Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distinctiveness of bean landraces in Italy: the case study of the 'Badda' bean.

In this study, we present the morphological and molecular characterization of the ‘Badda’ bean, a landrace of outstanding organoleptic qualities that is diffused in the area of Polizzi in the province of Palermo in Sicily, Italy. This landrace is entitled to be valorized in the local market and therefore needs a thorough description to draw criteria to establish its distinctiveness from landraces with morphological and geographical proximity. Three ‘Badda’ accessions, representing the morphological variability within the landrace, have been evaluated together with suitable references. With the help of morpho-physiological traits, digital scanning of apical leaflets and ISSR molecular markers, we describe a spectrum of descriptors useful to distinguish the ‘Badda’ accessions among themselves and from similar landraces.
Consumers' Sensory Acceptability of Pork from 2 Immunocastrated Male Pigs 3

13 Boar taint is the off-odour or off flavour of cooked pork. Currently, the most common 14 method of controlling boar taint is surgical castration. However, immunocastration has 15 been used in some parts of the world as an alternative to surgical castration. The aim of 16 this study was to evaluate the sensory acceptability of immunocastrated pigs meat (IM) 17 compared with meat from females (FE), surgically castrated (CM) and entire males 18 (EM). Twenty animals of each type were evaluated by 201 consumers in 20 sessions. 19 Longissimus thoracis muscle of the different animals was cooked in an oven at 180ºC 20 for 10 minutes. Consumers scored the odour and the flavour of the meat in a 9-point 21 category scale without an intermediate level. There were no significant differences in 22 consumer's evaluation of meat from IM, CM, and FE. In contrast, EM meat presented a 23 higher percentage of dissatisfied scores and was significantly (P<0.05) less accepted 24 than meat from CM, IM and FE. Consumers' acceptability of EM meat was always 25 lower, independently of its androstenone levels. However meat with low levels of 26 androstenone was more accepted that meat with medium or high levels of this 27 substance. It can be concluded that immunocastration produced pork that was accepted 28 by the consumers, and was comparable to pork from CM or FE.
Stronger Typings for Separate Compilation of Java-like Languages

We define a formal system supporting separate compilation for a small but significant Java-like language. This system is proved to be stronger than the standard compilation of both Java and C#, in the sense that it better supports software reuse by avoiding unnecessary recompilation steps after code modification which are usually performed by using the standard compilers. This is achieved by introducing the notion of local type assumption allowing the user to specify weaker requirements on the source fragments which need to be compiled in isolation. Another important property satisfied by our system is compositionality, which corresponds to the intuition that if a set of fragments can be separately compiled and such fragments are compatible, then it is possible to compile all the fragments together as a unique program and obtain the same result.
The Right Reflection: Improving Women's Self-Acceptance

This capstone is about women and self-acceptance. The title, The Right Reflection, alludes to the fact that none of us see ourselves directly, only through the reflections of others. Sometimes women’s reflections are distorted due to destructive cultural messages that women receive and internalize and maladaptive thinking they then develop. Books as recent as The Confidence Code (Katy & Shipman, 2014) and concepts a bit older such as the Imposter Phenomenon (Clance & Imes, 1978) point to the reality that women view themselves as less-qualified, intelligent and deserving than men or other women. This capstone explores the role of low selfacceptance in this phenomenon. Topics covered include the concept of self-acceptance, how self-acceptance differs from self-compassion and self-esteem, what contributes to low self-acceptance in women (sex-role stereotyping, patriarchy, sexism), thinking styles that contribute to low self-acceptance in women (rumination, perfectionism, explanatory style), how low self-acceptance manifests in women (imposter phenomenon, lack of confidence), and actions that women can take to improve self-acceptance. This capstone will conclude with strategies to help women improve their self-acceptance and alleviate the suffering associated with low self-acceptance.
Mispronunciation detection based on cross-language phonological comparisons

