Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A laboratory study of soil carbon dioxide emissions in a vertisol and an Alfisol due to incorporating corn residues and simulating tillage.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is reduced in annual horticultural systems due to accelerated CO2 emission from the frequent and intensive tillage required to prepare beds and manage pests. Conversely, crop residue incorporation has the potential to counteract the loss of SOC. We hypothesised that vegetable systems could be made more resistant to SOC loss by including a high-residue grain crop such as sweet corn ('Zea mays var. rugosa' L.) in the rotation. We incubated two Australian soils, an Alfisol and a Vertisol, in plant-free sealed chambers with a ± corn residue treatment and soils either sieved/disturbed or not to simulate tillage. Carbon dioxide-carbon (CO2-C) flux was measured using air samples collected at 24 hours before , and 1, 120, 240 and 360 h after simulated tillage. Residue incorporation had a larger effect on CO2-C flux than tillage for both soil types. The tillage x residue interaction accounted for 40% of CO2-C flux; the effect of residue was highly significant but tillage alone was not significant. The effect of simulated tillage on residue incorporated soil was most stimulatory and the treatment without residue or without simulated tillage was the least stimulatory to CO2 emission. Residue effects were 22% higher in the Alfisol compared with the Vertisol whilst tillage effects were 26% higher in the Vertisol than in the Alfisol. The Vertisol was more resistant to CO₂ losses than the Alfisol after disturbance as the gas fluxes stabilised more rapidly following soil disturbance. In summary, residue incorporation and tillage interactions were a function of soil type, and fine-textured soils such as the Vertisol may be less prone to CO2 losses than lighter-textured soils.
Solid Waste Disposal and Community Health Implications in Ghana: Evidence from Sawaba, Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly

Many Ghanaian communities are faced with issues of solid waste disposal and health risks that undermine efforts towards ensuring a clean environment and good health for all. This research focuses on solid waste disposal and health issues among residents in the Sawaba community. Questionnaires, observation and unstructured interview guide were the methods employed for data collection using a sample size of 150 respondents. The systematic sampling technique was used to arrive at the sample size for the selected respondents. Percentages, frequency charts, photographs (Figures), cross tabulation and chi-square tests, with the aid of Statistical Product for Service Solution (SPSS) were the tools used to analyze the data. The shared experiences from residents showed that, issues of improper solid waste disposal have posed threat to health of residents. The cross tabulation and the chi-square tests on diseases contraction and distance of final disposal sites from the houses showed that, residents living closer to open dump sites have contracted related diseases such as malaria, skin infections among others as result of improper refuse disposal. The Environmental Health and Health department, and residents in the community are concerned and hoping a lasting strategy would be found to ensure a clean environment and good health for all. As result it was recommended that, there should be proper siting of final disposal sites to avoid pest and diseases proliferation, provision of more refuse containers and household waste bins for residents among others.
Shifting Trends in Bacterial Keratitis in Taiwan : A 10-Year Review in a Tertiary-Care Hospital

To the Editor: We commend Hsiao et al for an excellent study. However, a few points need further clarification. First, the term “middle to deep corneal infiltrates” used by the authors encompasses what depth of the cornea? Second, what could be the reason for the low bacterial culture positivity rate of 49.3%? Third, could the increase in the oxacillin susceptibility rate be attributed to the increase in methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)? Fourth, in vitro susceptibility testing was done only for ciprofloxacin. Why was it not done for the fourth-generation fluoroquinolones? Fifth, what could be the reason for the increased ciprofloxacin sensitivity of S. aureus, including MRSA strains in Taiwan, even though several studies have reported a significantly increasing trend of ciprofloxacin resistance (approximately 30%) among corneal pathogens, particularly in S. aureus? Sixth, the authors need to clarify how many patients were treatment naive? Was any washout period given before the scrapings were done?
Decrease or imbalance in protein metabolism Increase in neurodegenerative process Muscle fibre atrophy Increased prevalence of disability Decreased functional capacity Decreased basal metabolic rate Alteration in gene expression

