Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Three-dimensional volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis of the soft palate and nasopharynx in brachycephalic and non-brachycephalic dog breeds

The purpose of this study was to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to compare the volumes and three-dimensional configurations of the soft palate and nasopharynx in non-brachycephalic and brachycephalic dogs with different body weights, and infer which factors influence nasopharyngeal volume. This was a retrospective observational study. The brain MRI medical records of all dogs referred to the Veterinary Medical Center, Chungbuk National University, between 2013 and 2016, for evaluation of intracranial disease were reviewed. There was a significant difference in the two-dimensional parameters including soft palate length/skull length ratio (P<0.01) and maximum soft palate thickness (P<0.01), and three-dimensional parameters which included soft palate volume (P<0.01), nasopharyngeal volume (P<0.01), soft palate/total upper airway volume ratio (P<0.01), and nasopharyngeal volume/total upper airway volume ratio (P<0.01), between brachycephalic and non-brachycephalic dog breeds. Nasopharyngeal volume correlated positively with the maximum soft palate thickness and body weight in all breeds. The three-dimensional morphologic grades of soft palate were significantly different between the two groups. In brachycephalic breeds, Grade 3 was observed in 33% of cases but was absent in non-brachycephalic breeds, where Grade 1 was present in 85% of the cases. We can conclude that three-dimensional morphology and upper airway volume are significantly different between brachycephalic and non-brachycephalic breeds, and body weight and maximum soft palate thickness are the key factors associated with a decreased nasopharyngeal volume.
The Predictors and Consequences of Personal Norms in Context of Organic Food Among Pakistani Consumers

Purpose: The primary aim of this research is to identify the influence of environmental belief (awareness of consequences, injunctive social norms, environmental concern, environmental self-identity and aspiration of responsibility) on personal norms and subsequent effect on organic food purchase intentions with mediation outcome of personal norms and moderating role of willingness to pay.Design/methodology/approach: The data was collected from individual Pakistani consumers with 430 effective questionnaires. Further the responses were analysed through SPSS, V-22, smart PLS-3.Findings: The results showed that awareness of consequences, injunctive social norms, environmental concern, environmental self-identity and aspiration of responsibility showed significant influence to personal norms towards organic food. Subsequently, personal norms had a significant effect on consumer purchase intentions. Furthermore, organic food willingness to pay proved to be significant and positive moderator between personal norms and organic food purchase intentions.Research implications: This study provides organic food marketers to understand the consumer’s demand from the consumers’ moral perspective and suggests the basis for the future development of organic food.Originality/value: The study implications suggest the need for policy makers to educate and positively promote organically produced foods to consumers through messages based on morality.
Automatic Eye-Gaze Following from 2-D Static Images: Application to Classroom Observation Video Analysis

In this work, we develop an end-to-end neural network-based computer vision system to automatically identify where each person within a 2-D image of a school classroom is looking (“gaze following”), as well as who she/he is looking at. Automatic gaze following could help facilitate data-mining of large datasets of classroom observation videos that are collected routinely in schools around the world in order to understand social interactions between teachers and students. Our network is based on the architecture by Recasens, et al. (2015) but is extended to (1) predict not only where, but who the person is looking at; and (2) predict whether each person is looking at a target inside or outside the image. Since our focus is on classroom observation videos, we collect gaze dataset (48,907 gaze annotations over 2,263 classroom images) for students and teachers in classrooms. Results of our experiments indicate that the proposed neural network can estimate the gaze target either the spatial location or the face of a person with substantially higher accuracy compared to several baselines.
Portfolio optimization with hedge funds Conditional value at risk and conditional draw-down at risk for portfolio optimization with alternative investments

