Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Reflective Plant Breeding Paradigm: A Robust System of Germplasm Development to Support Strategic Diversification of Agroecosystems

Over the last half-century, crop breeding and agro- nomic advances have dramatically enhanced yields in temperate summer-annual cropping systems. Now, diversification of these cropping systems is emerging as a strategy for sustainable intensifica - tion, potentially increasing both crop production and resource conservation. In temperate zones, diversification is largely based on the introduc - tion of winter-annual and perennial crops at spatial and temporal locations in annual-crop production systems that efficiently increase production and resource conservation. Germplasm development will be critical to this strategy, but we contend that to be feasible and efficient, germplasm improve - ment must be closely integrated with commercial- ization of these crops. To accomplish this integra- tion, we propose a novel approach to germplasm development: the reflective plant breeding para - digm (RPBP). Our approach is enabled by develop- ments in genomics, agroecosystem management, and innovation theory and practice. These develop- ments and new plant-breeding technologies (e.g., low-cost sequencing, phenotyping, and spatial modeling of agroecosystems) now enable germ- plasm development to proceed on a time scale that enables close coordination of breeding and com- mercialization (i.e, development of cost-effective production systems and supply-value chains for end-use markets). The RPBP approach is based on close coordination of germplasm development with enterprise development. In addition to supporting strategic diversification of current annual-cropping systems, the RPBP may be useful in rapid adap- tation of agriculture to climate change. Finally, the RPBP may offer a novel and distinctive pathway for future development of the public plant-breeding programs of land-grant universities with implica- tions for graduate education for public- and private- sector plant breeders.
Asthma‐COPD Overlap Syndrome among subjects with newly diagnosed adult‐onset asthma

An emerging topic in clinical research of obstructive lung diseases has been the rather recent recognition of the asthma COPD overlap syndrome, shortened as ACOS (1). There are several questions still unanswered concerning this newly recognized diagnostic entity. The clinical and functional data of ACOS patients do not seem to correspond well with the similar features in patients with asthma or COPD alone (1). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Advanced Fabrication of Single-Crystal Diamond Membranes for Quantum Technologies

Many promising applications of single crystal diamond and its color centers as sensor platform and in photonics require free-standing membranes with a thickness ranging from several micrometers to the few 100 nm range. In this work, we present an approach to conveniently fabricate such thin membranes with up to about one millimeter in size. We use commercially available diamond plates (thickness 50 μm) in an inductively coupled reactive ion etching process which is based on argon, oxygen and SF6. We thus avoid using toxic, corrosive feed gases and add an alternative to previously presented recipes involving chlorine-based etching steps. Our membranes are smooth (RMS roughness <1 nm) and show moderate thickness variation (central part: <1 μm over ≈200 × 200 μm2). Due to an improved etch mask geometry, our membranes stay reliably attached to the diamond plate in our chlorine-based as well as SF6-based processes. Our results thus open the route towards higher reliability in diamond device fabrication and up-scaling.
Accurate Recovery of Internet Traffic Data: A Sequential Tensor Completion Approach

The inference of traffic volume of the whole network from partial traffic measurements becomes increasingly critical for various network engineering tasks, such as capacity planning and anomaly detection. Previous studies indicate that the matrix completion is a possible solution for this problem. However, as a 2-D matrix cannot sufficiently capture the spatial-temporal features of traffic data, these approaches fail to work when the data missing ratio is high. To fully exploit hidden spatial-temporal structures of the traffic data, this paper models the traffic data as a 3-way traffic tensor and formulates the traffic data recovery problem as a low-rank tensor completion problem. However, the high computation complexity incurred by the conventional tensor completion algorithms prevents its practical application for the traffic data recovery. To reduce the computation cost, we propose a novel sequential tensor completion algorithm, which can efficiently exploit the tensor decomposition result based on the previous traffic data to derive the tensor decomposition upon arriving of new data. Furthermore, to better capture the changes of data correlation over time, we propose a dynamic sequential tensor completion algorithm. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to propose sequential tensor completion algorithms to significantly speed up the traffic data recovery process. This facilitates the modeling of Internet traffic with the tensor to well exploit the hidden structures of traffic data for more accurate missing data inference. We have done extensive simulations with the real traffic trace as the input. The simulation results demonstrate that our algorithms can achieve significantly better performance compared with the literature tensor and matrix completion algorithms even when the data missing ratio is high.
The Influence of Radiation, Mechanical, and Plasma-Induced Damage on Deuterium Retention in Tungsten

