Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Important Physiological Changes Due to Drought Stress on Oat

As temperatures rise and water availability decreases, the water decit is gaining attention regarding future agricultural production. Drought stress is a global issue and adversely affects the productivity of different crops. In this study, drought-tolerant varieties of oats were screened to determine drought-tolerant varieties that may be employed in drought-prone areas to achieve sustainable development and mitigate the impact of climate change. To do so, the growth and stress adaptive mechanism of 15 domestic and overseas oat cultivars at the seedling stage were analyzed. Water stress was simulated using 20% polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000). The results showed that the soluble protein content and superoxide dismutase activity of variety DY2 significantly increased under drought stress, whereas the photochemical efficiency and relative water content decreased slightly. The relative electrical conductivity (REC) and drought damage index of the QH444 and DY2 varieties increased the least. The peroxidase content of Q1 and DY2 significantly increased, and the catalase activity of Q1, QH444, and DY2 also substantially increased. Principal component analysis revealed that nine physiological and biochemical parameters were transformed into three independent comprehensive indexes. The comprehensive evaluation results showed that DY2, LN, and Q1 exhibited a strong drought resistance capacity and could be used as a reference material for a drought-resistant oat breeding program. The gray correlation analysis also indicated that Fv/Fm, chlorophyll, REC, and malondialdehyde could be used as key indexes for evaluating the drought resistance of oat.
Radiocarbon and Luminescence Dating of Lacustrine Sediments in Zhari Namco, Southern Tibetan Plateau

There are more than 1,000 lakes within the Tibetan Plateau (TP), all of which are sensitive to changes in regional climate and local hydrology. Lacustrine sediments within these lakes preserve a good record of these changes. However, determining their precise ages is difficult due to the complex nature of lake reservoir effects (LRE), which limit our understanding of paleoenvironmental changes. Focusing on an exposed 600 cm thick lacustrine sediment profile located in western Zhari Namco, we used a combination of both radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating methods in order to evaluate the carbon reservoirs of bulk organic matter (BOM) and aquatic plant remnants (APR), and to explore the age differences between 14C and OSL and their respective reliability. We demonstrated that (i) OSL ages were changed in stratigraphic order, and the OSL age just below the beach gravel layer was consistent with previously reported paleoshoreline ages; (ii) 14C ages were divergent between BOM and grass leaves; (iii) 14C ages of BOM were older than 14C ages of APR; and (iv) all 14C ages were older than OSL ages. This could be attributed to changing LRE in the past, causing the 14C ages to appear unstable during the deposition period. Although the 14C ages of terrestrial plant remnants (TPR) were not affected by LRE, an analyzed twig nonetheless returned a 14C age older than its respective layer’s OSL age, suggesting it may have been preserved on land prior to transportation into the lake. Our study suggests that OSL ages are more reliable than 14C ages with respect to Zhari Namco lacustrine sediments. We recommend caution when interpreting paleoenvironmental changes based on lacustrine sediment 14C ages alone.
What Motivates People to Pay for Online Sports Streaming? An Empirical Evaluation of the Revised Technology Acceptance Model

With the rapid development of Internet technology, sports media consumption is migrating toward streaming. The online streaming of sporting events has become the important way of copyrights holders to engage sports fans, especially young fans. Therefore, it is vital to understanding users' willingness to pay (WTP). Given that previous studies of the livestream sports broadcasts online have not dealt with users' payment intention, the originality of this study is that it explore users' motivation by combining information system research with the consumer demand theory. The study aimed to examine the factors that influence users' payment intention to stream online sports by using the extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Data from questionnaires completed by 330 Chinese respondents determined how perceived usefulness, ease, enjoyment, and satisfaction, influence users' WTP. Satisfaction positively correlated with users' payment intentions, impacted WTP values, mediated ease of use. The analysis also revealed the necessity for broadcast platforms to improve satisfaction and to increase payment intentions.
Female Entrepreneurial Intentions in Pakistan: A Theory of Planned Behavior Perspective

