Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Environmental effects on the maturation of the endodermis and multiseriate exodermis of Iris germanica roots.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Most studies of exodermal structure and function have involved species with a uniseriate exodermis. To extend this work, the development and apoplastic permeability of Iris germanica roots with a multiseriate exodermis (MEX) were investigated. The effects of different growth conditions on MEX maturation were also tested. In addition, the exodermises of eight Iris species were observed to determine if their mature anatomy correlated with habitat. METHODS Plants were grown in soil, hydroponics (with and without a humid air gap) or aeroponics. Roots were sectioned and stained with various dyes to detect MEX development from the root apical meristem, Casparian bands, suberin lamellae and tertiary wall thickenings. Apoplastic permeability was tested using dye (berberine) and ionic (ferric) tracers. KEY RESULTS The root apical meristem was open and MEX development non-uniform. In soil-grown roots, the exodermis started maturing (i.e. Casparian bands and suberin lamellae were deposited) 10 mm from the tip, and two layers had matured by 70 mm. In both hydro- and aeroponically grown roots, exodermal maturation was delayed. However, in areas of roots exposed to an air gap in the hydroponic system, MEX maturation was accelerated. In contrast, maturation of the endodermis was not influenced by the growth conditions. The mature MEX had an atypical Casparian band that was continuous around the root circumference. The MEX prevented the influx and efflux of berberine, but had variable resistance to ferric ions due to their toxic effects. Iris species living in well-drained soils developed a MEX, but species in water-saturated substrates had a uniseriate exodermis and aerenchyma. CONCLUSIONS MEX maturation was influenced by the roots' growth medium. The MEX matures very close to the root tip in soil, but much further from the tip in hydro- and aeroponic culture. The air gap accelerated maturation of the second exodermal layer. In Iris, the type of exodermis was correlated with natural habitat suggesting that a MEX may be advantageous for drought tolerance.
Be Going to Versus Will/Shall

This study offers a novel account for the variation between the two major syntactic options to express futurity in English, BE GOING TO and WILL/SHALL. The focus of attention, unlike in many previous studies, is chiefly the choice that speakers of American and British English make between future markers with reference to syntactic characteristics of the surrounding text. On the basis of an empirical analysis of spoken data, this study demonstrates that future marker distributions seem to be sensitive to four factors: (1) contexts of negation, (2) contexts of subordination, (3) IF-clause environments, and (4) sentence length. More specifically, there is a positive correlation between syntactic complexity and the likelihood of the occurrence ofBEGOINGTOinstead of WILL/SHALL. The analysis proposes that an issuewith economy and online-processing constraints might be responsible for the sensitivity of future marker distributions to syntactic context.
EVALUATION OF EPIC FOR ASSESSING CROP YIELD, RUNOFF, SEDIMENT AND NUTRIENT LOSSES FROM WATERSHEDS WITH POULTRY LITTER FERTILIZATION

Faced with limited comprehensive data on the economic, agronomic, and environment effects of land-applying animal wastes, water quality models are increasingly used to explore management and policy alternatives. However, thorough evaluation of these models is needed to assess their predictive ability for this resource issue. The EPIC (Environmental Policy Integrated Climate) model version 3060 was evaluated using data collected from six cultivated small watersheds (4.0 to 8.4 ha) near Riesel, Texas. The study watersheds were fallow in 2001, cropped with corn (Zea mays L.) in 2002 and 2003, and planted to winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in 2004. A target poultry litter application rate from 0 to 13.4 Mg ha-1 was randomly assigned to each of the watersheds. Monthly data of runoff, sediment, and soluble P for 2001-2002 from one watershed (Y13) were used to calibrate the initial CN2, erosion control practice factor, RUSLE C factor coefficient, and phosphorus sorption ratio. The modeling efficiency (EF) for the calibrated period was 0.90 for runoff, 0.65 for sediment, and 0.94 for soluble P. EPIC was validated using the 2001-2004 measured data for the other five watersheds and the remaining data for Y13. It successfully predicted surface runoff on an annual, monthly, and daily basis for all watersheds, with EF values larger than 0.5 and R2 larger than 0.7. The sediment, organic N and P, soluble P, and NO3-N losses simulated by EPIC were satisfactory, with EF values ranging from 0.59 to 0.87 based on annual comparisons and larger than 0.4 (in 25 out of 30 tests) based on monthly comparisons. EF was 0.96 for crop yields. Paired t-tests based on monthly comparisons of runoff, sediment and nutrient losses, and annual crop yields indicated that the differences between predicted and observed values were not significantly different from zero at the significance level of . = 0.05, except for soluble P losses for the control watershed. Both parametric and nonparametric statistical tests for EF values of monthly comparisons of runoff, sediment and nutrient losses, and percent errors of crop yields indicated that the reliability of the model was not significantly different among the poultry litter application watersheds and the control watershed, with the exception of soluble P losses for the control watershed. These statistical tests indicate that EPIC was able to replicate the runoff, water quality, and crop yield impacts of poultry litter application.
MULTILOCUS DOPAMINE GENE VARIATION, REWARD SENSITIVITY, AND ABERRANT EATING

