Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long juvenility trait: A vehicle for commercial utilization of soybean (
 Glycine max
 ) in lower latitudes

Soybean, a short- day plant, has its origin in higher latitudes of China, and its commercial cultivation remained confined to areas > 22°N till 1970s due to precocious flowering accompanied with reduced biomass in lower latitudes. This review sum-marizes the effect of short days on soybean phenology, discovery of a novel long juvenile (LJ) trait, its role in breaking the latitudinal boundary for soybean production, identification of genes and impact of LJ trait on world soybean production. E6 , J and E9 major genes governing the trait have been characterized and cloned. LJ varieties are late in flowering and maturity and successful in long rainfall regime of Brazil. Availability of vast vacant fallows of Cerrado has been another factor for utilization of this trait in Brazil. Recent advances for developing short- duration LJ varieties, for limited rainfall areas and its suitability to existing cropping systems by combining it with photoinsensitivity, have been reviewed. Based on the available data from lower latitudes of Brazil, the contribution of the LJ trait is estimated to 23.7% of the total world production. pE1:GUS and reported the significant suppression of GUS activity as compared with control. Their chromatin immuno- precipitation PCR assay results showed that like rice, the ELF3 in soybean physically as-sociates with 3 LUX- binding sites (GATWCG) in the promoter of E1 .
Correlation between Visual Field Changes and Peripapillary Vessel Density in Primary Open Angle Glaucoma

Background: Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy, which is characterized by degeneration of the retinal ganglion cells. The role of optic nerve head (ONH) microvascular network and vascular dysfunction has been investigated in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. Objective: The aim of the current work was to assess the correlation between visual field changes in primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), and the density of the radial vessels around the optic disc. Patients and Methods: One hundred eyes of fifty patients were enrolled in this prospective cross-sectional study. Patients were recruited from the Department of Ophthalmology, Al-Zahraa University Hospital from December 2018 to March 2020. They were divided into two groups, control group with normal functional and structural data, and glaucomatous group with POAG. Results: There were significant differences in all measurements among both groups, including visual field indices, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) parameters. The changes of peripapillary vessel density (PpVD) had strongly positive correlations with the mean deviation (MD), ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, while had negative correlation with pattern standard deviation (PSD) and cup disc (C/D) ratio. Conclusion: Decreased PpVD was detected in the glaucomatous group. There were statistically significant correlations between visual field changes (changes of both MD and PSD) and PpVD where there were strongly positive correlations with the (MD), and negative correlation with PSD. This can add to the diagnosis of POAG. Also, it provided more information about the microvascular changes in the ONH and peripapillary retina in cases of POAG.
Flow‐process controls on grain type distribution in an experimental turbidity current deposit: Implications for detrital signal preservation and microplastic distribution in submarine fans

Deep‐water depositional systems are the ultimate sink for vast quantities of terrigenous sediment, organic carbon and anthropogenic pollutants, forming valuable archives of environmental change. Our understanding of the distribution of these particles and the preservation of environmental signals, in deep‐water systems is limited due to the inaccessibility of modern systems, and the incomplete nature of ancient systems. Here, the deposit of a physically modelled turbidity current was sampled (n = 49) to determine how grain size and grain type vary spatially. The turbidity current had a sediment concentration of 17%. The sediment consisted of, by weight, 65% quartz sand (2.65 g/cm3), 17.5% silt (2.65 g/cm3), 7.5% clay (2.60 g/cm3) and 5% each of sand‐grade garnet (3.90 g/cm3) and microplastic fragments (1.50 g/cm3). The grain size and composition of each sample was determined using laser diffraction and density separation, respectively. The results show that: (a) bulk grain size coarsened axially downstream on the basin floor challenging the notion that basin floor deposits fine radially from an apex upon becoming unconfined; (b) no sample composition matched the input composition of the flow, indicating that allogenic signals can be autogenically shredded and spatially variable in sediment gravity flow deposits; and (c) microplastic fragments were concentrated in levee and lateral basin floor fringe positions; however, microplastic concentrations in these positions were lower than input, suggesting microplastics bypassed the sampled positions. These findings have implications for: (a) the development of ‘finger‐like’ geometries and facies distributions observed in modern and ancient systems; (b) interpreting environmental signals in the stratigraphic record; and (c) predicting the distribution of microplastics on the sea floor.
The influence of learning and study strategies inventory on the success of engineering students at a South African University of Technology

