Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Autumn Maize Intercropped with Tropical Forages: Crop Residues, Nutrient Cycling, Subsequent Soybean and Soil Quality

Autumn maize intercropped with tropical forages can raise the amount of crop residues and improve nutrient cycling, favoring subsequent soybean crop. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of forms of implementation of intercropping of irrigated autumn maize with tropical forages on yield, decomposition, nutrient accumulation and release, and on the ratio of lignin/total N of forage residues, yield components, and grain yield of subsequent soybean, and on soil physical and chemical properties, under no-tillage in lowland Cerrado. The experiment was arranged in randomized blocks in a factorial (4 × 3 + 1) design with one control and four replications. The treatments consisted of four forages: Palisade grass, Congo grass, and two Guinea grass cultivars (Tanzânia and Aries); and three methods of sowing intercrops of forage-autumn maize: forage sown simultaneously with maize in the sowing furrow, mixed with fertilizer; forage sown by broadcasting on the day of maize sowing; and forage seeds mixed with fertilizer broadcast on maize in growth stage V4; plus a control (maize monoculture). The decomposition and nutrient release rate of the forage residues were evaluated by the litter bag method, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days after desiccation. Sowing the forages in the furrow and by broadcasting raise the total amount of maize residues compared to method V4. Regardless of the forage type and sowing methods, intercropping increases the amount of residues compared to maize monoculture. The forages and sowing methods had no influence on nutrient accumulation in the residues at the time of desiccation and at the lowest lignin/total N ratio in Congo grass residues, and a logarithmic decay was observed. Forage and sowing methods did not influence the macronutrient release rate from crop residues for 120 days after desiccation; the release of N, P, K and Mg is logarithmic and the release of Ca and S exponential. Forage and sowing methods do not influence yield components and grain yield of subsequent soybean. However, intercropping increased grain yield of subsequent soybean compared to soybean after maize monoculture, and preserved the soil chemical and physical properties.
Contingencies of self-worth and responses to negative interpersonal feedback

The present research examined effects of receiving negative interpersonal feedback on state self-esteem, affect, and goal pursuit as a function of trait self-esteem and contingencies of self-worth. Two same-sex participants interacted with each other and then received negative feedback, ostensibly from the other participant, or no feedback, regarding their likeability. Participants then reported their state self-esteem, affect, and self-presentation goals—how they wanted to be perceived by others at the moment. Among participants who received negative feedback, those who more strongly based their self-worth on others' approval experienced lower state self-esteem, positive affect, and greater negative affect than those whose self-worth was less contingent on others' approval. Participants with low self-esteem showed greater desire to appear physically attractive to others the more they based self-worth on others' approval and received negative feedback. In contrast, participants with high self-esteem showed greater desire to appear warm/caring/kind the more they based self-worth on others' approval and received negative feedback. Implications for self-esteem, motivation, and interpersonal processes are discussed.
Preferences and Attitudes for Using Interactive Whiteboards in Different Courses and Learning

The purpose of the study is to investigate teachers‘ and students‘ considerations, preferences, attitudes and awareness related to using Interactive Whiteboards in 7-12 grades and different courses, and learning. 1013 students from elementary and secondary schools and 65 teachers from different schools were selected to take questionnaire for defining their preferences and awareness for using IWBs in teaching and learning processes. Descriptive statistical analyses were used to investigate whether there were differences between students‘ and teachers‘ views based on the survey items. The tests of research questions generated discussion and conclusions were given at the end of the study.
Financial Market Liquidity: Who is Acting Strategically?