Background: Evidence suggests that aberrant eating may be partially motivated by the rewarding properties of food, in addition to caloric or metabolic need. Given the role that the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) plays in the reinforcement of reward driven appetitive behaviors like eating, it is hypothesized that DA gene variation may contribute to the development of aberrant eating behavior by increasing sensitivity to signals of reward. Methods: A sample of midlife community volunteers from the Adult Health and Behavior Project (AHAB-1; N = 921) were genotyped for five DA gene variants, which were summed as a cumulative risk score. Participants completed the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI) to assess aberrant eating, and the Behavioral Activation Scale (BAS) to measure reward sensitivity. Results: Cumulative risk scores were not associated with presence or severity of bulimic symptoms, total BAS scores, or BMI, nor were total BAS scores associated with presence or severity of bulimic symptoms. The met allele of the COMT val/met single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was associated with the presence of bulimic symptoms and drive for thinness, as well as the severity of body dissatisfaction. The insertion allele of the DRD2 ins/del polymorphism was associated with presence of bulimic symptoms, and the severity of drive for thinness. All EDI subscales, as well as total BAS scores, predicted higher BMI. Discussion: Although cumulative DA risk scores were not associated with bulimic symptoms, COMT and DRD2 SNPs predicted several features of aberrant eating, suggesting that they may increase susceptibility for aberrant eating in a generally healthy population. Future studies might consider examining the relationship between these SNPs and more proximal measures of eating behavior, such as food craving, or the size, frequency, and content of dietary intake, and replicating the present study in individuals with clinically significant aberrant eating.
The association between stress, sense of coherence and subjective health complaints in adolescents: sense of coherence as a potential moderator

Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by multiple changes in virtually every aspect of an individual’s life, calling for new psychological adaptations. Exposure to different stressors caused by these changes represents a central and normal part of the process of growth and development during adolescence. However, experience of cumulative and simultaneous negative stressors remains central as a potential threat to the well-being and healthy development during adolescence. Meanwhile, when faced with identical stressors, the stress process and the health outcomes of stress vary individually; the outcome depends on the role of different vulnerabilities and protective factors, in the individual as well as in the environment. The present thesis comprises an investigation of the role and nature of adolescent stressors and the association between stress and different health outcomes (emotional states, selfesteem and subjective health complaints). Gender and age differences on stress and the health outcome variables are also assessed. The thesis further considers the role of three potential protective factors with importance for stress and coping processes, as well as for health and well-being during adolescence; leisure time physical activity, self-esteem and sense of coherence (SOC). The factor structure and psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ-N), a questionnaire assessing stressors common in adolescence, are also investigated. The thesis is based on three cross-sectional samples of Norwegian adolescents 13-18 years, attending public elementary and secondary schools in rural and urban areas in the two counties of the middle part of Norway The findings support a reliable and valid nine-factor structure of the ASQ-N. Moreover, girls seem to report higher levels of stress, more emotional symptoms and subjective health complaints than boys, especially in the age group 15-16 years. Conversely boys score higher on self-esteem. Both total sum stress and domain specific stress, especially in interpersonal contexts, is related to more emotional problems, lower self-esteem and more subjective health complaints in both boys and girls. The thesis has also revealed the positive role of leisure time physical activity, sense of coherence and self-esteem, controlled for experience of stress, in association with adolescents’ health outcomes. Methodological, theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.
Ambulatory Care Sensitive Hospitalizations and Emergency Visits:: Experiences of Medicaid Patients Using Federally Qualified Health Centers

Background.Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) serve as regular sources of preventive and primary care for low-income families within their communities and are key parts of the health care safety net. Objectives.Compare admissions and emergency room visits for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) among Medicaid beneficiaries relying on FQHCs to other Medicaid beneficiaries. Research Design. Retrospective analysis of 1992 Medicaid claims data for 48,738 Medicaid beneficiaries in 24 service areas across five states. Subjects.Medicaid beneficiaries receiving more than 50% of their preventive and primary care services from FQHCs are compared with Medicaid beneficiaries receiving outpatient care from other providers in the same areas. Exclusions—managed care enrollees, beneficiaries more than age 65, dual eligibles (Medicaid and Medicare), and institutionalized populations. Measures.Admissions and emergency room (ER) visits for a set of chronic and acute conditions, known in the literature as ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs). Results.Medicaid beneficiaries receiving outpatient care from FQHCs were less likely to be hospitalized (1.5% vs. 1.9%, P <0.007) or seek ER care (14.9% vs. 15.7%, P <0.02) for ACSCs than the comparison group. Controlling for case mix and other demographic variables, the odds ratios were, for hospitalizations, OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95;P <0.01, and for ER visits, OR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.82 to 0.92;P <0.001. Conclusions.Having a regular source of care such as FQHCs can significantly reduce the likelihood of hospitalizations and ER visits for ACSCs. If the reported differentials in ACSC admissions and ER visits were consistently achieved for all Medicaid beneficiaries, substantial savings might be realized.
Burnout Symptoms Experienced among Special Physical Educators: A Descriptive Longitudinal Study