The aim of this Master’s Thesis is to describe and assess different ways to optimize a portfolio. Special attention is paid to the influence of hedge funds since their returns exhibit special statistical properties. In the first part of this thesis modern portfolio theory is considered. The Markowitz approach is described and analyzed. It assumes that the assets are identically independently distributed according to the Normal law. CAPM and APT are briefly reviewed. In the second part we go beyond Markowitz and show that asset returns are in reality not normally distributed, but have fat tails and asymmetries. This is especially true for the returns of hedge funds. These facts justify further investigations for alternative portfolio optimization techniques. We describe and discuss therefore alternative methods that can be found in literature. They use risk measures different than the standard deviation like Value at Risk or Draw-Down and their derivations Conditional Value at Risk and Conditional Draw-Down at Risk. Based on these methods, the respective optimization problems are formulated and implemented. In the third part we describe the numerical implementation and the used data. Finally the weight allocations and efficient frontiers that summarize the results of these optimization problems are calculated, analyzed and compared. We focus on the question how optimal portfolios with and without hedge funds are constructed according to the different optimization methods, how useful these methods are in practice and how the results differ. The results are derived by analytical work and simulations on historical and artificial data.
Soil management systems: Effects on soil properties and weed flora

A three-year experiment was conducted in order to evaluate the effects of three different soil management systems in a vineyard (organic mulch with exhausted olive pomace at 6 cm thick, weed mowing and herbicide application) on soil physicochemical characteristics and weed flora. A variety of data was collected throughout the trial, such as soil analyses, weed surveys and phytotoxicity tests. The results show that the exhausted olive pomace was able to increase the K and Mg content and exerted good control over weeds, and also had an effect on the weed flora composition. Although further research is needed, it is possible to conclude that the mode of action of the exhausted olive pomace was both mechanical (thickness of the layer) and phytochemical for the release of phytotoxic compounds (allelochemicals).
Crack effects on the propagation of elastic waves in structural elements

En el presente estudio se analiza el comportamiento del Factor de Intensidad de Esfuerzos Dinamico en placas y elementos tubulares agrietados. Para alcanzar tal objetivo se emplea la tecnica numerica conocida como Metodo del Elemento Finito validando primeramente su aplicacion al comparar los resultados con los obtenidos en el problema estudiado por Chen, el cual consiste en cargar dinamicamente una placa centralmente agrietada mediante una funcion escalon. Una vez realizada la validacion, se estudia la influencia de la longitud de la grieta y su orientacion y posteriormente se analiza el comportamiento de una seccion tubular agrietada. En todos los casos, se evidencia el comportamiento del Factor de Intensidad de Esfuerzos Dinamico, el cual es interpretado como una funcion de los esfuerzos generados por la interaccion de las ondas elasticas con las fronteras del elemento estructural estudiado. Se observa que existe una dependencia completa de tal factor con respecto a las ondas dilatacionales, transversales y de Rayleigh. Por lo tanto, la interaccion de las ondas elasticas y las fronteras del elemento estructural determinan ciclos de carga y descarga en la punta de la grieta, afectando el campo de esfuerzos y particularmente la configuracion del Factor de Intensidad de Esfuerzos Dinamico.
Does the location of concentrate provision affect voluntary visits, and milk and milk component yield for cows in an automated milking system?

Abstract: Eight Holstein cows were used in a cross-over design to test whether concentrate allocation in an automated milking system (AMS) affects dry matter intake (DMI) and milk production. Cows were fed a high-energy partial mixed ration (HE-PMR) with 0.5 kg of AMS concentrate or a low-energy PMR (LE-PMR) with 5.0 kg of AMS concentrate. The AMS concentrate intake was greater and PMR intake was reduced for LE-PMR than HE-PMR. Milk, fat, and protein yields were not affected by treatment. In a guided-traffic flow barn, providing a PMR with greater energy density increases DMI, but has no effect on milk and milk component yield.
Development of a high throughput UHPLC-MS/MS (SRM) method for the quantitation of 1 endogenous glucagon from human plasma 2

