Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mapping the Diversity of Maize Races in Mexico

Traditional landraces of maize are cultivated throughout more than one-half of Mexico's cropland. Efforts to organize in situ conservation of this important genetic resource have been limited by the lack of knowledge of regional diversity patterns. We used recent and historic collections of maize classified for race type to determine biogeographic regions and centers of landrace diversity. We also analyzed how diversity has changed over the last sixty years. Based on racial composition of maize we found that Mexico can be divided into 11 biogeographic regions. Six of these biogeographic regions are in the center and west of the country and contain more than 90% of the reported samples for 38 of the 47 races studied; these six regions are also the most diverse. We found no evidence of rapid overall decline in landrace diversity for this period. However, several races are now less frequently reported and two regions seem to support lower diversity than in previous collection periods. Our results are consistent with a previous hypothesis for diversification centers and for migration routes of original maize populations merging in western central Mexico. We provide maps of regional diversity patterns and landrace based biogeographic regions that may guide efforts to conserve maize genetic resources.
A Comparative Study on the Patterns of Domestic Violence

Objective: To investigate the patterns of domestic violence (DV) and the associated factors. Methods: A self-designed DV pattern questionnaire was administered to 318 perpetrators and 306 victims of DV. Results: The top-ranked patterns of DV were verbal abuse (90.5%),battering with bare hands(42.4%),destroying furniture (19.8%),and battering with tools(10.3%). 49.9% subjects reported more than one pattern of DV. Households of couples with no children and couples with more than one child reported the most occurrence of verbal abuse; and households of more than one generation the second. Remarried households had significantly higher occurrence of destroying furniture and battering with tools(40.7% and 18.5%,P0.05); the difference was not significant. The patterns of DV were not associated with the sex of perpetrators(P0.05). Male victims battered by tools were significantly more than female(15.8% vs. 7.3%,P0.05). Perpetrators with lower education level had significantly higher occurrence of verbal abuse than those with higher education (95.4% vs. 83.3%,P0.01). Victims with lower education level had significantly higher occurrence of verbal abuse and battering with tools (97.5% vs. 88.6% and 13.2% vs. 1.1%,P0.01). Conclusion: The main patterns of DV are verbal abuse and battering with bare hands. Half of the households have more than one pattern of DV. There is higher occurrence of physical violence in remarried household. The pattern of DV is not associated with perpetrator's sex. Male victims with lower education have higher occurrence of battering with tools.
From mid-life to later life : strategies for controlling age transitions among Chileans in metropolitan Santiago

This thesis investigates the ways in which transitions from mid-life to later life are envisioned. Undertaken in Santiago de Chile the study explores the following questions: How do individuals deal with stereotypes and contradictory messages about ageing? What strategies do they develop to control transitions whilst coping with ageing processes? Documentary analysis of Chilean parliamentary debates and newspaper articles, and secondary analysis of focus groups with older people were used to construct social imaginaries of ageing. These were compared and tested in a survey of 226 individuals aged 40-90 to reveal four significant tensions. These related to older people as: i) dependent or having dependants, ii) using information as a means or an end; iii) having passive or active roles, and iv) being vulnerable or resourceful in terms of their own health. These tensions were transformed into pictorial stories and used in visual elicitation interviews with 32 men and women aged 40-90 who generated stories of the ways in which they understood the possibilities and challenges presented by these four areas of tension. Findings showed that solutions to tensions i) currently express an equilibrium in generational interdependency, but they are shifting towards increasing intergenerational individualism; ii) technological literacy is becoming a requirement for social inclusion, but education still holds important value for social interactions; iii) although self and other’s ageism still represent barriers for social participation, the existing division between productive and non-productive roles in later life is becoming more flexible and pluralistic projects in later life have entered individuals’ imagination; iv) strategies to maintaining health only postpone vulnerability and loss of control over life decisions. The thesis contributes to expanding the frameworks for the study of transitions and to the design of interventions tailored for particular groups of the ageing population.
Community use of XALT in its first year in production

XALT collects accurate, detailed, and continuous job-level and link-time data and stores that data in a database; all the data collection is transparent to the users. The data stored can be mined to generate a picture of the compilers, libraries, and other software that users need to run their jobs successfully, highlighting the products that researchers use. We showcase how data collected by XALT can be easily mined into a digestible format by presenting data from four separate HPC centers. XALT is already used by many HPC centers around the world due to its usefulness and complementariness to existing logs and databases. Centers with XALT have a much better understanding of library and executable usage and patterns. We also present new functionality in XALT - namely the ability to anonymize data and early work in providing seamless access to provenance data.
Random Walks on Groups and Monoids with a Markovian Harmonic Measure