Burnout is a syndrome that has had a negative effect on the behavior of regular and special classroom teachers. The purpose of this investigation was to determine (a) whether special physical educators experience symptoms of burnout and (b) whether these symptoms fluctuate over time. Based on the results of this investigation, the subjects exhibited several symptoms that are related to the burnout phenomenon. Furthermore, these symptoms characteristically are high throughout the school year. It was concluded that special physical educator supervisors should design appropriate strategies to prevent or reduce these symptoms. Not only would this have a positive effect on teaching behavior but it would in turn improve student learning.
Expressed emotion and prediction of relapse in adolescents with psychotic disorders

Expressed emotion (EE) is associated with relapse in adults with psychotic disorders. EE was assessed both at admission and after discharge with the Five Minutes Speech Sample (FMSS) in adolescent in-patients with psychotic disorders (n=15). The results showed that while neither admission nor post-discharge high-EE predicted relapse, the aggregated EE from admission or after discharge significantly predicted both 1- and 2-year relapse rate when borderline ratings were included in the high-EE group. While predictive power and the sensitivity of admission high-EE and relapse was moderate, the specificity of this association was very high (0.9 or more). The aggregated EE measure yielded high sensitivity and high specificity to predict relapse. Despite the low statistical power of the study, the results indicate that FMSS may be a useful tool in determining the risk of relapse in adolescent psychosis.
Skeletal Benefits After Long‐Term Retirement in Former Elite Female Gymnasts

Bone strength benefits after long‐term retirement from elite gymnastics in terms of bone geometry and volumetric BMD were studied by comparing retired female gymnasts to moderately active age‐matched women. In a cross‐sectional study, 30 retired female gymnasts were compared with 30 age‐matched moderately active controls. Bone geometric and densitometric parameters were measured by pQCT at the distal epiphyses and shafts of the tibia, femur, radius, and humerus. Muscle cross‐sectional areas were assessed from the shaft scans. Independent t‐tests were conducted on bone and muscle variables to detect differences between the two groups. The gymnasts had retired for a mean of 6.1 ± 0.4 yr and were engaged in ≤2 h of exercise per week since retirement. At the radial and humeral shafts, cortical cross‐sectional area (CSA), total CSA, BMC, and strength strain index (SSIpol) were significantly greater (13–38%, p ≤ 0.01) in the retired gymnasts; likewise, BMC and total CSA were significantly greater at the distal radius (22–25%, p ≤ 0.0001). In the lower limbs, total CSA and BMC at the femur and tibia shaft were greater by 8–11%, and trabecular BMD and BMC were only greater at the tibia (7–8%). Muscle CSA at the forearm and upper arm was greater by 15–17.6% (p ≤ 0.001) but was not different at the upper and lower leg. Past gymnastics training is associated with greater bone mass and bone size in women 6 yr after retirement. Skeletal benefits were site specific, with greater geometric adaptations (greater bone size) in the upper compared with the lower limbs.
Upper incisor position and bony support in untreated patients as seen on CBCT.

OBJECTIVE To test the null hypothesis that there are no correlations between the morphology of the upper jaw, the position of the upper incisors, and facial type. MATERIALS AND METHODS From a sample of 191 patients, the FMA angle was used to select 20 short face type, 20 norm face type, and 20 long face type patients, aged 12 to 40 years. Using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), tomography was carried out on sagittal sections corresponding to the four upper incisors. Some parameters defining the dentoskeletal relationships, the alveolar thickness, the alveolar height, and the dental movement were measured. The measurements were processed using analysis of variance and Tukey's test. RESULTS At the upper central incisors, short face type patients presented a greater alveolar bone thickness than long face type patients. In short face type and norm face type subjects the root apex of the upper incisors was farther away from the lingual cortex than in the long face type patients. At the central incisors the alveolar thickness was greater and the lingual cortex was higher with respect to the lateral incisors in all three facial types. CONCLUSION At the upper incisors, facial type is statistically significantly correlated with both alveolar bone thickness and distance between the root apex and lingual cortex.
Reweighted Wake-Sleep

