Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Cannabis Based on the Genome-Wide Development of Simple Sequence Repeat Markers

Cannabis has been used as a source of nutrition, medicine, and fiber. However, lack of genomic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers had limited the genetic research on Cannabis species. In the present study, 92,409 motifs were identified, and 63,707 complementary SSR primer pairs were developed. The most abundant SSR motifs had six repeat units (36.60%). The most abundant type of motif was dinucleotides (70.90%), followed by trinucleotides, tetranucleotides, and pentanucleotides. We randomly selected 80 pairs of genomic SSR markers, of which 69 (86.25%) were amplified successfully; 59 (73.75%) of these were polymorphic. Genetic diversity and population structure were estimated using the 59 (72 loci) validated polymorphic SSRs and three phenotypic markers. Three hundred ten alleles were identified, and the major allele frequency ranged from 0.26 to 0.85 (average: 0.56), Nei’s genetic diversity ranged from 0.28 to 0.82 (average: 0.56), and the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.28 to 0.81 (average: 0.56). The polymorphism information content ranged from 0.25 to 0.79 (average: 0.50), the observed number of alleles ranged from 2 to 8 (average: 4.13), and the effective number of alleles ranged from 0.28 to 0.81 (average: 0.5). The Cannabis population did not show mutation-drift equilibrium following analysis via the infinite allele model. A cluster analysis was performed using the unweighted pair group method using arithmetic means based on genetic distances. Population structure analysis was used to divide the germplasms into two subgroups. These results provide guidance for the molecular breeding and further investigation of Cannabis.
Early Life Adversities and Borderline Intellectual Functioning Negatively Impact Limbic System Connectivity in Childhood: A Connectomics-Based Study

Early life adversity (ELA) in childhood is a major risk factor for borderline intellectual functioning (BIF). BIF affects both adaptive and intellectual abilities, commonly leading to school failure and to an increased risk to develop mental and social problems in the adulthood. This study aimed to investigate the neurobiological underpinnings of ELA associated with BIF in terms of global topological organization and structural connectivity and their relation with intellectual functioning. BIF (N=32) and age-matched typical development (TD, N=14) children were evaluated for intelligence quotient (IQ), behavioral competencies, and ELA. Children underwent an anatomical and diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) protocol. Global brain topological organization was assessed measuring segregation and integration indexes. Moreover, structural matrices, measuring normalized number of fibers (NFn), were compared between the 2 groups using network-based statistics. Finally, a linear regression model was used to explore the relationship between network parameters and clinical measures. Results showed increased behavioral difficulties and ELA, together with decreased network integration in BIF children. Moreover, significantly lower NFn was observed in the BIF group (p=.039) in a sub-network comprising anterior and posterior cingulate, the pericallosal sulcus, the orbital frontal areas, amygdala, basal ganglia, the accumbens nucleus, and the hippocampus. Linear regression showed that NFn significantly predicted IQ (p<.0001). This study demonstrated that ELA in children with BIF is associated with a decreased information integration at the global level, and with an altered structural connectivity within the limbic system strictly related to the intellectual functioning.
Effects of Climate and Management on the Productivity of Dutch Heathlands

1. Effects of burning and turf-cutting treatments on the productivity of Calluna vulgaris heathlands were studied for a climatologically dry site (Strabrecht) as well as for relatively wet sites (Dwingeloo/Hoge Veluwe) on podzol soils in the Netherlands. 2. Productivity for specific site-treatment combinations was assessed from agesequences (chronosequences) of the above-ground biomass in Calluna stands of different age-classes, and from indirect as well as direct estimates of the aboveground annual production. 3. A two-parameter Mitscherlich curve y = c(l eat) with c= Ymax is used to describe the relation between above-ground biomass (y) and age (t) for various site-treatment combinations. The relation is used to examine the effect of management and site on biomass. 4. After correcting for age differences, biomass for plots subjected to turf-cutting was lower by a factor of 0 57 than in burned stands. The biomass in Strabrecht was lower by a factor of 0 81 than in Dwingeloo/Iloge Veluwe. 5. Maximum indirect estimates of the annual production for burned heathland at Dwingeloo/Hoge Veluwe and at Strabrecht were 257 and 209gm-2 year-1, respectively and, for stands subjected to turf-cutting, 147 and 119gm-2 year-' respectively. 6. Direct annual production estimates for various site-treatment combinations confirmed differences between site-treatment combinations obtained from indirect production estimates. 7. The assumptions underlying the productivity estimates are discussed and possible causes of differences in productivity are indicated.
A theorem and a remark with the purpose of comparing the role and origin of probabilities in non-collapse and in collapse quantum mechanics

