Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic variability, correlation and path analysis in sponge gourd ( Luffa cylindrica Roem.)

The performance, genetic variability, heritability, genetic advance, correlation and path analysis for yield and yield contributing characters namely total yield per vine (kg), number of fruits per vine, average weight of fruit (g), average length of fruit (cm), average diameter of fruit (cm), days to anthesis of first male flower, days to anthesis of first female flower, node number at which first female flower appeared, days to maturity, number of primary branches, vine length (cm), specific gravity (g/cc), number of seeds per fruit and total soluble solids (oBrix) of 20 sponge gourd genotypes were studied. Significant variations were observed for all the characters in all the genotypes used in the experiment. Highest genotypic and phenotypic variations were observed for total yield per vine followed by number of seeds per fruit, average weight of fruit and total soluble solids. Number of seeds per fruit, average weight of fruit and specific gravity showed high heritability with high genetic advance. Total yield per vine was found to be positively and significantly correlated with number of fruits per vine, average weight of fruit and number of seeds per fruit. Path coefficient analysis revealed that average diameter of fruit, number of primary branches, number of fruits per vine, average weight of fruit and total soluble solids showed positive direct effects on total yield per vine. Hence, selection for these traits for improving yield per vine in sponge gourd is suggested. Keywords: Sponge gourd, direct and indirect effects, genotypes, genetic variability, path analysis, heritability, traits African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(6), pp. 539-543
EEG-Based Detection of Driver Emergency Braking Intention for Brain-Controlled Vehicles

In this paper, we propose a new approach of detecting emergency braking intention for brain-controlled vehicles by interpreting electroencephalography (EEG) signals of drivers. Regularization linear discriminant analysis with spatial-frequency features is applied to build the detection model. These spatial-frequency features are selected from the powers of frequency points across sixteen channels by using the sequential forward floating search. Experimental results from twelve subjects show that on average, the proposed method can detect emergency braking intentions 420 ms after the onset of emergency situations with the system accuracy of over 94%, showing the feasibility of developing a practical system of detecting driver emergency braking intention with the power spectra of EEG signals for brain-controlled vehicles.
Rapid and sensitive biomarker detection using molecular imprinting polymer hydrogel and surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Biomarkers are important biochemical indicators, which could be used for identification, early diagnosis and monitoring of diseases during the course of treatment. However, biomarker diagnosis has some shortcomings such as requiring a large amount of samples, long test time and high cost, which seriously influences the correctness and timely treatment to patients. Here, a relatively fast and efficient plasmonic hot spot-localized surface imprinting of Ag spheres using biomarker template immobilization and hydrogel copolymerization is described. The technique takes a fine control of the imprinting process at the nanometre scale and provides a biosensor with high sensitivity. Proof of the opinion is established by detection of biomarker using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. This work represents a valuable step towards SERS with biomarkers for cost-saving and time-saving diagnostic assay. It is expected that the new surface imprinted hydrogel plasmonic material can drive possibilities in advancing application of biomarkers in plasmonic biosensors.
Methods Latin America Asthma Insights and Management Survey The Latin America Asthma

Objective: Few patients with asthma have disease that is wellcontrolled, particularly in Latin American countries. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether partly controlled and uncontrolled asthma are associated with increased costs for asthma-related medications and health care utilization compared with wellcontrolled asthma in five Latin American countries. Methods: Using the Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines, we classified respondents from the Latin American Asthma Insights and Management survey into those with well-controlled, partly controlled, and uncontrolled asthma and compared the utilization of health care services and costs among these groups. Results: Most respondents to our survey (93%) had asthma that was classified as partly controlled or uncontrolled. Across all countries, patients whose asthma was partly controlled or uncontrolled had greater use of asthmarelated medications and medical services than did patients whose asthma was well-controlled. After adjusting for age, sex, and country of residence, total costs for asthma-related medications and health care were greater in patients whose asthma was classified as partly controlled and uncontrolled. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that patients with asthma that are not well-controlled used more health care resources and had greater medical costs in Latin America.
Local Religious Beliefs and Property-Liability Insurance Companies ’ Loss Reserving Decisions

