Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of planting geometry, nitrogen and potassium application on yield and quality of ratoon sugarcane in sub-tropical climatic conditions.

A field experiment was conducted at Lucknow during 2005-08 to study the effect of planting geometry and N and K application on yield of ratoon sugarcane. The crop was planted using 4 planting geometries, ie single rows at 60, 75 cm spacing, paired rows at 75:45 and 105:45 cm spacing. Paired row planting at 75:45 cm gave significantly higher number of stubble with viable buds (32 280/ha), dry matter accumulation, millable canes (1 34 000/ha) and cane yield (76.44 tonnes/ha). Application of 200 kg N and 80 kg K/ha recorded significantly improved yield attributes, dry matter accumulation and cane yield over their respective control. The highest ratoon cane, sugar yield and net returns were obtained by paired row planting at 75:45 cm and application of 200 kg N and 80 kg K/ha.
Joint Block Low Rank and Sparse Matrix Recovery in Array Self-Calibration Off-Grid DoA Estimation

This letter addresses the estimation of directions-of-arrival (DoA) by a sensor array using a sparse model in the presence of array calibration errors and off-grid directions. The received signal utilizes previously used models for unknown errors in calibration and structured linear representation of the off-grid effect. A convex optimization problem is formulated with an objective function to promote two-layer joint block-sparsity with its second-order cone programming (SOCP) representation. The performance of the proposed method is demonstrated by numerical simulations and compared with the Cramer-Rao Bound (CRB), and several previously proposed methods.
Evaluation of a Physical Ergonomic Intervention for Milking Parlor Operatives – A Case Study

ABSTRACT Musculoskeletal pain and disorders frequently occur among milking parlor operatives on dairy farms, irrespective of the farm size and despite that the work is carried out in an upright position. The objective of this case study was to assess the effect of a new milking system, a physical ergonomic intervention, to reduce the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and disorders among milking parlor operatives. The new milking system has a reduced cluster weight and single tube guidance and, consequently, abandons the positioning of the cluster underneath the udder, thus reducing the postural load. In a pre/post treatment study the parlor operatives of five farms were questioned, and parlor specifics were measured. The gap between visits was at least one year. There was no significant reduction in pain, but three-quarters of the workers experienced a workload reduction and would recommend the new system. The isolation of the effect of the ergonomic intervention was not possible, because all but one farm completely rebuilt their milking parlors, and several things were changed including work organizational aspects. The expected reduction in pain in the musculoskeletal system was noticed, but not statistically significant. Worker satisfaction and participation in decision making could be improved on the farms and might increase the effect of the intervention, especially because work satisfaction is correlated with the occurrence of pain in the musculoskeletal system.
Dengue-specific CD8+ T cell subsets display specialized transcriptomic and TCR profiles

Accumulating evidence demonstrates that CD8+ T cells contribute to protection from severe dengue virus (DENV) disease and vaccine efficacy. Nevertheless, molecular programs associated with DENV-specific CD8+ T cell subsets have not been defined. Here, we studied the transcriptomic profiles of human DENV-specific CD8+ T cells isolated after stimulation with DENV epitopes from donors who had been infected with DENV multiple times and would therefore be expected to have significant levels of adaptive immunity. We found that DENV-specific CD8+ T cells mainly consisted of effector memory subsets, namely CD45RA−CCR7− effector memory (Tem) and CD45RA+CCR7− effector memory re-expressing CD45RA (Temra) cells, which enacted specific gene expression profiles upon stimulation with cognate antigens. DENV-specific CD8+ T cell subsets in general, and Temra cells in particular, were fully activated and polyfunctional, yet associated with relatively narrow transcriptional responses. Furthermore, we found that DENV-specific CD8+ Tem and Temra cells showed some unique T cell receptor features in terms of overlap and variable (V) gene usage. This study provides a transcriptomic definition of DENV-specific activated human CD8+ T cell subsets and defines a benchmark profile that vaccine-specific responses could aim to reproduce.
Auditor Selection Process: An Interplay of Demand Mechanisms – A Multilevel Network Approach