This paper presents a method using speech recognition with linguistic constraints to detect the mispronunciations made by Cantonese learners of English. The predicted pronunciation errors have been derived from cross-language phonological comparisons, which are used to generate the erroneous pronunciation variations in a lexicon. The acoustic models are trained with native speakerspsila speech and used for recognizing the phone sequences, given the orthographic transcriptions. The experiments have examined that the agreement between automatic mispronunciation detection and human judges is over 84% for 21 Cantonese speakers.
On the undersampling strategies to accelerate time‐resolved 3D imaging using k‐t‐GRAPPA

The purpose of this study was to explore how to optimally undersample and reconstruct time‐resolved 3D data using a k‐t‐space‐based GRAPPA technique. The performance of different reconstruction strategies was evaluated using data sets with different ratios of phase (Ny) and partition (Nz) encoding lines (Ny × Nz = 64–128 × 40–64) acquired in a moving phantom. Image reconstruction was performed for different kernel configurations and different reduction factors (R = 5, 6, 8, and 10) and was evaluated using regional error quantification and SNR analysis. To analyze the temporal fidelity of the different kernel configurations in vivo, time‐resolved 3D phase contrast data were acquired in the thoracic aorta of two healthy volunteers. Results demonstrated that kernel configurations with a small kernel extension yielded superior results especially for more asymmetric data matrices as typically used in clinical applications. The application of k‐t‐GRAPPA to in vivo data demonstrated the feasibility of undersampling of time‐resolved 3D phase contrast data set with a nominal reduction factors of up to Rnet = 8, while maintaining the temporal fidelity of the measured velocity field. Extended GRAPPA‐based parallel imaging with optimized multidimensional reconstruction kernels has the potential to substantially accelerate data acquisitions in time‐resolved 3D MRI. Magn Reson Med, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The comparison of sports coaches’ pre-season, in-season and post-season leadership behaviours in terms of sport psychology

This research aimed to compare sports coaches’ perceived leadership behaviours during a season (pre-season, in-season and post-season) in terms of sports psychology. A total of 232 permanent and contracted sports coaches who work for Provincial Directorates of Youth Services and Sports voluntarily participated to the research. Leadership for Sport Scale-LSS was used for data collection. The scale was applied to sports coaches three times (pre-season, in-season and post-season). Data was analysed by descriptive statistics and variance analysis. If the variance analysis is significant at 0.05 level, Benferonni analysis was used as a post-hoc test. According to variance analysis there is a significant difference for democratic behaviour [F (2,462)=3.723;p 0.166] and positive feedback behaviour [F (2,462)=2.671;p>0.086]. To sum up, it could be said that sports coaches leadership behaviours could differ among seasons.
Time-series MODIS Image-based Retrieval and Distribution Analysis of Total Suspended Matter Concentrations in Lake Taihu (China)

Although there has been considerable effort to use remotely sensed images to provide synoptic maps of total suspended matter (TSM), there are limited studies on universal TSM retrieval models. In this paper, we have developed a TSM retrieval model for Lake Taihu using TSM concentrations measured in situ and a time series of quasi-synchronous MODIS 250 m images from 2005. After simple geometric and atmospheric correction, we found a significant relationship (R = 0.8736, N = 166) between in situ measured TSM concentrations and MODIS band normalization difference of band 3 and band 1. From this, we retrieved TSM concentrations in eight regions of Lake Taihu in 2007 and analyzed the characteristic distribution and variation of TSM. Synoptic maps of model-estimated TSM of 2007 showed clear geographical and seasonal variations. TSM in Central Lake and Southern Lakeshore were consistently higher than in other regions, while TSM in East Taihu was generally the lowest among the regions throughout the year. Furthermore, a wide range of TSM concentrations appeared from winter to summer. TSM in winter could be several times that in summer.
Gold nanoparticles stabilized with sulphonated imidazolium salts in water and reverse micelles

