Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic variability of Fusarium verticillioides isolates collected from maize in Hungary

Fusarium verticillioides (teleomorph: Gibberella moniliformis) is a widely distributed pathogen of maize which is able to cause corn seedling blight, root rot, stalk rot and ear rot, and also can infect maize as an endophyte, without any symptom development. Both symptomatic and asymptomatic kernel infections by F. verticillioides can result in decreased quality of corn and economic losses due to contamination by fumonisins, polyketide derived mycotoxins causing various diseases in animals including kidney and liver cancer in rodents, pulmonary edema in pigs, leucoencephalomalacia in horses and a postulated role in human esophageal cancer. We examined the genetic variability of F. verticillioides isolates collected in Hungarian maize fields. The samples were collected during 2010-2011 from various maize-growing areas of Hungary. The isolates were identified at the species level using sequence analysis of part of their translation elongation factor-1 gene. Altogether 39 F. verticillioides isolates were subjected to UP-PCR analysis using 8 different primers. 155 bands were taken into account during the phylogenetic and population genetic analyses. On the neighbor-joining tree prepared from the similarity matrix, every isolate formed a haplotype, i.e. all isolates could be separated from each other based on their UP-PCR profiles. Geographic clustering of the isolates could also be identified on the tree: most isolates came from the Transdanubian region of Hungary formed a cluster, while those from the Eastern part formed 3 different clusters separated from the other isolates. F. verticillioides is a heterothallic fungus. The distribution of the mating type genes was also examined in the population using specific primer pairs. Based on the PCR profiles, 44% of the isolates belonged to the MAT1-1, while 56% to the MAT1-2 mating type. The nearly equal distribution of the mating types in the population indicates that the population reproduces both sexually and clonally. However, population genetic analysis of the data using index of association tests and parsimony tree length permutation tests indicated a predominantly clonal population structure. Further studies are in progress to examine the fumonisin producing abilities of the isolates, and to correlate these data with their UP-PCR profiles.
Testing for the Ratchet Effect: Evidence from a Real-Effort Work Task

The "ratchet effect" refers to a phenomenon where workers whose compensation is based on productivity strategically restrict their output, relative to their capability, because they rationally anticipate that high levels of output will be met with increased or "ratcheted-up" expectations in the future. While there is ample anecdotal evidence suggesting the presence of the ratchet effect in real workplaces, it is difficult to actually empirically identify output restriction among workers. In this study, we implement a novel experimental design using a real-effort work task and a piece-rate incentive scheme to directly test for the presence of the ratchet effect using two different methods for evaluating productivity: (i) when productivity is evaluated based on the output of each individual worker, and (ii) when productivity is evaluated collectively based on the output of a group of workers. We find strong evidence of the ratchet effect when productivity is evaluated at the individual-level. However, we find very little evidence of the ratchet effect when productivity is evaluated collectively at the group-level. We attribute the latter result to the free-riding incentive that emerges when productivity is evaluated at the group-level. Furthermore, we find the ratchet effect re-emerges if workers are able to communicate. Our experimental design, combined with using a real-effort work task, also allows us to shed light on an important dynamic implication of the ratchet effect that has not yet been examined in the literature – the role of the ratchet effect on future productivity via learning-by-doing.
Biomechanical Analysis of Explosive Strength of Legs of Athletes

Aim: The purpose of the study was to analyze the explosive strength variables of legs of athletes of different sports. Method: The study was conducted on 45 male players (fifteen handball players; age: 15.80 ± 0.68 years, fifteen football players; age: 16.13 ± 0.83 years & fifteen basketball players; age: 16.40 ± 0.83 years) of Punjab State coaches in Patiala (India). Results: The results of the study shows that the basketball players performed better in explosive strength parameters like the squat jump flight time, squat jump height, counter movement jump height, counter movement flight time, peak power (45-60sec) and mean power (0-60sec), then the football and handball players. The least performance was recorded by the handball players. The results also indicate that there was a highly significant correlation exists among the various explosive strength variables. Conclusion: The explosive strength variables measurement could be used by coaches to plan or adjust the training program of athletes. Baljinder Singh Biomechanics Scientist, Punjab State Institute of Sports, Mohali, Punjab, India E-mail: bali007@rediffmail.com Ashok Kumar Associate Professor Department of Sports Science, Punjabi University Patiala, Punjab, India M. D. Ranga Senior Scientific Officer, Department of Biomechanics, SAI NS NIS Patiala, Punjab, India
Multimorbidity Clusters: Clustering Binary Data From Multimorbidity Clusters: Clustering Binary Data From a Large Administrative Medical Database

