Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sensory cue combination in children under 10 years of age

Cue combination occurs when two independent noisy perceptual estimates are merged together as a weighted average, creating a unified estimate that is more precise than either single estimate alone. Surprisingly, this effect has not been demonstrated compellingly in children under the age of 10 years, in contrast with the array of other multisensory skills that children show even in infancy. Instead, across a wide variety of studies, precision with both cues is no better than the best single cue – and sometimes worse. Here we provide the first consistent evidence of cue combination in children from 7–10 years old. Across three experiments, participants showed evidence of a bimodal precision advantage (Experiments 1a and 1b) and the majority were best-fit by a combining model (Experiment 2). The task was to localize a target horizontally with a binaural audio cue and a noisy visual cue in immersive virtual reality. Feedback was given as well, which could both (a) help participants judge how reliable each cue is and (b) help correct between-cue biases that might prevent cue combination. A feedback effect was found in Experiment 2, with children who were given single-cue feedback showing the highest rate of cue combination. Given this, we suggest that children at 7–10 years old are capable of cue combination in principle, but must have sufficient representations of reliabilities and biases in their own perceptual estimates as relevant to the task, which can be facilitated through task-specific feedback.
Resistance mechanisms of white jabon seedlings (Anthocephalus cadamba) against Botryodiplodia theobromae causing dieback disease

Yanti LA, Achmad, Khumaida N. 2018. Resistance mechanisms of white jabon seedlings (Anthocephalus cadamba) against Botryodiplodia theobromae causing dieback disease. Biodiversitas 19: 1441-1450. Anthocephalus cadamba (Roxb.) Miq. seedlings are the most preferred plant for the nursery as they serve a lot of benefits and can be used as shading trees, reforestation, plywood, pulp, paper, and traditional medicines. Further, those benefits can increase the economic value of this plant. The main problem in the nursery of forestry plants is pest and disease attacks, one of which is dieback disease. The dieback disease is caused by Botryodiplodia theobromae Pat. that may lead death of the host plant. Every plant has its resistance mechanism toward pathogen attacks. This research aimed: (1) to study B. theobromae attack through wounded and non-wounded stem infection methods on white jabon seedlings; (2) to study the resistance mechanisms of white jabon seedlings both structural and biochemical resistance against B. theobromae. This study employed a factorial treatment design laid out in a completely randomized design. The structural resistance was determined by studying the microscopic appearance of the white jabon seedlings’ stem by using a scanning electron microscope. Meanwhile, the biochemical resistance was determined by characterizing the chemical compounds of white jabon seedlings' stem using phytochemistry analysis. The result showed that the disease incidence of the control (inoculated without pathogen isolate) and the inoculated (inoculated with pathogen isolate) seedlings were, respectively, 0% and 100% (with wounded stem) and 0% and 30% (non-wounded). The disease severity of control and inoculated seedlings were 0% and 62% (with wounded stem) and 0% and 12% (non-wounded stem), respectively. The incubation period of wounded and non-wounded stems on inoculated seedlings (inoculated with pathogen isolate) was one day after inoculation with the numeric values (disease scores) of 4 and 2, respectively. White jabon seedlings had necrotic resistance as structural resistance mechanism against the pathogen attack. White jabon seedlings also contained secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoid, phenyl hydroquinone, tannin, saponin, and steroids. The biochemical resistance of white jabon seedling after pathogen attacks was shown by the increase of accumulated phenolic compounds such as flavonoid and tannin.
Pathogen shifts in a honeybee predator following the arrival of the Varroa mite

Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are a global threat to honeybees, and spillover from managed bees threaten wider insect populations. Deformed wing virus (DWV), a widespread virus that has become emergent in conjunction with the spread of the mite Varroa destructor, is thought to be partly responsible for global colony losses. The arrival of Varroa in honeybee populations causes a dramatic loss of viral genotypic diversity, favouring a few virulent strains. Here, we investigate DWV spillover in an invasive Hawaiian population of the wasp, Vespula pensylvanica, a honeybee predator and honey-raider. We show that Vespula underwent a parallel loss in DWV variant diversity upon the arrival of Varroa, despite the mite being a honeybee specialist. The observed shift in Vespula DWV and the variant-sharing between Vespula and Apis suggest that these wasps can acquire DWV directly or indirectly from honeybees. Apis prey items collected from Vespula foragers were positive for DWV, indicating predation is a possible route of transmission. We also sought cascading effects of DWV shifts in a broader Vespula pathogen community. We identified concurrent changes in a suite of additional pathogens, as well as shifts in the associations between these pathogens in Vespula. These findings reveal how hidden effects of the Varroa mite can, via spillover, transform the composition of pathogens in interacting species, with potential knock-on effects for entire pathogen communities.
Adventure-Based Programming with at-Risk Youth: Impact upon Self-Confidence and School Attachment

Abstract A consensus exists among practitioners and researchers that further empirical evidence is needed to develop effective programs that will increase resiliency from delinquency. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions, and attitudes of at-risk-youth after their participation in an experiential adventure-based learning program. Findings are based on a deductive thematic analysis of qualitative data gathered through semi-structured interviews within the framework of resiliency theory. Results indicate favorable views of the activities within the program, in particular related to themes of self-confidence, school attachment attitudes, and resiliency toward challenges. Implications for practitioners, as well as strategies for further improvements are discussed for further research.
The soil component of terroir

Aims: The aim of this paper is to review examples, taken from New World and Old World vineyards, for which soil physical, chemical or biological properties have influenced a site's terroir, expressed through the personality of the wines.Methods and results: Literature results are presented, together with the results of new research on the control of N uptake and soil N mineralization by Sauvignon Blanc vines at a high fertility site, by withholding irrigation and using different inter-row cover crops.Conclusion: Withholding irrigation from pre-fruit set to veraison restricted N uptake by the vines, leading to better berry quality parameters without significantly affecting Baume oryield.Significance and impact of study: The results confirm the importance of a regulated supply of water and N at critical stages of vine phenology for achieving optimum fruit quality.
Evaluation of Antagonistic Potential of Biocontrol Agents against Macrophomina Phaseolina (tassi) Goid. causing Stem and Root Rot of Sesame [Sesamum Indicum l.] under In vitro and In vivo

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an ancient and traditional oilseed crop of India, cultivated in about. 74 million hectare area and producing 0.82 million tons. The main reason for the low productivity of sesame is due to the attack of various diseases. Among the fungal diseases, stem and root rot also called charcoal rot caused by Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. is widely distributed and highly destructive right from the establishment phase of crop (Dinakaran and Mohammed, 2001), causing up to 50 per cent or more disease incidence in field resulting in heavy yield losses (Chattopadhyay et al., 2002). Yield losses have been estimated up to 57 per cent when there is about 40 per cent International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 7 Number 12 (2018) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
What Motives Drive Pornography Use?

Pornography use has become widespread and mainstream in American society, with estimates that 60% of men and 35% of women have viewed pornography at some time in the last year. Pornography use has been associated with both positive and negative outcomes depending on the user, and some of these conflicting results may stem from problematic measurement. Using a newly validated measure that assesses frequency, duration, arousal, and deliberate or accidental exposure to seven common types of pornography, we sought to understand whether the motivations to view pornography differed depending on biological sex of the user and the type of use they engaged in. With an MTurk.com sample of 312 participants, we used a variable selection to explore the most consistent predictors of pornography use. Results found that sexually based motivations were consistent motivations to use pornography for both males and females. Educationally based motivations reliably predicted accidental exposure to pornography, while emotions like sadness and tiredness reliably predicted longer durations of pornography use. These results indicate that motivations to view pornography are similar for males and females and that sexually based reasons and emotions are primary in an individual’s decision to use pornography.
Dialectics of Complexity: A Five-Country Examination of Lived Experiences on Social Media