We consider a transient nearest neighbor random walk on a group $G$ with finite set of generators $S$. The pair $(G,S)$ is assumed to admit a natural notion of normal form words where only the last letter is modified by multiplication by a generator. The basic examples are the free products of a finitely generated free group and a finite family of finite groups, with natural generators. We prove that the harmonic measure is Markovian of a particular type. The transition matrix is entirely determined by the initial distribution which is itself the unique solution of a finite set of polynomial equations of degree two. This enables to efficiently compute the drift, the entropy, the probability of ever hitting an element, and the minimal positive harmonic functions of the walk. The results extend to monoids.
Supercritical Accretion Flows around Black Holes: Two-dimensional, Radiation Pressure-dominated Disks with Photon Trapping

The quasi-steady structure of supercritical accretion flows around a black hole is studied based on two-dimensional radiation-hydrodynamic (2D-RHD) simulations. The supercritical flow is composed of two parts: the disk region and the outflow regions above and below the disk. Within the disk region the circular motion and the patchy density structure are observed, which is caused by Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and probably by convection. The mass accretion rate decreases inward, roughly in proportion to the radius, and the remaining part of the disk material leaves the disk to form the outflow because of the strong radiation pressure force. We confirm that photon trapping plays an important role within the disk. Thus, matter can fall onto the black hole at a rate exceeding the Eddington rate. The emission is highly anisotropic and moderately collimated so that the apparent luminosity can exceed the Eddington luminosity by a factor of a few in the face-on view. The mass accretion rate onto the black hole increases with the absorption opacity (metallicity) of the accreting matter. This implies that the black hole tends to grow faster in metal-rich regions, such as in starburst galaxies or star-forming regions.
Dense Corresspondence Estimation for Image Interpolation

We evaluate the current state-of-the-art in dense correspondence estimation for the use in multi-image interpolation algorithms. The evaluation is carried out on three real-world scenes and one synthetic scene, each featuring varying challenges for dense correspondence estimation. The primary focus of our study is on the perceptual quality of the interpolation sequences created from the estimated flow fields. Perceptual plausibility is assessed by means of a psychophysical userstudy. Our results show that current state-of-the-art in dense correspondence estimation does not produce visually plausible interpolations.
Early Life Adversity as a Risk Factor for Visceral Pain in Later Life: Importance of Sex Differences

A history of early life adversity (ELA) has health-related consequences that persist beyond the initial maltreatment and into adulthood. Childhood adversity is associated with abnormal glucocorticoid signaling within the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the development of functional pain disorders such as the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS and many adult psychopathologies are more frequently diagnosed in women, and ovarian hormones have been shown to modulate pain sensitivity. Therefore, the sexually dimorphic effects of ELA and the role of ovarian hormones in visceral pain perception represent critical research concepts to enhance our understanding of the etiology of IBS. In this review, we discuss current animal models of ELA and the potential mechanisms through which ovarian hormones modulate the HPA axis to alter nociceptive signaling pathways and induce functionally relevant changes in pain behaviors following ELA.
A Longitudinal Study on the Effects of Parental Monitoring on Adolescent Antisocial Behaviors: The Moderating Role of Adolescent Empathy

In adolescence, youth antisocial behaviors reach a peak. Parents can use different strategies, such as parental solicitation and control, to monitor their children’s activities and try to prevent or reduce their antisocial behaviors. However, it is still unclear if, and for which adolescents, these parental monitoring behaviors are effective. The aim of this study was to examine if the impact of parental solicitation and control on adolescent antisocial behaviors depends on adolescent empathy. In order to comprehensively address this aim, we tested the moderating effects of multiple dimensions (affective and cognitive) of both trait and state empathy. Participants were 379 Dutch adolescents (55.9% males) involved in a longitudinal study with their fathers and mothers. At T1 (conducted when adolescents were 17-year-old) adolescents filled self-report measures of antisocial behaviors and trait empathy during one home visit, while their state empathy was rated during a laboratory session. Furthermore, parents reported their own monitoring behaviors. At T2 (conducted 1 year later, when adolescents were 18-year-old), adolescents reported again on their antisocial behaviors. Moderation analyses indicated that both affective and cognitive state empathy moderated the effects of parental solicitation on adolescent antisocial behaviors. Results highlighted that solicitation had unfavorable effects on antisocial behaviors in adolescents with high empathy whereas the opposite effect was found for adolescents with low empathy. In contrast, neither state nor trait empathy moderated the effects of control on adolescent antisocial behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
The dependence of the substellar initial mass function on the initial conditions for star formation

