Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Insulin Receptor on Juvenile Hormone Signal and Fecundity in Spodoptera litura (F.)

Simple Summary The tobacco cutworm, Spodoptera litura (F.), exemplifies strong reproductive capacities and damages many agricultural crops. The insulin signaling pathway is known as a key determinant of female reproduction in insects. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms in these processes are poorly studied. Here, we injected bovine insulin into the newly emerged moth, resulting in gene expression changes in the insulin pathway, while knockdown of SlInR caused an inverse gene expression change involved in the insulin pathway. Further studies indicated that the content of JH-III, Vg, total proteins and triacylgycerol could be suppressed by SlInR dsRNA injection. Furthermore, stunted ovaries and lower fecundity were observed by RNAi. Our studies indicated that SlInR plays a key role in JH-III synthesis and the ovarian development in S. litura. Abstract Insulin signaling can regulate various physiological functions, such as energy metabolism and reproduction and so on, in many insects, including mosquito and locust. However, the molecular mechanism of this physiological process remains elusive. The tobacco cutworm, Spodoptera litura, is one of the most important pests of agricultural crops around the world. In this study, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (SlPI3K), protein kinase B (SlAKT), target of rapamycin (SlTOR), ribosomal protein S6 kinase (SlS6K) and transcription factor cAMP-response element binding protein (SlCREB) genes, except transcription factor forkhead box class O (SlFoxO), can be activated by bovine insulin injection. Then, we studied the influence of the insulin receptor gene (SlInR) on the reproduction of S. litura using RNA interference technology. qRT-PCR analysis revealed that SlInR was most abundant in the head. The SlPI3K, SlAKT, SlTOR, SlS6K and SlCREB genes were decreased, except SlFoxO, after the SlInR gene knockdown. Further studies revealed that the expression of vitellogenin mRNA and protein, Methoprene-tolerant gene (SlMet), could be down-regulated by the injection of dsRNA of SlInR significantly. Furthermore, a depletion in the insulin receptor by RNAi significantly decreased the content of juvenile hormone III (JH-III), total proteins and triacylgycerol. These changes indicated that a lack of SlInR could impair ovarian development and decrease fecundity in S. litura. Our studies contribute to a comprehensive insight into reproduction, regulated by insulin and the juvenile hormone signaling pathway through nutrition, and a provide theoretical basis for the reproduction process in pest insects.
Association of mortality and endothelial dysfunction with serum ADMA level in COVID-19 patients

Objectives: To investigate the role of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) level in predicting intensive care and mortality in patients affected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital (Sakarya, Turkey) between April and August of 2020. We enrolled patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 via real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and admitted to the intensive care (Severe COVID-19; S-COVID) or non intensive care (Moderate COVID-19; M-COVID). We then analyzed the relationship of the ADMA level with various parameters between S-COVID and M-COVID groups. Results: This study included 87 patients, comprising 43 females and 44 males, with a mean age of 61 and 71.50 years, respectively. The male/female distribution was 22/25 (46.8%/53.2%) in the M-COVID group and 22/18 (55%/45%) in the S-COVID group. The hospitalization time, white blood cell count, neutrophil count, lymphocyte-to-albumin ratio, international normalization ratio, D-dimer, troponin, ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, fibrinogen, lactate, ADMA, and mortality rate were significantly higher (p < 0.05). In contrast, lymphocyte, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, calcium, and albumin values were lower (p < 0.05) in the S-COVID group than in the M-COVID group. While the mortality rate was 55% in S-COVID patients, no mortality was detected in M-COVID patients (p < 0.05). Moreover, ADMA level was 6618 ± 3000 (6400) in S-COVID patients and 5365 ± 3571 (3130) in M-COVID patients, indicating a statistically significant difference (p = 0.012). Conclusion: The asymmetric dimethylarginine level increases in severe outcomes; hence, it can potentially predict severity in patients with COVID-19.
Macdonald–Koornwinder Polynomials

An overview of the basic results on Macdonald(-Koornwinder) polynomials and double affine Hecke algebras is given. We develop the theory in such a way that it naturally encompasses all known cases. Among the basic properties of the Macdonald polynomials we treat are the quadratic norm formulas, duality and the evaluation formulas. This text is a provisional version of a chapter on Macdonald polynomials for volume 5 of the Askey-Bateman project, entitled "Multivariable special functions".
Perceptions of pre-service and graduate early childhood and primary teachers regarding their confidence in teaching Religious Education in Catholic primary schools