Herein we describe the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) in presence of sulphonated imidazolium salts [1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropyl-4-sodiumsulfonatophenyl)imidazolium (L1), 1-mesityl-3-(3-sulfonatopropyl)imidazolium (L2) and 1-(3-sulfonatopropyl)imidazolium (L3)] in water and in a confinement environment created by reverse micelles (RMs). The Au-NPs were characterized—with an excellent agreement between different techniques—by UV-vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential. In homogeneous media, the Au-NPs interact with the imidazolium ring and the sulphonate groups were directed away from the NPs' surface. This fact is responsible for the Au-NPs' stability—over three months—in water. Based on the obtained zeta potential values we assume the degree of coverage of the Au-NPs by the imidazolium salts. In n-heptane/sodium 1,4-bis (2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT)/water RMs, the Au-NPs formed in presence of sulphonated imidazolium salts present different patterns depending on the ligand used as stabilizer. Interestingly, the Au-NPs are more stable in time when the salts are present in AOT RMs (three weeks) in comparison with the same RMs system but in absence of ligands (less than an hour). Clearly, the sulphonated imidazolium salts are very effective Au-NPs stabilizers in a different medium and this generates a plus to be able to use them for multiple purposes.
ESTRÉS PERCIBIDO, IRA Y BURNOUT EN AMAS DE CASA MEXICANAS

Se diseno un estudio con el objetivo de establecer la relacion entre estres percibido, expresion de la ira y sindrome de burnout en amas de casa. Para ello se levanto una muestra de 226 mujeres mexicanas de las que se tomaron medidas del estres percibido, la Escala PSS14, de la expresion de la ira, el STAXI-2-AX/EX, y del burnout, el CUBAC-21. Inicialmente se comprobo la consistencia interna (�? = .83) y el ajuste adecuado a un modelo bifactorial, �O2/gl = 2.33, RMSEA = . 08, de la escala PSS14. Posteriormente, se sometieron a prueba tres modelos de la relacion entre estres, ira y burnout. El modelo con mejor ajuste, �O2 (1, N = 226) = 0.92, p = . 34, RMSEA = . 01, mostro que las quejas de falta de apoyo incrementan estres y llevan a cansancio, el estres aumenta la ira e incrementa el cansancio, y que la ira contribuye a quejas de falta de apoyo.
Discrimination of Arabic contrasts by American learners

This article reports on second language perception of non-native contrasts. The study specifically tests the perceptual assimilation model (PAM) by examining American learners’ ability to discriminate Arabic contrasts. Twenty two native American speakers enrolled in a university level Arabic language program took part in a forced choice AXB discrimination task. Results of the study provide partial evidence for PAM. Only two-category contrasts followed straightforwardly from PAM; discrimination results of category-goodness difference and both uncategorizable contrasts yielded partial support, while results of uncategorized versus categorized contrast discrimination provided counter-evidence to PAM.
Congenital erythropoietic porphyria: a single‐observer clinical study of 29 cases

Background Congenital erythropoietic porphyria (CEP) is an autosomal recessive cutaneous porphyria caused by decreased activity of uroporphyrinogen III synthase (UROS). Its predominant characteristics include bullous cutaneous photosensitivity to visible light from early infancy, progressive photomutilation and chronic haemolytic anaemia. Due to its rarity and genetic heterogeneity, clinical phenotypes are unclear and its impact on health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) has not been previously assessed.
Acoustic characteristics of English /w,r,l/ spoken correctly by young children and adults.

This report presents the results of a spectrographic analysis of word−initial allophones of /w/, /r/, and /l/ produced by three− to four−year−old children and adults. Information was obtained concerning formant frequencies, steady−state durations, transition durations, and transition rates of each of the first three formants of these sonorants. The results demonstrate that the phonemes investigated are distinguishable on the basis of their temporal, as well as their spectral, acoustic characteristics.Subject Classification: 70.20, 70.40.
Surgical Outcome in Patients with Gastrointestinal Malignancies; A Report from a Large Referral Hospital, 2008-2010

