Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Extension of TAM by Perceived Interactivity to Understand Usage Behaviors on ACG Social Media Sites

Social media sites, as participatory artistic online platforms, have become popular spaces for amateur artists to exchange the creative artefacts of animation, comics and games (ACG) with others. Online social media platforms for ACG amateur artists offer interactive features for communication, information exchange and distance learning to facilitate connections among amateur artists worldwide. However, not too much of the available research has regarded investigating the determinative factors of ACG users’ behavior on social media. By integrating aspects of perceived interactivity and users’ willingness to exchange information, this study formulated a concept model to investigate the prerequisite factors of users’ “continuance use intention” on ACG social media sites. The snowballing method was used to recruit 367 participants who had experience in creating ACG works and using more than two ACG social media sites from the Japanese sub-cultural communities at a university in Northern Taiwan. The results of this study provided empirical evidence supporting perceived interactivity as a prerequisite factor for extending the technology acceptance model (TAM), perceiving interactivity, and supporting indicators such as continuance use intentions and the willingness to exchange information on ACG social media sites.
Estimation of the Genetic Parameters for Semen Traits in Spanish Dairy Sheep

Simple Summary The limited studies addressing the estimation of genetic parameters for ram semen traits in different breeds show a wide variation, highlighting the importance of studying these traits for individual breeds. Therefore, this work aimed to estimate genetic parameters for traits related to semen production and quality in five dairy sheep breeds. For that, ejaculates of rams from Assaf, Churra, Latxa Cara Negra, Latxa Cara Rubia, and Manchega breeds were analyzed. Estimates of the genetic covariance structure were obtained with multiple-trait animal models using the average information REML (restricted maximum likelihood) method in the BLUPF90 family of programs. Repeatability estimates for all the traits were also calculated. Heritability estimates were of low to moderate magnitude, although the estimates differed among the breeds. The estimated genetic correlations among the three semen traits showed adequate precision only in the Manchega (MAN) breed. The heritability estimates reported here suggest that improvement of these traits may be achieved by genetic selection. Abstract This work aimed to estimate genetic parameters for traits related to semen production and quality in Spanish dairy sheep breeds. For that, ejaculates of rams from Assaf, Churra, Latxa Cara Negra, Latxa Cara Rubia, and Manchega breeds were analyzed to measure volume, semen concentration, and motility. Estimates of variance components were obtained with multiple-trait animal models using the average information REML method in the BLUPF90 family of programs. Repeatability estimates for all the traits were also calculated, with values ranging from 0.077 to 0.304 for the motility and the semen concentration traits, respectively. Heritability estimates were of low to moderate magnitude, ranging from 0.014 (motility in Latxa Cara Rubia) to 0.198 (volume in Churra), although the estimates differed among the breeds. The estimated genetic correlations among the three semen traits showed adequate precision only in the MAN breed. The heritability estimates for the semen traits reported in the present paper suggest an adequate response to selection. The practical extension of these results to the other breeds studied here will be secondary to the estimation of more reliable genetic correlations in these breeds.
An Improvisational Model of Change Management: The Case of Groupware Technologies

In this paper, we present an alternative way of thinking about technological change in organizations. This alternative approach is motivated by a recognition that traditional models for managing technological change - in which the major steps of the change are defined in advance and the organization then strives to implement these changes as planned in a specified period of time - are not particularly useful given the more turbulent, flexible, and uncertain organizational situations that many companies face today. Traditional models are also not particularly useful for helping the implementation of technologies such as groupware whose unprecedented, open-ended, and context-specific nature make it difficult to predefine the exact changes to be realized and to predict their likely organizational impact. We suggest an alternative model of managing technological change, one that reflects the dynamic and variable nature of contemporary organizations and technologies, and which accommodates iterative experimentation, use, and learning over time. We label such a model of managing technological change "improvisational," and suggest that it may enable organizations to take advantage of the evolving capabilities, emerging practices, and unanticipated outcomes that accompany use of new technologies in contemporary organizations.
A New Double Stranded RNA Suppresses Bladder Cancer Development by Upregulating p21 Expression