Background: Published LC-MS/MS methods are not sensitive enough to quantify 14 endogenous levels of glucagon. Results: A UHPLC-MS/MS (SRM) method for the 15 quantitation of endogenous levels glucagon was successfully developed and qualified. A 16 novel 2D extraction procedure was used to reduce matrix suppression, background noise 17 and interferences. Glucagon levels in samples from healthy volunteers were found to agree 18 with RIA derived literature values. Bland-Altman analysis showed a concentration-dependent 19 positive bias of the LC/MS-MS assay versus an RIA. Both assays produced similar 20 pharmacokinetic profiles, both of which were feasible considering the nature of the study. 21 Conclusions: Our method is the first peer reviewed LC-MS/MS method for the quantitation 22 of endogenous levels of glucagon, and offers a viable alternative to RIA based approaches. method validation [18] concedes that such an approach may be necessary for endogenous analyte quantitation, and therefore this is the approach we adopted. This article outlines the first peer reviewed high throughput UHPLC-MS/MS (SRM) based 70 approach capable of quantifying endogenous levels of glucagon from human plasma. The 71 high throughput nature of the assay is due to its ability to relatively quickly analyse large 72 numbers of samples. This is enabled by an extraction procedure that is relatively quick, 73 simple, and cheap in comparison to many immunochemistry based approaches [21], and 74 which can analyse large number of samples (  60) within an analytical batch. In addition, 75 UHPLC is used to minimise sample run times [22]. A calibration range of 25–1000 pg/mL is 76 qualified, making the assay suitable for measuring both endogenous levels of glucagon and 77 elevated levels following treatments. Consequently the assay can be used for both 78 biomarker (PD, Pharacodymaic) and Pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis. However, the 79 calibration range could be easily truncated if only endogenous level analysis (PD) is 80 required. In addition we present the first comparison of glucagon concentrations determined 81 by an LC-MS/MS assay and a traditional RIA method using a large number of clinical 82 samples derived from a physiological study of glucagon’s actions in the body (n=88). The assay‘s performance has been evaluated using experiments described in the latest EMA [18] and FDA guidance and in accordance to the principles of GCP
The Performance of Investment Bank-Affiliated Mutual Funds: Conflicts of Interest or Informational Advantage?

Abstract Using a comprehensive sample of U.S. mutual funds from 1992 to 2004, we find strong evidence that investment bank-affiliated funds underperform unaffiliated funds. Consistent with the conflict of interest hypothesis, we find that affiliated funds hold disproportionately large amounts of stocks of their initial public offering and seasoned equity offering clients. Moreover, worse-performing clients are more likely to be held by affiliated funds. Our results are robust to alternative risk adjustments, portfolio weighting schemes, and regression methodologies. Overall, our findings are consistent with the idea that investment banks use affiliated funds to support underwriting business at the expense of fund shareholders.
Use of Implanted Radiotransmitters to Estimate Survival of Greater Sage-Grouse Chicks

Abstract Reduced chick survival has been implicated in declines of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations. Because monitoring survival of unmarked sage-grouse chicks is difficult, radiotelemetry may be an effective technique to estimate survival rates, identify causes of mortality, and collect ecological data. Previous studies have used subcutaneous implants to attach radiotransmitters to hatchlings of several species of birds with precocial young. Previous researchers who used subcutaneous implants in free-ranging populations removed chicks from the capture location and implanted transmitters at an alternate site. Because logistics precluded removing newly hatched greater sage-grouse chicks from the field, we evaluated a method for implanting transmitters at capture locations. We captured 288 chicks from 52 broods and monitored 286 radiomarked chicks daily for 28 days following capture during May and June 2001–2002. Two (<1%) chicks died during surgery and we did not radiomark them. At the end of the monitoring period, 26 chicks were alive and 212 were dead. Most (98%, 207/212) radiomarked chick mortality occurred ≤21 days posthatch and predation (82%, 174/212) was the primary cause of death. Necropsies of 22 radiomarked chicks did not indicate inflammation or infection from implants, and they were not implicated in the death of any chicks. Fate of 48 chicks was unknown because of transmitter loss (n = 16), radio failure (n = 29), and brood mixing (n = 3). Overall, the 28-day chick survival rate was 0.220 (SE = 0.028). We found that mortalities related to the implant procedure and transmitter loss were similar to rates reported by previous researchers who removed chicks from capture sites and implanted transmitters at an alternate location. Subcutaneous implants may be a useful method for attaching transmitters to newly hatched sage-grouse chicks to estimate survival rates, identify causes of mortality, and collect ecological data.
Factors Affecting the Intention of Using Internet Banking: A Case Study on One of the National Private Bank in Indonesia

