Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Responses of Two Cotton (Gossypium Hirsutum L.) Cultivars Differing in RESISTANCE TO LEAF CURL VIRUS DISEASE TO NITROGEN NUTRITION

Use of pesticides to eradicate pest attack on cotton crops has increased substantially during the past decade posing a serious threat to environment and human health. Application of nitrogenous fertilizers which modulates plant metabolism might reduce pest and pest-induced viral diseases. Understanding physiological basis of nitrogen nutrition on disease incidence in cotton may help in developing strategies to prevent, avoid, escape and control viral diseases. Thus, responses of two cultivars of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), S-12 (CLCuV-susceptible) and CIM-448 (CLCuVresistant), to varying concentrations of nitrogen were examined. Plants of both cotton cultivars were grown at varying concentration [224, 114 (control) and 56 mg N L -1 ] of nitrogen supplied with Hoagland’s nutrient solution. The virus resistant cultivar, CIM-448 remained free of all disease symptoms throughout the experiment, whereas in virus susceptible cultivar S-12 leaf curling and vein thickening occurred at all external nitrogen regimes. However, severity of disease symptoms decreased with decreasing external N supply. Growth of both cotton cultivars increased due to increasing external N supply. The CLCuV-resistant cultivar, CIM-448 had significantly greater fresh and dry biomass as compared to the virus susceptible cultivar S-12 at all external nitrogen regimes. Leaf epicuticular wax content was greater in CLCuV-resistant cultivar as compared to that of non-diseased leaves of CLCuV-susceptible cotton cultivar S-12. However, the diseased leaves of CLCuV-susceptible cultivar S-12 had higher epicuticular wax content as compared to those of healthy S-12 and CIM-448. Leaf K + decreased with decrease in N regimes in both cultivars. However, diseased leaves of S-12 had significantly higher leaf K + and Ca 2+ as compared to those of healthy S-12 and CIM-448. Leaf Mg 2+ concentration was higher in CIM-448 as compared to that in diseased or healthy leaves of S-12 at all N levels. Accumulation of N declined with decrease in N levels. However, CIM-448 had higher N content as compared to healthy or diseased leaves of S-12. Leaf P content was inconsistent in two cotton cultivars at different N levels. In conclusion, growth of both cotton cultivars increased with increase in N nutrition in growth medium, which in turn was associated with higher accumulation of N and K accumulation. However, vigorous growth of S-12 cultivar with high N supply enhanced the disease susceptibility due to change in pattern of N and K accumulation at different N levels, whereas the disease resistance of CIM-448 remained unchanged at changing N levels.
Determinants of Repayment Performance in Microcredit Programs: A Review of Literature

The aim of microcredit is to help the poor and lower income group to get funds for their business activities and to improve their lives. Usually, the loans given are very small, in short term period, no collateral needed and required weekly repayment. However, repayment problems become the main obstacle for the microcredit institutions to continue providing microcredit services. This is because most of the microcredit institutions are Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs), where they received funds from the government and donors and there are not profits oriented organizations. Therefore, this paper tries to review the determinants of repayment performances in microcredit programs which can be divided into four factors namely borrower characteristics, firm characteristics, loan characteristics and lender characteristics.
Effects of graded replacement of soybean meal by sunflower seed meal in laying hen diets on hen performance, egg quality, egg fatty acid composition, and cholesterol content

SUMMARY Protein feed sources are becoming more and more limited worldwide. Soybean meal, as the primary and most reliable protein source, is becoming increasingly expensive; therefore, there is a need to look for economic alternative protein sources. This trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of graded replacement of soybean meal by sunflower seed meal (SSM) on the performance, egg quality, egg fatty acid composition, and cholesterol content in Rugao laying hens (a local breed). One hundred sixty 28-wk-old laying hens were randomly assigned to 4 groups of 40 birds. Each group was made up of 4 replicate subgroups, with 10 laying hens each. All birds were acclimated to the basal diet for 1 wk. Experimental diets contained 0 (control), 8.26, 16.52, and 24.84% SSM (ME, 8.50 MJ/kg; CP, 33.00%; Ca, 0.26%; P, 1.03%) replacing soybean meal. Feed and water were offered ad libitum for 6 wk. No significant difference (P > 0.05) was observed among treatments in the performance and egg quality of laying hens. The concentrations of saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids in yolks were consistent among the diets, except that the percentage of C17:0 decreased in the yolks of birds fed the experimental diets (P
REPLY TO COX ET AL. AND KESSLER ET AL.: DATA AND CODE SHARING IS THE WAY FORWARD FOR FMRI