Wehave previously demonstrated thatmiR-1180-5p has potent ability to upregulate p21 expression by targeting promoter and inhibit bladder cancer.This prompted us to conjecture that a candidate dsRNA (dsP21-397) with perfect complementarity to the miR-11805p target site of p21 promoter may also trigger p21 expression. Transfection of dsP21-397 into T24 and EJ cells significantly activated p21 expression at 72 h and the activation presented in a time-course and dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the p21-activated activities of dsP21-397 and miR-1180-5p are not significantly different. Overexpression of p21 downregulated Cyclin D1, CDK4/6, andCyclinA2 expression, and thereby induced cell cycle arrest and inhibited proliferation.Moreover, dsP21-397 suppressed bladder cancer largely depended on manipulating p21. In conclusion, our study identifies a pair of miRNA-dsRNA mediating endogenous p21 overexpression.
Describing geographic differences in carapace shape in the blue swimming crab Portunus pelagicus from Mindanao Bays , Philippines

The shapes of the carapace of populations of the blue swimming crab Portunus pelagicus were described using landmark-based geometric morphometrics specifically relative warp (RW) and euclidean distance matrix analysis (EDMA). Results of the study have shown notable carapace shape variation between populations and sexes of P. pelagicus. Female P. pelagicus have broadened posterior margin of the carapace related to abdomen base while the male have broadened posterolateral region, noticeable anterolateral teeth. While the analysis of covariation of shape and centroid size showed that the carapace shapes of both sexes were size-dependent, dimorphism is argued to be correlated to specific functions carried out by each sex. The observed differences between populations of the species still has to be further elucidated especially regarding the adaptive significance of differences.
The Trend Real Interest Rate and Stagnation Risk: Bayesian Exponential Tilting with Survey Data

The decline in the real interest rate during the recent few decades coupled with the Great Recession of 2007-2009 raised a concern that the U.S. economy might face stagnation like the Japanese economy since the late 1990s. The increased likelihood of the zero lower bound (ZLB) on the nominal interest rate that constrains the effectiveness of monetary policy at the low equilibrium real interest rate is often cited as a cause of stagnation. However, the central bank’s unconventional policies such as large scale asset purchases and forward guidance can mitigate stagnation risk arising from the ZLB constraint. To empirically assess the impact of these opposing forces on the risk of stagnation, this paper uses long-horizon predictive distributions of macro variables from a time-varying parameter vectorautoregression (TVP-VAR) model. While the concern for long-term (five-year ahead) stagnation risk due to the ZLB constraint on monetary policy appears to be justified from the purely model-based predictive distributions for macro variables, the risk substantially declines when these predictive distributions are tilted to match both cross-sectional means and variances from survey forecasts of inflation ∗I am grateful for comments and suggestions from Boraǧan Aruoba, Huixin Bi, Todd Clark, Minchul Shin, Andrew Lee Smith, and Molin Zhong. I also would like to thank conference and seminar participants at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, 2017 NBER Workshop on Methods and Applications for DSGE Models, Fall 2017 Midwest Macroeconomics Meeting, and 2018 North American Econometric Society Summer Meeting for helpful feedbacks. Jaeheung Bae and Jason Choi provided excellent research assistance. All the remaining errors are mine. The views expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City or the Federal Reserve System. †Research Department, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, 1 Memorial Drive, Kansas City, Mo 64198. Phone: (816) 881-2780, Email: Taeyoung.Doh@kc.frb. org. and the nominal interest rate. And the probability score ranking based on the prediction accuracy of downside tail events favors the predictive distribution with tilting. This finding affirms the view that unconventional monetary policies as conducted by the Federal Reserve were effective in reducing stagnation risk by influencing the private sector’s expectations.
Evaluating the Role of Iron-Rich (Mg,Fe)O in Ultralow Velocity Zones

The composition of ultralow velocity zones (ULVZs) remains an open question, despite advances in both seismology and experimental work. We investigate the hypothesis of iron-rich (Mg,Fe)O (magnesiowustite) as a cause of ULVZ seismic signatures. We report new quasi-hydrostatic X-ray diffraction measurements to constrain the equation of state of (Mg0.06Fe0.94)O with fit parameters V0 = 9.860 ± 0.007 A3, K0T = 155.3 ± 2.2 GPa, K’0T = 3.79 ± 0.11, as well as synchrotron Mossbauer spectroscopy measurements to characterize the high-pressure magnetic and spin state of magnesiowustite. We combine these results with information from previous studies to calculate the elastic behavior at core–mantle boundary conditions of magnesiowustite, as well as coexisting bridgmanite and calcium silicate perovskite. Forward models of aggregate elastic properties are computed, and from these, we construct an inverse model to determine the proportions of magnesiowustite that best reproduce ULVZ observations within estimated mutual uncertainties. We find that the presence of magnesiowustite can explain ULVZ observations exhibiting 1:2 VP:VS reduction ratios relative to the Preliminary Reference Earth Model (PREM), as well as certain 1:3 VP:VS reductions within estimated uncertainty bounds. Our work quantifies the viability of compositionally distinct ULVZs containing magnesiowustite and contributes to developing a framework for a methodical approach to evaluating ULVZ hypotheses.
Common Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, SeasonalHabitat Use and Associations with Habitat Characteristics inRoanoke Sound, North Carolina

