Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Xylem, Phloem and Transpiration Flows in a Grape: Application of a Technique for Measuring the Volume of Attached Fruits to High Resolution Using Archimedes' Principle

The minute changes in volume of a grape berry which occur from hour to hour were measured non-destructively in the field using readily available and cheap laboratory equipment and a modern electronic balance. The method, applicable even to small (approximately 10 g) fruits, is based on Archimedes' principle and gave a resolution of about 1 part in 1 000 by measuring the buoyant upthrust experienced by a berry when immersed in water. Volume data from control, pedicel-steamed, and detached berries were used to calculate the magnitudes and directions of the fluid flows which took place through the stalk of the phloem and xylem streams and through the skin in the transpiration stream. In the latter stages of fruit development, after the onset of ripening, net volume growth more or less ceases in grapes although their rate of sugar import is at its strongest. Cessation of volume growth comes about because the strong inflow of sugary water in the phloem is closely balanced in part by transpirational water loss through the skin and in part by the backflow of xylem water to the parent vine. This xylem backflow appears to persist throughout the diurnal cycle. The net backflow direction of the xylem stream, together with the inability of the phloem stream to carry certain ions (notably calcium), may explain how some mineral imbalance disorders arise in the later stages of fruit development. The intense manner in which fruiting sinks compete with vegetative sinks in Vitis finds its explanation in the breakdown of apoplast : symplast compartmentation in the berry which occurs around the time of onset of ripening. The breakdown exposes the terminal sieve tubes of the berry to a highly negative water potential environment, serving to increase both the speed and the concentration of the translocation stream.
Hedge Funds versus Private Equity Funds as Shareholder Activists - Differences in Value Creation

This paper analyzes market reactions triggered by announcements that hedge funds and private equity investors have purchased large blocks of voting rights. We argue that changes in shareholder wealth are related to the opportunity, possibility, and motivation of being an active blockholder who successfully reduces agency problems. We find positive abnormal returns following an announcement that an active shareholder has acquired at least 5% of a company's voting rights. Proxy variables for agency costs explain the market reaction only for investments of private equity funds. Considering the long-term stock price performance, we observe negative buy-and-hold abnormal returns especially for the hedge fund samples. We argue that this is because of the German corporate governance system, whereby hedge funds must align their interests with advisory board members. Therefore, we believe the distinct negative post-announcement stock performance of hedge fund targets may be a misinterpretation by the capital market of a hedge fund's abilities and motivations. It seems market participants do not believe hedge fund activism creates wealth effects in a manner comparable to private equity engagements.
Fundamentals of palaeobotany

There have been at least ten English-language textbooks of palaeobotany since D. H. Scott published the first edition of Studies inFossilBotany in 1900. Most have been written by scientists who were primarily botanists by training, and were aimed largely at a readership familiar with living plants. They tended to follow a general pattern of an introductory chapter on preservation of plants as fossils, followed by a systematic treatment, group by group. Only Seward in his Plant Life Through the Ages departed from this pattern in presenting a chronological sequence. In the present book, Meyen breaks with? is tradition. Although having a basically biological approach, he reaches out into all aspects of the history of plant life and the wider implication of its study. Only half of the present work deals sequentially with fossil plant groups, treated systematically. The remainder then explores those topics which most other textbooks have incidentally e generally either ignored or have only mentioned rather problems of naming and classifying fragmentary plant fossils, their ecology; biogeography and palaeoclimatic significance and the contribution that? ey have made to the understanding of living plant morphology, and of the process of evolution.
A Comparative Morphological Study of Anthrenus pimpinellae pimpinellae (Fabricius, 1775) and Anthrenus amandae Holloway, 2019 (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)

Abstract Recent research has shown that Anthrenus pimpinellae (Fabricius, 1775) is a complex of species numbering at least 21 in the Palearctic region. No work has been published illustrating what A. pimpinellae pimpinellae looks like relative to any other species in the complex, which interferes with accurate recording. Two species are considered here: A. pimpinellae pimpinellae and Anthrenus amandae Holloway, 2019. Identification of both species is confirmed by examination of the male genitalia. There are consistent differences between the species and relatively little intraspecific variation, offering routes to identification under field conditions. In addition, the validity of A. amandae as a distinct species is clarified.
Regulatory Disclosure of Offending Companies in the Dutch Financial Market: Consumer Protection or Enforcement Publicity?