The aim of the present review is to summarise, evaluate and critique the different mechanisms involved in anabolic growth of skeletal muscle and the catabolic processes involved in cancer cachexia and sarcopenia of ageing. This is highly relevant, since they represent targets for future promising clinical investigations. Sarcopenia is an inevitable process associated with a gradual reduction in muscle mass and strength, associated with a reduction in motor unit number and atrophy of muscle fibres, especially the fast type IIa fibres. The loss of muscle mass with ageing is clinically important because it leads to diminished functional ability and associated complications. Cachexia is widely recognised as severe and rapid wasting accompanying disease states such as cancer or immunodeficiency disease. One of the main characteristics of cancer cachexia is asthenia or lack of strength, which is directly related to the muscle loss. Indeed, apart from the speed of loss, muscle wasting during cancer and ageing share many common metabolic pathways and mediators. In healthy young individuals, muscles maintain their mass and function because of a balance between protein synthesis and protein degradation associated with rates of anabolic and catabolic processes, respectively. Muscles grow (hypertrophy) when protein synthesis exceeds protein degradation. Conversely, muscles shrink (atrophy) when protein degradation dominates. These processes are not occurring independently of each other, but are finely coordinated by a web of intricate signalling networks. Such signalling networks are in charge of executing environmental and cellular cues that ultimately determine whether muscle proteins are synthesised or degraded. Increasing our understanding for the pathways involved in hypertrophy and atrophy and particularly the interaction of these pathways is essential in designing therapeutic strategies for both prevention and treatment of muscle wasting conditions with age and with disease. 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Congruence in question : effectiveness of recall in emotion induction

Emotional deviation has been considered an essential factor in emotion regulation, in that, attempts to compensate for the deviation is reflected on cognitive processes. In the present study, we focused on autobiographical remembering and tested the functional role of memory on emotion regulation. We specifically examined the congruence effect in individuals’ subsequent memory reports after recalling emotional events. Individuals were randomly assigned to three groups to report either sadness or anger evoking events or emotionally unspecified events that they experienced in the last five years. Results supported mood-incongruence, but only for the emotional memory groups. Despite highly negative memories reported in the initial recall, individuals in angerand sad-memory groups revealed an up-regulation trend in subsequent recall. Furthermore, sadness and anger induction affected phenomenological features of the subsequently reported memory. Overall, our findings supported for the emotion regulation function of remembering that serves counterregulation of the negative emotion. We discuss potential mechanisms in the light of explanations by a functional approach to autobiographical memory. ARTICLE HISTORY Received 25 October 2016 Accepted 1 April 2017
Verb placement in second language acquisition: Experimental evidence for the different behavior of auxiliary and lexical verbs

This study investigates the acquisition of verb placement by Moroccan and Turkish second language (L2) learners of Dutch. Elicited production data corroborate earlier findings from L2 German that learners who do not produce auxiliaries do not raise lexical verbs over negation, whereas learners who produce auxiliaries do. Data from elicited imitation and sentence matching support this pattern and show that learners can have grammatical knowledge of auxiliary placement before they can produce auxiliaries. With lexical verbs, they do not show such knowledge. These results present further evidence for the different behavior of auxiliary and lexical verbs in early stages of L2 acquisition.
Running head: NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR AND REFEREEING

The goal of the present paper was to investigate whether soccer referees’ nonverbal behavior (NVB) differed based on the difficulty of their decisions and whether perceivers could detect these systematic variations. On the one hand, communicating confidence via NVB is emphasized in referee training. On the other hand, it seems feasible from a theoretical point of view that particularly following relatively difficult decisions referees have problems controlling their NVB. We conducted three experiments in order to investigate into this question. Experiment 1 (N = 40) and Experiment 2 (N = 60) provided evidence that perceivers regard referees’ NVB as less confident following ambiguous decisions as compared to following unambigous decisions. Experiment 3 (N = 58) suggested that perceivers were more likely to debate with the referee when referees nonverbally communicated less confidence. We discuss consequences for referee training.
Revised for patients with colorectal cancer symptoms − Questionnaire Measurement properties of the Danish version of the Illness Perception