Abstract Studies on demand side mechanisms related to experience goods argue that demand is driven by recommendation and reputation. In an auditing context, research showed that both of these mechanisms play an important role in determining partner selection, however, only when the mechanisms are observed in isolation. On this basis, this study raises a concern about whether the mechanisms are mutually exclusive, and if not, how does recommendation and reputation in auditor selection context create an interplay in the process of auditor selection. We test our hypotheses on network data of Danish public companies. Findings from the social network study indicate that auditor selection is a sensitive and complex task for boards of directors, as it is not only driven by either of the mechanisms. Rather, partner selection is driven by the combination of both recommendation and reputation, which creates the interplay and, thus, indicates that the demand mechanisms are not mutually exclusive and should not be observed in isolation of one another.
Teaching leadership theory with television: Useful lessons from Game of Thrones

ABSTRACT There has been a rise in scholarship on using prime-time television as an educational tool for teaching opportunities that link theory to practice in a Master of Public Administration (MPA) classroom. However, one topic that has not been explored but would benefit from using television is leadership. This article explores the use of HBO’s Game of Thrones as a source of teaching content ripe with useful lessons in leadership. Content analysis of the series’ 73 episodes identified 89 leadership scenarios that can be used as examples or case studies in which leadership theories and models can be identified, applied, and generate classroom discussion. Four specific examples on the utility of leadership case studies are presented in this article to highlight a select number of leadership theories and models commonly taught in an MPA leadership curriculum. They include the skills approach to leadership, authentic and transformational leadership, and gender and leadership.
Guessing Meaning From Word Sounds of Unfamiliar Languages: A Cross-Cultural Sound Symbolism Study

Sound symbolism refers to a non-arbitrary relationship between the sound of a word and its meaning. With the aim to better investigate this relationship by using natural languages, in the present cross-linguistic study 215 Italian and Polish participants were asked to listen to words pronounced in 4 unknown non-indo-European languages (Finnish, Japanese, Swahili, Tamil) and to try to guess the correct meaning of each word, by choosing among 3 alternatives visualized on a computer screen. The alternatives were presented in the mother tongue of participants. Three different word categories were presented: nouns, verbs and adjectives. A first overall analysis confirmed a semantic role of sound symbols, the performance of participants being higher than expected by chance. When analyzed separately for each language and for each word category, the results were significant for Finnish and Japanese, whereas the recognition rate was not significantly better than chance for Swahili and Tamil. Results were significant for nouns and verbs, but not for adjectives. We confirm the existence of sound symbolic processing in natural unknown languages, and we speculate that some possible difference in the iconicity of the languages could be the basis for the difference we found. Importantly, the evidence that there were no differences between Italian and Polish participants allows us to conclude that the sound symbolism is independent of the mother tongue of the listener.
Rational Design of Low-Band Gap Star-Shaped Molecules With 2,4,6-Triphenyl-1,3,5-triazine as Core and Diketopyrrolopyrrole Derivatives as Arms for Organic Solar Cells Applications

A series of D–A novel star-shaped molecules with 2,4,6-triphenyl-1,3,5-triazine (TPTA) as core, diketopyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole (DPP) derivatives as arms, and triphenylamine (TPA) derivatives as end groups have been systematically investigated for organic solar cells (OSCs) applications. The electronic, optical, and charge transport properties were studied using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) approaches. The parameters such as energetic driving force ΔEL−L, adiabatic ionization potential AIP, and adiabatic electron affinity AEA were also calculated at the same level. The calculated results show that the introduction of different groups to the side of DPP backbones in the star-shaped molecules can tune the frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) energy of the designed molecules. The designed molecules can provide match well with those of typical acceptors PCBM ([6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester) and PC71BM ([6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester). Additionally, the absorption wavelengths of the designed molecules show bathochromic shifts compared with that of the original molecule, respectively. The introduction of different groups can extend the absorption spectrum toward longer wavelengths, which is beneficial to harvest more sunlight. The calculated reorganization energies suggest that the designed molecules are expected to be the promising candidates for ambipolar charge transport materials except molecule with benzo[c]isothiazole group can be used as hole and electron transport material. Moreover, the different substituent groups do not significantly affect the stability of the designed molecules.
Risk Factors for Gastrointestinal Symptoms Following Successful Eradication of Clostridium difficile by Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT)