We empirically examine the effect of local religious beliefs on property-liability insurers’ loss reserving decisions. Insurers headquartered in areas with a relatively low Protestant or relatively high Catholic population report lower loss reserve values for future insurance claim payments on their balance sheet. Reporting lower values for future losses has two effects: It increases current earnings and it increases the risk of a potential reserve shortfall if future claim payments are higher than expected. Assuming local religious beliefs are an important component of local culture, our results suggest that local culture significantly influences accounting choices in a regulated industry. JEL classification: M41; Z12; G22; G23
The use of multispectral and thermal images as a tool for irrigation scheduling in vineyards

Multispectral and thermal imagery were studied to evaluate the re lationship between grapevine water status and "Plant Cell Density" index (PCD) and "Crop Water Stress" index (CWSI). Grapevine water status was determined with a pressure chamber by measuring the leaf water potential ( ￻ leaf ) of 184 grapevines distributed homogeneously within a 11 ha vineyard. Image acquisitions and ￻ leaf measures were obtained simultaneously at noon. Results showed that PCD cou ld be useful to discriminate well-watered zones in a vineyard. However the relationship between PCD vs￻ leaf seemed to vary between different zones of the vineyard. This inconvenient did not exist with CWSI. The relationship between ￻ leaf and "crop-air tem- perature differential" was strong and presented a high coeffi cient of determination (r 2 = 0.714; P < 0.0001) at noon. Accordingly, this methodology showed potential to be used as a tool for irrigation scheduling. Further studies should be directed to explore the convenience of CWSI measured at other moments of the day and the optimal thermal image resolution to obtain the best resu lts.
Culture , financial crisis and the demand for property and accident and health insurance in the OECD countries : An assessment

We study how the cultural characteristics and the global financial crisis (GFC) impacted the non-life insurance expenditure in the OECD countries in the period 2000-2013 where we focus on the property and accident and health insurance markets. Our system Generalized Method of Moment (GMM) estimations reveal that in addition to the traditional economic and legal factors, the cultural characteristics such as long-term orientation, individualism, masculinity, and uncertainty avoidance played an important role in determining the expenditure on these insurance products across the OECD countries. However, in the presence of the GFC, the impacts of the cultural factors have dissipated. Furthermore, per capita income, which has long been regarded as one of the most important drivers of demand for non-life insurance in the literature, failed to explain the spending on accident and health insurance during the GFC. The paper provides valuable information for not only various constituents of the insurance sector but also policy makers in the OECD countries.
Fuzzy approach for reliability analysis of PMU

The phenomenal increase of consumption of power in recent times has led to a paradigm shift of conventional power system towards smart grid. In particular phasor measurement units (PMU) have been instrumental for linking of sprawling network through wide-area measurement system (WAMS). Thus, the failure of PMU will lead to catastrophic outage and severe blackout in the power system. In this paper, the reliability modeling of PMU has been done using Markov process. Then, the reliability parameters (failure rate and repair rate) are calculated using symmetrical triangular membership function for type-1 fuzzy reliability analysis. The case studies corroborate the efficacy of type-1 fuzzy sets to take into account uncertainty related to membership function.
No Bones About It: Evaluating Faunal Evidence for Ancient Lifestyles at Tall Jalul, Jordan

Analysis and characterization of faunal remains -- those bones and bone fragments collected from archaeological sites -- allows anthropologists and archaeologists to more completely reconstruct the ways in which ancient societies survived and interacted. As animals have invariably played an integral role in human society, providing transportation, draft, and a consistent food source, the study of their bones can elucidate the lifestyles and cultural practices of the people who raised and utilized them. Faunal remains for this project were collected and identified during the 2009 dig season at Tall Jalul in Jordan as part of the Madaba Plains Project. Further analysis of osteological and surface features allowed elucidation of the animals' species, age, gender, butchering methods, and pathologies. Initial inferences may be drawn from the preponderance of sheep and goat bones identified over other species; from these results it is plausible to posit that the ancient inhabitants of Tall Jalul may have embraced a pastoral existence, with agrarian activities and subsistence hunting supplementing this lifestyle.
Characterization of mesostasis regions in lunar basalts: Understanding late‐stage melt evolution and its influence on apatite formation

