Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic and physiological variation among sexual and parthenogenetic populations of Asobara japonica (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a larval parasitoid of drosophilid flies

We studied variations in genetic, physiological, and ecological traits, and the phylogenetic relationship among sexual and parthenogenetic populations of Asobara japonica, a larval parasitoid of drosophilid flies, in order to understand how they adapt to local environments and have differentiated. The strain from Iriomote-jima (IR) differed from other Japanese strains in the nucleotide sequences of its cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and in not undergoing diapause and having a shorter preimaginal period and a higher adult tolerance of cold. The strains other than IR showed a low level of nucleotide variation in COI but varied in their mode of reproduction; the strains from the Ryukyu Islands were sexual, whereas those from the main islands of Japan and Ogasawara were parthenogenetic. In addition, strains from higher latitudes generally showed a high incidence of diapause, although there were some exceptions. On the other hand, preimaginal period and adult cold tolerance varied little among the strains excluding IR, and pupal cold tolerance, oviposition preference and incidence of parasitism varied little among the strains including IR. Evolution and environmental adaptations in this species are discussed, particularly focusing on parthenogenetic populations.
Effect of C/Si Ratio on the Electrochemical Behavior of a-SiCx:H Coatings on SS301 Substrate Deposited by PECVD

Amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbide (a-SiCx:H) coatings were deposited on stainless steel 301 (SS301) using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition with the methane gas flow ranging from 30 to 90 sccm. XRD spectra confirmed the amorphous structure of these coatings. The as-deposited coatings all exhibited homogenous dense feature, and no porosities were observed in SEM and AFM analysis. The a-SiCx:H coatings remarkably increased the corrosion resistance of the SS301 substrate. With the increase of the C concentration, the a-SiCx:H coatings exhibited significantly enhanced electrochemical behavior. The a-SiCx:H coating with the highest carbon concentration acted as an excellent barrier to charge transfer, with a corrosion current of A/cm2 and a breakdown voltage of 1.36 V, compared to A/cm2 and 0.34 V for the SS301 substrate.
Genetic analysis in maize (Zea mays L.)

An experiment was conducted to study the genetics of yield and its components in diallel cross (excluding reciprocals) of Maize involving 11 inbreds. All the 11 parents and 55 hybrids generated were raised in a randomised block design (RBD) with three replications. Analysis of variance components indicated the importance of over dominance and epistasis in the inheritance of plant height, leaf length, number of kernels per row and seed yield per plant. Dominance effect was found to influence the inheritance of ear length. Over dominance was preponderant in the expression of ear diameter. Correlation between parental order of dominance for each array and mean of common parents of the array was negative for plant height, leaf length, ear length, ear diameter, number of grains per row and seed yield per plant, which indicated that increasing genes contained in the parents were dominant. All the six characters recorded low heritability. Heterosis breeding, population improvement through reciprocal recurrent selection, bi-parental mating and diallel selective mating could be employed for improvement of these traits.
Zootechnical and economic performance indexes of dairy herds with different production scales

This study aims to estimate the zootechnical and economic benchmarks of milk production systems, analyze production scale effects on dairy farming returns, and identify the system components that best represent the total and effective operational costs. We analyzed 22 size, zootechnical and economic performance indexes from 61 dairy farms located in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The sample of herds were clustered according to three production strata. The results were compared using analysis of variance (normal distribution) and Kruskal-Wallis (non-normal distribution) tests, and post-hoc comparisons were undertaken with Fisher's least significant difference test. The relationship between some variables was tested using the Pearson correlation test. The production scale was best defined by the number of lactating cows (r=0.96) in comparison to the area (r=0.83). The production scale proved to be a suitable criterion for the analyses between different groups of producers, and it is more easily obtained and probably provides more accurate results. The milk production systems studied presented higher zootechnical indexes than those found in average of Brazilian farms, but lower than international indices or technologically advanced farms from other Brazilian regions. A greater production scale is a desirable condition, although it failed to ensure the economic efficiency of the herds studied. The components of total and effective operating costs that had the greatest representativeness were, in descending order, food and labor.
A survey on Feline Leukemia virus infection in cats of Ahvaz district, Iran: Seroprevalence and risk factors

The purpose of the present survey was to determine the seroprevalence rate of FeLV in cats in Ahvaz district, South-West of Iran, as well as, risk factors such as age, gender, breed, life style and clinical findings were evaluated. Blood samples were collected from 60 companion and 124 stray cats and antibody titers were measured against FeLV with ELISA kits. The seroprevalence was obtained 79.89% (95% CI: 74.1-85.68 percent). Chi-square test showed a significant relationship between age groups and infection (p 0.05). In conclusion, the seroprevalence was very high in cat’s population of Ahvaz district and there was a significant difference between clinical findings and serological results.
Innovation and Smes Patent Propensity in Korea