With theoretical underpinnings in the theory of planned behavior, this research aims at investigating how women's entrepreneurial intentions might develop in Pakistan. The survey of 216 female students revealed that psychological capital plays an important role in shaping women's entrepreneurial commitment which in turn results in increased intentions to opt for entrepreneurship as a career. Additionally, it was observed that social support moderates the indirect relation in such a way that in the presence of high social support, the association between psychological capital and intentions via commitment is further strengthened. Because women face comparatively more barriers in paid career, therefore it was necessary to study the mechanism and driver that can improve their entrepreneurial intentions, since they represent an untapped resource that might be utilized to improve the economic prospects of a country. The study bridges a significant knowledge gap in utilizing psychological capital to enhance female's entrepreneurial intentions, who are under constant pressure of juggling multiple roles at work and home.
Conducting Unsupervised Virtual Reality User Studies Online

Conducting user studies online and unsupervised instead of in laboratories gives quick access to a large and inexpensive participant pool. It is however unclear if data sourced this way is valid, and what the best practices for conducting unsupervised VR studies are. The restrictions on laboratory access experienced during COVID-19 further necessitate the development of valid procedures for remote data collection, especially for research fields such as VR that heavily rely on laboratory studies. In this paper we report our experiences with conducting two unsupervised VR studies amidst the pandemic, by recruiting participants online on relevant fora and employing participants’ own standalone VR equipment. We investigate whether it is feasible to collect valid data across in-VR survey responses and hand tracking. We report a good reliability of collected data, which requires only slightly more sanitation than a comparable laboratory study. We synthesize our experiences into practical recommendations for conducting unsupervised VR user studies using online recruitment, which can greatly reduce barriers to conducting empirical VR research and improve the quantity of VR user studies, regardless of laboratory availability.
Primary Care Case Management of Febrile Children: Insights From the ePOCT Routine Care Cohort in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Aim: To provide insight in the primary health care (PHC) case management of febrile children under-five in Dar es Salaam, and to identify areas for improving quality of care. Methods: We used data from the routine care arm of the ePOCT trial, including children aged 2–59 months who presented with an acute febrile illness to two health centers in Dar es Salaam (2014–2016). The presenting complaint, anthropometrics, vital signs, test results, final diagnosis, and treatment were prospectively collected in all children. We used descriptive statistics to analyze the frequencies of diagnoses, adherence to diagnostics, and prescribed treatments. Results: We included 547 children (47% male, median age 14 months). Most diagnoses were viral: upper respiratory tract infection (60%) and/or gastro-enteritis (18%). Vital signs and anthropometric measurements taken by research staff and urinary testing failed to influence treatment decisions. In total, 518/547 (95%) children received antibiotics, while 119/547 (22%) had an indication for antibiotics based on local guidelines. Antibiotic dosing was frequently out of range. Non-recommended treatments were common (29%), most often cough syrup and vitamins. Conclusion: Our study points to challenges in using diagnostic test results, concerns regarding quality of antibiotic prescriptions, and frequent use of non-evidence-based complementary medicines in PHC in Tanzania. Larger studies on diagnostic and treatments processes in PHC in Tanzania are needed to inform effective solutions to support PHC workers in case management of children.
Surface Flow Velocities From Space: Particle Image Velocimetry of Satellite Video of a Large, Sediment-Laden River