Recent studies geared toward understanding the volatile abundances of the lunar interior have focused on the volatile‐bearing accessory mineral apatite. Translating measurements of volatile abundances in lunar apatite into the volatile inventory of the silicate melts from which they crystallized, and ultimately of the mantle source regions of lunar magmas, however, has proved more difficult than initially thought. In this contribution, we report a detailed characterization of mesostasis regions in four Apollo mare basalts (10044, 12064, 15058, and 70035) in order to ascertain the compositions of the melts from which apatite crystallized. The texture, modal mineralogy, and reconstructed bulk composition of these mesostasis regions vary greatly within and between samples. There is no clear relationship between bulk‐rock basaltic composition and that of bulk‐mesostasis regions, indicating that bulk‐rock composition may have little influence on mesostasis compositions. The development of individual melt pockets, combined with the occurrence of silicate liquid immiscibility, exerts greater control on the composition and texture of mesostasis regions. In general, the reconstructed late‐stage lunar melts have roughly andesitic to dacitic compositions with low alkali contents, displaying much higher SiO2 abundances than the bulk compositions of their host magmatic rocks. Relevant partition coefficients for apatite‐melt volatile partitioning under lunar conditions should, therefore, be derived from experiments conducted using intermediate compositions instead of compositions representing mare basalts.
Effects of Resistant Starch Intake in Humans

Due to the rise in obesity and obesity-related conditions, there is growing commercial and public interest in foods and food components that promote health and lower risk of chronic metabolic diseases. Resistant starch (RS) is a non-viscous fermentable fiber that has beneficial metabolic effects on glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and colon health in humans. While the mechanism behind the effects of RS are unclear, the benefits are thought to result from fermentation of RS in the large bowel by colonic bacteria resulting in a more favorable gut microbial composition and increased concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Evidence indicates that RS may result in increased colonic bacterial species Ruminococcus bromii (R. bromii), and in phylum level changes in Bacteriodetes and Fermicutes. The increase in SCFAs has been shown to potentially play a role in lowering gut pH to improve health, contribute to appetite control and reduced adipose tissue lipolysis; and reduce postprandial serum oxidative stress. Additionally, evidence indicates RS aids in treatment of diarrheal disease by interacting with both the human to increase SCFA concentration, water retention, and fecal weight and to interact with the disease-causing agent such that the insult to the human lumen cells is reduced. Therefore, RS may be a potent dietary therapy for individuals at risk for conditions including metabolic syndrome, type-2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, and diarrheal diseases. The effects of type, dose, and duration of RS intake and subsequent impact on health are important areas of further research.
A New Identity for Identity Research

I have been following the identity literature for more than 10 years and have been an active contributor to this literature since 1998. During the years that I have followed and contributed to the identity literature, I have had the opportunity to observe and take note of the general areas and themes that have been emphasized in this literature as well as important areas that have been neglected. In this editorial essay, I comment on some of the areas in which identity research has been lacking and on ways to expand identity research by focusing on these areas. I restrict my analysis to the literature rooted in Eriksonian and neo-Eriksonian theory because that is the area with which I am most familiar. I touch on a number of important areas, including methodological shortsightedness, reliance on a narrow and limiting theoretical approach, and lack of attention to important applied and social policy issues. However, I deliberately do not touch on another potentially problematic area in identity research—measurement issues—in this essay. I believe that measurement issues are secondary to theoretical issues, more broadly based research design issues, and applicability issues—and therefore that measurement issues should be raised only after these more important issues have been addressed. The measures that are selected for use in any given study are guided by the theoretical approach and research questions on which the study is based. As the identity literature expands to cover new ground, measures will be adapted or created to address the specific identity dimensions, research objectives, and populations being examined.
Gastrointestinal parasites of two populations of Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) from north-east Greenland

ABSTRACT Parasitological examination of 275 faecal samples from Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) collected at Zackenberg Valley and Karupelv Valley in north-east Greenland from 2006 to 2008 was conducted using sieving and microscopy. Overall, 125 (45.5%) samples contained parasite eggs of Taenia crassiceps, Taenia serialis, Toxascaris leonina, Eucoleus boehmi, Physalopteridae and Ancylostomatidae, and Strongyloides-like larvae. As long-term ecological studies are conducted at both sampling locations, the present findings constitute a baseline data set for further parasitological monitoring.
Morphometric analysis of sella turcica in North Indian population: a radiological study

Background: The purpose of this study was to describe the morphology and measure the size of the sella turcica in North Indian population. Methods: Lateral cephalometric radiographs of 180 individuals (90 males and 90 females) with an age range of 12 - 65 years were taken. Morphology of sella turcica was studied and various measurements were taken to determine the shape of the sella. Statistical analysis was done to calculate differences in dimensions and to establish if any, relationship exists between age, sex and the morphometry of sella turcica. Results: The study found that sella turcica presented with a normal morphology in only 28 per cent of the subjects. A significant difference in linear dimensions between genders was found in sella height and width. When age was evaluated, some dimensions showed negative correlation with the age. Sella size of the older age group was as a rule larger than the younger age. Conclusion: Pathological enlargement of the pituitary fossa can be detected by this technique and may also be helpful in providing data in the assessment of racial, gender, age specific variation in the skull.
DEPRESSION AND MALNUTRITION AMONG ELDERLY IN LONG-TERM CARE : A Literature Review