ABSTRACT This research reports an exploratory study of 22 pre-service teachers involved in the Religious Education courses offered by The University of Notre Dame Australia, as part of the university’s accreditation to teach religious education. The study examined the influence of key factors on how confident these pre-service teachers perceived themselves to be to engage with the necessary knowledge to effectively teach religious education in a Catholic school. The pre-service teachers were surveyed pre and post their final-year internship, and subsequently, six of these were interviewed at the end of their first term of employment. Results indicated that out of the five compulsory courses, the two teaching method courses were found to be most influential in developing confidence to teach. Family, religious background, schooling, and mentoring were found to be influential in confidence development. In addition, confidence improved across the timeframe.
Locating the Embodied Sense of Self and Examining its Relationship with Psychological Well-Being

Westerners tend to localize their sense of self in the head, and, to a lesser degree, in the chest. However, single-point, localization studies of the self omit direct exploration of the size and shape of the embodied self. This study explored a) beliefs about the location and spatial distribution of the embodied sense of self, and b) whether individual differences in how the embodied self was represented were associated with psychological and subjective well-being. Results from a sample of 206 American adults confirm extant reports, indicating that the embodied sense of self is most often located in the head and chest. However, results from this study extend previous findings by suggesting that the majority of respondents (70%) located their embodied sense of self in multiple body regions, and individuals that reported a more widely distributed sense of self reported greater well-being. Specifically, a more widely distributed sense of self in the torso was most strongly associated with psychological well-being. No relationship emerged between the distribution of the sense of self in the head and psychological well-being. Results from this study indicate that the sense of self may be located throughout the body, and that locating the sense of self in the torso may have psychological benefit. As such, exploring methods of shifting the sense of self out of the head and into the body may have therapeutic value.
The Lessons Private Schools Teach: Using a Field Experiment to Understand the Effects of Private Services on Political Behavior

Government services act as important sites of political socialization. Through interactions with the state individuals learn lessons about their value as citizens, form preferences over government services, and understand the value of political participation. What happens when the private sector replaces government provision of basic services? I explore this question in the context of a randomized private school voucher experiment in India. Based on an original household survey of 1200 households, and semi-structured interviews conducted 5 years after the voucher lottery, I find that voucher winning households hold stronger market-oriented beliefs. However, voucher winning households show little difference in political participation on most measures of political participation. I argue that these results are driven by a greater comfort with private providers as permanent economic actors. This suggests exposure to different economic actors, in the form of private schools, have the potential to change political preferences.
Wild vegetation and ‘farming with alternative pollinators’ approach support pollinator diversity in farmland

Several management practices have been suggested to mitigate the global pollinator decline in agro‐ecosystems, including wildflower strips and Farming with Alternative Pollinators (FAP). FAP proposes to dedicate 25% of the field area to seed Marketable Habitat Enhancement Plants (MHEP) around the main crop, occupying 75% of the field. However, wild pollinators may not rely fully on the resources that fields provide due to differences in flying period and host‐plant preferences, and need additional resources from wild flowering plant communities. Here we aim to compare wild pollinator communities between FAP fields, monoculture of pollinator dependent crops and the nearby wild flowering plants. We developed two experimental trials with two main crops (faba bean and eggplant) in 16 fields in North‐West Morocco and we compared wild pollinator richness and wild pollinator specialization between FAP fields, control fields and the nearby wild flowering plants. We recorded a significantly higher pollinator richness in FAP fields compared to wild flowering plants and monoculture. Pollinator specialization index (i.e. degree of interaction specialization at the species level) did not differ significantly between the three treatments in faba bean trial (i.e. FAP, control and wild plants), whilst in eggplant trial, wild plants harboured significantly more specialist species than FAP fields. Yet, no significant differences in pollinator specialization index were reported between the other treatments in eggplant trial (i.e. FAP vs. control and control vs. wild plants). Moreover, 28% of the pollinator species collected, were only observed on wild plants, particularly thistles. These results highlight the potential of FAP approach as a tool for pollinator conservation in farmlands. However, the FAP approach alone is not sufficient to cater the diverse pollinators present in the agro‐ecosystem, and hence, the maintenance of the surrounding wild flowering plants is necessary to support pollinators in farmlands.
Petrogenesis of Permian to Triassic granitoids from the East Kunlun orogenic belt: implications for crustal evolution during oceanic subduction and continental collision