The aim of this study was to validate the measurement properties of the Danish version of the Illness Perception Questionnaire–Revised adapted to measure symptom representations among patients with colorectal cancer symptoms. A total of 488 colorectal cancer patients completed a questionnaire derived from the Illness Perception Questionnaire–Revised to retrospectively assess cognitive and emotional representations of experienced symptoms. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated no good comparative fit with the Illness Perception Questionnaire–Revised. Using exploratory factor analysis, a 7-factor structure was conducted, which fairly supported the Illness Perception Questionnaire–Revised. The modified Illness Perception Questionnaire–Revised is a promising tool for measuring symptom representations among Danish colorectal cancer patients.
THE INFLUENCE OF ORTHOGRAPHY ON AUDITORY SPEECH PERCEPTION IN AMERICAN ENGLISH: EVIDENCE FOR INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

A number of studies done in the past decade revealed influence of orthographic information on auditory speech perception in literate adults and children. Even though these studies yield convergent results, researchers in different languages do not always use the same experimental paradigms to assess orthographic effects. One of the goals of the present study was to extend the findings of orthographic effects in speech perception to American English using the same paradigm that has been previously used in French and Portuguese (simple auditory lexical decision task manipulating orthographic consistency of stimuli), thus strengthening the cross-linguistic validity of both the methodology and the results and laying the foundation for direct crosslinguistic comparisons and other extensions involving American English speakers. Developmental research has shown that the size of orthographic effects in speech perception in children is associated with their reading level, however the question whether the size of orthographic effects observed in adult fluent readers is uniform has not been addressed. The second goal of the study was to explore individual differences in the size of orthographic effects and the nature of these differences. The results were convergent with findings from French and Portuguese: words with rhymes that have multiple spellings produced longer latencies and more errors than words with only one possible spelling. However the analysis of data from individual subjects showed that even in a sample that is quite homogeneous in age and literacy level (college students), there may be significant individual difference in the size of orthographic influences on speech perception, associated with differences in spelling competence.
Effect of Short Chain Branching on the Interlamellar Structure of Semicrystalline Polyethylene

We use molecular simulations with a united atom force field to examine the effect of short chain branching (SCB) on the noncrystalline, interlamellar structure typical of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE). The model is predicated on a metastable thermodynamic equilibrium within the interlamellar space of the crystal stack and accounts explicitly for the various chain topologies (loops, tails, and bridges) therein. We examine three branched systems containing methyl, ethyl, and butyl side branches and compare our results to high density polyethylene (HDPE), without branches. We also compare results for two united atom force fields, PYS and TraPPE-UA, within the context of these simulations. In contrast to conventional wisdom, our simulations indicate that the thicknesses of the interfacial regions in systems with SCB are smaller than those observed for a linear polyethylene without branches and that branches are uniformly distributed throughout the interlamellar region. We find a prevalence of gauche.
Determination of genetic polymorphism among indigenous and exotic maize inbreds using microsatellite markers

Maize ( Zea mays L.) is an important cereal crop of different countries of world. Undoubtedly, the concerted efforts of plant breeders and their breeding strategies have helped to increase the production and productivity to the tune of two to three folds in many crops including maize. Hybrid cultivars have played a vital role in increasing the acreage and productivity of maize. The success in identifying heterotic hybrid in maize hybrid breeding depends on the availability of genetically diverse maize inbred lines developed from different heterotic gene pool. Hence, generation of information on variability of inbreds at genotypic level become necessary. Molecular markers have proven to be a valuable tool for assessing the genetic diversity in many crop species. Simple sequence repeats (SSR) are currently considered as the molecular markers of choice and are rapidly being adapted by plant researchers for precise estimation of diversity. SSR based molecular diversity analysis of 27 maize inbred lines had produced 23 polymorphic alleles from 10 markers with an average of 2.3 alleles per locus and mean polymorphic information content (PIC) of 0.45. The dendrogram generated with hierarchical unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) cluster analysis revealed five major clusters at 0.62 similarity coefficient. The information on diversity of inbred lines generated in this study would be much useful in developing heterotic hybrids. Keywords: Maize, inbreds, marker diversity, simple sequence repeats (SSR) African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(39), pp. 5723-5728
Investigation of factors influencing the accuracy of Monte Carlo simulation of a Siemens linear accelerator