Regulatory disclosure of names of offending companies is increasingly popular as an alternative to traditional command and control regulation. The goals and intended effects of disclosure are not always clear, however. Do regulators wish to increase their transparency, or do they intend to name and shame? This article aims to contribute to a better understanding of the underlying working mechanism of regulatory disclosure of offenders' names through a case study of the Dutch Authority for Financial Markets' disclosure policy. It distinguishes two types of disclosure strategies: consumer oriented and firm oriented. The case study shows that although informing consumers was the primary purpose of disclosure as intended by the Dutch legislature, the purpose in practice has shifted to informing companies about the regulators' enforcement policy. The nature of the disclosed information makes it unlikely that disclosure adequately prevents financial risk taking by consumers. Instead of empowering consumers, disclosure has been incorporated in a traditional deterrence logic, turning out not to be an example of new governance but instead a modern version of command and control enforcement publicity.
Molecular Characterization and Antibiotic Resistant Profiles of Campylobacter Species Isolated From Poultry and Diarrheal Patients in Southeastern China 2017–2019

Campylobacter is a zoonotic pathogen that causes foodborne diarrheal illness globally. To better understand health risks in Southeastern China, Campylobacter spp. were surveyed in humans and representative poultry products over 3 years. One hundred and ninety-five representative isolates (n = 148, Campylobacter jejuni; n = 45, Campylobacter coli; n = 2 Campylobacter hyointestinalis) were examined for genetic relatedness and antimicrobial susceptibility. Nearly all Campylobacter isolates (99.0%, 193/195) were resistant to at least one class of antimicrobials, and 45.6% (89/195) of the isolates exhibited multidrug resistance. Genotypic analysis revealed high diversity among tested strains. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) displayed 120 sequence types (STs) including 42 novel STs being added to the PubMLST international database. Sixty-two STs belonged to 16 previously characterized clonal complexes (CCs), of which CC-21, CC-45, CC-464, CC-574, CC-353, and CC-828 were most frequently identified. In addition, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) fingerprinting resulted in 66 PFGE SmaI patterns among the 125 isolates, with eight patterns shared between human and poultry sources. Subtyping data did not correlate with antimicrobial resistance phenotypes. Taken together, this large-scale surveillance study highlights high antimicrobial resistance and molecular features of Campylobacter isolates in Southeastern China.
American Based Research Journal Vol-7-Issue-5 May-2018 ISSN (2304-7151)

Author’s Details: (1) Jackson Kimanthi Nyamai-MSc Student, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, P.O. Box 62000 – 00200 Nairobi, Kenya (2) Dr. Noor Ismail-Phd. lecturer, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology Abstract The purpose of this paper was to investigate the effect of strategic procurement on the performance of geothermal development corporation. The researcher collected both primary and secondary data during the researcher. Primary data was collected using a questionnaire covering the strategic role of procurement in organizational performance. Quantitative data was analyzed by employing descriptive statistics and inferential analysis using statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 24. The findings have shown that cost Management on strategic procurement has a positive and significant effect on Procurement Performance, β1 = 0.550, p < 0.000. Furthermore, Supplier Relations do not have a significant effect Procurement Performance, β2 = 0.030, p = 0.656. Further focus on cost management strategies such as purchasing at a more centralized divisional level, cost analysis prior to approving purchases, contract reviews, supply chain mapping, and adequate human resource can go a long way in further improving procurement practices in the company. There is the specific focus that needs to be placed on cost reduction and how the competency of the suppliers can be further improved through training and resource provision that is critical to ensuring effective and efficient procurement processes
Song amplitude affects territorial aggression of male receivers in chaffinches

The evolution of bird song is closely related to sexual selection as birds use their songs for mate attraction and territorial defense. Recently, it has been shown that song amplitude can differ markedly between males and that females prefer louder songs. However, it is not known what constrains the production of loud songs. Here, we investigated how interindividual variation in song amplitude affects male--male territorial interactions. We simulated territorial intrusions by exposing male chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs) to song amplitudes consistent with the high and low end of the distribution of naturally occurring interindividual variation and found significantly stronger territorial behaviors in males exposed to high-amplitude songs. In particular, males sang less, approached the simulated rival closer, and stayed longer in the vicinity when the playback loudspeaker broadcasted louder songs. Our results demonstrate that the intensity of territorial behavior in chaffinches is modulated by the amplitude of songs to which they are exposed, suggesting that social aggression is likely to constrain song performance in this species. We conclude that the variation in song amplitude between males is, at least partly, a result of male--male competition as probably not all males are able to bear the potential costs of increased social aggression. Copyright 2011, Oxford University Press.
Sex-Specific Relationships Between Interoceptive Accuracy and Emotion Regulation

