Effect of population density and dose of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers on performance of green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

This experiment was executed in a split randomized complete block design with three replications. Two plant densities (D), (D1; D2) equal to one plant and two plants per pot and seven fertilizers doses (F), (N0 K0; N1 K0; N1 K1; N2 K0; N2 K2; N0 K1; N0 K2) were investigated. N0, N11 and N2 equal to 0, 0.46, and 0.92 g urea while, K0, K1 and K2 equal to 0, 0.42 and 0.84 g potassium sulfate,  respectively. The results showed that the treatments had no effect on the number of  branches per plant and vice versa the interaction. Lower plant density (D1) and higher dose of both elements (N2 K2) significantly increased shoots dry weight, number of pods and pod yield per plant while, in second season the higher value of those yield parameters was obtained at lower dose of nitrogen (N1 K0), the interaction of those treatments increased significantly plant dry weight. The  interaction between lower plant density (D1) and nitrogen irrespective of their quantity and potassium, (N1 K0; N1 K1; N2 K0 and N2 K2) increased the number of pods and pods yield per plant, while the greatest yield per hectare was obtained at density planting (D2) receiving higher doses of both fertilizer and lower dose of nitrogen (N2 K2: N1 K0) at the first and second season respectively.Keywords: Cultivar Djadida; Nutrient Competition; Vegetative Productivity

How Viable Is the UTAUT Model in a Non-Western Context?

The present research examines the plausibility of Unified Theory Acceptance and Use Technology (UTAUT) model in predicting internet banking behaviour as a newly adopted technology third world countries. Data is collected from three Arab countries: Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Confirmatory factor analysis is applied to test constructs measurement and model hypotheses. Findings are congruent with model testing under conditions of volitional usage behaviour. In this regard, the role of facilitating conditions variable is insignificant as a determinant of usage behaviour. Social norms variable also proved to be weak determinant of behavioural intentions mainly owing to users’ experience. Findings demonstrate effort expectancy as the key determinant of internet banking usage behaviour in the examined markets, while users’ experience moderates the impact of effort expectancy on behavioural intention. Results should enhance our understanding of internet banking usage in developing countries and support e-services promoting in this region

Looking under the bonnet:factors affecting student adoption of e-learning systems in Jordan

The primary questions addressed in this paper are the following: what are the factors that affect students’ adoption of an e-learning system and what are the relationships among these factors? This paper investigates and identifies some of the major factors affecting students’ adoption of an e-learning system in a university in Jordan. E-learning adoption is approached from the information systems acceptance point of view. This suggests that a prior condition for learning effectively using e-learning systems is that students must actually use them. Thus, a greater knowledge of the factors that affect IT adoption and their interrelationships is a pre-cursor to a better understanding of student acceptance of e-learning systems. In turn, this will help and guide those who develop, implement, and deliver e-learning systems. In this study, an extended version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was developed to investigate the underlying factors that influence students’ decisions to use an e-learning system. The TAM was populated using data gathered from a survey of 486 undergraduate students using the Moodle based e-learning system at the Arab Open University. The model was estimated using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). A path model was developed to analyze the relationships between the factors to explain students’ adoption of the e-learning system. Whilst findings support existing literature about prior experience affecting perceptions, they also point to surprising group effects, which may merit future exploration

Optimization Of Palm Oil Mill Effluent Treatment By Applying RSM And ANN

AbstractThe optimization of the COD removal from palm oil mill effluent (POME) has done. The correlation of concentration and pH of POME, and Trans membrane pressure (TMP) of Reverse Osmosis (RO) membrane was optimized by response surface method using a second order polynomial model with Box Behken design consist of 17 runs. To determine whether the model was adequate for representing the experimental data; it was indicated by the ANNOVA table (p-value, lack of fit and R2 values).  The main factor influenced the COD removal was concentration and pH of POME.  The optimum conditions were determined from 3D response surface and 2D contour graphs i.e. 28.30% of POME concentration at pH 10.75 and TMP 0.69 kPa to yield 24.1372 mg/L of COD value. The results demonstrate that the response surface method effective to minimize the number of experiment. Keywords: POME; RO membrane; RSM; ANN; CO