Training deep directed graphical models with many hidden variables and performing inference remains a major challenge. Helmholtz machines and deep belief networks are such models, and the wake-sleep algorithm has been proposed to train them. The wake-sleep algorithm relies on training not just the directed generative model but also a conditional generative model (the inference network) that runs backward from visible to latent, estimating the posterior distribution of latent given visible. We propose a novel interpretation of the wake-sleep algorithm which suggests that better estimators of the gradient can be obtained by sampling latent variables multiple times from the inference network. This view is based on importance sampling as an estimator of the likelihood, with the approximate inference network as a proposal distribution. This interpretation is confirmed experimentally, showing that better likelihood can be achieved with this reweighted wake-sleep procedure. Based on this interpretation, we propose that a sigmoidal belief network is not sufficiently powerful for the layers of the inference network in order to recover a good estimator of the posterior distribution of latent variables. Our experiments show that using a more powerful layer model, such as NADE, yields substantially better generative models.
Minimizing memory utilization of real-time task sets in single and multi-processor systems-on-a-chip

The research on real-time software systems has produced algorithms that allow to effectively schedule system resources while guaranteeing the deadlines of the application and to group tasks in a very short number of non-preemptive sets which require much less RAM memory for stack. Unfortunately, up to now the research focus has been on time guarantees rather than the optimization of RAM usage. Furthermore, these techniques do not apply to multiprocessor architectures which are likely to be widely used in future microcontrollers. This paper presents a fast and simple algorithm for sharing resources in multiprocessor systems, together with an innovative procedure for assigning preemption thresholds to tasks. This allows to guarantee the schedulability of hard real-time task sets while minimizing RAM usage. The experimental part shows the effectiveness of a simulated annealing-based tool that allows to find a near-optimal task allocation. When used in conjunction with our preemption threshold assignment algorithm, our tool further reduces the RAM usage in multiprocessor systems.
Adolescent social and cognitive competence: Cross-informant and intra-individual consistency across three years

Addressed the questions of cross-informant consistency at one point in time and within-person consistency across time for ratings of adolescent cognitive and social competence. Hurter's Perceived Competence Scale for children (1982) was administered to 98 triads of adolescents, their mothers, and their teachers over a 3-year period. Results indicate that, although mean level of perceived competence varied among the different raters, with adolescents scoring themselves lower than both mothers and teachers, all correlations among the various informants at each point in time were significant. Similarly, within-person correlations across years, including a 2-year interval, were significant, indicating that perceptions of cognitive and social competence are relatively stable over a 3-year period, even when adolescents served as informants.
Impact of military deployment on family relationships

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate how an active duty member’s increased time away from home (deployments, temporary duty assignments, and trainings) affects family stress as reported by the dependent spouse. Specifically, this research focused on the impact of increased time away from home on the parent—child relationship within the military family. This research analyzed Parenting Relationship Questionnaire (PRQ) and Parenting Stress Index (PSI) scores as reported by the military dependent spouse. Results revealed that extended time away from home can cause the dependent spouse to detach from the parent—child relationship. Mental health professionals and educators working within a community that supports the armed forces must be sensitive to the unique needs of military families during these times of transition.
A study of the universal threshold in the ℓ1 recovery by statistical mechanics

We discuss the universality of the ℓ1 recovery threshold in compressed sensing. Previous studies in the fields of statistical mechanics and random matrix integration have shown that ℓ1 recovery under a random matrix with orthogonal symmetry has a universal threshold. This indicates that the threshold of ℓ1 recovery under a non-orthogonal random matrix differs from the universal one. Taking this into account, we use a simple random matrix without orthogonal symmetry, where the random entries are not independent, and show analytically that the threshold of ℓ1 recovery for such a matrix does not coincide with the universal one. The results of an extensive numerical experiment are in good agreement with the analytical results, which validates our methodology. Though our analysis is based on replica heuristics in statistical mechanics and is not rigorous, the findings nevertheless support the fact that the universality of the threshold is strongly related to the symmetry of the random matrix.
Scattering of Ice Particles at Microwave Frequencies: A Physically Based Parameterization

Abstract This paper presents a new, purely physical approach to simulate ice-particle scattering at microwave frequencies. Temperature-dependent ice particle size distributions measured by aircraft in midlatitude frontal systems are used to represent the distribution of precipitation-sized frozen hydrometeors above the freezing level through derived radar reflectivity–snow water content (Z–M) relationships. The discrete dipole approximation is employed to calculate optical properties of selected types of idealized nonspherical ice particles (hexagonal columns, four-arm rosettes, and six-arm rosettes). Based on those assumptions, passive microwave optical properties are calculated using radar observations from Gotland Island in the Baltic Sea. These forward-simulated brightness temperatures are compared with observed data from both the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) and the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-B (AMSU-B). Results show that the new ice scattering/microphysics model is able to g.