Background: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a promising therapy for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). Many patients report altered bowel habits including constipation, bloating, gas and loose stool post-FMT despite resolution of CDI, and the etiology remains unclear. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of adult patients with recurrent CDI who underwent FMT (1) via colonoscopy with patient-selected donor stool, (2) via colonoscopy from a universal stool bank donor, or (3) via capsules from a universal stool bank. Reassessment occurred 8 weeks post-FMT. Those cured were assessed for gastrointestinal symptoms (bloating, loose stools, constipation). Multivariate logistic regression was performed to assess predictors of post-FMT gastrointestinal symptoms. Results: A total of 150 subjects underwent FMT for recurrent CDI, of which 68.7% (103) were female, mean age was 61.5 years±18.1 and 31 patients (20.7%) had preexisting irritable bowel syndrome. Thirty-six had FMT via colonoscopy with a patient-selected donor, 67 via colonoscopy with stool bank donors, and 47 via FMT capsules from stool bank donors. Among those cured, 41 (31.2%) had gastrointestinal symptoms post-FMT. The factors associated with symptoms included younger age (57.2 vs. 64.1 y, P=0.03), a baseline history of irritable bowel syndrome (36.6% vs. 13.3%, P=0.002) and preexisting inflammatory bowel disease (31.7% vs. 10%, P=0.002). Small bowel exposure to donor stool was not related to symptoms (63.4% vs. 62.2%, P=0.89). Conclusions: Altered bowel habits are a consequence of CDI and are common after FMT. This study suggests that donor type and FMT delivery modality are not related to the presence of irregular gastrointestinal symptoms after FMT.
Government Incentives for Entrepreneurship

In the dozen years since the Global Financial Crisis, there has been a surge of interest on the part of governments in promoting entrepreneurial activity, largely by providing financing. This essay explores these policies, focusing on financial incentives to entrepreneurs and the intermediaries who fund them. The motivation for these efforts is clear: the well-documented relationships between economic growth, innovation, entrepreneurship and venture capital. Yet despite good intentions, many of these public initiatives have ended in disappointment. I argue that these failures have not simply been a matter of bad luck. Instead, the unfortunate outcomes have reflected the fundamental structural issues that make it difficult for governments to launch sustained successful efforts to promote entrepreneurship over sustained periods. I highlight several critical challenges, and outline two principles that might render these efforts more effective.
Comparison of condylar and ramal asymmetry in different temporomandibular joint disorders

Aim: The aim of this study is to compare condylar and ramal asymmetries in different temporomandibular joint disorders. Material and Methods: A total of 91 patients ranging in age from 15 to 79 were included in this study. The study groups were as follows: temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (OA) group (N=24), disc displacement with reduction (DDWR) group (N=26), disc displacement without reduction (DDWoR) group (N=20), and control group (N=21). All patients’ vertical condylar and ramal heights were measured from panoramic radiographs, and condylar (CAI) ramal (RAI), and total (TAI; condylar + ramal) asymmetry indices were calculated according to Habets el al’s formula. Results: Statistical evaluations were made with the Kruskal–Wallis test using SPSS. Although TAI (p=0.110) and age (p = 0.610) did not differ significantly among the four groups, RAI (p=0.003) and CAI (p = 0.034) did. In intergroup estimates for RAI comparisons, significant differences were observed between the OA and DDWR groups (p=0.004, p=0.033) and between the OA and control groups (p=0.033). Evaluations of CAI among groups showed significant differences only for the OA vs. control group comparison (p=0.022). Conclusion: These results show that OA, a degenerative disease, has greater effects on vertical condylar and ramal asymmetry than on disc displacements and that there are no significant differences between the control and disc displacement groups in terms of CAI.
Toxoplasma gondii Seroprevalence in Horses from Ukraine: an Investigation Using Two Serological Methods