Introduction: One of the limitations of treatment planning system (TPS) algorithms is related to dose calculation in heterogeneous media and interfaces. Dose calculation with Monte Carlo (MC) simulation can significantly reduce this error. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that influence the simulation accuracy of a Siemens ONCOR treatment head using MC method. Methods: BEAMnrc, DOSEXYZnrc MC code (Version. 4-r2.3.1) and the general information about Siemens linacs, provided by the manufacturer, were used. Percent Depth Dose (PDD) and profiles, for 18 MV photon beams and 40×40 cm2 field size in water phantom were compared to ionization chamber measurement. Impact of factors such as beam energy, full width at half maximum (FWHM), flattening filter, primary collimator geometry, distance of scoring plane to isocenter and area of scoring plane on PDD, profiles and out of field dose on the MC simulation accuracy were investigated. Results: The main affecting factors on MC simulation were initial electron beam energy and geometry of primary collimator for PDD and profile, respectively, and shape and density of flattening filter, primary collimator, distance of source to target and target to flattening filter for FWHM. Conclusion: Result of this study can be used for optimizing dose calculations in heterogeneous media and interfaces and investigation of TPS calculations accuracy for Siemens ONCOR linac.
The measurement of solar ultraviolet radiation in Kermanshah city over a one-year period from 2015 to 2016

Background: Ultraviolet radia on is present in sunlight. If ultraviolet radia on exceeds the limit, it can cause detrimental effects on human health such as skin cancer and cataract. Materials and Methods: In this descrip ve cross-sec onal study, the level of solar ultraviolet radia on type A (UVA) were measured using UV LOG HAND HELD in Kermanshah city. The intensity of ultraviolet radia on was measured three mes a day including two hours before noon, noon and two o'clock in the a.ernoon. The results were analyzed using ANOVA sta s cal tests with a confidence interval of 95%. Results: The lowest and highest average intensity levels of solar UVA in Kermanshah were in December (14.21± 0.94 w/m2) and August (32.87 ±2.3 w/m2), respec vely. Also, winter and summer seasons (with average intensi es of 16.37± 1.12 w/m2 and 30.12±1.7 w/m2) had the lowest and highest intensity of this radia on, respec vely. Conclusion: Regarding that UVA radia on exceeds the safe exposure level, even in the winter in Kermanshah, it is recommended for people to avoid from long-term staying in open spaces at noon and use proper protec ve wears especially in summer.
Nutritional quality of forages used by elk in northern Idaho.

The nutritional quality (digestible energy, crude protein, and minerals) of 7 known elk (Cervus elaphus Linnaeus) forages was assessed at 4 different time periods from May to November. Species evaluated were elk sedge (Carex geyeri Boott), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis Linnaeus), western goldthread (Coptis occidentalis Nuttall), clover (Trifolium repens Linnaeus), service-berry (Amelanchier alnifolia Nuttall), redstem ceanothus (Ceanothus sanguineus Pursh), and Scouler willow (Salix scouleriana Barratt). Mineral concentrations generally met estimated requirements for elk in all seasons, except sodium remained below requirements in all seasons. Crude protein in most plant species sampled was adequate for adult gravid or lactating cows throughout the year, although concentrations in graminoids fell below requirements during August. Forage provided adequate digestible energy for gravid or lactating cows only during May, indicating potential deficiencies in summer and autumn. Elk must be selective of plant parts, plant taxa, and foraging habitat to gain adequate nutrition. In this area, summer and fall forage quality may be critical to lactating cow elk. DOI:10.2458/azu_jrm_v55i3_alldredge
Mode-sum construction of the covariant graviton two-point function in the Poincaré patch of de Sitter space