BACKGROUND A considerable portion of gastrointestinal malignancies undergoes surgery without curative resection. This study was conducted to assess surgical outcome in patients with gastrointestinal cancers. METHODS We reviewed individuals with esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum cancers admitted for surgical treatment after initial preoperative evaluations. Surgical outcome, stage of tumors and 1 and 5 years survival rate were assessed and analyzed. RESULTS Two hundred and fifty five patients with esophagus, stomach and colorectal malignancies, who were admitted for surgical resection, were reviewed. Two hundred and twenty two patients were underwent surgery but tumor was not resected in 41 cases (18.6%). Based on pathological assessment, stage of tumors was III or IV in 108 individuals (48.9%). The proportion of tumor with advanced stage was significantly higher in patients with gastroesophageal cancers than those with colorectal malignancies (62.6% versus 31.6%), p<0.0001). The proportion of non-resectable tumor was also significantly higher in patients with esophageal and gastric cancers ( p=0.0001). Palliative surgery was done in 26.1% of patients treated by surgical resection. The proportion of palliative surgery was significantly lower in patients with gastric cancer ( p=0.001). 1 and 5-year survival were significantly longer in colorectal cancer and those with curative surgery ( p=0.001). Survival of patients with palliative resection was the same as patient without tumor resection. CONCLUSION Despite preoperative evaluations, there are still a considerable proportion of patients who are diagnosed as inoperable during surgery. Further researches seem to be necessary in order to provide more precise preoperative staging. Screening programs should also be considered for GI cancers in high-risk areas. It seems that palliative resection would not improve survival of patients with advanced GI malignancies.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HIGH PERFORMANCE HR PRACTICES AND EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF PUBLIC SERVICE MOTIVATION AND PERSON-ORGANIZATION FIT

Nowadays, the utilization of high performance human resource (HR) practices is widely believed to lead to a strategic advantage for organisations. However, while there is now a sufficient body of evidence to indicate that high performance HR practices are related to superior firm-level outcomes, it is still unclear how these practices affect such outcomes and whether these practices result in desirable employee level outcomes. The current study aims to fill this gap by empirically examining the effect of high performance HR practices on employee attitudes of job satisfaction, organizational commitment and quit intentions in the Egyptian public sector. This study also sheds light on the mechanisms through which high performance HR practices affect employee attitudes by examining the mediating effects of both public service motivation (PSM) and person-organization (P-O) fit on this relationship. Furthermore, a secondary aim of this study is to identify the mechanisms through which PSM affects employee attitudes. Specifically, the study examines the mediating and moderating effect of P-O fit on the PSM-employee attitudes relationship. In so doing, the current study aims to contribute to the literature in the fields of HRM, PSM and P-O fit. Using a sample of 671 professionals in the Egyptian health and higher educationsectors, a partial mediation model is outlined and tested using structural equation modelling (SEM). The study results show that high performance HR practices and P-O fit have significant positive relationships with job satisfaction and organizational commitment, and significant negative relationships with quit intentions. PSM also has significant positive relationships with job satisfaction and organizational commitment. However, it has no significant relationship with quit intentions. The results also reveal that PSM partially mediates the relationship between high performance HR practices and both job satisfaction and organizational commitment, but has no mediation effect on the relationship between high performance HR practices and quit intentions. Further, P-O fit partially mediates the relationship between high performance HR practices and job satisfaction, organizational commitment and quit intentions. P-O fit also mediates (but does not moderate) the relationship between PSM and employee attitudes. Therefore, the study findings suggest that the adoption of high performance HR practices in the public sector not only leads to desirable employee attitudes, but is also associated with enhanced employee motivation to serve the public and better fit between employees and their organizations. Keywords: High Performance HR Practices, Public Service Motivation, Person-Organization Fit, Employee Attitudes, Egyptian Public Sector
Epidemiology of Obesity

