses the health benefits of jujube-based food products. Moreover, jujube products possess high nutritional and biological value, which can be incorporated into different food formulations to improve product quality. Therefore, jujube fruit can be a promising food ingredient for the development of functional food products to achieve high consumer acceptability and health benefits.

The colour of crop improvement

The colour of crop improvement

Expression of a carotenogenic gene allows faster biomass production by redesigning plant architecture and improving photosynthetic efficiency in tobacco.

Because carotenoids act as accessory pigments in photosynthesis, play a key photoprotective role and are of major nutritional importance, carotenogenesis has been a target for crop improvement. Although carotenoids are important precursors of phytohormones, previous genetic manipulations reported little if any effects on biomass production and plant development, but resulted in specific modifications in carotenoid content. Unexpectedly, the expression of the carrot lycopene β-cyclase (DcLCYB1) in Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanthi not only resulted in increased carotenoid accumulation, but also in altered plant architecture characterized by longer internodes, faster plant growth, early flowering and increased biomass. Here, we have challenged these transformants with a range of growth conditions to determine the robustness of their phenotype and analyze the underlying mechanisms. Transgenic DcLCYB1 lines showed increased transcript levels of key genes involved in carotenoid, chlorophyll, gibberellin (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis, but also in photosynthesis-related genes. Accordingly, their carotenoid, chlorophyll, ABA and GA contents were increased. Hormone application and inhibitor experiments confirmed the key role of altered GA/ABA contents in the growth phenotype. Because the longer internodes reduce shading of mature leaves, induction of leaf senescence was delayed, and mature leaves maintained a high photosynthetic capacity. This increased total plant assimilation, as reflected in higher plant yields under both fully controlled constant and fluctuating light, and in non-controlled conditions. Furthermore, our data are a warning that engineering of isoprenoid metabolism can cause complex changes in phytohormone homeostasis and therefore plant development, which have not been sufficiently considered in previous studies.

Ambient air-processed mesoscopic solar cells based on methylammonium and phenethylammonium quasi-2D/3D perovskites

The instability of perovskite solar cells under ambient conditions leads many scientific groups to produce their solar cell devices under controllable, yet, expensive conditions. In this work, a mesoscopic solar cell device produced under ambient air/temperature conditions and relatively high humidity is presented. The active material is based on methylamine, phenethylamine, lead(II) iodide and lead(II) chloride. Furthermore, a bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide lithium (Li-TFSI) salt layer was used as a dopant onto mesoscopic TiO2, while the hole-transport material used was the popular poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) polymer. All layers were deposited by simple spin coating technique, while the whole process took place under 40–60% relative humidity–ambient conditions. The sequential deposited perovskite layer was built by a 3D mixed halide (CH3NH3)3PbI3Cl2 layer on top of a mixed 3D/Quasi-2D perovskite (CH3NH3)3PbI3Cl2–(C8H9NH3)2(CH3NH3)2Pb3I10 layer. These specific perovskites were used to take advantage of the well-known power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the mixed halide perovskite based on methylamine, and the proven reproducibility and stability of the phenethylamine-based perovskites, especially under non-controllable conditions. The champion mesoscopic device presented a PCE of 13.22%, with short circuit current density (JSC) of 23.67 mA/cm2, open circuit voltage (VOC) of 1034 mV and fill factor (FF) 0.54.

Drivers of productivity and its temporal stability in a tropical tree diversity experiment.

There is increasing evidence that mixed-species forests can provide multiple ecosystem services at a higher level than their monospecific counterparts. However, most studies concerning tree diversity and ecosystem functioning relationships use data from forest inventories (under noncontrolled conditions) or from very young plantation experiments. Here, we investigated temporal dynamics of diversity-productivity relationships and diversity-stability relationships in the oldest tropical tree diversity experiment. Sardinilla was established in Panama in 2001, with 22 plots that form a gradient in native tree species richness of one-, two-, three- and five-species communities. Using annual data describing tree diameters and heights, we calculated basal area increment as the proxy of tree productivity. We combined tree neighbourhood- and community-level analyses and tested the effects of both species diversity and structural diversity on productivity and its temporal stability. General patterns were consistent across both scales indicating that tree-tree interactions in neighbourhoods drive observed diversity effects. From 2006 to 2016, mean overyielding (higher productivity in mixtures than in monocultures) was 25%-30% in two- and three-species mixtures and 50% in five-species stands. Tree neighbourhood diversity enhanced community productivity but the effect of species diversity was stronger and increased over time, whereas the effect of structural diversity declined. Temporal stability of community productivity increased with species diversity via two principle mechanisms: asynchronous responses of species to environmental variability and overyielding. Overyielding in mixtures was highest during a strong El Niño-related drought. Overall, positive diversity-productivity and diversity-stability relationships predominated, with the highest productivity and stability at the highest levels of diversity. These results provide new insights into mixing effects in diverse, tropical plantations and highlight the importance of analyses of temporal dynamics for our understanding of the complex relationships between diversity, productivity and stability. Under climate change, mixed-species forests may provide both high levels and high stability of production.