This paper analyzes the patent propensity as an outcome of innovative activities of regional SMEs. To achieve the aims, we apply robust regression analysis to estimate the models to test 5 research hypotheses using 263 firm level data located at Gwangju region in Korea. Our empirical results show that a firm's industry characteristics, such as machinery and automotive parts industry, is negatively related with propensity to patent innovation. Also, unlike expectations, the InnoBiz firms designated as innovative SMEs by the government are not performing differently than general firms. Only the CEO's academic credentials are positively related with propensity to patent. From the findings, we can conclude that patenting propensity is not directly related with a firm's characteristics but mainly to CEO's managerial strategy. Also, we cannot find evidence for policy effectiveness from public support given to InnoBiz firms as part of the state policy to nurture photonic industry to boost regional economic development. Given the lack of strong policy effects, a new industry policy should be considered to actively promote SMEs innovativeness.
7-2005 Intention to Seek Information on Cancer Genetics

Objective. The public has a high interest in seeking personal genetic information, which holds implications for health information seeking research and health care policy. Rapid advances in cancer genetics research promise early detection, prevention and treatment, yet consumers may have greater difficulty finding and using the information they may need to make informed decisions regarding their personal health and the future of their families. Design. A statewide telephone survey was conducted of non-institutionalized Kentucky residents 18 years of age or older to investigate factors associated with the intention to seek cancer genetics information, including the need for such information seeking help. Results. The results show that intention to seek cancer genetics information, if testing were readily available, is moderately high (62.5% of those responding; n=835), and that status as a racial minority, the perception that cancer runs in one's family, and frequent worrying about cancer risk are statistically significant predictors of intent to seek genetics information. Conclusions. We argue that an already complex health information environment will be even more difficult for individuals to navigate as genetic research becomes more ubiquitous in health care. An increase in demand for genetics information in various forms, as suggested by these results and those of other studies, implies that enduring intervention strategies are needed to help individuals acquire necessary health information literacy skills, with special attention given to racial minorities.
The Tortonian reference section at Monte dei Corvi (Italy): evidence for early remanence acquisition in greigite-bearing sediments

SUMMARY The reliability of primary natural remanent magnetization (NRM) signals in greigite-bearing sediments has been frequently questioned. Here, we show that the stable NRM in the deep marine Middle to Late Miocene sediments at Monte dei Corvi, northern Italy, is mainly carried by greigite. Combined rock magnetic experiments and scanning electron microscopy successfully enabled discrimination between two greigite populations. One fine-grained and relatively well-dispersed greigite population (grain size between 60 and 200 nm) is most likely of magnetotactic origin. The second greigite population with larger grain sizes (typically 700 nm to 1 μm) is most likely of authigenic (bacterially mediated) origin, and is related to post-depositional sulphidization processes. Greigite is the main magnetic remanence carrier in the older part of the section (12.8 to 8.7 Ma), whereas greigite and fine-grained (presumably magnetotactic) magnetite are present in the younger part of the section (8.7 to 6.9 Ma). Similar remanent magnetization directions of the magnetite and greigite components, and the likelihood of a magnetotactic origin, suggests that the NRM is of syn-depositional age. We suggest that moderate methane seepage from the underlying sediments may have occurred that resulted in the preservation of pristine greigite. This corroborates the reliability of the previously established magnetostratigraphy at Monte dei Corvi.
Metasurface-Based Shared-Aperture 5G  ${S}$ -/ ${K}$ -Band Antenna Using Characteristic Mode Analysis

An <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${S}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-/<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${K}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-band metasurface-based antenna with a shared aperture is proposed for 5G applications. The metasurface is designed with the dual-band characteristics for two antennas to work in the same aperture without interference. Based on the characteristic mode analysis, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$3\times 3$ </tex-math></inline-formula> metasurfaces are proposed for the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${S}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-band radiation. To radiate the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${K}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-band electromagnetic wave without blocking, the metasurfaces are discretized by the subcell of a square ring and an inner square patch to achieve a frequency selective function. Then, as an example, the microstrip-fed slot is used to drive the metasurfaces at the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${S}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-band, while an <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$8\times 8$ </tex-math></inline-formula> substrate integrated waveguide slot array antenna between microstrip and metasurface is designed at the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${K}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-band. The measurement shows the 10 dB return loss bandwidths of 23.45% and 4.8% and the realized gain of 7.52–10.88 and 21.3–22.4 dBi over the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${S}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-band (3.2–4.05 GHz) and the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${K}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-band (25.22–26.46 GHz), respectively.
CAN BE INDUCED TO EXPRESS LYMPHATIC PHENOTYPES