The prevalence of obesity is increasing at an alarming rate in many parts of the world. In White populations living in the west and north of Europe, Australia, and the United States, the prevalence of obesity is similarly high in men and women. In countries with relatively low gross national product, such as those in Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin-America, and Africa, the prevalence is 1.5 to 2 times higher among women than among men. Within affluent societies, the rates of obesity seem to be more common among women at older ages (65 years) and in groups with relatively low socioeconomic status. It can be tentatively concluded that obesity is particularly common in women living in relatively poor conditions.
Darmstadt Discussion Papers in Economics Investors Facing Risk : Loss Aversion and Wealth Allocation Between Risky and Risk-Free Assets

This paper studies the impact of loss aversion on decisions regarding the allocation of wealth between risky and risk-free assets. We use a Value-at-Risk portfolio model with endogenous desired risk levels that are individually determined in an extended prospect theory framework. This framework allows for the distinction between gains and losses with respect to a subjective reference point as in the original prospect theory, but also for the influence of past performance on the current perception of the risky portfolio value. We show how the portfolio evaluation frequency impacts investor decisions and attitudes when facing financial losses and analyze the role of past gains and losses in the current wealth allocation. The perceived portfolio value exhibits distinct evolutions in two frequency segments delimitated by what we consider to be the optimal evaluation horizon of one year. Our empirical results suggest that previous research relying on VaR underestimates the aversion of real individual investors to financial losses.
Escherichia coli ribosomal protein L20 binds as a single monomer to its own mRNA bearing two potential binding sites

Ribosomal protein L20 is crucial for the assembly of the large ribosomal subunit and represses the translation of its own mRNA. L20 mRNA carries two L20-binding sites, the first folding into a pseudoknot and the second into an imperfect stem and loop. These two sites and the L20-binding site on 23S ribosomal RNA are recognized similarly using a single RNA-binding site located on one face of L20. In this work, using gel filtration and fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy (FCCS) experiments, we first exclude the possibility that L20 forms a dimer, which would allow each monomer to bind one site of the mRNA. Secondly we show, using affinity purification and FCCS experiments, that only one molecule of L20 binds to the L20 mRNA despite the presence of two potential binding sites. Thirdly, using RNA chemical probing, we show that the two L20-binding sites are in interaction. This interaction provides an explanation for the single occupancy of the mRNA. The two interacting sites could form a single hybrid site or the binding of L20 to a first site may inhibit binding to the second. Models of regulation compatible with our data are discussed.
Quality Control of Danggui Buxue Tang, a Traditional Chinese Medicine Decoction, by 1H-NMR Metabolic Profiling

Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT) is one of the simplest traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) decoctions, first described in China in 1247 AD. DBT is composed of 2 herbs, Astragali Radix (AR) and Angelica Sinensis Radix (ASR), boiled together in a 5 : 1 ratio. Clinically, DBT is prescribed to women as a remedy for menopausal symptoms. Here, H-NMR metabolic profiling was conducted for DBT and the water extracts of AR or ASR, to evaluate the potential of this chemical profiling method for quality control of the herbal decoction. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that DBT could be readily distinguished from the water extracts of its constituent herbs by the metabolic profiles. More interestingly, the metabolic profile of DBT was not a simple sum of that of AR and ASR. Asparagine was found at significantly higher concentration in DBT than that in either AR or ASR extract, contributing mainly to the discrimination of DBT sample. In addition, we employed the same method to profile a commercial DBT powder, verifying its authenticity as compared to our prepared DBT. This study is the first to employ H-NMR metabolic profiling for the quality control of traditional Chinese medicine decoctions.
All-optical single-nanoparticle ratiometric thermometry with a noise floor of 0.3 K Hz−1/2

We demonstrate a temperature noise floor of 0.3 K Hz − 1 / 2 ? > and a long-term stability better than 0.6 K (peak-to-peak value) using a single crystal of diamond smaller than 50 nm across and containing about 100 nitrogen-vacancy centres as a temperature sensor. We compare the achieved characteristics to other single-particle sensors and show that it is one of the best ratiometric all-optical nano-probes of temperature to date.