Copyright and reuse: The Warwick Research Archive Portal (WRAP) makes this work by researchers of the University of Warwick available open access under the following conditions. Copyright © and all moral rights to the version of the paper presented here belong to the individual author(s) and/or other copyright owners. To the extent reasonable and practicable the material made available in WRAP has been checked for eligibility before being made available.
Hydrogenation Production from Ammonia Borane over PtNi Alloy Nanoparticles Immobilized on Graphite Carbon Nitride

Graphite carbon nitride (g-C3N4) supported PtNi alloy nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated via a facile and simple impregnation and chemical reduction method and explored their catalytic performance towards hydrogen evolution from ammonia borane (AB). Interestingly, the resultant Pt0.5Ni0. 5/g-C3N4 catalyst affords superior performance, including 100% conversion, 100% H2 selectivity, yielding the extraordinary initial total turnover frequency (TOF) of 250.8 molH2 min-1 (molPt)-1 for hydrogen evolution from AB at 10 °C, a relatively low activation energy of 38.09 kJ mol−1, and a remarkable reusability (at least 10 times), which surpass most of the noble metal heterogeneous catalysts. This notably improved activity is attributed to the charge interaction between PtNi NPs and g-C3N4 support. Especially, the nitrogen-containing functional groups on g-C3N4, serving as the anchoring sites for PtNi NPs, may be beneficial for becoming a uniform distribution and decreasing the particle size for the NPs. Our work not only provides a cost-effective route for constructing high-performance catalysts towards the hydrogen evolution of AB but also prompts the utilization of g-C3N4 in energy fields.
Broadband femtosecond frequency doubling in random media

The authors demonstrate broadband femtosecond phase-matched noncollinear second-harmonic generation (SHG) in strontium barium niobate crystals with random ferroelectric domains. The process is similar to femtosecond SHG in ultrathin crystals, but it results in higher efficiency and exact mapping of the spectrum of the fundamental field into the spectrum of the second harmonics, even for pulses with complex spectral profiles. The observed parametric conversion process can be used as an efficient frequency mapping from infrared to visible for the femtosecond pulse monitoring.
Coupled electrophysiological, hemodynamic, and cerebrospinal fluid oscillations in human sleep

Fluid dynamics during sleep During non–rapid eye movement sleep, low-frequency oscillations in neural activity support memory consolidation and neuronal computation. Sleep is also associated with increased interstitial fluid volume and clearance of metabolic waste products. It is unknown why these processes co-occur and how they are related. Fultz et al. simultaneously measured electrophysiological, hemodynamic, and flow signals in the human brain (see the Perspective by Grubb and Lauritzen). Large oscillations of fluid inflow to the brain appeared during sleep and were tightly coupled to functional magnetic resonance imaging signals and entrained to electroencephalogram slow waves. Slow oscillatory neuronal activity thus leads to oscillations in blood volume, drawing cerebrospinal fluid into and out of the brain. Science, this issue p. 628; see also p. 572 Slow EEG waves that define non-REM sleep are a mechanistic driver of the increased waste clearance that occurs during sleep. Sleep is essential for both cognition and maintenance of healthy brain function. Slow waves in neural activity contribute to memory consolidation, whereas cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) clears metabolic waste products from the brain. Whether these two processes are related is not known. We used accelerated neuroimaging to measure physiological and neural dynamics in the human brain. We discovered a coherent pattern of oscillating electrophysiological, hemodynamic, and CSF dynamics that appears during non–rapid eye movement sleep. Neural slow waves are followed by hemodynamic oscillations, which in turn are coupled to CSF flow. These results demonstrate that the sleeping brain exhibits waves of CSF flow on a macroscopic scale, and these CSF dynamics are interlinked with neural and hemodynamic rhythms.
RETIREMENT: PREJUDICE AGAINST FUTURE COGNITIVE DECLINE