The presence of the Internet in everyday life has brought many changes in the transactions in the bank. This study aimed to analyze the influence of perceived ease of use, trust, anxiety computing and service quality of the intention in using internet banking. The sample was one of the customers of private banks in Indonesia national branch offices, in Jakarta and Surabaya. The questionnaire used in this study adopts the existing indicators on WebQual and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Analysis of data used multiple linear regression method. The results show that the ease of use, trust, anxiety computing and service quality affects the intention in using electronic banking.
Advances and Prospects in Wheat Eyespot Research: Contributions from Genetics and Molecular Tools

Eyespot disease caused by the soil-borne facultative fungi Oculimacula yallundae and O. acuformis is the major component of the stem-base disease complex of wheat in temperate regions of the world with a cool and wet climate. In this review, we focus on results of genetic studies concerning both partners of the host-pathogen interaction. This comprises analyses of genetic diversity of the pathogen and identification of particular genes within it, evaluation and screening methods for host resistance, resistance sources and genetics of these resistances, breeding of resistant cultivars in wheat, and application of genetic markers in tagging and tracking of eyespot resistance genes. We also attempt to foresee some of the key issues and developments that may occur in future. The identification of markers tightly linked to eyespot resistance genes is the important research focus opening the door to marker-assisted selection of resistant varieties.
Dynamic Changes of Soil Surface Organic Carbon under Different Mulching Practices in Citrus Orchards on Sloping Land

Mulching management has been used in many places all over the world to improve agricultural sustainability. However, the cycling of carbon in the soil under applications of mulch on sloping arable land is not yet fully understood. A four-year field experiment was carried out in Xiaofuling watershed of Danjiangkou reservoir in China. The object was to evaluate the effects of the application of straw mulch (ST) and grass mulch (GT) on dynamic changes in soil organic carbon and its fractions. Results showed that mulch applied on the soil surface increased the contents of SOC and its active fractions in the soil. Compared to the control without cover (CK), ST and GT treatments increased the contents of SOC, LOC, DOC, POC and EOC by 14.73%, 16.5%, 22.5%, 41.5% and 21%, respectively, in the 0–40 cm soil layer, and by 17%, 14%, 19%, and 30%, respectively, in the 0–100 cm soil layer. The contents of organic carbon and its active fractions decreased with increasing soil depth in all of the treatments. SOC was accumulated in the period of December to the following March. The contents of soil DOC and LOC were high in January to March, while the contents of soil POC and EOC were high in June to September. The relative contents of soil organic carbon fractions were POC > EOC > LOC > DOC over the four years. Straw mulching had no significant effect on the changes in soil organic carbon active fractions during the different periods. Based on this long-term field experiment in Danjiangkou reservoir, we found that straw mulching had a significant effect on soil, increasing SOC content and stock in slopping arable land, and that live grass mulching was more effective than rice straw mulching. We discuss possible optimal periods for the implementation of mulching practices on sloping land.
CoRoT sounds the stars: p-mode parameters of Sun-like oscillations on HD 49933