Our purpose in this article is to describe and illustrate the application of cluster analysis to identify clinically relevant multimorbidity groups. Multimorbidity is the co-occurrence of 2 or more illnesses within a single person, which raises the question whether consistent, clinically useful multimorbidity groups exist among sets of chronic illnesses. Our purpose in this article is to describe and illustrate the application of cluster analysis to identify clinically relevant multimorbidity groups. Application of cluster analysis involves a sequence of critical methodological and analytic decisions that influence the quality and meaning of the clusters produced. We illustrate the application of cluster analysis to identify multimorbidity clusters in a set of 45 chronic illnesses in primary care patients (N = 1,327,328), with 2 or more chronic conditions, served by the Veterans Health Administration. Six clinically useful multimorbidity clusters were identified: a Metabolic Cluster, an Obesity Cluster, a Liver Cluster, a Neurovascular Cluster, a Stress Cluster and a Dual Diagnosis Cluster. Cluster analysis appears to be a useful technique for identifying multiple disease clusters and patterns of multimorbidity.
Effect of dogs on communication and behavior patterns of adolescents/children in a residential treatment program

Es gibt heute viele Belege dafur, dass die Interaktion mit Hunden den Gesundheits- und Gefuhlszustand von Menschen positiv beeinflussen kann. Dabei konnen Hunde als soziale Katalysatoren oder Eisbrecher wirken oder auch als soziale Unterstutzer in belastenden Situationen dienen. In dieser Masterarbeit habe ich mich auf die Frage konzentriert, ob die Anwesenheit eines ruhigen und freundlichen Hundes die Interaktions- und Kommunikationsmuster von Kindern beeinflusst, die in einer Einrichtung fur Jugendliche aus schwierigen Verhaltnissen untergebracht sind. “Lebensraum Heidlmair ®” ermoglichte es uns, zehn verschiedene Gruppen mit jeweils 9 bis 12 Madchen und Jungen zwischen 5 und 17 Jahren mit individuellen Vorgeschichten mit Anpassungs- und Lernschwierigkeiten usw. zu beobachten. Die Daten wurden in Gruppensituationen wahrend des Abendessens aufgenommen, wenn die meisten Gruppenmitglieder anwesend waren. Diese Situationen wurden in jeder Gruppe zweimal mit Hund (Testsituation) und zweimal ohne Hund (Kontrolle) gefilmt. In den vier Testsituationen wurden insgesamt 50 Kinder beobachtet, die immer anwesend waren. Mithilfe des Solomon Coder ® wurde das Verhalten dieser Kinder auf individueller Ebene (sprachliche Auserungen, Bewegungen bzw. Anzeichen von Nervositat, Interaktionen, emotionaler Ausdruck), zusatzlich zu verschiedenen Beobachtervariablen (Lautstarke, Atmosphare), kodiert. Auserdem ermittelten wir die Kortisolgehalte dieser 50 Kinder und deren Betreuer mit Hilfe eines Enzymimmunoessays (EIA). Hierfur nahmen wir Speichelproben vor und nach jeder Gruppensituation mit und ohne Hund, um die Werte vergleichen zu konnen. In Anwesenheit des Hundes kommunizierten die Kinder mehr, wahrend die Redezeit gleichmasiger unter ihnen aufgeteilt war. Gleichzeitig hatten sie mehr Augenkontakt, statt nur mit ihrem eigenen Essen beschaftigt zu sein. Auch verringerte sich die Dauer aggressiven Verhaltens und es war mehr frohliches, lustiges Verhalten beobachtbar. Die Anwesenheit eines Hundes fuhrte zu weniger Angst, erleichterte soziale Interaktionen und entspannte die Kinder. Diese Effekte waren starker bei Kindern zu beobachten, die junger als 12 Jahre waren als bei alteren. Auserdem waren Atmosphare und Lautstarke angenehmer als ohne Hund im Raum. Im Gegensatz zu den klaren Verhaltenseffekten unterschieden sich die Kortisolwerte im Speichel der Probanden zwischen An- und Abwesenheit des Hundes nicht. Kinder und Betreuer fuhlten sich in der Anwesenheit eines Hundes unmittelbar wohler und die Kinder werden in dieser Atmosphare ihre sozio-emotionalen Kompetenzen leicht verbessern konnen.
The effects of scale differences on inferences in accounting research : coefficient estimates , tests of incremental association , and relative value relevance