It is proved that in non-collapse quantum mechanics the state of a closed system can always be expressed as a superposition of states all of which describe histories that conform to Born’s probability rule. This theorem allows one to see the probabilities in non-collapse quantum mechanics as a prediction made by the theory, and renders non-collapse quantum mechanics with the same predictive power as standard quantum mechanics with collapse according to Born’s rule. By adding the remark that collapse quantum mechanics is logically compatible with probabilities different from those given by Born’s rule, it is argued that the fact that the experimental observations support Born’s probability rule can be seen as evidence in support of the non-collapse interpretation of quantum mechanics, rather than as a problem for that interpretation. This remark should also be used to scrutinize derivations of Born’s rule in the context of collapse and of non-collapse quantum mechanics.
Analysis of phenotypic antibiotic resistance profile of Staphylococcus aureus from community settings of a university campus

Background: The multivariate analysis distinguishes components or factors and establishes associations among antibiotics based on their different levels of correlation. Objectives: A dendrogram analysis utilizing the clustering algorithm and comparative multivariate analysis on the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MICs) of eleven antibiotics, including the vancomycin, was performed. Methods: A sum of 37 phenotypic resistance profile of S. aureus [10 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA)], isolated from various community settings of university campuses including Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) and Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), were preselected.
Trust in mHealth: How do Maternal Health Clients Accept and Use mHealth Interventions?

Trust has significant implications in explaining technology utilisation. It influences both the initial acceptance and continued use (defined as the continuum of use). However, there is dearth of literature examining how trust influences mHealth continued use and what mHealth users trust. This paper explores how trust shapes the continuum of use of maternal mHealth, thus determining their adoption and continued use. The study employed the Expectation Disconfirmation Theory and a case study approach. We collected data using interviews, focus group discussions and observations from 32 purposively sampled participants. Our results suggest that the risks and uncertainties of the maternal healthcare-seeking context play a critical role in how trust shapes mHealth continuum of use. Our findings underscore the need to mHealth designers and implementers to consider different factors that will facilitate the development of trust at the different phases of the continuum to ensure continued use.
Molecular Deregulation of EPAS1 in the Pathogenesis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Endothelial PAS domain-containing protein 1 (EPAS1) is an angiogenic factor and its implications have been reported in many cancers but not in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Herein, we aim to examine the genetic and molecular alterations, clinical implications, and functional roles of EPAS1 in ESCC. High-resolution melt-curve analysis and Sanger sequencing were used to detect mutations in EPAS1 sequence. EPAS1 DNA number changes and mRNA expressions were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction. in vitro functional assays were used to study the impact of EPAS1 on cellular behaviors. Overall, 7.5% (n = 6/80) of patients with ESCC had mutations in EPAS1, and eight novel variants (c.1084C>T, c.1099C>A, c.1145_1145delT, c.1093C>G, c.1121T>G, c.1137_1137delG, c.1135_1136insT, and c.1091_1092insT) were detected. Among these mutations, four were frameshift (V382Gfs*12, A381Lfs*13, K379Ifs*6, and K364Nfs*12) mutations and showed the potential of non–sense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) in computational analysis. The majority of patients showed molecular deregulation of EPAS1 [45% (n = 36/80) DNA amplification, 42.5% (n = 34/80) DNA deletion, as well as 53.7% (n = 43/80) high mRNA expression, 20% (n = 16/80) low mRNA expression]. These alterations of EPAS1 were associated with tumor location and T stages. Patients with stage III ESCC having EPAS1 DNA amplification had poorer survival rates in comparison to EPAS1 DNA deletion (p = 0.04). In addition, suppression of EPAS1 in ESCC cells showed reduced proliferation, wound healing, migration, and invasion in comparison to that of control cells. Thus, the molecular and functional studies implied that EPAS1 plays crucial roles in the pathogenesis of ESCC and has the potential to be used as a prognostic marker and as a therapeutic target.
Hornbill density estimates and fruit availability in a lowland tropical rainforest site of Leuser Landscape, Indonesia: preliminary data towards long-term monitoring

Reliable density estimates of threatened species provide important information on their conservation status and effectiveness of conservation efforts. Here, we provided the first density estimates that utilize detection probability of four hornbill species in Ketambe Research Station area, Leuser Landscape. Moreover, we made a preliminary investigation of the relationship between hornbill detections and fruit availability. We conducted line transect and phenology surveys during July-September 2019. Our findings highlighted the importance of Ketambe as a stronghold for hornbill populations, indicated by relatively higher density estimates of four species (Wreathed Hornbill Rhyticeros undulatus, Rhinoceros Hornbill Buceros rhinoceros, Bushy-crested Hornbill Anorrhinus galeritus, and White-crowned Hornbill Berenicornis comatus) than elsewhere. We noted the lack of Helmeted hornbill detections which might be due to illegal poaching. Further, we identified the positive influence of ripe fruit supplies on hornbill presence. Our study presented the baseline density data for future hornbill population monitoring studies. We also recommended conducting studies of hornbill diet and foraging behaviour and their responses to human disturbances.
Enhanced Connectivity of Thalamo-Cortical Networks in First-Episode, Treatment-Naive Somatization Disorder