Horses are recognized as important hosts for the zoonotic parasite Toxoplasma gondii, mainly because meat of infected horses can be a source of human T. gondii infections. However, the baseline knowledge on equine T. gondii infections is limited and lacking from many countries. This seroepidemiological study was set in Ukraine, a country where little is known about T. gondii prevalence in any host species. We investigated 78 serum samples from horses, collected from Kyiv and Lviv regions of Ukraine, using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a commercial modified direct agglutination test (DAT). The ELISA is intended to detect the presence of total antibodies against T. gondii, and the DAT detects specific anti-T. gondii immunoglobulin G antibodies. The cutoff titer for DAT seropositivity was a titer of 40. Two horses were omitted from statistical analyses due to disagreeing ELISA results. Altogether 16 of the remaining 76 horses were seropositive with the ELISA, yielding an apparent seroprevalence estimate of 21.1% (95% confidence interval 13.0–31.3). Five horses tested positive with both ELISA and DAT, 11 horses tested positive with ELISA only, and one with DAT only. For 64 of the 76 horses, the results of ELISA and DAT agreed; the percent agreement was 84.2 and the Kappa statistic was − 1.5208, indicating poor agreement. Our results add to the knowledge on the global epidemiology of T. gondii and exposure level of horses to the major zoonotic parasite, as well as to the discussion of challenges of applying serology to estimate exposure to T. gondii in horses.
Access-Based Services as Substitutes for Material Possessions: The Role of Psychological Ownership

Access-based services (ABS)—in which consumers do not physically own material goods but gain access to services by registering with the provider—have risen in popularity as an alternative to individual ownership and conventional consumption. Yet companies still face key challenges in promoting these services. Prior research indicates that consumers assign significant importance to their material possessions; the current study investigates how psychological ownership, the mental state of perceiving something as one’s own, attained through ABS might lead customers to increase their service use and forgo material ownership. With four studies, using cross-sectional, longitudinal, and experimental data, as well as combined self-reports with usage data, we theorize and demonstrate this effect. Firms that offer ABS can increase customers’ service psychological ownership, which acts as a psychological substitute for physical ownership and increases ABS use. The results suggest ways managers can leverage the psychological power of ownership feelings, rather than try to fight the lack of actual ownership, in access-based consumption contexts.
The Neural Representations of Movement across Semantic Categories

Previous evidence from neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies suggests functional specialization for tools and related semantic knowledge in a left frontoparietal network. It is still debated whether these areas are involved in the representation of rudimentary movement-relevant knowledge regardless of semantic domains (animate vs. inanimate) or categories (tools vs. nontool objects). Here, we used fMRI to record brain activity while 13 volunteers performed two semantic judgment tasks on visually presented items from three different categories: animals, tools, and nontool objects. Participants had to judge two distinct semantic features: whether two items typically move in a similar way (e.g., a fan and a windmill move in circular motion) or whether they are usually found in the same environment (e.g., a seesaw and a swing are found in a playground). We investigated differences in overall activation (which areas are involved) as well as representational content (which information is encoded) across semantic features and categories. Results of voxel-wise mass univariate analysis showed that, regardless of semantic category, a dissociation emerges between processing information on prototypical location (involving the anterior temporal cortex and the angular gyrus) and movement (linked to left inferior parietal and frontal activation). Multivoxel pattern correlation analyses confirmed the representational segregation of networks encoding task- and category-related aspects of semantic processing. Taken together, these findings suggest that the left frontoparietal network is recruited to process movement properties of items (including both biological and nonbiological motion) regardless of their semantic category.
Tanycyte-Independent Control of Hypothalamic Leptin Signaling