Firms’ financial data vary considerably with the size of their operations. Such scale differences potentially confound several types of inferences, of which this paper analyzes three. This paper evaluates two potential solutions to these inference problems suggested by theory: (i) deflating the data by a proxy for scale; and (ii) including a scale proxy as an independent variable. First, simulations show that deflating the data more effectively mitigates coefficient bias than including that proxy as an independent variable. Reconciling this result with the opposing conclusion of Barth and Kallapur (1996, Contemporary Accounting Research) reveals that the prior results depend on assumptions that are both economically and statistically unreasonable. Second, deflation results in more accurate tests of incremental association in terms of mean squared error. Third, deflating by a scale proxy results in well-specified tests of relative association using Vuong’s (1989) Z-statistic for non-nested models whereas including the scale proxy as an independent variable results in overstated significance. Given the additional advantages of deflation with respect to heteroscedasticity and the coefficient of determination (R) demonstrated in prior studies, researchers should generally deflate their models when scale differences exist in the data. JEL Classification: C51, G10, G38, M41
Willingness to Pay for Crop Insurance to Adapt Flood Risk by Malaysian Farmers: An Empirical Investigation of Kedah

This study examines the factors that may affect the willingness to pay crop insurance by Malaysian rice farmers in Kedah, Malaysia, for the adaptation of flood risk. 350 farm households are selected and a structured questionnaire is used to elicit data from the respondents. The data are analyzed with descriptive statistics and logit regression model. The average willingness-to-pay (WTP) for monthly crop insurance premium by the respondents is MYR 48.15 for every RM 1000 coverage per hectare per season. The significant variables influencing willingness to pay crop insurance by the farmers are the age of household head, attending the training course, farm income, and experience and farm size. From the findings of this work, it is urged that to promote crop insurance in Malaysia, the government may require a strategic policy to convince the farmers of the credibility and reliability of insurance scheme by improving farmers’ awareness and understanding of crop insurance through advertisement and training.
On Model Selection Curves

Many popular methods of model selection involve minimizing a penalized function of the data (such as the maximized log‐likelihood or the residual sum of squares) over a set of models. The penalty in the criterion function is controlled by a penalty multiplier λ which determines the properties of the procedure. In this paper, we first review model selection criteria of the simple form “Loss + Penalty” and then propose studying such model selection criteria as functions of the penalty multiplier. This approach can be interpreted as exploring the stability of model selection criteria through what we call model selection curves. It leads to new insights into model selection and new proposals on how to select models. We use the bootstrap to enhance the basic model selection curve and develop convenient numerical and graphical summaries of the results. The methodology is illustrated on two data sets and supported by a small simulation. We show that the new methodology can outperform methods such as AIC and BIC which correspond to single points on a model selection curve.
Expression and Nitrogen Efficiency in Growing