Purpose of this study was to review elderly people with malnutrition in long-term care and to clarify whether there is relation between depression symptoms and malnutrition in elderly in long term care. The aim of this study was to gather information on the co-relation between depression and malnutrition in long-term care in elderly so that the quality of life status of the elderly can be improved. The study was conducted as a literature review and the data for the study was collected on April 2012. In the search strategy the data collection was based on the main issues of malnutrition and depression in elderly in long-term care. The data was searched from electronic databases. Ten scientific articles were eventually chosen for the review. The data was analyzed using a content analysis method. The study revealed that there was a strong association and co-relation between depression and malnutrition in elderly in long-term care. The result showed a bidirectional relation between depression and malnutrition. The affect was both individual and indirect.
Typology as a Structuring Mechanism for Phytoplankton Composition in the Baltic Sea.

Phytoplankton composition is a biological quality element to be used for ecological classification within the Water Framework Directive. Seasonal proportions of diatoms, dinoflagellates, cyanobacteria and chlorophytes calculated from species-specific phytoplankton biovolumes sampled in 38 water bodies within the Baltic Sea were investigated to determine if the typology, defined by salinity, depth and retention time regimes, provided a useful separation of water bodies into groups for intercomparison of phytoplankton compositions. Variations in the phytoplankton composition could be significantly related to a combination of salinity and depth regimes. The significance of retention time as structuring mechanisms could not be properly assessed due to relatively few water bodies with long retention times. Cyanobacteria and chlorophytes were almost completely absent in the more saline and turbulent waters of the Kattegat and Belt Sea, whereas the proportion of diatoms and dinoflagellates generally increased with salinity. The significance of the depth regime relied entirely on few water bodies in the German part of the Baltic Proper that had a phytoplankton composition deviating substantially from other water bodies with similar salinity. Consequently, salinity ranges may provide a useful typology definition for segregating water bodies into distinct groups, however, other characteristics, not exploited in this study, need to be included as well to be able to distinguish different water body types based on their phytoplankton composition.
Comparing centrality indices for network usage optimization of data placement policies in fog devices

This paper presents an optimization policy for data placement in fog architectures to reduce the network usage. The proposal is based on modeling the devices (sensors, gateways, fog devices and the cloud provider) through complex weighted networks using the hop count between the fog devices and the data sources (sensors). Centrality indices are evaluated to select the fog devices that store the data generated by the sensors of the same type. The experiments were conducted to evaluate the improvements obtained with 3 centrality indices (eigenvector, betweenness centrality, and current flow) and four different types of network topologies (Barabasi-Albert, Grid, Random Euclidean, and Lobster). The results were validated by comparing between the network usage obtained with our placement proposal and the case of storing all the data in the cloud provider. Important benefits were measured in the case of the eigenvector centrality, reducing the number of transmitted packets to only the 31.84% of packets that are transmitted when the data is placed in the cloud provider. The other two centrality indices showed worst results.
Eff ect of a cash transfer programme for schooling on prevalence of HIV and herpes simplex type 2 in Malawi : a cluster randomised trial

Methods In this cluster randomised trial, never-married women aged 13–22 years were recruited from 176 enumeration areas in the Zomba district of Malawi and randomly assigned with computer-generated random numbers by enumeration area (1:1) to receive cash payments (intervention group) or nothing (control group). Intervention enumeration areas were further randomly assigned with computer-generated random numbers to conditional (school attendance required to receive payment) and unconditional (no requirements to receive payment) groups. Participants in both intervention groups were randomly assigned by a lottery to receive monthly payments ranging from US$1 to $5, while their parents were independently assigned with computer-generated random numbers to receive $4–10. Behavioural risk assessments were done at baseline and 12 months; serology was tested at 18 months. Participants were not masked to treatment status but counsellors doing the serologic testing were. The primary outcomes were prevalence of HIV and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) at 18 months and were assessed by intention-to-treat analyses. The trial is registered, number NCT01333826.