BACKGROUND: Age related cognitive decline is well documented, but less is known about changes in the cognitive functioning after retirement. AIM: To evaluate whether retirement affects cognitive performance. OBJECTIVES: 1. To compare cognitive performance in working and non-working retired individuals. 2. To assess the influence of active lifestyle, financial security and literacy on cognition of retiree. METHODS: The study included 50 retired non-workers as cases and 50 retired workers as controls in the age group of 60-65 yrs. Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone (BTACT) was conducted on all subjects. Results were statistically analyzed using ANOVA. RESULTS: In the retired population, working group performed better than the non-working group (p 0.05). CONCLUSION: Retirement has a negative impact on cognitive function which could be alleviated by factors like literacy, financial security and active life style. Increasing incidence of depression and dementia among the elderly highlights the importance of maintaining active mental health. Hence, this study emphasizes the factors preventing cognitive decline.
Endoparasites of Selected Native Non-Domesticated Mammals in the Neotropics (New World Tropics)

In this review, information was summarized on endoparasites found in six non-domesticated neotropical animals. These mammals have the potential to be domesticated. The animals included three rodents, agouti (Dasyprocta leporina), lappe (Agouti paca), and capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris); a marsupial, manicou (Didelphis marsupialis insularis); and an artiodactyl, the collared peccary (Tayassu tajacu/Peccari tajacu) and a ruminant (the red brocket deer, Mazama americana). While there are many descriptions of the parasites present, the majority of publications failed to note the effect of them on the animals. Most information is available on endoparasites of capybara, while the endoparasites of the red brocket deer were the least reported. The manicou was reported to have had the most number of endoparasites, 44 species of parasites were reported, while there were only 24 endoparasites reported in the lappe. The most common parasites found in these neotropical animals were Paraspidodera uncinata, Strongyloides spp. , Eimeria spp. , Moniezia benedeni, Trichuris spp. , Physocephalus spp. , and Giardia spp. A large majority of the studies concluded that these animals were reservoirs for parasites that could affect domesticated livestock. Endoparasites of zoonotic significance were Echinoccocus spp. , Trichuris spp. , Giardia spp. , and Cryptosporidium spp.
Tensor Completion Based on Tucker Factorization for Missing Value Imputation

In this paper, we propose an algorithm to estimate missing values of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals in tensor form. EEG signals is a type of brain data which is recorded from many electrodes placed on the scalp. EEGs are easily missing values if recording in the bad condition or transforming from raw data into more understandable structure. The method is proposed to solve the problem in tensor form and it is built on recent studies about tensor completion using decomposition method. First, we give a definition for tensor completion using the component of decomposing process. Second, the tensor completion is formulated as a convex optimization problem. Therefore, a first order optimization method, Nonlinear Conjugate Gradient, is applied to solve it. In this paper, we also show several numerical experiments that demonstrate the effective of the proposed method.
Computational quantification of patient specific changes in ventricular dynamics associated with pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension causes an increase in the mechanical loading imposed on the right ventricle that results in progressive changes to its mechanics and function. Here, we quantify the mechanical changes associated with PAH by assimiliating clinical data consisting of reconstructed 3D geometry, pressure and volume waveforms as well as regional strains measured in PAH patients (n = 12) and controls (n = 6) within a computational modeling framework of the ventricles. Modeling parameters reflecting regional passive stiness and load-independent contractility as indexed by the tissue active tension were optimized so that simulation results matched the measurements The optimized parameters were compared with clinical metrics to and usable indicators associated with the underlying mechanical changes. Peak contractility of the RV free wall γRWFW,max was found to be strongly correlated, and had an inverse relationship with the RV and left ventricle end-diastolic volume ratio (i.e., RVEDV/LVEDV) (γRWFW,max=-0.13(RVEDV/LVEDV)+0.44, R2=0.77). Correlation with RV ejection fraction (R2=0.5) and end-diastolic volume index (R2=0.4) were comparatively weaker. Patients with RVEDV/LVEDV≤1.5 had 18% higher γRWFW,max (P = 0.09) than that of the control whereas those with RVEDV/LVEDV > 1.5 had 25% lower γRWFW,max (P<0.05). On average, RVFW passive stiffness increased progressively with the degree of remodeling as indexed by RVEDV/LVEDV and RVFW myofiber stress was increased by 49% only in patients with RVEDV/LVEDV ≥ 1.5 (P = 0.14). These results provide the mechanical basis of using RVEDV/LVEDV as a clinical index for delineating disease severity and estimating RVFW contractility in PAH patients.
Computer Simulation Studies of Structure Characteristics of Ordered Mesoporous Carbons and its Naphthalene Adsorption Performance