Abstract This article reports on a study investigating the relationship between university students’ self-reported use and application of learning and study strategies and student success indicators (timeframe and student type, namely low-performing, average-performing, or high-performing). Participants were 1 439 engineering students enrolled for academic studies at a South African University of Technology (UoT). Data were collected using the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) and academic performance data, obtained via the university’s student management information system. The LASSI provides diagnostic information about students’ self-perception regarding their study skills and learning orientations, assists educators in designing interventions for students to improve their skills, and aids in predicting academic achievement. Researchers have questioned the long-term correlation between LASSI scores and academic performance. Our results confirm that time spent in the tertiary environment and student type (low-, average- or high-performing) should be considered when using LASSI as a diagnostic tool. The usefulness of using the Credit Accumulation Rate (CAR), a measure that combines time spent in the tertiary environment and academic performance, is introduced and explored. Some novel trends emerged by investigating the relationships between CAR and LASSI scores. Based on our results, we make recommendations for identifying students at risk for academic failure and propose avenues for further research.
Pareidolia in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

While there are many studies on pareidolia in healthy individuals and patients with schizophrenia, to our knowledge, there are no prior studies on pareidolia in patients with bipolar disorder. Accordingly, in this study, we, for the first time, measured pareidolia in patients with bipolar disorder (N = 50), and compared that to patients with schizophrenia (N = 50) and healthy controls (N = 50). We have used (a) the scene test, which consists of 10 blurred images of natural scenes that was previously found to produce illusory face responses and (b) the noise test which had 32 black and white images consisting of visual noise and 8 images depicting human faces; participants indicated whether a face was present on these images and to point to the location where they saw the face. Illusory responses were defined as answers when observers falsely identified objects that were not on the images in the scene task (maximum illusory score: 10), and the number of noise images in which they reported the presence of a face (maximum illusory score: 32). Further, we also calculated the total pareidolia score for each task (the sum number of images with illusory responses in the scene and noise tests). The responses were scored by two independent raters with an excellent congruence (kappa > 0.9). Our results show that schizophrenia patients scored higher on pareidolia measures than both healthy controls and patients with bipolar disorder. Our findings are agreement with prior findings on more impaired cognitive processes in schizophrenia than in bipolar patients.
Factors affecting parents’ choice of schools for Grade 1 learners

Background: Parents are challenged to choose schools for their Grade 1 learners. They believe that the Department of Education’s zoning and admission policy is too restrictive. Schools also do not provide adequate information to allow parents to make their choice. Aim: This article aimed to identify factors that influence parents’ choice of schools for their Grade 1 learners. Setting: This study was conducted in Gauteng province. The identified environment and location provided rich data solicited from the participants on how they chose the schools. Methods: This was a qualitative case study using individual and focus group interviews, with 10 parents (5 mothers and 5 fathers) of children enrolled in an ex-model C school. The parents’ choice of school was examined through the seminal work of Hirschman’s ‘Exit, Voice and Loyalty’ theoretical framework, which applied the three different elements to understand and identify the phenomenon of school choice in South Africa. Results: The data gathered indicated that parents made choices considering the following factors: proximity; cost; curriculum; technology and relationships. Conclusion: Since parents disagreed with the department’s policy on admission, the Minister of the Gauteng Department of Education stated that the new school feeder zone regulation would ensure fair access to schools for all learners. This means that learners will not be discriminated against where they live. During the admission application process, the amended regulations are intended to assist learners to access schools in compliance with certain criteria. Parents are encouraged to select a minimum of three schools to enrol their children.
Accurate and Efficient Monitoring for Virtualized SDN in Clouds

This article presents V-Sight, a network monitoring framework for programmable virtual networks in clouds. Network virtualization based on software-defined networking (SDN-NV) in clouds makes it possible to realize programmable virtual networks; consequently, this technology offers many benefits to cloud services for tenants. However, to the best of our knowledge, network monitoring, which is a prerequisite for managing and optimizing virtual networks, has not been investigated in the context of SDN-NV systems. As the first framework for network monitoring in SDN-NV, we identify three challenges: non-isolated and inaccurate statistics, high monitoring delay, and excessive control channel consumption for gathering statistics. To address these challenges, V-Sight introduces three key mechanisms: 1) statistics virtualization for isolated statistics, 2) transmission disaggregation for reduced transmission delay, and 3) pCollector aggregation for efficient control channel consumption. The evaluation results reveal that V-Sight successfully provides accurate and isolated statistics while reducing the monitoring delay and control channel consumption in orders of magnitude. We also show that V-Sight can achieve a data plane throughput close to that of non-virtualized SDN.
Towards Better Valorisation of Industrial Minerals andRocks in Serbia—Case Study of Industrial Clays