Conventional, field-based streamflow monitoring in remote, inaccessible locations such as Alaska poses logistical challenges. Safety concerns, financial considerations, and a desire to expand water-observing networks make remote sensing an appealing alternative means of collecting hydrologic data. In an ongoing effort to develop non-contact methods for measuring river discharge, we evaluated the potential to estimate surface flow velocities from satellite video of a large, sediment-laden river in Alaska via particle image velocimetry (PIV). In this setting, naturally occurring sediment boil vortices produced distinct water surface features that could be tracked from frame to frame as they were advected by the flow, obviating the need to introduce artificial tracer particles. In this study, we refined an end-to-end workflow that involved stabilization and geo-referencing, image preprocessing, PIV analysis with an ensemble correlation algorithm, and post-processing of PIV output to filter outliers and scale and geo-reference velocity vectors. Applying these procedures to image sequences extracted from satellite video allowed us to produce high resolution surface velocity fields; field measurements of depth-averaged flow velocity were used to assess accuracy. Our results confirmed the importance of preprocessing images to enhance contrast and indicated that lower frame rates (e.g., 0.25 Hz) lead to more reliable velocity estimates because longer capture intervals allow more time for water surface features to translate several pixels between frames, given the relatively coarse spatial resolution of the satellite data. Although agreement between PIV-derived velocity estimates and field measurements was weak (R2 = 0.39) on a point-by-point basis, correspondence improved when the PIV output was aggregated to the cross-sectional scale. For example, the correspondence between cross-sectional maximum velocities inferred via remote sensing and measured in the field was much stronger (R2 = 0.76), suggesting that satellite video could play a role in measuring river discharge. Examining correlation matrices produced as an intermediate output of the PIV algorithm yielded insight on the interactions between image frame rate and sensor spatial resolution, which must be considered in tandem. Although further research and technological development are needed, measuring surface flow velocities from satellite video could become a viable tool for streamflow monitoring in certain fluvial environments.
Similar Genetic Architecture of Alzheimer’s Disease and Differential APOE Effect Between Sexes

Sex differences have been observed in the clinical manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and elucidating their genetic basis is an active research topic. Based on autosomal genotype data of 7,216 men and 10,680 women, including 8,136 AD cases and 9,760 controls, we explored sex-related genetic heterogeneity in AD by investigating SNP heritability, genetic correlation, as well as SNP- and gene-based genome-wide analyses. We found similar SNP heritability (men: 19.5%; women: 21.5%) and high genetic correlation (Rg = 0.96) between the sexes. The heritability of APOE ε4-related risks for AD, after accounting for effects of all SNPs excluding chromosome 19, was nominally, but not significantly, higher in women (10.6%) than men (9.7%). In age-stratified analyses, ε3/ε4 was associated with a higher risk of AD among women than men aged 65–75 years, but not in the full sample. Apart from APOE, no new significant locus was identified in sex-stratified gene-based analyses. Our result of the high genetic correlation indicates overall similar genetic architecture of AD in both sexes at the genome-wide averaged level. Our study suggests that clinically observed sex differences may arise from sex-specific variants with small effects or more complicated mechanisms involving epigenetic alterations, sex chromosomes, or gene-environment interactions.
A Novel Canine Mammary Cancer Cell Line: Preliminary Identification and Utilization for Drug Screening Studies

Canine malignant mammary tumor is a dangerously fatal neoplastic disease with poor survival in female dogs. The aim of this study was to preliminary characterize a novel canine mammary cancer cell line, B-CMT, from canine primary mammary gland tumor, and to utilize it as a cell model for in vitro screening of possible therapeutic drugs. The successfully established cell line, B-CMT, was cultured over 50 passages. B-CMT has a fast proliferation rate, and a population doubling time (PDT) of 33.6 h. The B-CMT cell line lacked human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2), estrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) expression by qRT-PCR. Compared with MDCK cells, CDH1 expression of CMT cell line was significantly decreased or even absent, but GATA3 expression dramatically increased, while TGF-β expression was at a similar level. Interestingly, the B-CMT cell line from canine primary tumor also showed positive hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) results in immunofluorescence (IF), western blot, and qRT-PCR analysis. Ten days post inoculation with EGFP-B-CMT (B-CMT cells stably expressing EGFP), the experimental mice developed palpable soft tissue masses which histologically resembled the canine primary tumor, and was approved to be derived from B-CMT cell line through detection of EGFP by immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis. Moreover, we investigated the cytotoxicity of five drugs to B-CMT cells, and the results showed that rapamycin and imatinib significantly inhibited the proliferation of the cells in vitro within a certain range of concentration. They also induced cell cycle arrest of B-CMT cells at G1 and G2 phase, respectively. In summary, the results of this report showed that B-CMT cell line might serve as a tool for future studies on tumor microenvironment and drug resistance.
Monitoring and Behavior of Biomotor Skills in Futsal Athletes During a Season