Through naphthalene-adsorption experiments, we were able to draw some valuable conclusions about adsorption capacity, the adsorption isotherm, adsorption kinetics, and adsorption thermodynamics, although the experiments could not directly reveal the exact location and state of adsorption on the surface of ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs). In fact, due to the restrictions of characterization technology, human factors, and experimental conditions, we still do not understand the microscopic structure of OMCs very well. However, molecular simulation technology could compensate for these disadvantages. In this study, the Grand Canonical Monte Carlo method has been used to simulate the naphthalene adsorption behavior in the OMC-structure model for the first time. The atomic structure model of OMCs was built firstly by using molecular modeling techniques and was characterized by calculating the accessible solvent surface area, total pore volume, and small-angle X-ray diffraction patterns. The calculated results showed that the structural model of OMCs was reasonable and that the structural characteristics were in agreement with experimental data. The adsorption isotherm curve is of the type Langmuir IV, which is a typical characteristic of ordered mesoporous materials. Also, the adsorption isotherm curve revealed that the adsorption capacity of naphthalene on OMCs gradually increased to a balance, with the maximum capacity reaching 105.4 mg g–1. Additionally, as the number of naphthalene molecules increased, the adsorption state was observed progressing from a monolayer to a multilayer state in the mesopores. This work deepened the understanding of the adsorption state of naphthalene for OMCs on the mesoscopic level. It also demonstrated that the GCMC method is effective for studying the adsorption process and gives useful guidance on research of the structure-activity relationship and performance prediction of carbon material.
Maive Otsa APPROBATION OF A GAME OF SKILL (MINIMUM-TB) AS A MODEL OF RISKY BEHAVIOUR

3 KOKKUVÕTE . 4 INTRODUCTION . 5 The mainstream agenda of risky behaviour research. 5 Impulsiveness.8 Platelet monoamine oxidase activity as a biological m rker of risk-taking and impulsiveness.9 Motor control . 11 Aims of the study . 13 METHOD . 14 Subjects . 14 Procedure . 15 MEASURES . 15 Main independent variables . 15 Game of skill.16 Zuckerman’s Sensation Seeking Scale . 18 Estimation of Platetet MAO activity. 19 Statistical analyses . 19 RESULTS . 20 Minimum TB . 20 Smoking and platelet MAO . 23 Relation between Minimum TB and MAO . 23 Coeffects of high-risk games and MAO activity . 25 Zuckerman SSS VI . 26 Interrelations between scores of game of skill and Zuckerman SSS VI.27 Smoking, alcohol consumption and other risks behavi oural ratings (driving behaviour and gambling) . 28 DISCUSSION.30 Game of skill.30 Platelet MAO activity and the level of play.32 MAO activity and other factors . 33 Zuckerman SSS VI and Minimum-TB scores . 34 Minimum-TB and alcohol use, driving behaviour and o ther risks . 36 General Conclusion.37 Limitations . 38 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 39 REFERENCES . 40 APPENDIX.45 Risky behaviour, MAO & sensorimotor 3 Approbation of a Game of Skill (Minimum-Tb) as a Mo del of Risky Behaviour
Estimation of Okun Coefficient for Algeria