In a new environment where liquidity providers as well as liquidity consumers act strategically, understanding how liquidity flows and dries-up is key. We propose a model that specifies the impact of information arrival on market characteristics, in the context of liquidity frictions. We distinguish short-lasting liquidity frictions, which impact intraday prices, from long-lasting liquidity frictions, when information is not fully incorporated into prices within the day. We link the first frictions to the strategic behavior of intraday liquidity providers and the second to the strategic behavior of liquidity consumers, i.e. long-term investors who split up their orders not to be detected. Our results show that amongst 61% of the stocks facing liquidity problems, 57% of them point up liquidity providers as the sole strategic market investor. Another 27% feature long-term investors as the single strategic player, while both liquidity providers and liquidity consumers act strategically in the remaining 16%. This means that 43% of these stocks are actually facing a slow-down in the information propagation in prices, which thus results in a significant decrease of (daily) price efficiency due to long-term investors’ strategic behavior.
Effects of simulated browsing on growth and leaf chemical properties in Colophospermum mopane saplings.

Browsing intensity influences a plant’s response to herbivory. Plants face a trade-off between investment in the production of secondary compounds and investment in growth. To elucidate this trade-off, we simulated four browsing intensities (0%, 50%, 75% and 100%) on mopane saplings, Colophospermum mopane (J.Kirk ex Benth.) J.Leonard, in a greenhouse experiment. This showed that, with increasing defoliation intensity, plants change their investment strategy. At intermediate levels of defoliation (50%), mopane saplings increased the synthesis of condensed tannins, so that tannin concentrations followed a hump-shaped relation with defoliation intensity, with significantly higher tannin concentration at intermediate defoliation levels. When defoliated heavily (75% and 100%), tannin concentrations dropped, and plants were carbon stressed as indicated by a reduced growth rate of the stem diameter, and leaf production and mean individual leaf mass were reduced. This suggests that, at intermediate defoliation intensity, the strategy of the plants is towards induced chemical defences. With increasing defoliation, the relative costs of the secondary metabolite synthesis become too high, and therefore, the plants change their growing strategy. Hence, browsers should be able to benefit from earlier browsing by either adopting a low or a relatively high browsing pressure.
Changes in kernel chemical composition during nut development of three Italian hazelnut cultivars

Introduction. This research focused on the variation of the kernel and pellicle (seed coat) constituents during nut growth, from early development to maturity. Material and methods. Nuts of three hazelnut cultivars widely grown in Italy: ‘Tonda Gentile Romana’, ‘Tonda di Giffoni’ and ‘Nocchione’. were randomly sampled weekly, from the same trees, starting from the first week of July 2007 (day of the year: DOY = 186) until the beginning of September (DOY = 249), at harvest time. Results and discussion. Oil content increased continuously during the development of the kernel, from 30–35 g 100 g-1 dry weight (DW) at the beginning of July, to 61–68 g 100 g-1 DW in the first week of September. Total monounsaturated fatty acids were the main group of fatty acids in the oil and oleic acid was the most predominant one, showing slight variations depending on the cultivar and kernel growth stage. Nitrogen content in the kernel decreased continuously during development, from 4.2 g 100 g-1 DW to 2.9 g 100 g-1 DW on average among the cultivars. Soluble sugars, mainly sucrose, showed a wide fluctuation until late July, and the content observed in the mature seed was about 5 g 100 g-1 DW in all cultivars. The organic acids, mainly represented by malic acid, showed a large decrease during the early stages (July), and reached on average a content of about 0.3–0.4 g 100 g-1 DW at the mature stage. Starch content for all cultivars was highest at the first sampling date, then decreased rapidly, coinciding with the initial kernel expansion stage. Starch levels then increased to a second peak in early August, then rapidly decreased again, followed by a gradual decline up to the time of nut ripening. The total phenol content was mainly concentrated in the pellicle and showed wide variation during the nut development both in the kernel and pellicle. Conclusion. The complexity of these dynamics can explain the different kernel taste in immature and mature states, and highlights the possibilities of optimizing the orchard management and harvesting time.
Role of meteorological controls on interannual variations in wet‐period characteristics of wetlands