We have undertaken a series of hydrodynamical simulations of multiple star formation in small turbulent molecular clouds. Our goal is to determine the sensitivity of the properties of the resulting stars and brown dwarfs to variations in the initial conditions imposed. In this paper we report on the results obtained by applying two different initial turbulent velocity fields. The slope of the turbulent power-law spectrum a is set to -3 in half of the calculations and to -5 in the other half. We find that, whereas the stellar mass function seems to only be weakly dependent on the value of a, the substellar mass function turns out to be more sensitive to the initial slope of the velocity field. We argue that, because the role of turbulence is to create substructure from which gravitational instabilities may grow, variations in other initial conditions that also determine the fragmentation process are likely to affect the shape of the substellar mass function as well. The absence of many planetary-mass 'free-floaters' in our simulations, especially in the mass range 1-10 M J , suggests that, if these objects are abundant, they are likely to form by similar mechanisms to those thought to operate in quiescent accretion discs, instead of via instabilities in gravitationally unstable discs. We also show that the distribution of orbital parameters of the multiple systems formed in our simulations is not very sensitive to the initial conditions imposed. Finally, we find that multiple and single stars share comparable kinematical properties, both populations being able to attain velocities in the range 1-10 km s -1 . From these values we draw the conclusion that only low-mass star-forming regions such as Taurus-Auriga or Ophiuchus, where the escape speed is low, might have suffered some depletion of their single and binary stellar population.
Adipose Derived Stem Cells Reduce Fibrosis and Promote Nerve Regeneration in Rats

Peripheral nerve regeneration is critical and challenging in the adult humans. High level of collagen infiltration (i.e., scar tissue), in the niche of injury, impedes axonal regeneration and path finding. Unfortunately, studies focusing on the modulation of scar tissue in the nerves are scarce. To address part of this problem, we have evaluated the differentiated adipose derived stem cells (dASCs) for their antifibrotic and regenerative effects in a 10 mm nerve gap model in rats. Three different animal groups (N = 5) were treated with fibrin nerve conduits (empty), or seeded with dASCs (F + dASCs) and autograft, respectively. Histological analysis of regenerated nerves, at 12 weeks postoperatively, reveled the high levels of collagen infiltration (i.e., 21.5% ± 6.1% and 24.1% ± 2.9%) in the middle and distal segment of empty conduit groups in comparison with stem cells treated (16.6% ± 2.1% and 12.1% ± 2.9%) and autograft (15.0% ± 1.7% and 12.8% ± 1.0%) animals. Thus, the dASCs treatment resulted in significant reduction of fibrotic tissue formation. Consequently, enhanced axonal regeneration and remyelination was found in the animals treated with dASCs. Interestingly, these effects of dASCs appeared to be equivalent to that of autograft treatment. Thus, the dASCs hold great potential for preventing the scar tissue formation and for promoting nerve regeneration in the adult organisms. Future experiments will focus on the validation of these findings in a critical nerve injury model. Anat Rec, 301:1714–1721, 2018. © 2018 The Authors. The Anatomical Record published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Anatomists
Particle Swarms in Optimization and Control

Abstract In the last decennium, particle swarms have received considerable attention in the fields of optimization and control. Inspired by swarms of social animals, such as birds, fish, and termites, simple behavior on the local level has been shown to result in useful complex behavior on the global level. Particle Swarm Optimization has proven to be a very powerful optimization heuristic, and swarm aggregation based on artificial potential fields enjoys a growing interest for controlling particles in a swarm. Especially the flexibility, scalability, and robustness to errors on a local level are intrinsic properties of swarms that have attracted the interest of researchers in applying swarm technology to various problems. In this contribution, we present an overview of the application of particle swarms for optimization and control of swarm aggregation.
Polypeptide Secretion from the Isolated Parietovisceral Ganglion of Aplysia californica