The role of lattice defects on deuterium retention in tungsten was investigated by using specially prepared samples having one dominant defect type. The studies were carried out using nuclear reaction analysis, thermal desorption spectroscopy, positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. It was demonstrated that vacancies and jogs on dislocations bind deuterium more strongly than dislocations, but less strongly than vacancy clusters.
Gaali cultures: The politics of abusive exchange on social media

On the rapidly expanding social media in India, online users are witness to a routine exchange of abusive terms and accusations with choicest swearwords hurled even for the seemingly non-inflammatory political debates. This article draws upon anthropology of insult to uncover the distinctness, if at all, of online abuse as a means for political participation as well as for the encumbering it provokes and relations of domination it reproduces as a result. In so doing, the article critiques the conception of ludic as anti-hegemonic in the Bakhtin tradition, and develops an emic term “gaali” to signal the blurred boundaries between comedy, insult, shame, and abuse emerging on online media, which also incite gendered forms of intimidation. Gaali, it argues, is best conceptualized through the metaphor of “sound” as distinct from what recent new media studies theorize as “voice. ”
Fear memory consolidation in sleep requires protein kinase A

It is well established that protein kinase A (PKA) is involved in hippocampal dependent memory consolidation. Sleep is also known to play an important role in this process. However, whether sleep-dependent memory consolidation involves PKA activation has not been clearly determined. Using behavioral observation, animals were categorized into sleep and awake groups. We show that intrahippocampal injections of the PKA inhibitor Rp-cAMPs in post-contextual fear conditioning sleep produced a suppression of long-term fear memory, while injections of Rp-cAMPs during an awake state, at a similar time point, had no effect. In contrast, injections of the PKA activator Sp-cAMPs in awake state, rescued sleep deprivation-induced memory impairments. These results suggest that following learning, PKA activation specifically in sleep is required for the consolidation of long-term memory.
Effect of plasma insulin and branched-chain amino acids on skeletal muscle protein synthesis in fasted lambs

The increase in fractional rate of protein synthesis (Ks) in the skeletal muscle of growing rats during the transition from fasted to fed state has been explained by the synergistic action of a rise in plasma insulin and branched-chain amino acids (BCAA). Since growing lambs also exhibit an increase in Ks with level of feed intake, the objective of the present study was to determine if this synergistic relationship between insulin and BCAA also occurs in ruminant animals. Six 30 kg fasted (72 h) lambs (8 months of age) received each of four treatments, which were based on continuous infusion into the jugular vein for 6 h of: (1) saline (155 mmol NaCl/l); (2) a mixture of BCAA (0·778 μmol leucine, 0·640 μmol isoleucine and 0·693 μmol valine/min·kg); (3) 18·7 μmol glucose/min·kg (to induce endogenous insulin secretion); (4) co-infusion of BCAA and glucose. Within each period all animals received the same isotope of phenylalanine (Phe) as follows: (1) l-[1-13C]Phe; (2) l-phenyl-[ring 2H5]-alanine; (3) l-[15N]Phe; (4) l-[ring 2,6-3H]Phe. Blood was sampled serially during infusions to measure plasma concentrations of insulin, glucose and amino acids, and plasma free Phe isotopic activity; biopsies were taken 6 h after the beginning of infusions to determine Ks in m. longissimus dorsi and vastus muscle. Compared with control (saline-infused) lambs, Ks was increased by an average of 40 % at the end of glucose infusion, but this effect was not statistically significant in either of the muscles sampled. BCAA infusion, alone or in combination with glucose, also had no significant effect on Ks compared with control sheep. Ks was approximately 60 % greater for vastus muscle than for m. longissimus dorsi (P>0·01), regardless of treatment. It is concluded that there are signals other than insulin and BCAA that are responsible for the feed-induced increase in Ks in muscle of growing ruminant animals.
CGRP 4218T/C polymorphism correlated with postoperative analgesic effect of fentanyl.

PURPOSE Our study aimed at evaluating the association between α-calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) 4218T/C polymorphism and the patient-controlled analgesic (PCA) effect of fentanyl on Chinese Han population. METHODS 98 patients were involved in the experiment, but only 92 patients completed the experiment. 0.1 mg/kg fentanyl was given to the patients through intravenous injection ten minutes before the ending of surgery. The patients achieved PCA by controlling the fentanyl infusion pump and a single dose was 1 mg. The CGRP 4218T/C polymorphism was genotyped with polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. The fentanyl consumption within the 72 hours after the surgery was recorded and the pain was assessed with numeric rating scale (NRS) method. RESULTS The patients were divided into three groups of wild homozygote (T/T), heterozygote (T/C), and mutant homozygote (C/C). At the 6th hour and the 12th hour after the surgery, the fentanyl consumption for PCA of the T/C group was significantly higher than the T/T group (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the fentanyl consumption of the C/C group was much higher than the T/T group (P<0.05) at the 12th hour and the 24th hour. Besides, the fentanyl consumption of the C/C group was more than the T/C group (P<0.05) at the 24th hour. The differences in NRS scores, Ramsey scores, and postoperative adverse reactions between each group at all time points were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS CGRP 4218T/C polymorphism may be associated with the postoperative fentanyl consumption for analgesia.
Experimental investigation of powder-mixed electric discharge machining of AISI P20 steel using different powders and tool materials