We construct the graviton two-point function for a two-parameter family of linear covariant gauges in n-dimensional de Sitter space. The construction is performed via the mode-sum method in the Bunch-Davies vacuum in the Poincare patch, and a Fierz-Pauli mass term is introduced to regularize the infrared (IR) divergences. The resulting two-point function is de Sitter-invariant, and free of IR divergences in the massless limit (for a certain range of parameters) though analytic continuation with respect to the mass for the pure-gauge sector of the two-point function is necessary for this result. This general result agrees with the propagator obtained by analytic continuation from the sphere [Phys. Rev. D 34, 3670 (1986); Class. Quant. Grav. 18, 4317 (2001)]. However, if one starts with strictly zero mass theory, the IR divergences are absent only for a specific value of one of the two parameters, with the other parameter left generic. These findings agree with recent calculations in the Landau (exact) gauge [J. Math. Phys. 53, 122502 (2012)], where IR divergences do appear in the spin-two (tensor) part of the two-point function. However, we find the strength (including the sign) of the IR divergence to be different from the one found in this reference.
Effects of Climate Change on Population Persistence of Desert‐Dwelling Mountain Sheep in California

Abstract: Metapopulations may be very sensitive to global climate change, particularly if temperature and precipitation change rapidly. We present an analysis of the role of climate and other factors in determining metapopulation structure based on presence and absence data. We compared existing and historical population distributions of desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) to determine whether regional climate patterns were correlated with local extinction. To examine all mountain ranges known to hold or to have held desert bighorn populations in California and score for variables describing climate, metapopulation dynamics, human impacts, and other environmental factors, we used a geographic information system (GIS) and paper maps. We used logistic regression and hierarchical partitioning to assess the relationship among these variables and the current status of each population (extinct or extant). Parameters related to climate—elevation, precipitation, and presence of dependable springs—were strongly correlated with population persistence in the twentieth century. Populations inhabiting lower, drier mountain ranges were more likely to go extinct. The presence of domestic sheep grazing allotments was negatively correlated with population persistence. We used conditional extinction probabilities generated by the logistic‐regression model to rank native, naturally recolonized, and reintroduced populations by vulnerability to extinction under several climate‐change scenarios. Thus risk of extinction in metapopulations can be evaluated for global‐climate‐change scenarios even when few demographic data are available.
Is the herb-shrub composition of veredas (Brazilian palm swamps) distinguishable?

Vereda (Brazilian palm swamp) is a poorly known savannic phytophysiognomy that occurs on moist soils with high herb-shrub floristic richness. This study aimed to document the herb-shrub species of veredas of the Estacao Ecologica Serra Geral do Tocantins - EESGTO, and compare this flora with other veredas in Brazil. Furthermore, we assessed the similarity of the herb-shrub ﬂora of the studied veredas with that of inventories of other savannas and grasslands in order to evaluate whether veredas possess an exclusive flora. Ordination analysis was performed to understand the floristic relationship among these areas. We recorded 213 species, 105 genera and 49 families at EESGTO, including five new floral records for the Cerrado and 78 for the state of Tocantins. The floristic similarity among veredas at EESGTO and the other sites was low. For all sites, a total of 1,324 species were recorded, of which 342 were unique to veredas and 187 unique to moist grasslands (campos limpos umidos). After reviewing databases, 14.3 % of these species remained exclusive to veredas and moist grasslands. The ordination analysis indicated a gradient in floristic composition from wet to dry phytophysiognomies. In conclusion, we recognize a flora that distinguishes veredas from other Cerrado phytophysiognomies.