Although it has been recently shown that monocytes can transdifferentiate into blood vascular endothelial cells which are involved in angiogenesis, little attention has been paid to their potential to transdifferentiate into lymphatic endothelial cells. Therefore, we examined this question in our study. We first stimulated monocytes with either fibronectin (FN), VEGF-C, TNF-α, LPS, or IL-3 for 24h. Then we examined the expression of several markers of lymphatic endothelium and found that the monocytes expressed specific lymphatic endothelial markers, LYVE-1, Podoplanin, and Prox-1, but not common endothelial markers vWF or eNOS. Next, monocytes were incubated in endothelial growth medium with FN and VEGF-C for 6d. These monocytes were also found to express LYVE-1, Podoplanin and Prox-1, but not vWF or eNOS. Our results indicate that monocytes in vitro can be easily induced to present lymphatic phenotypes in an inflammatory environment.
INFLUENCE OF LEADING VEHICLE TURN SIGNAL USE ON FOLLOWING VEHICLE LANE CHOICE AT SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS

The findings of a phenomenological study of a rarely addressed subject are discussed: the degree to which turn signals are properly used at signalized intersections and the effect that nonuse has on the land-choice behavior of subsequent through vehicles. The situation studied involved a lane drop at the far side of the intersection. Three experiments were conducted at two locations to observe the lane preferences of isolated subject vehicles and three cases of car-following. The study revealed that a considerable proportion of left turners failed to properly indicate their movement intentions and this had a significant effect on following through vehicles. Lane choice was also found to be affected by the distance to the lane drop and by the traffic signal display. On the basis of these findings additional study of this subject is recommended. (Author)
The effect of window views openness and naturalness on the perception of rooms spaciousness and brightness: A visual preference study

This study examines the effects of window view on perception of spaciousness, brightness and ultimately, on room satisfaction in a campus building. Eighteen identically sized offices in the three-story Department of Landscape Architecture at Ankara University were chosen for this case study. Within a case study research design, the openness and naturalness characteristics of the window views were assessed by expert reviewers as well as room occupants. Eighteen single-room occupants were interviewed to assess their perceptions of spaciousness, room brightness and satisfaction with rooms and window views. As predicted, the rooms on the upper floor were perceived larger due to expanded open window views, and lower floor rooms were perceived darker. During winter, users in rooms with open and natural window views perceived their rooms larger. Findings revealed that occupants in offices that have more open and natural views rate their room satisfaction more highly. The aim of this investigation is to contribute to the knowledge base needed to design more effective offices and to establish a basis for further research in this area. Key words: Window view, user satisfaction, natural environment, office space.
Towards instinctive sustainable product use

An effective and holistic corporate social responsibility strategy should consider all stages of the product lifecycle; design and development, manufacturing, distribution, sales, use and disposal. However, there appears to be a lack of consideration on the part of manufacturers regarding the effects of product use, despite this stage having been identified as having a significant environmental and social impact (Environmental Change Unit, 1997, Sherwin and Bhamra, 1998) which is largely determined by the consumers’ behaviour. Technological intervention and consumer education alone is not sufficient to reduce the impact of product use, instead a fundamental shift in behaviour is required (Fletcher et al., 2001, Velden, 2003), a shift which could be initiated by products. This paper reports on the findings of a literature review conducted as part of a doctoral research project in the Department of Design and Technology at Loughborough University. The aim of this project is to identify ways of reducing unsustainable behaviours through improved product design.
DO LANGUAGE EXAMINATIONS INFLUENCE HOW TEACHERS TEACH

Examination influence on teaching, known as washback, has been found on curriculum, materials and attitudes to teaching. Evidence of washback on how and why teachers teach, however, has proved harder to identify. This paper looks in detail at three complicating factors in washback research; the variety of terms used, conflicting findings and the nature of positive or negative washback. The paper describes a study that used discourse analysis in order to investigate examination influences on teacher talk. Findings suggest that washback on how teachers teach, if present, may lie in some categories of teacher talk but not in others.
The structure of knowledge and students’ misconceptions in physics