Leptin is secreted by adipocytes to regulate appetite and body weight. Recent studies have reported that tanycytes actively transport circulating leptin across the brain barrier into the hypothalamus, and are required for normal levels of hypothalamic leptin signaling. However, direct evidence for leptin receptor (LepR) expression is lacking, and the effect of tanycyte-specific deletion of LepR has not been investigated. In this study, we analyze the expression and function of the tanycytic LepR in mice. Using single-molecule fluorescent in situ hybridization (smfISH), RT-qPCR, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq), and selective deletion of the LepR in tanycytes, we are unable to detect expression of LepR in the tanycytes. Tanycyte-specific deletion of LepR likewise did not affect leptin-induced pSTAT3 expression in hypothalamic neurons, regardless of whether leptin was delivered by intraperitoneal or intracerebroventricular injection. Finally, we use activity-regulated scRNA-Seq (act-Seq) to comprehensively profile leptin-induced changes in gene expression in all cell types in mediobasal hypothalamus. Clear evidence for leptin signaling is only seen in endothelial cells and subsets of neurons, although virtually all cell types show leptin-induced changes in gene expression. We thus conclude that LepR expression in tanycytes is either absent or undetectably low, that tanycytes do not directly regulate hypothalamic leptin signaling through a LepR-dependent mechanism, and that leptin regulates gene expression in diverse hypothalamic cell types through both direct and indirect mechanisms.
Appraisal of linear type traits for reproductive efficiency in Sahiwal cows

Sahiwal cows were scored for 13 linear type traits to identify the indicators for reproductive performance of the cows. The reproductive efficiency was measured in terms of inter-calving period from first to fourth calving, The type scores were standnrdized for stage of lactation, age at first calving and scoring. The nleall scores of linear type traits varied from 72.68p0. 79 to 81.17p0. 82 points. The estimates of heritability for most of the type traits were medium to high and indicated the existence of large additive genetic variability for these traits in this bred. The phenotypic correlation of linear type traits with reproductive efficiency ranged between 0.01p0. 10 and -0.30p0. 09. All the 13 linear type traits accounted for 22.96% of the variability in reproductive efficiency of Sahiwal cows. Step-wise regression analys is revealed that 75% of the variation accounted by all linear type traits in reproductive efficiency could be predicted by a sub-set of 4 traits which included stature, chest and body, pelvic angle and udder depth. It was concluded that in the absence of records, the reproductive performance of Sahiwal cows can be judged at an early age with the help of some linear type traits.
A Systematic Review of Large Agriculture Vehicles Use and Crash Incidents on Public Roads

ABSTRACT Background: Agricultural vehicles are a common sight on rural public roads. However, due to their larger mass (height, width, length, and weight), there are concerns about safety. The aim of this paper is to explore crash incidents on public roads of agricultural vehicles to determine the size of the problem, risk factors, and potential prevention strategies. Methods: A systematic review using the PRISMA guidelines was undertaken of peer-reviewed literature from Medline, Agricola, Scopus, PsycInfo, Science Direct, Web of Science, and SafetyLit. Crash incident rates, risk factors, and prevention strategies were extracted from the articles, and a review of quality was undertaken using McMasters guidelines. Results: Included in the review were 30 articles, with the majority from the United States. Crash risk rates, where reported, were low relative to agricultural vehicle use and when compared to overall road crash numbers. Crash risk factors included weather and visibility, age, personal and driving characteristics, road conditions, and event characteristics. Prevention strategies proposed were targeted at drivers and operators, vehicles, road design, driving behavior, and surveillance, policy, and technology. Conclusions: Overall, reported crash numbers involving large agricultural vehicles were low. Currently, there is limited capacity to calculate exposure rates compounded by the difficulties in identifying road incidents that involve agriculture vehicles. Better surveillance systems are required to improve our understanding of exposure and crash incident rates. Future research into the multiplicity of interrelated factors involved in agriculture vehicle crashes on roads, exposure rates, and evidence for the effectiveness of the prevention strategies is required.