Over the last years, there has been a resurge in the interest to study the relationship between interoception and emotion. By now, it is well established that interoception contributes to the experience of emotions. However, it may also be possible that interoception contributes to the regulation of emotions. To test this possibility, we studied the relationship between interoception and emotion regulation in a sample of healthy individuals (n = 84). We used a similar heartbeat detection task and a similar self-report questionnaire for the assessment of interoceptive accuracy and emotion regulation as in previous studies. In contrast to previous studies, we differentiated between male and female individuals in our analyses and controlled our analyses for individual characteristics that may affect the relationship between interoceptive accuracy and emotion regulation. We found sex-differences in interoceptive accuracy and emotion regulation that amounted to a sex-specific relationship between interoceptive accuracy and emotion regulation: Whereas interoceptive accuracy was related to reappraisal but not to suppression in male individuals, interoceptive accuracy was unrelated to reappraisal and suppression in female individuals. These findings indicate that the relationship between interoception and emotion regulation is far more complex than has been suggested by previous findings. However, these findings nonetheless support the view that interoception is essential for both, the regulation and experience of emotions.
Enhanced Accuracy for Multiclass Mental Workload Detection Using Long Short-Term Memory for Brain–Computer Interface

Cognitive workload is one of the widely invoked human factors in the areas of human–machine interaction (HMI) and neuroergonomics. The precise assessment of cognitive and mental workload (MWL) is vital and requires accurate neuroimaging to monitor and evaluate the cognitive states of the brain. In this study, we have decoded four classes of MWL using long short-term memory (LSTM) with 89.31% average accuracy for brain–computer interface (BCI). The brain activity signals are acquired using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) region of the brain. We performed a supervised MWL experimentation with four varying MWL levels on 15 participants (both male and female) and 10 trials of each MWL per participant. Real-time four-level MWL states are assessed using fNIRS system, and initial classification is performed using three strong machine learning (ML) techniques, support vector machine (SVM), k-nearest neighbor (k-NN), and artificial neural network (ANN) with obtained average accuracies of 54.33, 54.31, and 69.36%, respectively. In this study, novel deep learning (DL) frameworks are proposed, which utilizes convolutional neural network (CNN) and LSTM with 87.45 and 89.31% average accuracies, respectively, to solve high-dimensional four-level cognitive states classification problem. Statistical analysis, t-test, and one-way F-test (ANOVA) are also performed on accuracies obtained through ML and DL algorithms. Results show that the proposed DL (LSTM and CNN) algorithms significantly improve classification performance as compared with ML (SVM, ANN, and k-NN) algorithms.
Pretreatment Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) May Predict the Outcomes of Advanced Non-small-cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Patients Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs)

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated the predictive value of pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in advanced cancers; however, the role of NLR in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) remained to be explored. Thus, we aimed to investigate whether pretreatment NLR was associated with the outcomes of advanced NSCLC patients treated with ICIs. Methods: A comprehensive literature research was first conducted in PubMed, the Cochrane Central Library, and Embase for studies that evaluated the association between pretreatment NLR and survival of advanced NSCLC patients with ICIs treatment. We then conducted a retrospective study in Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital (Beijing, China) to validate these findings. Results: A total of 17 eligible studies with 2,106 patients were included in our meta-analysis, of which, 12 studies reported progression-free survival (PFS), and 13 studies reported overall survival (OS). The pooled results showed that high pretreatment NLR was significantly associated with poorer PFS (HR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.26–1.65; P < 0.001) and OS (HR = 2.86, 95% CI 2.11–3.87; P < 0.001) compared with those with low pretreatment NLR. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that the association between baseline NLR and PFS remained significant except that the cut-off value of NLR was 3 (HR = 1.48, 95% CI 0.93–2.37; P = 0.098) and region of Asia (HR = 1.55, 95% CI 1.00–2.39; P = 0.051). These results were further validated in our retrospective study that patients with pretreatment NLR ≥ 6.0 had shorter PFS (median: 5.0 vs. 9.1 months, HR = 1.39; 95% CI 1.01–1.91; P = 0.02) and OS (median: 10.0 vs. 17.3 months, HR = 1.71; 95% CI 1.18–2.46; P < 0.001) compared with those with NLR < 6.0. The associations between NLR and survival were consistent in subgroup analysis stratified by age, gender, ECOG PS, histology, stage, smoking history, treatment, and prior lines of therapy. Dynamics of NLR (dNLR) that increased ≥3.0 from baseline was also significantly associated with worse PFS (median: 3.1 vs. 9.1 months; P = 0.01) and OS (median: 6.8 vs. 17.0 months; P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that pretreatment NLR and dNLR from baseline are associated with the outcomes of advanced NSCLC patients treated with ICIs; however, it warrants further prospective studies.
A Genetics-First Approach Revealed Monogenic Disorders in Patients With ARM and VACTERL Anomalies