Background Dysfunctions of the thalamus and its projections to cortical cortices have been implicated in patient with somatization disorder (SD). However, changes in the anatomical specificity of thalamo-cortical functional connectivity (FC) in SD remain unclear. Methods Resting-state fMRI scans were collected in 25 first-episode, drug-naive patients with SD, as well as 28 sex-, age-, and education-matched healthy controls. We parcellated the thalamus with seven predefined regions of interest (ROIs) and used them as seeds to map whole-brain FC. Correlation analysis was conducted in the patients. Results We found an increased pattern of thalamic ROI-cortex connectivity in patients with SD. Patients with SD demonstrated enhanced thalamic connectivity to the bilateral anterior/middle cingulum, motor/sensory cortex, visual cortex, and auditory cortex. A significantly negative correlation was found between the right occipital thalamic ROI to the anterior cingulum and EPQ extraversion scores (r=0.404, p=0.045) after the Benjamini-Hochberg correction. Conclusions This study demonstrates that anatomical specificity of enhanced thalamo-cortical FCs exists in first-episode, drug-naive patients with SD. These findings further highlight the importance of the thalamic subregions in the pathophysiology of SD.
Deixis, Meta-Perceptive Gaze Practices, and the Interactional Achievement of Joint Attention

The paper investigates the use of gaze along with deictics and embodied pointing to accomplish reference and joint attention in naturally occurring social interaction. It assumes that deixis, in its primordial use in face-to-face interaction, is an embodied phenomenon that involves gestural pointing as well as visual perception, thus giving rise to recurring gaze practices of the participants. The analysis draws on a model of the interactional organization of deictic reference and joint attention that serves as a sequential framework for investigating the functions of eye gaze. The analysis focuses on two meta-perceptive practices: gaze following and gaze monitoring. It shows that the use of these practices in naturally occurring social activities is context dependent, positionally sensitive, tied to participant roles, and temporally fine-tuned to the stream of the participants’ verbal and embodied conduct. The sequential analysis of these practices further documents that meta-perceptive gaze practices contribute to the constitution of joint attention as mutually known by the participants. The data for this study were recorded with two pairs of mobile eye tracking glasses and an external camera. Methodologically situated within the framework of conversation analysis and interactional linguistics where video recording is used, the study breaks new ground by employing a technology almost exclusively applied in experimental frameworks to record ordinary social activities “in the wild. ” In striving for ecologically valid and precise eye gaze data, it also contributes to a refinement of concepts developed in experimental paradigms by adapting them to qualitative research within the field of multimodal conversation analysis and interactional linguistics.
Mind-Wandering Changes in Dysphoria

Changes in mind-wandering (MW) and involuntary autobiographical memory (IAM) in dysphoria have been explored with conflicting results. The aim of this study was to evaluate both MW and IAM in a group of 23 stable dysphoric participants compared to 37 controls and to compare their thoughts characteristics (i.e., specificity, visual perspective, time orientation, and emotional valence). To make this study comparable with previous research, we used two different monotonous vigilance tasks (with and without verbal interference stimuli). Our results showed a significantly greater focus on MW thoughts in dysphoria. The characteristics of spontaneous thoughts content did not differ significantly between our dysphoric participants and controls, which is not in favor of strong emotional dysfunction. Our results suggest a difficulty to regulate the occurrence of self-generated thoughts rather than their content, that may confer to dysphoric subjects increased cognitive risk to develop a major depressive episode.
Genetic Variation in the rDNA ITS-2 Sequence of Haemonchus placei from Cattle Host

| The large stomach worm, Haemonchus, commonly known as the barber’s pole worm, is a blood sucking nematode found in the abomasa of small and large ruminants. Allele-specific amplification of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer-2 (ITS-2) sequences was performed from the total of 78 individual adult worms to screen Haemonchus placei at species level, which is the significant diagnostic tool to identify this major economically important species. Further full sequences analysis of the ITS-2 region revealed that there are 4 sites shows intraspecific variations at position 65, 111, 125 and 148. For instance this study is the first documented report of intraspecific genetic variations in the rDNA ITS-2 sequences of H. placei from cattle in Pakistan and the results shows that H. placei is genetically different from the isolates studied previously. However, detailed and large size samples strategy will be required to identify the co-infection and interspecies hybridization between H. placei and Haemonchus contortus in cattle.
COVID-19: Infection or Autoimmunity