Decrease of preccurent behavior as training increases : effects of task complexity

When someone is described as memorizing ~ phone number, part of what is being asserted is that the person is capable of dialing the number without looking it up in the directory. Such responses, which may decrease and stop occurring as training increases, can be interpreted as nonrequired precurrent behavior. In different experiments, participants could look up an auxiliary screen to see the numbers (Experiment 1) or arbitrary characters (Experiment 3) corresponding to different shapes. In Experiment 2, a typing task with a covered keyboard was used, in which participants could look up an auxiliary screen to see key positions. Duration of precurrent response, divided by correct current responses, decreased as a linear function of the logarithm ot trials in ali three experiments. In Experiment 3, the complexity of the task was changed, by altering the number of responses to be learned per pair, per position, and in the total task. Results indicated that these variables produced systematic effects on performance and are compatible with an interpretation of task complexity based upon the quantification of the programmed contingencies of reinforcement

Genotype x Environment interaction for quality traits in durum wheat cultivars adapted to different environments

The quality traits of durum wheat are important for the utilization by the industries. These traits may be influenced by genotype and interaction of genotype and environment (GxE). To evaluate the effects of genotype, environment and genotype x environment interaction on quality traits such as vitreousness, SDS sedimentation test, yellow pigment index, protein content and test weight, twelve Moroccan durum wheat cultivars representing a range of agronomic adaptation were tested in five locations representing a range of environments in three growing seasons. The results indicated significant effects of genotype, environment and GxE for all the quality traits. The extent of these effects differed; for SDSsedimentation volumes, yellow pigment and test weight, the component of variation due to genotype was larger than due to the environment, indicating the greater influence of genotypes on these traits. However, for vitreousness and protein content, the effect of environment was higher than the effect due to genotypes. Thus, these traits are controlled greatly by environmental effects than genetics. The variation due to GxE was higher than that of genotype for vitreousness and test weight, indicating high GxE interaction effect and less genotypic stability for these traits. For protein content, where the environmental effect was greater than that of genotype and GxE effect, multiple environmental trials are necessary in order to determine protein content of a cultivar. For other traits,  preliminary evaluations can be done in one environment and good performing ones can be selected for multiple environmental trials

Retinal Architecture in ​\u3cem\u3eRGS9-\u3c/em\u3e and ​\u3cem\u3eR9AP\u3c/em\u3e-Associated Retinal Dysfunction (Bradyopsia)

Purpose To characterize photoreceptor structure and mosaic integrity in subjects with RGS9- and R9AP-associated retinal dysfunction (bradyopsia) and compare to previous observations in other cone dysfunction disorders such as oligocone trichromacy. Design Observational case series. Methods setting: Moorfields Eye Hospital (United Kingdom) and Medical College Wisconsin (USA). study population: Six eyes of 3 subjects with disease-causing variants in RGS9 or R9AP. main outcome measures: Detailed retinal imaging using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography and confocal adaptive-optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy. Results Cone density at 100 μm from foveal center ranged from 123 132 cones/mm2to 140 013 cones/mm2. Cone density ranged from 30 573 to 34 876 cones/mm2 by 600 μm from center and from 15 987 to 16,253 cones/mm2 by 1400 μm from center, in keeping with data from normal subjects. Adaptive-optics imaging identified a small, focal hyporeflective lesion at the foveal center in both eyes of the subject with RGS9-associated disease, corresponding to a discrete outer retinal defect also observed on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography; however, the photoreceptor mosaic remained intact at all other observed eccentricities. Conclusions Bradyopsia and oligocone trichromacy share common clinical symptoms and cannot be discerned on standard clinical findings alone. Adaptive-optics imaging previously demonstrated a sparse mosaic of normal wave-guiding cones remaining at the fovea, with no visible structure outside the central fovea in oligocone trichromacy. In contrast, the subjects presented in this study with molecularly confirmed bradyopsia had a relatively intact and structurally normal photoreceptor mosaic, allowing the distinction between these disorders based on the cellular phenotype and suggesting different pathomechanisms