Background: The VATER/VACTERL association (VACTERL) is defined as the non-random occurrence of the following congenital anomalies: Vertebral, Anal, Cardiac, Tracheal-Esophageal, Renal, and Limb anomalies. As no unequivocal candidate gene has been identified yet, patients are diagnosed phenotypically. The aims of this study were to identify patients with monogenic disorders using a genetics-first approach, and to study whether variants in candidate genes are involved in the etiology of VACTERL or the individual features of VACTERL: Anorectal malformation (ARM) or esophageal atresia with or without trachea-esophageal fistula (EA/TEF). Methods: Using molecular inversion probes, a candidate gene panel of 56 genes was sequenced in three patient groups: VACTERL (n = 211), ARM (n = 204), and EA/TEF (n = 95). Loss-of-function (LoF) and additional likely pathogenic missense variants, were prioritized and validated using Sanger sequencing. Validated variants were tested for segregation and patients were clinically re-evaluated. Results: In 7 out of the 510 patients (1.4%), pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants were identified in SALL1, SALL4, and MID1, genes that are associated with Townes-Brocks, Duane-radial-ray, and Opitz-G/BBB syndrome. These syndromes always include ARM or EA/TEF, in combination with at least two other VACTERL features. We did not identify LoF variants in the remaining candidate genes. Conclusions: None of the other candidate genes were identified as novel unequivocal disease genes for VACTERL. However, a genetics-first approach allowed refinement of the clinical diagnosis in seven patients, in whom an alternative molecular-based diagnosis was found with important implications for the counseling of the families.
A New Clinically Driven Classification for Acute Aortic Dissection

Objectives: To report a new classification scheme for acute aortic dissection (AAD) that considers the aortic arch as a separate entity and integrates patterns of malperfusion syndrome (MPS). The proposed classification was evaluated retrospectively in a large population. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed pre-therapy CT angiograms of 226 consecutive patients (mean ± SD age: 64 ± 12 years) with AAD. AADs were reclassified with a new classification scheme that included three aortic dissection types (A, involving at least the ascending aorta; B, involving exclusively the descending aorta; and C, involving the aortic arch with/without the descending aorta) and four malperfusion grades (0: no MPS; 1: dynamic MPS; 2: static MPS; 3: static and dynamic MPS). AAD features were assessed and correlated to patient outcomes. Results: According to the new classification, we identified 152 type A dissections (92 A0, 11 A1, 38 A2, 11 A3); 50 type B (38 B0, 5 B1, 6 B2, 1 B3); and 24 type C (17 C0, 6 C2, 1 C3). Type C represented 11% of all AADs. MPS occurred in 39, 24, and 29% in type A, B, and C, respectively. Type C was treated with significantly more endovascular or hybrid interventions (37%) than in types A (3%) and B (20%) (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The new AAD classification was feasible, and type C was easily identified (“non-A, non-B”). Preliminary findings supported the usefulness of this classification for the decision-making process and subsequent treatments.
An artificial fish robot using ICPF actuator

It is our purpose to develop an artificial fish robot that has characteristics of flexibility, driven by a low voltage, good response and safety in body. In this paper, we propose a new prototype model of an artificial fish robot utilizing ICPF (Ionic Conducting Polymer Film) actuator as the servo actuator. Biomimetic fish-like propulsion using ICPF actuator as a propulsion tail fin for an artificial fish robot swimming structure in water or aqueous medium is developed. The overall size of the artificial fish robot prototype shaped as a boat is 40 mm in length, 10 mm in width and 2 mm in thickness. There is a pair of platinum electrodes. Characteristics of the artificial fish robot are measured by changing the frequency of the input voltage from 0.1 Hz to 5 Hz. The experimental results indicate that the swimming speed of the proposed artificial fish robot can be controlled by changing the frequency of input voltage.
Melanin Pigment in Plants: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives

The word “melanin” refers to a group of high molecular weight, black, and brown pigments formed through the oxidation and polymerization of phenolic compounds. This pigment is present in all kingdoms of living organisms, but it remains the most enigmatic pigment in plants. The poor solubility of melanin in particular solvents and its complex polymeric nature significantly constrain its study. Plant melanin synthesis is mostly associated with the enzymatic browning reaction that occurs in wounded plant tissues. This reaction occurs when, due to the disruption of cellular compartmentation, the chloroplast-located polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) release from the chloroplast and interact with their vacuolar substrates to produce o-quinones, which in turn polymerize to melanin. Furthermore, the presence of melanin in intact seed tissues has been demonstrated by diagnostic physicochemical tests. Unlike the well-studied enzymatic browning reaction, little is known about how melanin is formed in seeds. Recent data have shown that it is a tightly controlled genetic process that involves many genes, among which the genes encoding PPOs might be key. The present article aims to provide an overview of the current knowledge on melanin in plants and to discuss future perspectives on its study in light of recent findings.