In vitro studies of the secretory behavior of the parietovisceral ganglion in Aplysia californica were performed. The aim of these studies was to investigate the release of polypeptides in response to depolarizing stimuli, and, in particular, to determine if a specific polypeptide known to induce egg laying in the intact animal is secreted into the bathing medium. During continuous perfusion of a ganglion preincubated in leucine-3H the application of either high-potassium medium or a burst of electrical stimuli (via the pleurovisceral connective nerve) evoked a marked increase in the amount of trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-precipitable radioactivity recovered in the perfusate. Enhanced release could be detected within 80 sec of the initial exposure to high potassium; however, incubation of a ganglion in calcium-free media before the application of high-potassium medium abolished the increase of precipitable radioactivity. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of perfusate samples revealed a significant change in the polypeptide species washed from the ganglion during high-potassium depolarization. Bioassays confirmed that egg laying is induced when high-potassium medium used to bathe a ganglion is injected into a recipient animal. These and other results permit the conclusion that the bulk of the polypeptide material secreted from the ganglion in response to depolarization is a specific neurohormone produced by two identified cell clusters, the so-called bag cells.
Individual vocal recognition and the effect of partial lesions to HVc on discrimination, learning, and categorization of conspecific song in adult songbirds.

Among songbirds, the capacity to associate particular songs with particular singers (i.e., vocal recognition) forms the cognitive basis for more complex communication behaviors such as female choice and territoriality. In the present study, we combine operant conditioning techniques and excitotoxic lesions to the forebrain nucleus HVc to examine the role of this region in the discrimination, associative learning, and categorization of conspecific song. We trained adult male and female European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, to recognize simultaneously the songs of several conspecific males. Then, using a series of transfer procedures, we demonstrate that correct recognition does not generalize to song bouts containing novel motifs from familiar singers. This suggests that starlings do not make use of individually invariant source or filter characteristics for vocal recognition. We then lesioned a portion of HVc bilaterally with ibotenic acid, and exposed the birds to a series of manipulations testing the discrimination, associative learning, and categorization of conspecific song. The lesions attenuated song production among males, but retention of the basic recognition task (i.e., maintenance of the discrimination) was unaffected. However, when the response contingencies were reversed-as a test of associative learning independent of discrimination-the initial performance and subsequent learning rate were negatively correlated with the size of the HVc lesions. This suggests that HVc plays a role in the formation of associations between a song and some referent. The results of this study are discussed in light of earlier claims regarding the role of HVc in the perceptual processing of conspecific song.
The retrospective experience of climate in the family-of-origin and dyadic coping in couple relationships: pathways to dyadic adjustment

ABSTRACT This study comprised 467 adults in a conjugal relationship and examined dyadic coping and its moderating role between the family-of-origin retrospective experience and dyadic adjustment. While the contribution of family-of-origin variables to marital behaviors has long been a subject of interest, coping have only recently begun to be acknowledged as a relevant construct within the context of romantic relationships. Path analysis was used to examine both the direct and indirect effects of independent and moderator variables on dependent variables. Dyadic coping was a strong and positive predictor of dyadic adjustment dimensions. Dyadic coping behavior moderated the impact of family-of-origin retrospective experience on actual dyadic consensus and satisfaction, namely for women. Data highlight the significance of dyadic coping behaviors in a couple's intervention. Not only does stress have a role in relationship functioning, but also dyadic coping behaviors may serve as a vehicle through which couples may foster their relational adjustment.
Let your users do the testing: a comparison of three remote asynchronous usability testing methods

Remote asynchronous usability testing is characterized by both a spatial and temporal separation of users and evaluators. This has the potential both to reduce practical problems with securing user attendance and to allow direct involvement of users in usability testing. In this paper, we report from an empirical study where we systematically compared three methods for remote asynchronous usability testing: user-reported critical incidents, forum-based online reporting and discussion, and diary-based longitudinal user reporting. In addition, conventional laboratory-based think-aloud testing was included as a benchmark for the remote methods. The results show that each remote asynchronous method supports identification of a considerable number of usability problems. Although this is only about half of the problems identified with the conventional method, it requires significantly less time. This makes remote asynchronous methods an appealing possibility for usability testing in many software projects.
A Fast and Stable Superresolution Reconstruction Method for Compressed Video Sequences

This paper proposed a superresolution (SR) reconstruction method by combining the cross-diamond-hexagonal search (CDHS) block-matching algorithm (BMA) and the simple block-wise motion vector selection (BWMVS) strategy to obtain stable and high quality reconstruction results. The experimental results showed that the reconstruction quality of CDHS BMA is comparable with full search BMA but the computation time is greatly reduced. The occlusion including a scene change that severely damages the quality of the reconstructed video sequence in SR is effectively removed through the incorporation of the BWMVS in our reconstruction method. The stability due to BWMVS was verified by the reconstruction results using the standard interpolations.