Understanding how habitat characteristics influence common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, distribution and behavior can be useful for conservation. The dolphin community in Roanoke Sound, North Carolina primarily exhibits seasonal residency and there is limited information on their habitat use. The objectives of this study were to increase habitat use knowledge and determine the relationship between habitat characteristics and dolphin distribution using standardized photographic-identification data (2009 – 2017). A hot spot (Getis-Ord Gi*) analysis showed dolphins frequently use the southern region containing the mouth of the estuary for feeding and traveling. Habitat characteristics were modeled with zero-altered gamma (ZAG), generalized linear (GLM), and generalized additive (GAM) models to predict dolphin group density. Models showed that groups were more likely to be present in areas with greater benthic slope variation and shallow areas closer to land, and that different habitat characteristics were associated with feed, social, and travel activities. This study suggests that Roanoke Sound provides a seasonal foraging area and travel corridor between the estuaries and coastal waters. This information contributes baseline knowledge of how habitat potentially influences dolphin distribution and behavior which can be useful for management and conservation, especially in areas where habitat changes and impacts need to be assessed.
Collecting and selling personal information: the two faces of data brokers∗

We investigate the two faces of data brokers that consist in collecting and selling personal information to competing firms for price discrimination purposes. Two dimensions of competition between data brokers are considered: their market shares, and the size of the market on which they compete. We show that when competing data brokers are symmetric in terms of market share i. they collect less information than in monopoly; ii. they sell information on more consumers than under monopoly, resulting in a higher competition between firms. However, when the market shares of data brokers are asymmetric, as the size of the competitive market increases i. only one data broker sells information; ii. the data broker collects more information than in monopoly; iii. the share of identified consumers is larger than in monopoly. We argue that these findings are central for privacy and competition laws as we identify an inverted Ushape relationship between competition and data collection: data collection is the lowest when competition is the strongest between data brokers; it reaches an intermediate level under monopoly, and is the highest under constrained monopoly. Our results call for a better integration between data protection agencies and competition authorities. Very preliminary, do not circulate.
How Long Do Wood Parenchyma Cells Live in the Stem of a Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.)? Studies on Cell Nuclei Status along the Radial and Longitudinal Stem Axes

This paper deals with the spatial distribution of heartwood in Scots pine stems (Pinus sylvestris L.), determined on the basis of the absence of nuclei in parenchyma cells. Samples were collected at several heights from two Scots pine stems growing in fresh coniferous stand as codominant trees. Transverse and radial sections were cut from the samples and stained with acetocarmine to detect the nuclei and with I2KI to show starch grains. Unstained sections were also observed under ultraviolet (UV) light to reveal cell wall lignification. The shapes of the nuclei in ray and axial parenchyma cells differed: the axial parenchyma cells had rounded nuclei, while the nuclei of the ray parenchyma cells were elongated. The lifespan of the parenchyma cells was found to be 16–42 years; the longest-lived were cells from the base of the stem, and the shortest-lived were from the base of the crown. The largest number of growth rings comprising heartwood was observed at a height of 1.3–3.3 m, which signifies that the distribution of heartwood within the stem is uneven. Moreover, the distance of the cells from the apical meristem and the cambium was seen to have an effect on the presence of living parenchyma cells, i.e., those with stained nuclei.
Effects of Nitrogen Foliar Fertilization on the Vegetative and Productive Performance of the Olive Tree and on Oil Quality

The correct management (dose, time of distribution) of N fertilization in olive growing is still not completely clarified but is nowadays essential in order to guarantee sustainable production. In this regard, in central Italy over a 4-year-period a study was carried out to investigate the effect of high nitrogen availability during oil accumulation in the fruit (second phase of fruit growth) on vegetative and productive activities of olive trees and oil quality. In May of each year, secondary branches were selected and girdled in their proximal part. Afterwards, half of the girdled branches were sprayed three times with a solution containing urea (2% w/w), whereas the other half was sprayed only with water. The nitrogen treatments did not cause any damage to the foliage and fruits nor did it cause appreciable changes in leaf photosynthesis and specific weight, fruit-drop, ripening pattern and weight, water and oil contents, pulp/pit ratio of the fruits, fatty acid composition, polyphenols content, and sensorial characteristics of the oil. The N provided via foliar fertilization during the oil accumulation phase in trees in conditions of good supply of N does not induce significant effects on the vegetative-productive activity of the tree.
Study of an economical shrimp farming protocol aiming at improving control over water quality