The clinical and laboratory features of COVID-19 are reviewed with attention to the immunologic manifestations of the disease. Recent COVID-19 publications describe a variety of clinical presentations including an asymptomatic state, pneumonia, a hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis like syndrome, Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) but, also called Pediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome-Toxic Shock (PIMS-TS), Kawasaki Disease, and myocarditis. A common theme amongst multiple reports suggests an overexuberant autoimmune component of the disease but a common pathophysiology to explain the variations in clinical presentation has been elusive. Review of the basic science of other viral induced autoimmune disorders may give clues as to why immunosuppressive and immunomodulating regimens now appear to have some efficacy in COVID-19. Review of the immunopathology also reveals other therapies that have yet to be explored. There is potential use of T cell depleting therapies and possibly anti-CD20 therapy for COVID-19 and clinical research using these medications is warranted.
Review: Extragastric diseases and Helicobacter pylori

The involvement of Helicobacter pylori infection in many extra‐gastroduodenal manifestations remains a fascinating field of investigation. However, for several of these supposed associations, the potential pathogenic mechanism remains unclear. The present review highlights the main associations of H pylori with extra‐gastroduodenal manifestations reported during the last year. We searched for the most relevant studies on this topic, published between April 2019 and March 2020, identified using the term “Helicobacter” in the MEDLINE/Pubmed database. Consistent data emerged from studies investigating metabolic syndrome and ischaemic cardiovascular diseases. Other reported fields of investigation were hepatology, especially focused on non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis, neurology, including Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as dermatology. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), that comprises Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, may originate from a dysregulation of the host’s immune response to commensal bacteria in individuals with genetic predisposition. The reduction of biodiversity and other specific imbalances in the faecal microbiome composition of IBD patients compared to that of healthy controls support this hypothesis. In this context, an inverse correlation between H pylori infection and IBD prevalence has been confirmed. Similar results were found in patients with kidney diseases and allergic manifestations. There are indications of the possible involvement of H pylori infection in metabolic syndrome and ischaemic cardiovascular diseases. However, due to a series of factors linked to study designs and the multifactorial pathogenesis of some diseases, further studies are needed.
Effect of graded levels and split application of nitrogen in yield, yield attributes and economics of hybrid maize

A field experiment was conducted at AC&RI, Madurai during Rabi season to study the effect of graded levels and split application of nitrogen on yield of hybrid maize and to optimize nitrogen fertilizer usage. The experiment was laid on RBD and replicated thrice. Treatments comprised of T1 to T10 with RDN (250 kg/ha), and STCR (167 kg/ha) on 3 splits and nitrogen levels 225, 200, 175 and 150 kg/ha under 3 splits and 4 splits on the variety CO MH-6. Results showed that higher grain yield (9320 kg/ha) and stover yield (11180 kg/ha), was with T7, it also register highest gross return ( 139802), net return ( 84080) and B:C ratio (2.51). From the results, it is concluded that application of T7 is the optimum dosage and timing of split application of nitrogen for Co MH-6. However in economic point of view T6 has an advantage.
Short Sight, Priority Graph and Preference Change in Games

Motivated by real game scenarios, we propose a generalized prioritized game model in which players’ preference and reasons can be studied altogether. We show that the incomparable relation between two histories in game is natural, hence calls for a new modeling. We generalize the main research results of [2] to the situations which allow for incomparable priorities. We look at two kinds of dynamics changes in games with short sight, changes in priority graph and changes in sight. We show that changes of priority in games with short sight result in changes of preference in its canonical representation, and changes of short sight may also lead to preference change in the corresponding games with awareness.
Deep Reinforcement Learning Control of Hand-Eye Coordination with a Software Retina

Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) has gained much attention for solving robotic hand-eye coordination tasks from raw pixel values. Despite promising results, training agents using images is hardware intensive often requiring millions of training steps to converge incurring long training times and increased risk of wear and tear on the robot. To speed up training, images are often cropped and downscaled resulting in a smaller field of view and loss of valuable high-frequency data. In this paper, we propose training the vision system using supervised learning prior to training robotic actuation using Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG). The vision system uses a software retina, based on the mammalian retino-cortical transform, to preprocess full-size images to compress image data while preserving the full field of view and high-frequency visual information around the fixation point prior to processing by a Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN) to extract visual state information. Using the vision system to preprocess the environment improves the agent’s sample complexity and network update speed leading to significantly faster training with reduced image data loss. Our method is used to train a DRL system to control a real Baxter robot’s arm, processing full-size images captured by an in-wrist camera to locate an object on a table and centre the camera over it by actuating the robot arm.