Many ecological functions of wetlands are influenced by wet‐periods, i.e., the time interval when groundwater table (GWT) is continuously near the land surface. Hence, there is a crucial need to understand the controls on interannual variations of wet‐periods. Given the scarcity of long‐term measurements of GWT in wetlands, understanding variations in wet‐periods using a measurement approach alone is challenging. Here we used a physically based, fully distributed hydrologic model, in synergy with publicly available hydrologic data, to simulate long‐term wet‐period variations in 10 inland forested wetlands in a southeastern US watershed. A Bayesian regression and variable selection framework was then implemented to (a) evaluate the extent to which the simulated wet‐periods can be estimated and predicted by precipitation (Ppt) and potential evapotranspiration (PET) and (b) infer the relative roles of seasonal Ppt and PET. Our results indicate that wet‐period start date and duration could vary by more than 6 months during the 32 year simulation period. Remarkably, 60–90% of these variations could be captured using regressions based on seasonal Ppt and PET in most wetlands. Effects of seasonal meteorological conditions on wet‐period variations were found to be nonuniform, which indicate that the annual variables may not explain interannual variations in wet‐periods. The Bayesian framework was able to predict wet‐period variations with errors smaller than 1 month at a 90% confidence level. The presented framework provides a minimalistic approach for estimating and predicting wet‐period variations in wetlands and may be used to understand the future responses of associated ecological functions in wetlands.
Construction Projects Assessment Based on the Sustainable Development Criteria by an Integrated Fuzzy AHP and Improved GRA Model

Due to the increasing population and earth pollution, managing construction and infrastructure projects with less damage to the environment and less pollution is very important. Sustainable development aims at reducing damage to the environment, making projects economical, and increasing comfort and social justice. This study proposes fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and improved grey relational analysis (GRA) to assess construction projects based on the sustainable development criteria. For doing so, sustainable development criteria are first identified in economic, social, and environmental dimensions using literature review, and are then customized for urban construction projects using experts’ opinions. After designing questionnaires and collecting data, fuzzy AHP is used for determining the importance of sustainable development criteria and their subcriteria. Then, improved GRA is employed for assessing six recreational, commercial, and official centers in Isfahan regarding the weights of criteria and subcriteria. The proposed fuzzy AHP-improved GRA help us to prioritize construction projects based on the sustainable development criteria. The results of applying fuzzy AHP show that the weights of economic, social, and environmental criteria are equal to 0.330, 0.321, and 0.349, respectively, which are close to each other. This means that the importance of all three aspects of sustainability is almost equal to each other. Furthermore, “Having profits for the society”, “Increasing social justice”, and “Adherence to environmental policies” are identified as the most important indicators of sustainable development in terms of economic, social, and environmental aspects, respectively. Finally, the results of employing improved GRA determine Negin Chaharbagh recreational and commercial complex as the best project.
Forecasting Probabilistic Seismic Shaking for Greater Tokyo from 400 Years of Intensity Observations

The long recorded history of earthquakes in Japan affords an opportunity to forecast seismic shaking exclusively from past shaking. We calculate the time-averaged (Poisson) probability of severe shaking by using more than 10,000 intensity observations recorded since AD 1600 in a 350 km-wide box centered on Tokyo. Unlike other hazard-assessment methods, source and site effects are included without modeling, and we do not need to know the size or location of any earthquake nor the location and slip rate of any fault. The two key assumptions are that the slope of the observed frequency-intensity relation at every site is the same, and that the 400-year record is long enough to encompass the full range of seismic behavior. Tests we conduct here suggest that both assumptions are sound. The resulting 30-year probability of IJMA ≥6 shaking (∼PGA≥0.4 g or MMI≥IX) is 30%–40% in Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Yokohama, and 10%–15% in Chiba and Tsukuba. This result means that there is a 30% chance that 4 million people will be subjected to IJMA ≥6 shaking during an average 30-year period. We also produce exceedance maps of PGA for building-code regulations, and calculate short-term hazard associated with a hypothetical catastrophe bond. Our results resemble an independent assessment developed from conventional seismic hazard analysis for greater Tokyo.
Piper guineense Effects on Testicular Histoarchitecture