ABSTRACT The study of Permian-Triassic granitoids, which widely occur within the East Kunlun Orogenic Belt (EKOB), is relevant for a better understanding of the evolution of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean and regional crustal evolution. This study focuses on the Permian-Triassic granitoids from the Nagengkangqieer region, east segment of EKOB. The Late Permian granodiorite (ca. 252 Ma) shows high-K calc-alkaline and metaluminous features with moderate SiO2 (63.31–67.04 wt.%), relatively high Mg# (48–52), and low Sr/Y ratios. The granodiorite is enriched in large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and depleted in high field strength elements (HFSEs) and shows enriched isotopic compositions (εNd (t) = −5.53 to −5.14, εHf (t) = −5.6 to −1.1). These geochemical characteristics imply that the Late Permian granodiorite was derived from a mixing source of mafic lower crust and mantle materials (<30%). The Middle Triassic porphyritic monzogranite (ca. 239 Ma) and monzogranite (ca. 239 Ma) are high-K calc-alkaline to shoshonitic and weak peraluminous with high SiO2 (70.58–76.54 wt.%) contents and low Mg# (19–36). They display relatively higher FeOT/MgO ratios, lower P2O5 contents, and more enriched isotopic compositions (εNd (t) = −7.87 to −6.71, εHf (t) = −13.7 to −1.2) than those of granodiorites. These findings indicate that the Triassic granites belong to fractionated granites derived from partial melting of the lower continental crust. In combination with the results of this study and the spatio-temporal distribution of regional magmatic, metamorphic, and sedimentary events, we conclude that Late Permian granodiorite formed in a subduction setting, whereas the Middle Triassic granites were formed in a syn-collision setting. Closing of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean occurred in the Middle Triassic (ca. 240 Ma). Additionally, only a small proportion of juvenile materials (<30%) was involved in magmatism and contributed to continental crustal growth during Late Permian subduction, whereas crustal reworking dominated regional magmatism and resulted in a higher crustal maturity.
The prevalance of gestational diabetes mellitus among pregnant females in Beni-Suef governorate and its hazards on the maternal and fetal outcome .

: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing worldwide especially in developing countries. Increasing age, BMI, weight, martial period and family history for diabetes are highly prone to gestational diabetes mellitus. The aim of this work is to estimate prevalence of GDM among pregnant females in Bani-Suef governorate and its hazards on mother and offspring. Our present study was included 1000 pregnant females were followed and their outcomes with estimated gestational age between 24th and 28th week. At first a proforma containing general information was fulfilled, Then the study population were divided into two groups . 1 st group was screened by Random Blood Sugar (RBS) while 2 nd group was screened by a standardized 2h -75 Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) according to WHO guidelines of GDM. Our study detected the prevalence of GDM was 2.6%. There was statistically significance of increasing age and BMI, positive family history of DM and positive history of twin pregnancy. There was no statistically significance as regards history of PCO, past history of GDM and past history of macrocosmic baby. We recommend the early screening before 24th week of gestation, for GDM regardless of any other risk factors and those women with increased BMI, age, weight and positive history of diabetes mellitus has to be considered as high-risk group. All GDM diagnosed women should be closely monitored for glycemic control for good maternal and fetal outcome.
The Influence of the Perception of Learning Process and the Perception of Campus Attraction to Campus Image, Motivation, and Decisions to Follow Education at Bri Regional Campus Surabaya

The objective to be achieved from this study is to test and analyze the influence of learning process perception, perception of campus attractiveness, campus image and motivation for decisions to attend education at BRI Regional Campus Surabaya. This research method uses a quantitative approach. This research includes a type of causal-comparative research. This research is a type of explanatory research. The sample population is BRI Regional Campus Surabaya Students as many as 178 students in the 2020/2021 school year. The analysis technique chosen is the structural equation model (SEM) using partial least square (PLS). The results of the analysis can be concluded that the perception of the learning process, perception of campus attractiveness, campus image and motivation have a significant and positive influence on the decision to follow education at BRI Regional Campus Surabaya.
Free interactive counselling program in a mobile communication application for improving health education on indwelling ureteric stents after ureterorenoscopic lithotripsy: An observational study

Objective This study examines the potential benefit of an interactive counselling program via a mobile application (app), which can instantly provide patients with the necessary information and correct response regarding their condition. Methods We designed a free ‘Ureteric Stent Interactive Program’ for patients receiving ureterorenoscopic lithotripsy and provided the program to interested patients. Patient data were collected from medical records and depending on whether patients used our program, they were divided into two groups: ‘program-user’ and ‘non-user’. The differences between the groups were analysed using Fisher’s exact tests. Results Of the 70 patients, 50 elected to use the program. The program-user group was significantly younger (<60 years: 74% vs 15%, P<0.001) and had higher education levels (40% vs 5%, P = 0.004). All 50 patients in the program-user group reported being satisfied (32%) or very satisfied (68%) with the program. Patients over 60 years were significantly more satisfied with program (35.5% vs 6.3%, P = 0.04). Conclusions Younger patients with high education levels were more likely to use the app and improve their health knowledge. Using the program resulted in high satisfaction, especially among older patients. This study demonstrates the benefits of interactive application for educating patients regarding their health.
High Efficiency Holmium-Doped Triple-Clad Fiber Laser at 2120 nm