Misconceptions are beliefs that contradict accepted scientific knowledge but they are seemingly supported by commonsense arguments. Misconceptions in physics attest the lack of recognition of existing physical correlations but improper ideas can often be found in their place. From testing of misconceptions, we have deduced, that they are also related to the structure of knowledge. Some basic rules (the rule of completeness of information, the knowledge of closely related ideas, the existence of entire trains of thought, and the thorough knowledge of basic principles) were identified as a tool for the elimination of the students’ misconceptions, a distinct guidance to the prevention or elimination of misconceptions is proposed based on this.Misconceptions are beliefs that contradict accepted scientific knowledge but they are seemingly supported by commonsense arguments. Misconceptions in physics attest the lack of recognition of existing physical correlations but improper ideas can often be found in their place. From testing of misconceptions, we have deduced, that they are also related to the structure of knowledge. Some basic rules (the rule of completeness of information, the knowledge of closely related ideas, the existence of entire trains of thought, and the thorough knowledge of basic principles) were identified as a tool for the elimination of the students’ misconceptions, a distinct guidance to the prevention or elimination of misconceptions is proposed based on this.
Robust Adaptive PID Controller for a Class of Uncertain Nonlinear Systems: An Application for Speed Tracking Control of an SI Engine

The sliding mode control (SMC) technique with a first-order low-pass filter (LPF) is incorporated with a new adaptive PID controller. It is proposed for tracking control of an uncertain nonlinear system. In the proposed control scheme, the adaptation law is able to update the PID controller online during the control process within a short period. The chattering phenomenon of the SMC can be alleviated by incorporation of a first-order LPF, while the robustness of the control system is similar to that of the sliding mode. In the closed-loop control analysis, the convergence condition in the reaching phase and the existence condition of the sliding mode were analyzed. The stability of the closed-loop control is guaranteed in the sense of Lyapunov’s direct method. The simulations and experimental applications of a speed tracking control of a spark ignition (SI) engine via electronic throttle valve control architecture are provided to verify the effectiveness and the feasibility of the proposed control scheme.
Growth and yield of anthurium in response to gibberellic acid

Gibberellic acid (GA3) induces flowering of plants of various genera of the Araceae family. Therefore, it was evaluated the effect of GA3 on the growth and yield of Anthurium andraeanum cv. 'Apalai'. For this purpose, micropropagated seedlings were planted in nursery beds under 70% shade. The experimental design was completely randomized in subdivided plots with eight replications. The growth regulation effect was assessed in each plot and the time to flowering after the start of the treatments was assessed in each subplot. The GA3 concentrations were 0, 150, 300, 450 and 600mg L-1, applied every 60 days by spraying on the leaves. The applications and evaluations started after the production of marketable floral stems. Every month the number of leaves was counted and their dimensions were measured, while every week the presence of inflorescences and the point of their commercial harvest were assessed and the respective dimensions were measured. Application of GA3 at 150, 300 and 450 mg L-1 promoted an increase in the leaf area. However, there was no increase in the number of inflorescences produced or their quality, making it impossible to recommend the use of this growth regulator for commercial production of this flower.
The Impact of Technological Development on Jordanian Industrial Sector

The technological advancement being considered as an essential core of economic development, whereby the introduction of new technology will not only reduce production costs, but could also lead to increasing the efficiency of production processes. Jordan is one of those countries that had made substantial progress in implementing new technology in various sectors, which reflected in a positive way on the Jordanian economy. This study aims to identify the effects of technological development on the industrial sector in Jordan during the period (1990-2014), and its role in the development and increase in the volume of industrial production in order to achieve self-sufficiency and providing job opportunities for the unemployed. The analysis used the method of Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) in estimating a function of the Cobb Douglas production. The study concluded that technology has a positive impact on the industrial sector in Jordan, and that the technological capital should be more intensive in the long term.
Tracing metal concentrations in egg strings of sea hare, Dolabella auricularia from Pujada Bay

Article history: Received 27 October 2016 Received in revised form 14 February 2017 Accepted 14 February 2017 The egg strings of sea hare, Dolabella auricularia are economically important to the local fisher folks in Davao Oriental. These are gathered for food consumption or sold in the market. The province of Davao Oriental is one of the country’s tourist destinations. Increasing anthropogenic activities are inevitable which can contribute to the levels of trace metal concentrations in the area. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the concentrations of Fe, Zn, Cd, Hg and Pb using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Trace metals average concentrations in egg strings were found to be 175.67 μg g-1 for Fe, 282.00 μg g-1 for Zn, 0.98 μg g-1 for Cd, 0.01 μg g-1 for Hg and 6.94 μg g-1 for Pb. The Fe and Zn concentrations can supplement the body’s requirement needed for normal growth and development based on the Recommended Energy Nutrient Intakes for Filipinos. Moreover, the mercury concentration was lower than the existing standard set by FAO No. 21 of 2001. However, the amount of Cd and Pb were noticeably higher than the maximum level. This investigation represents the first study so far on the levels of trace metals in egg strings of sea hare from Pujada Bay, Davao Oriental. The results of this study provide baseline information for the conduct of further investigation to monitor and evaluate the trace metal concentrations and the contributing anthropogenic activities. These will help the local government in the formulation of policies for a sustainable development.