Futsal is a sport that presents alternation of high- and low-intensity moments, which lacks investigations regarding the effects of the organization of the training load on biomotor skills. In this sense, this study aims to verify the monitoring of the training load throughout the season and the behavior of biomotor skills in futsal athletes. Twelve futsal athletes (24.5 ± 4.9 years, 1.79 ± 0.6 m, 72.4 ± 9.4 kg, and 9.4 ± 4.3% fat) from the adult category, who competed in the first division of the Paulista championship, participated in the study. Throughout the season, the internal training load (ITL) was calculated, through the relationship between volume (minutes) and the rate of perceived exertion (RPE), monotony, and training strain. The training periods were divided into preparatory, competitive, and competitive II for a total of four moments of evaluation: M1: at the beginning of the preparatory period; M2: 50 week, at the end of the preparatory period; M3: 13th week, in the middle of the competitive period; and M4: at the start of the competitive period II. The tests used were: (i) Power of lower limbs: countermovement jump (CMJ); (ii) Displacement speed, over the 10-meter distance (V10 m), and (iii) Aerobic power by the Carminatti test (T-CAR). The variables analyzed were compared at different moments of evaluation using the two-way ANOVA completed by the Bonferroni test. For monotony, training strain, and ILT, the ANOVA ONE-WAY test was used between the evaluation periods completed by the Bonferroni test. The significance value adopted was p < 0.05. A significant improvement (p < 0.05) was observed in the power of lower limbs from M1 (37.5 ± 5.5 cm) to M3 (40.8 ± 5.7 cm), from M2 (38.9 ± 5.5 cm) to M3 (40.8 ± 5.7 cm), and from M1 (37.5 ± 5.5 cm) to M4 (40.2 ± 5.4 cm). Aerobic power showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) from M1 (12.1 ± 0.7 km/h) to M3 (12.7 ± 7 km/h) and from M1 (12.1 ± 0.7 km/h) to M4 (12.73 ± 1.04 km/h). The ITL showed a difference between competitive I and II in relation to the preparatory period (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the proposed training organization was sufficient to improve the power of the lower limbs and the aerobic power.
Comparison of Peak Oxygen Consumption During Exercise Testing Between Sexes Among Children and Adolescents in Taiwan

Objective: Studies among Western children have observed that the peak oxygen consumption (peak V˙O2) of boys is higher than that of girls, and this difference increases as children progress through adolescence. However, the maturation process and social expectation toward Eastern boys and girls are much different from their Western counterparts. This study aimed to provide baseline information on cardiopulmonary fitness (CRF) of Taiwanese children and adolescents in relation to age and sex. We also evaluated the correlation between body mass and CRF and compared the CRF between non-obese and overweight/obese children. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of children and adolescents aged 4–18 years in Taiwan. Participants were classified into four groups based on age (group 1, aged 4–6; group 2, aged 7–9; group 3, aged 10–13; and group 4, aged 14–18 years). All participants completed symptom-limited exercise test by treadmill and anthropometric measurements through bioelectrical impedance method. Results: In total, 897 (448 men, 449 women) participants were analyzed. Boys had higher peak V˙O2 (all p < 0.01) and peak metabolic equivalent (MET, all p < 0.05) than girls in all the four groups. Age significantly (P < 0.001) correlated with peak V˙O2 in all participants, boys, and girls, with coefficients of determination (R2) of 0.9349, 0.9433, and 0.9085, respectively. The peak V˙O2 (all p < 0.001) of all the groups and peak MET (all p < 0.05) of group 2–4 associated with BMI and FMI modestly to moderately. Non-obese children had higher peak MET in group 1 (p = 0.049) and group 2–4 (all p < 0.001) than overweight/obese children significantly. Conclusions: The difference in peak V˙O2 and anthropometry–body composition between sexes was observed earlier in children in Taiwan than those in Western countries. Non-obese children had better CRF than overweight/obese children and the difference presented since preschool age.
Antifreeze Protein Supplementation During the Warming of Vitrified Bovine Ovarian Tissue Can Improve the Ovarian Tissue Quality After Xenotransplantation