We developed a new holmium-doped triple-clad fiber (Ho-3CF), reducing the clad diameter to improve the overlap between pump and doped-core, and the holmium concentration to reduce the influence of ion clustering on the laser efficiency. We illustrate here the performance of this fiber in a laser oscillator configuration. The laser emission is centered at 2.12 <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \mathrm{m}$</tex-math></inline-formula> by a fiber Bragg grating, and the active fiber is pumped in the clad by a 1.94 <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \mathrm{m}$</tex-math></inline-formula> thulium-doped fiber laser. The slope efficiency reaches 73 % with respect to absorbed power (60% considering coupled power), for a maximum signal power of 62 W delivered on a quasi single spatial mode (M<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^{2}$</tex-math></inline-formula>=1.2). To the best of our knowledge, this slope efficiency is the highest reported for a high power clad-pumped fiber laser emitting at a wavelength higher than 2.1 <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \mathrm{m}$</tex-math></inline-formula>. We also analyze experimentally the impact of the pump Numerical Aperture (NA), at the input of the Ho-3CF, on the laser efficiency. Finally, we use our numerical simulation to comment on the best choice of pump wavelength.
Does climate warming affect labour productivity in emerging economies?—Evidence from Chinese-listed firms

ABSTRACT In this study, we match the weather data at the prefecture-level city level in China with the data of listed firms in China, and examine the impact of high-temperature weather on the labour productivity and firm response strategies. We find that high-temperature weather is negatively correlated with labour productivity. The impact is more pronounced in Non-SOEs, heat-sensitive industries, and in the southern region. The additional analysis showed that firms can alleviate the negative impact of high-temperature weather by increasing employee compensation, and carrying out digital transformation. High-temperature weather prompts firms to reduce the number of blue-collar occupations and increase the number of white-collar occupations. This study highlights the urgency of the impact of current climate warming on emerging economies from the perspective of employees, enriches the cross-study of labour and climate economics, and provides suggestions for firms to alleviate the negative impact of high-temperature weather and improve production efficiency.
‘Green’ practices and value co-creation: does guest culture make a difference?

In an increasingly competitive environment, many hotels have implemented sustainable practices and have actively involved the guests in the generation of unique experiences through the value co-creation process. In this sense, this paper aims at analysing the impact of ‘ green ’ practices and value co-creation on hotel image, guest trust, satisfaction, and loyalty, and to assess the moderating role of culture, conceived as related to guest nationality. To test the model, a quantitative method based on a sample of 611 guests from Spain and Colombia was used. Our results indicated that there are significant differences based on the guests (cid:1) nation-ality regarding the effects of value co-creation and image on trust, image on satisfaction, and satisfaction on loyalty. These findings will allow hotel management to have a better understanding of tourists when designing their corporate strategies.
Condensate fragmentation as a sensitive measure of the quantum many-body behavior of bosons with long-range interactions

The occupation of more than one single-particle state, and hence the emergence of fragmentation, is a many-body phenomenon occurring for systems of spatially confined strongly interacting bosons. In the present study, we investigate the effect of the range of the interparticle interactions on the fragmentation degree of one-and two-dimensional systems in single wells. We solve the full many-body Schrodinger equation of the system using the recursive implementation of the multiconfigurational time-dependent Hartree for bosons method (R-MCTDHB). The dependence of the degree of fragmentation on dimensionality, particle number, areal or line density, and interaction strength is assessed. For contact interactions, it is found that the fragmentation is essentially density independent in two dimensions. However, fragmentation increasingly depends on density the more long ranged the interactions become. At fixed particle number N, the degree of fragmentation is increasing when the density is decreasing, as expected in one spatial dimension. We demonstrate that this, nontrivially, remains true also for long-range interactions in two spatial dimensions. We, finally, find that fragmentation in a single well is a mesoscopic phenomenon: Within our fully self-consistent approach, the degree of fragmentation, to a good approximation, decreases universally as N-1/2 when only N is varied.
The triggers and consequences of digital sales: a systematic literature review

Abstract The megatrend of digitalization has the potential to fundamentally change sales practices. This is because digital technologies impact the entire sales organization and can significantly support the daily work of salespeople or even replace human salespeople. Despite the growing interest in digital sales in practice and academia, the phenomenon remains little understood. Therefore, this article looks at (1) the triggers of digital transformation in sales and (2) how the digital transformation in sales affects the sales environment and the role of the sales function in firms, before presenting (3) unanswered research questions on digital sales. Our literature review provides an overview of the current body of knowledge on digital sales and reveals that technology is not entirely replacing human salespeople. Indeed, whilst the customer-sales relationship (information, communication, and interaction) is changing, the future of sales is likely to be a mixture of digital and non-digital channels. The literature review also reveals that the keys to competitive advantage are analyzing customer needs, applying technologies to meet the new relationship requirements, making data-driven decisions, and changing the sales function.