Context. The first asteroseismology results from CoRoT are presented, on a star showing Sun-like oscillations. We have analyzed a 60 day lightcurve of high-quality photometric data collected by CoRoT on the F5 V star HD 49933. The data reveal a rich spectrum of overtones of low-degree p modes. Aims. Our aim was to extract robust estimates of the key parameters of the p modes observed in the power spectrum of the lightcurve. Methods. Estimation of the mode parameters was performed using maximum likelihood estimation of the power spectrum. A global fitting strategy was adopted whereby 15 mode orders of the mode spectrum (45 modes) were fitted simultaneously. Results. The parameter estimates that we list include mode frequencies, peak linewidths, mode amplitudes, and a mean rotational frequency splitting. We find that the average large frequency (overtone) spacing derived from the fitted mode frequencies is 85.9 ± 0.15 μHz. The frequency of maximum amplitude of the radial modes is at 1760 μHz, where the observed rms mode amplitude is 3.75 ± 0.23 ppm. The mean rotational splitting of the non-radial modes appears to be in the range ≈2.7 μHz to ≈3.4 μHz. The angle of inclination offered by the star, as determined by fits to the amplitude ratios of the modes, appears to be in the range ≈50 degrees to ≈62 degrees.
Evaluation of oviposition traps as an entomological surveillance method for Aedes aegypti (Diptera, Culicidae)

This study aimed to describe the behavior of oviposition traps for Aedes aegypti over time, to compare it with the larval survey and to investigate the association with climatic variables. It was conducted in Sao Jose do Rio Preto city, Sao Paulo. Daily climatic data and fortnightly measurements for oviposition traps and larval infestation were collected from October 2003 to September 2004. Three different periods were identified in the behavior of oviposition traps' positivity and mean number of eggs: increase, plateau and decrease in values. These measurements followed the variation of climatic data from the first and third periods. High correlation was obtained between the positivity and the mean number of eggs. The oviposition traps showed higher capacity to detect the vector than did larval survey. It was observed that the first (October to December) and third (May to September) periods were considered to be the most suitable to use oviposition traps than larval surveys.
On the charged particle drag acting on LAGEOS

A recent study by the authors points to Charged Particle Drag (CPD) as a contributor to revisit in the LAGEOS non-gravitational perturbations problem. Such perturbations must account for dynamical contributions in the order of pms−2 . The simulated effect takes into account: (i) spatial and temporal variations of the plasmatic parameters (temperature and concentration of the species), (ii) spacecraft potential variations caused by both the eclipse passages and variations in the parameters mentioned above, and (iii) solar and geomagnetic conditions. Furthermore, recent theoretical improvements concerning scattering drag overcome previous limitations allowing for a complete formulation of this effect. For each satellite the lifetime CPD instantaneous acceleration is computed. The plasmatic parameters have been obtained fromthe Sheffield Coupled Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Plasmasphere (SCTIP) semi-empirical model (up to the polar region), as well as alytical/empirical approximations based on spacecraft measurements for the auroral and polar regions. Results show that maximum amplitudes for LAGEOSI are larger than those for LAGEOS-II: −85 pms−2 and −70 pms−2 respectively. This is due to the almost (magnetically) polar orbit configuration of the first, producing larger combinations of plasmatic parameter values. High solar activity has a huge impact in the resulting LAGEOS accelerations: it yields a perfect modulation of the resulting acceleration with maximum amplitudes up to a factor of 10 when comparing low and high activity periods. On the other hand, the impact of the geomagnetic activity results into a reduction of the effect itself, probably due to a decrease in the hydrogen concentration for high energy input periods. The acceleration results will be used in a refined orbit computation in a subsequent investigation.
The Effect of Tick Size on Volatility, Trader Behavior, and Market Quality

We use the American Stock Exchange? s May 1997 market-wide adoption of $1/16 ticks to examine several hypothesis relating to tick size reduction. Specifically, we consider volatility, other aspects of market quality, trader behavior, and specialist profits. The hypothesis that volatility is directly related to tick size is supported by significant decreases in both daily and transitory volatility. Consistent with the hypothesis that market quality improves after the switch, we also find that while bid-ask spreads decline, depths do not. While we find no significant changes in overall specialist profits, we develop a direct test of changes in professional traders? activity in ? stepping ahead of the book? , and find an increase in this behavior, suggesting benefits to market orders through price improvement. Finally, we develop and test a model that shows that stocks with spreads greater than one tick may exhibit significant narrowing of spreads following a tick size reduction. Our results are consistent with the predictions of our model.