The occurrence of ice crystallization during ovarian tissue (OT) cryopreservation causes unavoidable cryodamage, and ice recrystallization during the warming is more detrimental than ice crystallization. Here, we investigated that antifreeze protein (AFP) treatment during the warming procedure can improve the bovine OT quality after xenotransplantation (XT). Bovine OTs (n=120) were evenly assigned to four groups: fresh, vitrified-warmed, vitrified-warmed with 10 mg/mL Leucosporidium ice-binding protein (LeIBP, a type of AFP) (LeIBP-10), and vitrified-warmed with 20 mg/mL LeIBP (LeiBP-20). LeIBPs were added to the first warming solution. Twenty pieces of OTs were assigned to each category. The remaining 10 OTs from each category were assigned to the XT-Fresh control, XT-Vitrified-warmed control, XT-LeIBP-10, and XT-LeIBP-20 groups, respectively, and xenotransplanted to 9-week-old ovariectomized nude mice for one week. LeIBP treatment during the warming step increased morphological follicle normality and decreased apoptotic follicle ratios after vitrification-warming and XT. The XT-vitrified-warmed control group showed significantly reduced microvessel density and increased fibrosis when compared to that of the XT-fresh group. Microvessel density and fibrosis were recovered in both LeIBP treated groups. There was no significant difference between the LeIBP-10 and LeIBP-20 groups in all outcomes. AFP treatment during the warming procedure can prevent OT damage, and improve ovarian follicle morphology and apoptosis in both the vitrified-warmed bovine OT and its graft. After confirmation in a human study, AFPs can potentially be applied to human OT cryopreservation to reduce cryodamage and improve the OT quality.
Incidence Density and Predictors of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Among Individuals With Previous Tuberculosis History: A 15-Year Retrospective Cohort Study

Background: To date, too little attention has been paid to monitoring and estimating the risk of incident multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) among individuals with a previous tuberculosis history (PTBH). The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of and risk factors for MDR-TB in those individuals. Methods: Between 2005 and 2020, a large, retrospective, population-based cohort study was performed in Hangzhou, China. A multivariable Cox regression model was used to evaluate independent predictors of incident MDR-TB among individuals with PTBH. Results: The incidence density of MDR-TB was 22.6 per 1,000 person-years (95% confidence level and an interval of 20.9–24.3) for individuals with PTBH. The incidence of MDR-TB increased significantly in individuals who • were under 60 years old. • were male. • had a history of direct contact. • came from low-income families. • worked in high-risk occupations. • lived in rural areas. • had a retreatment TB history. • had an unfavorable outcome in their previous treatment (P < 0.05). In addition, we found that the following factors were significantly linked to the MDR-TB risk among individuals with PTBH (P < 0.05): • sociodemographic factors such as the 21–30 and 31–40 year age groups, or a history of direct contact. • clinical factors like passive modes of TB case finding (PMTCF), human immunodeficiency virus infection, unfavorable treatment outcomes, retreated TB history, non-standardized treatment regimens of retreatment TB patients, and duration of pulmonary cavities (DPC). • microbiological factors, such as duration of positive sputum culture. We also found that the 21–30 year age group, low family income, and PMTCF were significantly linked to incident MDR-TB only in males with PTBH, whilst the 41–50 year age group, extended treatment course, and DPC were significantly associated with female MDR-TB only. Conclusion: The incidence of MDR-TB was high, with a higher rate among subjects with a history of direct contact and unfavorable treatment outcomes. There was a gender difference in the incidence density and risk factors of MDR-TB among individuals with PTBH. Long-term monitoring and gender-specific risk-factor modifications should be given to individuals with PTBH.