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the performance of powder-mixed electric discharge machining (PMEDM) using three different powders which are aluminium (Al), silicon carbide (SiC) and aluminium oxide (Al2O3). Besides that, the influence of different tool materials was also studied in this experimental investigation. Hence, the work material selected for this purpose was AISI P20 steel and tool materials were copper, brass and tungsten. The performance measures considered in this work were material removal rate (MRR), tool wear rate and radial over cut (ROC). Design/methodology/approach The process variables considered in this study were powder types, powder concentration, tool materials, peak current and pulse on time. The experimental design, based on Taguchi’s L27 orthogonal array, was adopted to conduct experiments. Significant parameters were identified by performing the analysis of variance on the experimental data. Findings Based on the analysis of results, it was observed that copper tool combined with Al powder produced maximum MRR (58.35 mm3/min). Similarly, the Al2O3 powder combined with tungsten tool has resulted least ROC (0.04865 mm). It was also observed that wear rate of tungsten tool was very low (0.0145 mm3/min). Originality/value The experimental investigation of PMEDM involving three different powders (Al, SiC and Al2O3) was not attempted before. Moreover, the study of influence of different tool materials (Cu, brass and W) together with the different powders on the electric discharge machining performance was very limited.
Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A 6-Month Clinico-Histopathologic Audit in a Kenyan Population

Objective: To determine the clinico-histopathologic variations and etiological factors associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional hospital based study was conducted at the University of Nairobi Dental Hospital (UNDH) and Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) between September 2008 and February 2009. Eighty-two (82) patients presenting with lesions confirmed as OSCC were evaluated for habits identified as risk factors such as tobacco use, alcohol use and betel quid chewing. Demographic features including age and gender as well as clinical parameters such as site of the primary lesion, tumour size and nodal involvement were documented. Incisional biopsies were performed for all patients to confirm the diagnosis and histopathological features noted. Results: The mean age of the patients was 58.49 (range = 14 to 90 years), with a male to female ratio of 1.6:1. Remarkably, 13.4% of the patients were aged 40 years and below. The peak incidence was found to have been in the 6th - 7th decades. Tobacco use was the main associated etiological factor (73.2%) followed by alcohol use (57.3%). Notably, 25.6% of the cases had no identifiable risk factor. The tongue was the most common site (35%) followed by the palate (22%) (p = 0.03). The least commonly affected site was the floor of the mouth (10%). The most common stage at presentation was stage IV (52.4%) and; the poorly differentiated OSCC was the most common histopathologic variant (48.8%) followed by the well differentiated (30.5%) and moderately differentiated OSCC (20.7%). Conclusion: In the present investigation it is evident that OSCC has a male predilection with a peak incidence in the 6th - 7th decades and most commonly manifests in the tongue at stage IV with the poorly differentiated subtype being the most common. Of the cases diagnosed 13.4% were aged 40 years and below.
Stabilization of Marine Clay Soil Using Polyurethane

Many chemicals stabilisation techniques are being employed all over the world to improve the engineering and physical properties of the problematic soils and reduce the potential damages caused by them. Out of those chemical stabilisation technics, application of Polyurethane to improve the strength of marine clay was investigated in the laboratory. Characterization of the soil geotechnical properties was carried out by conducting laboratory test that includes natural moisture content, Atterberg limits, grains sizes analyses, specific gravity, moisture-density relationship, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), organic matter content and PH tests. Unconfined compressive strength test at optimum moisture content with varying the dose of the Polyurethane content was conducted to test the effectiveness of Polyurethane as a chemical stabiliser. The result of the preliminary tests of the sample shows that the soil has a liquid limit of 65%, plastic limit of 26% and plasticity index of 53%. The percentages of gravel, sand and fines in the marine clay sample were 0 %, 1.32 % and 98.68 % respectively %. The results of the UCS test also revealed that Polyurethane stabilisation improved the strength of marine clay by 230%. Thus, the improvement in strength of stabilised marine clay soil can significantly reduce the overall thickness of the pavement and total cost of the road construction in future.
Subliminal Techniques: Considerations and Recommendations for Analyzing Feasibility