The nitrogen supply of the ruminal microorganisms in the host is essential for amino acids synthesis. During the process of urea nitrogen salvaging (UNS), urea entry into the ruminant gastrointestinal tract, (Marini and Van Amburg, 2003). It is thought that urea enters into the ruminant gastrointestinal tract via facilitative urea transporters (Stewart An experiment was carried out to evaluate how interactions between forage to concentrate ratio and dietary crude protein level may alter nitrogen efficiency and UT-B expression in growing Baluchi male lambs. Four Baluchi male lambs [30 ± 2 kg BW] were used in a 4 × 4 latin square design with 28-d periods and a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of dietary treatments. The treatments fed forage: concentrate [FC; DM basis] ratios of 45:55 low concentrate (LC) or 25:75 high concentrate (HC) with dietary levels of CP of 14 low protein (LP) or 18% high protein (HP) [CP, DM basis]. Dry matter intake increased as dietary concentrate level increased. Treatments, dietary CP content and F: C ratio had significant effect on CP intake. Increasing dietary N content of the diet increased dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and organic matter (OM) digestibility. Forage to concentrate ratio had a significant effect on neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and OM digestibility. Treatments had significant effect on the CP, NDF and OM digestibility. There were an interaction between dietary CP content and F: C ratio on the ruminal pH, NH3-N concentration, individual volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration, acetate: propionate ratio and BUN concentration. Except ruminal pH, all ruminal fermentation and blood metabolite factors were affected by both dietary CP content and F: C ratio in trial. Treatments had significant influence on the NI (g/d) and urinary N excretion (g/d) (% of N intake). Also, both dietary CP content and F: C ratio had significant effect on NI. The lambs consume high crude protein treatments tended to have greater urinary N excretion (g/d) than those consume low crude protein treatments. The F: C ratio had a significant effect on urinary N excretion (g/d). Approximately 6.56 times more UT-B was expressed by the rumen ventral sac for lambs on the treatments contain 18% crude protein relative to those on the treatments contain 14% crude protein. In conclusion this study shows that changes in characteristic of the diet produce significant changes in UT-B urea transporter expression within the ovine rumen. Changing urea entry into the GIT via dietary regulation of UT-B could serve as important mechanism to maintenance of nitrogen balance and increase nitrogen efficiency in Baluchi growing lambs. Our findings suggest that the dietary regulation of urea transporters plays a major role in altering urea entry into the gastrointestinal tract.
The effects of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), a green tea catechin, on blood cholesterol

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)%%%%Background: The catechin, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), the most abundant compound in green tea, has been linked to numerous beneficial health effects, including a reduction in blood cholesterol levels and protection against cardiovascular disease. Previous studies, mostly with extracts of green tea containing mixtures of catechins and other compounds, in animal models of hypercholesterolaemia including the cholesterol-fed rabbit, have shown that these preparations can lower blood cholesterol. Three plausible mechanisms by which they could lower cholesterol have been postulated: 1) an increase in the LDL-receptor and 2) a reduction in cholesterol synthesis postulated from studies in the hypercholesterolaemic rabbit model and in cultured human HepG2 liver cells and 3) an inhibition of intestinal cholesterol absorption postulated from studies in mice, rats and hamsters. However, it is not known whether EGCG, as a pure compound, can lower cholesterol in the rabbit model and in humans and whether it works through the three postulated mechanisms of action. Hypotheses and Aims: The working hypothesis for this thesis was that ‘pure EGCG will lower cholesterol in hypercholesterolaemic rabbits and humans’. Therefore, the aim was to determine the effect of pure EGCG on cholesterol in hypercholesterolaemic rabbits and in humans with moderately elevated cholesterol. For an experiment with the hypercholesterolaemic rabbits, it was hypothesised that ‘pure EGCG will lower cholesterol by up-regulating the LDL-receptor, reducing cholesterol synthesis and inhibiting the intestinal cholesterol absorption’. Therefore, the aims were to determine whether pure EGCG could lower cholesterol in this animal model and by which mechanisms of action. An absorption study was then conducted in humans for which it was hypothesised that ‘pure EGCG will be absorbed better when given in capsule form without food compared to given in capsule form with a breakfast. It was also hypothesised that ‘incorporating the EGCG in a strawberry sorbet will improve the EGCG absorption compared to taking EGCG in capsule form with a breakfast’. Therefore, the aim was to determine, which of the three EGCG delivery formats, was the best for maximising the systemic absorption of the catechins in humans. Finally, a pilot intervention study in humans was conducted for which it was hypothesised that ‘pure EGCG will lower cholesterol in mildly hypercholesterolaemic humans’. Therefore, the aim was to determine whether pure EGCG, given by the best of the three methods of delivery tested in the absorption study, could lower cholesterol in humans with moderately elevated cholesterol. Methodology: For the animal model study, 12 New Zealand white rabbits were made hypercholesterolaemic by feeding with 0.25% (w/w) cholesterol for two weeks. Then, for four weeks, one group (6) was fed 0.25% (w/w) cholesterol and 2% (w/w) EGCG and the control group (6) was fed 0.25% (w/w) cholesterol only. Blood and faecal samples were…
Copper and Cadmium induced histopathological alterations in liver of Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch) at varying water pH