Piper guineense is used as spice and herb, particularly to enhance libido. P. guineense has effects on penile erection and copulatory behaviour which are controlled by androgens. This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of consumption of P. guineense leaves on testicular histoarchitecture. The effects of P. guineense ingestion, in form of pelleted formulation, on the histoarchitecture of the testis of adult male Wistar rats were studied. Thirty adult male Wistar rats were divided into six groups labelled A-F. Group A animals served as the control and they were fed ad libitum throughout the experiment. Dried and powdered P. guineense leaf was added to the feed of the rats in Groups B, C, D, E and F in graded proportions. Based on the well monitored and properly evaluated rate of feed consumption, the proportion of P. guineense in the feed for Groups B, C, D, E and F gave approximate daily dosage of 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 mg/kg body weight respectively. The regimen design was to observe the possible influence of dosage variations. Original Research Article Giwa et al.; JOCAMR, 1(2): 1-11, 2016; Article no.JOCAMR. 26885 2 Animals in Groups B, C, D, E, and F were given the pelleted food formula for 28 days. Animals were sacrificed after treatments and the testes were excised and processed using the Eosin and Haematoxylin staining histological technique. Photomicrographs for histological analyses were taken with the aid of the digital Accuscope Photomicrographic Set. Results on the testicular histoarchitecture show that Piper guineense consumption affected testicular structural integrity and gametogenesis. Higher doses caused disruption in seminiferous tubules epithelium and general ultra structure. Though P. guineense had been reported to increase libido and frequency of male sexual activities, results from this investigation showed that its consumption might not enhance or improve male fertility.
9 Double-Factor Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis : Preliminary Results

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) was first employed successfully for a monogenic disease detection almost 20 years ago (Handyside et al., 1990). PGD was also applied to screen for chromosomal abnormalities in couples at risk of aneuploidy (i.e., Preimplantation Genetic Screening: PGS) six years later (Munne and Weier, 1996, Verlinsky et al., 1996, Verlinsky et al., 1996). Currently, both approaches have been extensively used worldwide with more than 2,000 scientific publications. Briefly, PGS aims for the selection of euploid embryos to transfer, aiming to increase their implantation rate. FISH for 9 chromosomes is mostly the technique applied in PGS. It seems, however, that according to recent publications PGS may not be useful (Staessen et al., 2004, Staessen et al., 2008, Hardarson et al., 2008, Mastenbroek et al., 2007). In fact, analyzing the latest data presented by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (E.S.R.H.E.), on average just 27.4% of the transferred PGS-selected embryos implant (3,926 positive heartbeats / 14,325 transferred embryos)( Harper et al., 2010). On the other hand, after 167,192 ART cycles in Europe using ICSI, the pregnancy rate is 29.8% (Andersen et al., 2008). Obviously, PGS patients differ from ICSI patients since the first ones suffer from repetitive implantation failure (RIF) or have an advanced maternal age (AMA), but the low implantation rate obtained in these patients still remains as a problematic issue. But, also referring to the E.S. H.R. E. data, the implantation rate in patients undergoing PGD for a monogenic disease, in which the maternal age is not at risk of producing aneuploid
(In)variability of Attachment in Middle Childhood: Secure Base Script Evidence in Diary Data

Secure attachment is characterised by a secure base script regarding the attachment figure as a source for support. Having such a cognitive script should affect the stability of state attachment. Specifically, incongruent attachment-related information should get assimilated to this secure base script, leading to state attachment scores that hardly fluctuate. For children without a script, state attachment should vary depending on the quality of attachment-related interactions. Two diary studies were carried out in 9- to 13-year-old children. Results suggested that with assimilation: (1) securely attached children fluctuated less in their daily attachment-related appraisals; (2) fluctuations were related to conflicts with mother; (3) this relation was stronger for less securely attached children. Consequently, these studies further support the secure base script hypothesis and provide insight into the interplay of trait and state components of attachment-related appraisals.
Wet-Chemical Synthesis and Optical Property of ZnSe Nanowires by Ag 2 Se-Catalyzed Growth Mechanism