For a first cycle at Skretting Vietnam new validation farm with Penaeus vannamei, several bioremediation techniques were assessed to improve control over water quality. For the nursery phase, a protocol meant to enhance nitrogen assimilation from heterotrophic bacteria was tried. A biofloc system was set up with a carbon/nitrogen ratio of 12:1. The resulting heterotrophic system appeared to be efficient in controlling ammonia levels, and featured very stable pH and oxygen values. However, low oxygen issues quickly appeared inside the pond as the bacterial biomass was not removed. Nevertheless, this trial gave good results in terms of survival and feed conversion ratio. The second part of this study is focused on the grow-out phase and investigates the potential of fermented rice bran to balance heterotrophic and photosynthetic activities. A large scale trial in shrimp ponds was performed, where two protocols either based on the regular addition of sugar cane molasses or fermented rice bran were compared. The application of fermented rice bran appeared to have significantly reduced oxygen and pH variations. Furthermore, rice bran also appeared to have a beneficial impact over the mineralization of organic matter, and shrimps in ponds fertilized with fermented rice bran showed better performance results. However due to a disease outbreak, the experiment had to be terminated early and was therefore incomplete.
Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease Presenting to a Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is represented by a cluster of risk factors associated with insulin resistance, subclinical inflammation, increased future risk of diabetes, and coronary artery disease (CAD). Hence the present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components in patients with CAD. Method: In this cross‐sectional study, a total 250 patients of either sex, age between 28-82 years diagnosed with CAD by medical, clinical and angiography findings were studied over a period of 6 month. MS components were defined according to the modified Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) criteria. Results: The metabolic syndrome was present in 50.8% of patients and was more frequent in women than in men (56.69% vs. 43.30%; P < .005). The prevalence increased with age. Low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (85.3%), high fasting blood glucose (FBG) (78.8%) and high waist circumference (WC) (76.3%) were the most prevalent risk factors in CAD patients with MS as compared to those without MS. Conclusion: The present study clearly indicates a high prevalence of MS in patients with CAD and significantly higher prevalence in women than in men. The three components of MS including low HDL-C, high blood glucose and abdominal obesity were the strongest predictors of CAD but additional studies are required to clarify the results.
ESTERIFICATION OF ACETIC ACID WITH N-BUTANOL

This article describes the esterification of acetic acid with normal butanol, which results in n-butyl acetate, product with many industrial applications. It has followed the influence of certain factors (catalysts, catalyst concentration, experimental version, etc.) on the chemical process of esterification and found a very good yield under acid synthesis catalysts.
A Study of Antimicrobial Effects of Reuterin by Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 on Escherichia coli

Background The widespread antibiotic resistance is an imminent problem in today’s world. As the number of antibiotic resistance cases increase, it is inevitable to discover alternate treatment options. Probiotics could be one of the potentially important avenues which could be exploited to treat antibiotic resistance and other infections. The holistic approach of probiotics in exerting their beneficial characteristics not only makes it an attractive member in this regard, but also in providing essential nutrients to the host. Results Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 is one of the most commonly used probiotics and so, the production of antimicrobial reuterin (3-hydroxypropionaldehyde) by the conversion of glycerol and its antagonistic effects on E.coli C600 were studied by co-culturing the microorganisms. Different growth media and analytical techniques such as HPLC, flow-cytometry were used to determine the qualitative and quantitative results of the reuterin production and its activity on the co-cultures. The experiments revealed that glycerol alone does not exhibit an inhibitory property on E.coli, but a concentration of 5g/L induced the production of lethal amounts of reuterin in L.reuteri grown together with E.coli in SD4 medium with galactose. It was also found that glycerol concentrations beyond 10 g/L will lead to lethal doses of reuterin for L.reuteri too. Conclusion Thus, the work showed an optimal amount of glycerol concentration imparting antagonistic effect through the antimicrobial reuterin in co-cultures. Results Secondly, to study the exocellular electron transfer between two microorganisms, an attempt to design a modified reactor setup to explore the co-culturing possibilities was accomplished. The co-culturing possibilities of L.reuteri and Prevotella copri in Schaedler anaerobe broth yielded results that need to be studied in detail further. Conclusion More investigations are required to design a medium where both microorganisms can be adequately grown on.