The objective of this paper is to investigate the presence of Okun’s (1962) relationship for Algeria for the 1970- 2015 period. Two methodologies are employed to estimate the Okun coefficient: An Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) linear model and a Bayesian Normal Linear Regression model. The results indicate an Okun coefficient of about -0.2 which suggests some rigidity of the labour market in Algeria.
The Median Voter Takes it All

The relation between income inequality and support for redistributive policies has long being debated by social scientists, albeit with mostly contrasting findings. We shed light on this puzzle by exploiting a novel EU-28 wide survey (Eurobarometer 471) and matching it with an array of regional and national inequality measures. Using binary choice models, we show that support for redistribution is positively linked with the level of income inequality. The same association is found for perceptions of inequality being too high. In addition, we exploit alternative proxies of socio-economic status as well as subjective beliefs about fairness in the society. We document that individuals believing to be at the top of the social ladder, as well as people considering equal opportunities to be in place, are less supportive of government intervention to reduce inequalities. Our results are robust to different measures of inequalities, additional controls as well as a cross-validation with a widely recognized survey (ESS). We conclude that for the planning of policies based on social preferences, inequality matters.
Biochemical and Molecular Characterization of Pyrene and Anthracene Metabolizing Bacteria Isolated from Oil Contaminated Water and Soil in Malaysia

Poly aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination of soil and water forces the evolution of microorganisms to be able to utilize PAH as a source of carbon. In this study pyrene and anthracene utilizing bacteria were isolated from water and used engine oil contaminated soil from the Strait of Mallaca (Port Dickson) and mechanic workshops in Kedah and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, respectively. The samples were enriched in pyrene oranthracene supplemented BSM medium and isolates were characterized using standard biochemical tests and PCR amplification of the 16S rRNA gene followed by sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. Thirteen different species were isolated, including known PAH degrading bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus megaterium, and bacteria with no prior association with PAH degradation, Salmonella enterica and Bacillus toyonesis. Analysis showed that all isolates degraded 99% of the PAH within seven days. Two isolates (KLA1022 and JIP1005) achieved 95% PAH use within two days and also showed a greater increase in growth. The identification of species that hadn’t previously been reported as PAH degraders suggests significant adaptability and potential for further research that can contribute to efforts to clean pollution from the Malaysian environment.
Sideritis Perfoliata (Subsp. Perfoliata) Nutritive Value and Its Potential Medicinal Properties

Sideritis perfoliata L. subsp. perfoliata is an endemic species of the Eastern Mediterranean region with several uses in traditional medicine. The present study aims to explore the unknown properties of S. perfoliata investigating the nutritional content as well as the antioxidant, anticancer, antituberculosis, antiwrinkle, anti-acne, hyper/hypo-pigmentation and antibacterial activities. Mineral content, nutritional value, the composition and antioxidant properties of the essential oil, the antityrosinase, the antibacterial activity and anti-elastase potential of the extract, were evaluated. The antiproliferative activity of S. perfoliata against cervical cancer (HeLa), human melanoma (UCT-Mel-1), human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) and human epidermoid carcinoma (A431) was investigated. Cytotoxic effects on normal human keratinocyte (HaCat) and kidney epithelial (Vero) cell lines were also determined. Sideritis perfoliata exhibited high nutritional value of proteins and minerals (K, P, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu). The most abundant components of the essential oil were found to be α-pinene, β-phelladrene, valeranone, β-pinene and sabinene. The ethanolic extract of S. perfoliata displayed moderate antioxidant potential and antibacterial activity against Prevotella intermedia. Noteworthy elastase and moderate anticancer potential against the human liver cancer cell line (HepG2) was observed with IC50 values of 57.18 ± 3.22 μg/mL and 64.27 ± 2.04 μg/mL respectively. The noteworthy in vitro activity of S. perfoliata could be due to the presence of flavonoids and phenols in the leaves, having high nutritional value. Sideritis perfoliata could potentially be useful to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and for the treatment of liver cancer. The moderate antibacterial, antioxidant and elastase activity of the plant can be linked to the traditional use of S. perfoliata for the treatment of wounds and inflammation.