High-quality II-VI semiconductor ZnSe nanowires were facilely prepared in the oleic acid and oleylamine mixed solution at low temperatures of 130°C-200°C through an Ag2Se-catalyzed growth mechanism. Oleylamine served as an effective reducing agent and a surfactant in the synthesis. Many of the resultant nanowires were terminated by an Ag2Se catalyst particle at one of their ends, confirming that the nanowire growth followed a catalytic mechanism. The crystal structure of Ag2Se catalyst was examined, which exhibited a metastable tetragonal phase, not the common orthorhombic phase. Meanwhile, the optical properties of as-synthesized ZnSe nanowire solid powder were evaluated by the UV-Visible diffuse reflectance and photoluminescence spectroscopy and a significant blue shift was observed compared to the bulk ZnSe with a band gap of 2.7 eV. This work would provide an alternative and effective catalytic route for the preparation of one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures of ZnSe and other metal selenides.
Molecular Classification of Iraqi Breast Cancer Patients and Its Correlation with Patients’ Profile

Background: Breast cancer is a complex, multifaceted disease encompassing a great variety of entities that show considerable variation in clinical, morphological and molecular attributes.Objective: The aim of this study to evaluate patients’ molecular profile (Estrogen receptor, Progesterone receptor, HER2/neu and Ki-67). Patients & Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study was done in Baghdad oncology teaching hospital from December 2015 to April 2016, carried on 100 breast cancer female patients with their age range from 27 to 73 years old and with their histopathology reports and (IHC) results.Results: The highest incidence of breast cancer among patients in 5th (40-49 years) and 6th (50-59 years) decades of life both groups are (32%), estrogen and progesterone values were observed (74% and 75% respectively) and 69 patients (69%) with Ki-67 ≥14.Conclusions: Most of the breast cancer patients in the current study were estrogen and progesterone (Hormonal) positive, and Luminal B-like was the most common molecular subtype (53%) due to high Ki-67 index. There was a strong correlation between estrogen and progesterone in the studied patients with highly significant P value <0.0001.
An Alternative Technique in the Detection of Pancreatobiliary Malignancy: Computer-Assisted Wide Area Transepithelial Sampling

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has long been used in the evaluation and treatment of biliary strictures and masses. In addition to imaging the biliary tree and pancreatic duct, ERCP allows for tissue acquisition. Both cytology and forceps biopsies can be used. Studies have shown the sensitivity of standard brush cytology to be 35-70% [1-3] and forceps biopsy to be 40-80% [4,5]. Wide-Area Transepithelial Sampling 3Dimensional Analysis (WATS3D(R) Brush Biopsy, CDx, Suffrin, NY) computer assisted full thickness brush biopsy is a method of tissue collection that samples the total thickness of the epithelium. Improved diagnostic accuracy is thought to be due to the abrasive, rigid structure of the brush which is passed through the working port of the endoscope. Tissue acquisition is enhanced utilizing a continuous, up-and-down motion with gentle pressure that captures deeper layers that may be missed with standard forceps or brushings. Abnormal cells are then identified through a computer assisted analysis which includes 3-dimensional scanning to evaluate each portion of the full thickness specimen. When utilized to obtain biopsies of esophageal tissue, WATS3D, in conjunction with forceps biopsies, has resulted in a statistically significant increase in the number of patients diagnosed with esophageal intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia [6,7]. There is a paucity of literature that describes the use of WATS3D in the diagnosis of biliary malignancies. In this study, we compared the sensitivityand specificity of the WATS3D to standard brush cytology and forceps biopsy in diagnosing pancreaticobiliary malignancies at ERCP.