ABSTRACT In an attempt to provide users with more information while maintaining a calm ubiquitous environment, researchers have investigated the possibility of presenting information “subliminally. ” The authors explores the historical issues associated with examining perception without awareness with special emphasis on the difficulty associated with ensuring stimuli have been presented below the participant’s subjective threshold of awareness. It may be possible to circumvent this issue by taking a results-oriented approach. However, the advancement of subliminal techniques requires stronger experimental evidence that information is actually being presented below the subject threshold of awareness and gaining the desired effect on user performance. The authors offers three considerations that help designers weigh the costs and benefits of employing a subliminal technique. The authors also offers three recommendations that help designers present information below the subjective threshold of awareness and measure their users’ awareness of the information.
Getting By or Getting Ahead on Social Networking Sites? The Role of Social Capital in Happiness and Well-Being

ABSTRACT By March 2017, Facebook had more than 1.94 billion active users monthly. Even as firms increasingly invest in social media, however, businesses appear only moderately satisfied with the bottom line of such social commerce efforts. To assist future efforts in social commerce, this research builds on social capital theory to investigate the effects of individual social interactions on social networking sites (SNSs) on users’ happiness and well-being by examining how size and intimacy of the social network online and the mediating influence of two social capital facets, bonding and bridging, impact those outcomes. Among 2,116 Facebook users, intimacy and network size affect well-being, through social capital. The findings reveal the importance of getting ahead (i.e., bridging social capital) rather than getting by (i.e., bonding social capital) among SNS users who seek novel information and experiences. The results imply that social interactions through SNSs are valuable for individuals and firms, because they guide efforts in improving social capital—and bridging social capital in particular—to improve the individual’s well-being.
Information Foraging—A Model for Exploration Breadth and Depth

ABSTRACT The optimal path choice theory from biology implies that foragers should evaluate all sites before selecting something feasible when site relocation costs are low and there are few sites to explore. In internet information foraging, although the cost of moving to another site is negligible, the number of relevant sites can be large and exploration costs vary. We examine human internet information foraging behaviors and propose a model relating them to established cognitive measures.
Arsenic: toxicity, oxidative stress and human disease

Arsenic (As) is a toxic metalloid element that is present in air, water and soil. Inorganic arsenic tends to be more toxic than organic arsenic. Examples of methylated organic arsenicals include monomethylarsonic acid [MMA(V)] and dimethylarsinic acid [DMA(V)]. Reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐mediated oxidative damage is a common denominator in arsenic pathogenesis. In addition, arsenic induces morphological changes in the integrity of mitochondria. Cascade mechanisms of free radical formation derived from the superoxide radical, combined with glutathione‐depleting agents, increase the sensitivity of cells to arsenic toxicity. When both humans and animals are exposed to arsenic, they experience an increased formation of ROS/RNS, including peroxyl radicals (ROO•), the superoxide radical, singlet oxygen, hydroxyl radical (OH•) via the Fenton reaction, hydrogen peroxide, the dimethylarsenic radical, the dimethylarsenic peroxyl radical and/or oxidant‐induced DNA damage. Arsenic induces the formation of oxidized lipids which in turn generate several bioactive molecules (ROS, peroxides and isoprostanes), of which aldehydes [malondialdehyde (MDA) and 4‐hydroxy‐nonenal (HNE)] are the major end products. This review discusses aspects of chronic and acute exposures of arsenic in the etiology of cancer, cardiovascular disease (hypertension and atherosclerosis), neurological disorders, gastrointestinal disturbances, liver disease and renal disease, reproductive health effects, dermal changes and other health disorders. The role of antioxidant defence systems against arsenic toxicity is also discussed. Consideration is given to the role of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin E (α‐tocopherol), curcumin, glutathione and antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase in their protective roles against arsenic‐induced oxidative stress. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Peripheral Giant Cell Granuloma Associated With Residual Cement and Periimplantitis: A Case Report

Residual cement in cement retained restorations, poses a problem which cause peri-implant disease. Peripheral giant cell granuloma (PGCG) is a reactive and exophytic lesion occurring on the gingiva and alveolar ridge. Although PGCG is the most common giant cell lesion of the jaws, there is little data in the literature regarding the prevalence of reactive lesions associated with dental implants. The purpose of this paper is to report a rare case which a PGCG was found in association with excess cement around a dental implant and to discuss its etiology and management. After completion of phase 1 periodontal therapy, the lesion was excised surgically. The residual cement that were detected on the buccal aspect of the implant were removed, bony defect was debrided and platelet rich fibrin membrane placed around the implant. The fixed prosthesis was cemented by paying attention to remove residual cement. No evidence of recurrence and complications were seen over 18 months of follow up.