The improvement in valorisation of industrial minerals and rocks in Serbia is related to improvement of legislation, and to adoption of best possible techniques for geological exploration and estimation of resources/reserves. Therefore, we analyzed the actual practice in the field of geological exploration which has not changed significantly in the last 30 years, as well as legislation related to the mining industry and access to land. The improvement of legislation mostly depends on the state authorities. Contrary to that, the enhancement of geological exploration methodology should be the issue of experts working in that area of the mining industry but is also very much related to the existing legislation. Serbia still has very strictly prescribed procedures, which are generally good; however, it is an overly complicated and restrictive system for performing geological exploration and evaluation of mineral deposits. The most important improvements in legislation in the last twenty years are presented and discussed, as well as problems that still need to be solved and solutions found to fully understand the potential of industrial minerals and rocks in Serbia.
Intelligent monitoring of small sized supercapacitor in wind-penetrated power system

This work pertains to integration of supercapacitor energy storage system with wind-penetrated two-area power system. A small-sized SCES device is incorporated in automatic generation control of each area. For robust and optimum usage of SCES, a customized neuro-adaptive predictive control model is developed using level 1 S-function coding. This model feeds reference power command to the converter of storage system with its voltage used as feedback loop. A step load disturbance reflecting load outage is introduced back to back in the power system. It is seen through simulation studies carried out in MATLAB Simulink Environment that there is significant improvement in frequency response and tie power deviations. SCES converter power limits are fully maintained; besides, SCES voltage and power response is also depicted.
Improving the Measurement of “Big Five” Personality Traits in a Brief Survey Instrument

Abstract. The Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) is the leading brief instrument for the “Big Five” personality measurement. However, TIPI’s design has suboptimal features: agree-disagree response options, numeric instead of verbal response labels, and multiple items per page. This paper presents a version of TIPI that addresses these problems. Using two nationally representative sample surveys, we compare the original and revised TIPIs on several dimensions: completion time, item nonresponse, paired item reliability, and validity based on relations to other variables. Completion time is the same and item nonresponse rates are low, while reliability and criterion validity for the revised TIPI is better than the original. The results show how better personality data can be obtained at no additional cost by optimizing questionnaire design.
Learning in serial mergers: Evidence from a global sample

Do frequent acquirers learn from their experience in serial mergers? A recent stream of literature has proposed that the generally observed declining investor response (CARs) to successive acquisitions by frequent acquirers may be evidence of learning, rather than the result of commonly attributed causes such as managerial hubris or empire-building. We examine the learning hypothesis on a global scale, using a sample of 13,326 publicly listed acquiring firms representing 72 nations conducting 27,305 acquisitions over the period 1984 through 2014. Our results provide evidence of acquirer learning on a global scale in the valuation of private targets. In contrast, we find evidence of hubris in takeovers of public targets, especially in the U.S., and other competitive takeover markets, where acquirers experience persistent, significant losses over successive acquisitions, while targets continue to reap significant gains throughout the acquisition sequence.
Do Business Angels’ Investments Make It Easier to Raise Follow‐on Venture Capital Financing? An Analysis of the Relevance of Business Angels’ Investment Practices

In this paper, we shed light on interactions among the various investors operating within the entrepreneurial finance ecosystem. Specifically, we aim to investigate what business angel (BA) investment practices are correlated with follow-on venture capital (VC) financing, and uncover the strategies that determine a complementary-based or a substitutionbased relationship with VCs. We analysed a sample of 176 companies that received a BA investment during 2008–2016 and collected financial data over a 10-year period after the BA investment. The data examined indicate that BAs’ selectivity, as measured by their rejection rate, and BAs’ affiliation to an angel network, are positively related with the probability of raising follow-on VC financing. However, a high level of BAs’ monitoring activity negatively influences the probability of obtaining VC funding. Interestingly, BA networks do affect this relationship. The positive impact of BAs’ rejection rate is informative for VC decisions if the BA does not invest through a network. Conversely, a high level of monitoring may convey a negative signal for VC, particularly if the BA is affiliated to a network. These results extend our knowledge of the investment practices of BAs and their role in allowing angel-backed companies to raise follow-on VC financing.
A LA-ICP-MS sulphide calibration standard based on a chalcogenide glass

Abstract The accurate measurement of trace element concentrations in natural sulphides by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) has been limited by the lack of matrix-matched calibration standards. The synthesis of a standard, IMER-1, by incorporating four minor and 34 trace elements into a chalcogenide glass matrix Ge28Sb12S60 is reported here. Chemical analysis by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), LA-ICP-MS, solution ICP-MS, and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) confirmed the excellent homogeneity of major elements (1-σ relative standard deviation (RSD) <1% for S, Sb and Ge) and acceptable homogeneity of most trace elements (1-σ RSD <10%). The standard was validated by analysing trace-elements concentrations in three geological pyrite specimens using IMER-1 as the calibration standard and comparing the results to previously reported values also determined by LA-ICP-MS but using a different calibration standard, STDGL2b-2. The results suggest that IMER-1 may be an appropriate calibration standard for LA-ICPMS analysis of trace elements in natural sulphides.
How Self-Disclosure in Online Postings Affects Female Readers’ Stigmatisation Towards Mothers with a Disability