Indoor Ecosystem Services: Impacts of Plants on Air Quality

Summary Ecosystem services have been the focus of recent research on ecology, biodiversity and human health. As most of this research has placed emphasis on natural ecosystems, there is a lack of data on the effect of indoor and urban ecosystems on both human health and the quality of human life. One of the most common health issues associated with urban and indoor spaces is the quality of air. Considering that humans spend most of their time indoors, accompanied by a lack of fresh air due to industry growth and environmental degradation, there is an obvious need for a non-invasive and non-obtrusive air purification system. This paper presents the results of the indoor air quality monitoring under non-controlled conditions, i.e. the changes in air quality induced by the common indoor ornamental plant Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Laurentii’. The following air quality parameters were observed: the relative humidity and temperature of air, as well as the concentrations of carbon-dioxide, methane and overall VOCs. Measurements were performed using the commercial CO2 data logger Extech SD800 and the in-house developed Arduino Uno-based measuring device with different sensors. The results obtained show the changes in the indoor air quality relative to the presence or absence of the selected plants. A sudden increase in the overall VOC (NH3, NOx, benzene and smoke), methane and carbon-dioxide concentrations was recorded after the plants were removed from the indoor space. The purpose of this research is to form a basis for designing a biological purification system as a low-cost and environment-friendly method for the monitoring and purification of indoor air.

Diagnosing the Climatic and Agronomic Dimensions of Rain-Fed Oat Yield Gaps and Their Restrictions in North and Northeast China

Confronted with the great challenges of globally growing populations and food shortages, society must achieve future food security by increasing grain output and narrowing the gap between potential yields and farmers’ actual yields. This study attempts to diagnose the climatic and agronomic dimensions of oat yield gaps and further to explore their restrictions. A conceptual framework was put forward to analyze the different dimensions of yield gaps and their limiting factors. We quantified the potential yield (Yp), attainable yield (Yt), experimental yield (Ye), and farmers’ actual yield (Ya) of oat, and evaluated three levels of yield gaps in a rain-fed cropping system in North and Northeast China (NC and NEC, respectively). The results showed that there were great differences in the spatial distributions of the four kinds of yields and three yield gaps. The average yield gap between Yt and Ye (YG-II) was greater than the yield gap between Yp and Yt (YG-I). The yield gap between Ye and Ya (YG-III) was the largest among the three yield gaps at most sites, which indicated that farmers have great potential to increase their crop yields. Due to non-controllable climatic conditions (e.g., light and temperature) for obtaining Yp, reducing YG-I is extremely difficult. Although YG-II could be narrowed through enriching soil nutrients, it is not easy to improve soil quality in the short term. In contrast, narrowing YG-III is the most feasible for farmers by means of introducing high-yield crop varieties and optimizing agronomic managements (e.g., properly adjusting sowing dates and planting density). This study figured out various dimensions of yield gaps and investigated their limiting factors, which should be helpful to increase farmers’ yields and regional crop production, as long as these restrictions are well addressed.

Microflora of Mycotoxigenic Fungi in Rice Grains in Kyushu Region of Japan and Their Changes during Storage under non-Controlled Conditions.

Contamination of agricultural crops by mycotoxins has increased because of the expansion of mycotoxin-producing fungi along with global warming. In this study, the fungal microflora of brown rice grains cultivated in Kyushu region in the southern part of Japan was investigated. A total of 75% of rice samples examined in this study showed less than 30% of fungal contamination rates with a median rate of 12.5%. Some isolates of Aspergillus flavus showed the ability to produce aflatoxins (AFs) (AFB1 production was 62.5-70.4 ng/mL) . Furthermore, AF-producing Aspergillus flavus survived during storage and Aspergillus creber, which produced sterigmatocystin, was detected in a stored rice sample. Although AFs or sterigmatocystin-contamination was not detected in any rice samples, these mycotoxin-producing fungi are distributed and can survive during storage under the natural conditions in Japan. Employing suitable storage conditions is important for preventing mycotoxin contamination of brown rice grains.