Histology of liver exposed to 36 hour LC50 concentration of copper sulfate (CuSO4.5H2O) and cadmium chloride (CdCl2.H2O) with varying water pH (4±0.5, 7±0.5 and 8±0.5) was studied in an air-breathing catfish (Heteropneustes fossilis). The histopathological changes observed in the liver tissue post exposure included necrosis, degradation of hepatocytes, degeneration of blood vessels, distended sinusoids with pyknotic nuclei and vacuolation of cells. The degree of damage to the liver tissue was proportional to the nominal concentrations of the metals used. Further the pH of diluent water affected the alteration more acutely signifying a synergistic effect.
FIRST HIGH-RESOLUTION SPECTROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS OF AN ERUPTING PROMINENCE WITHIN A CORONAL MASS EJECTION BY THE INTERFACE REGION IMAGING SPECTROGRAPH (IRIS)

Spectroscopic observations of prominence eruptions associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs), although relatively rare, can provide valuable plasma and three-dimensional geometry diagnostics. We report the first observations by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph mission of a spectacular fast CME/prominence eruption associated with an equivalent X1.6 flare on 2014 May 9. The maximum plane-of-sky and Doppler velocities of the eruption are 1200 and 460 km s−1, respectively. There are two eruption components separated by ∼200 km s−1 in Doppler velocity: a primary, bright component and a secondary, faint component, suggesting a hollow, rather than solid, cone-shaped distribution of material. The eruption involves a left-handed helical structure undergoing counterclockwise (viewed top-down) unwinding motion. There is a temporal evolution from upward eruption to downward fallback with less-than-free-fall speeds and decreasing nonthermal line widths. We find a wide range of Mg ii k/h line intensity ratios (less than ∼2 expected for optically-thin thermal emission): the lowest ever reported median value of 1.17 found in the fallback material, a comparably high value of 1.63 in nearby coronal rain, and intermediate values of 1.53 and 1.41 in the two eruption components. The fallback material exhibits a strong ( > 5 &sgr; ) ? > linear correlation between the k/h ratio and the Doppler velocity as well as the line intensity. We demonstrate that Doppler dimming of scattered chromospheric emission by the erupted material can potentially explain such characteristics.
Systematics and Paleoecology of a New Peltaspermalean Seed Fern from the Triassic Polar Vegetation of Gondwana

A new Triassic seed fern is described on the basis of a large collection of well-preserved plant compressions from the Upper Triassic of Mt. Falla, Queen Alexandra Range, central Transantarctic Mountains. The foliage is simple entire-margined to pinnatifid to partly pinnate and is assigned to Dejerseya lobata (Jones et de Jersey) Herbst emend. nov. Associated with these leaves occur two new reproductive structures. The ovulate organ Matatiella dejerseyi sp. nov. is a lax, conelike structure with primarily shield-shaped megasporophylls that are dissected into three to four narrow lobes, each bearing a single recurved, naked ovule. The pollen organ Townrovia polaris sp. nov. consists of a slender axis arising from a covered reproductive bud, bearing pinnately arranged, stalked, elongate receptacles each with ∼20 unilocular, clavate pollen sacs; the pollen is bisaccate nontaeniate with an irregular longitudinal sulcus and coarse saccus endoreticulations, corresponding to the dispersed pollen Falcisporites australis. Similar pollen grains occur in the micropylar canals of seed cuticles of M. dejerseyi. Co-occurrence data indicate that the three taxa are probably different organs from one plant species. This new seed fern is assigned to the Matatiellaceae, which we place into the Peltaspermales because of structural similarities with vegetative and reproductive organs of other peltaspermalean seed ferns. It appears that several Triassic Gondwanan plant fossil taxa of currently uncertain affinities—such as Pachydermophyllum, Linguifolium, Carpolithus mackayi, and Andersonia—may belong to the Matatiellaceae as well. We suggest that the matatiellacean peltasperms were opportunistic, early successional plants that were particularly successful in colonizing stressed wetland environments in polar latitudes during the Triassic.