Self-disclosure of a health problem or a disability in online environments can be helpful to reduce stigmatisation and to empower marginalised individuals. Although stigmatisation leads to adverse health outcomes, it is still unclear which factors reduce readers’ stigmatising attitudes. This 2 × 2 × 3 × 2 online-experiment with 715 female participants examined how the depiction of self-disclosure of a mother’s disability, her coping with a stressful situation, and the child’s type of disability and sex in a fictional blog post affect female readers’ stigma-related attitudes. The role of readers’ perspective taking is also studied in this regard. A MANOVA yielded two main effects: Disclosure of the mother’s disability reduced social distance compared to the control condition (no disability). Female respondents with a high ability for perspective taking reported less stigmatising attitudes than female respondents scoring low in this regard. Both effects are also reflected in a four-way interaction with mother’s coping and child’s sex. Overall, results indicate a high potential of self-disclosures for anti-stigma communication. Implications for blogging about a disability and future health communication research are discussed.
Paleoclimate Significance of Reconstructed Rainfall Isotope Changes in Asian Monsoon Region

Speleothem oxygen isotope (δ18Oc) records have been regarded as a critical reference to study past Asian monsoon variability. However, existing δ18Oc records in the Indian monsoon region are fragmented in time coverage and/or sampling resolution since the last deglaciation. Also, the climatic interpretation of δ18Oc is still obscure. Here, we report a continuous and centennial‐resolved leaf wax hydrogen isotope (δDwax) record over the past ∼28 ka from Lugu Lake in Indian‐monsoon influenced southwestern China. Our new record shows striking consistency with the well‐established δ18Oc record in East Asian monsoon‐influenced southeastern China, revealing a spatially coherent change and thus a similar physical process in rainfall isotopes in the broader Asian monsoon region. Based on the combination with the TraCE21ka simulation, we propose reconstructed long‐term and millennial‐scale isotope changes could be influenced by the intensity of local convection along the monsoon trough, which extends from the Indian subcontinent across to the Philippines in summer.
Retirement transitions in the 21st century: A scoping review of the changing nature of retirement in Europe

There are important transformations taking place regarding the ways to transition from work-life to retirement. The timing and pathways are changing and many individuals undergo long periods of being in-between working and retirement life. Yet, our cultural understandings of retirement tend to maintain a clear distinction between pre- and post-retirement life. While the changes in retirement trajectories is not new, the trend seems to have accelerated in recent decades. We focus on what is known from the literature about the tendencies in alternative retirement trajectories of healthy seniors in Europe since 2000. We review some conceptual and political transitions in the societal understandings of retirement, followed by a scoping review in three sections: 1) Employment after retirement, 2) Self-employment, and 3) Unretirement. We conclude that while 21st century retirement trajectories are complex and understudied, there are some clear tendencies regarding who engages in such practices and why.
Effects of Nitrogen Additions on Soil Respiration in an Asian Tropical Montane Rainforest

Understanding the impacts of nitrogen (N) addition on soil respiration (RS) and its temperature sensitivity (Q10) in tropical forests is very important for the global carbon cycle in a changing environment. Here, we investigated how RS respond to N addition in a tropical montane rainforest in Southern China. Four levels of N treatments (0, 25, 50, and 100 kg N ha−1 a−1 as control (CK), low N (N25), moderate N (N50), and high N (N100), respectively) were established in September 2010. Based on a static chamber-gas chromatography method, RS was measured from January 2015 to December 2018. RS exhibited significant seasonal variability, with low RS rates appeared in the dry season and high rates appeared in the wet season regardless of treatment. RS was significantly related to the measured soil temperature and moisture. Our results showed that soil RS increased after N additions, the mean annual RS was 7% higher in N25 plots, 8% higher in N50 plots, and 11% higher in N100 plots than that in the CK plots. However, the overall impacts of N additions on RS were statistically insignificant. For the entire study period, the CK, N25, N50, and N100 treatments yielded Q10 values of 2.27, 3.45, 4.11, and 2.94, respectively. N addition increased the temperature sensitivity (Q10) of RS. Our results suggest that increasing atmospheric N deposition may have a large impact on the stimulation of soil CO2 emissions from tropical rainforests in China.