This study examined people’s lived experiences with social media through 10 focus groups with 82 total participants across five countries: Brazil, Germany, Malaysia, South Africa, and the United States. Findings demonstrate that social media make people’s lives less complex, but this belies heightened complexity as they negotiate three paradoxes when using social media. We describe these as dialectics between: convenience versus privacy, trust versus distrust, and meaningful versus wasted time. These dialectics fit into one over-arching theme that social media make people feel better but also worse, sometimes at the same time. We characterize these experiences as negative—and likely unintended—side effects of reflexive modernization. According to our participants, these tensions leave people in a sort of existential limbo—knowing social media can distress them but not always having the will to leave.
Peer Association and Routine Activities in Sex Worker Patronage among Male Migrant Workers

ABSTRACT Studies of people who buy sex often focus on psychological and personality factors with less attention paid to the role of social contexts. This study integrates the two lines of inquiry, routine activity theory and peer deviance, to examine the social process of paying for sex. We argue that deviant peer association may shape buying sex due to peers’ role in shifts in the three components of routine activity theory: motivation, targets, and lack of guardians. With rich information on sexual behaviors from the China Migrant Sexual Health Survey (n = 1,521), we conducted a series of regressions and structural equation models on commercial sex behaviors among male migrants. Our findings demonstrate that having more peers engaged in deviance is significantly associated with buying sex; the three routine activity components are also significantly associated with buying sex; the peer effect on buying sex is significantly (39% of the variance) mediated by routine activities. These results help understand the role of routine activities in mediating peer association and buying sex, and also contributes to the literature of sex work on the less-studied population of sex work clients in China. Theoretically, the results provide evidence for the role of peers in shaping routine activities.
An updated checklist and characterisation of the ichthyofauna (Elasmobranchii and Actinopterygii) of the Laguna de Tamiahua, Veracruz, Mexico

Background. Laguna de Tamiahua is ecologically and economically important as a nursery area that favours the recruitment of species that sustain traditional fisheries. It has been studied previously, though not throughout its whole area, and considering the variety of habitats that sustain these fisheries, as well as an increase in population growth that impacts the system. The objectives of this study were to present an updated list of fish species, data on special status, new records, commercial importance, dominance, density, ecotic position, and the spatial and temporal distribution of species in the lagoon, together with a comparison of Tamiahua with 14 other Gulf of Mexico lagoons. Materials and methods. Fish were collected in August and December 1996 with a Renfro beam net and an otter trawl from different habitats throughout the lagoon. The species were identified, classified in relation to special status, new records, commercial importance, density, dominance, ecotic position, and spatial distribution patterns. Results. The 45 species collected by the authors plus an additional 125 species previously reported provided an updated list of 170 species. Families with the highest number of species were Sciaenidae (16 spp.) and Gobiidae (12 spp.). Poecilia latipunctata Meek, 1904 is endemic to Mexico and in danger of extinction and Hippocampus zosterae Jordan et Gilbert, 1882 is under special protection. New records are Ariopsis assimilis (Günther, 1864), Mugil liza Valenciennes, 1836, Symphurus civitatium Ginsburg, 1951, and Aluterus schoepfii (Walbaum, 1792). Commercially important species are Lutjanus griseus (Linnaeus, 1758), Lutjanus synagris (Linnaeus, 1758), Bairdiella chrysoura (Lacepède, 1802), Cynoscion arenarius Ginsburg, 1930, Cynoscion nebulosus (Cuvier, 1830), Cynoscion nothus (Holbrook, 1848), and Archosargus probatocephalus (Walbaum, 1792). The highest densities were recorded for Eucinostomus melanopterus (Bleeker, 1863), Eucinostomus gula (Quoy et Gaimard, 1824), Syngnathus scovelli (Evermann et Kendall, 1896), Achirus lineatus (Linnaeus, 1758), and Cathorops aguadulce (Meek, 1904). The dominant species were Cathorops melanopus (Günther, 1864), Citharichthys spilopterus Günther, 1862, and E. gula. Conclusions. The majority of the fishes collected in the Laguna de Tamiahua favoured seagrass beds along ‘costa mar’, the islands Juan A. Ramírez and del Idolo, and areas near the northern and southern inlets. Of the 170 fish species, 10 were present in the 15 compared lagoons, five were recorded only in Tamiahua, and the other species were present in 2 to 14 lagoons. The lagoons most similar to Tamiahua regarding the composition of ichthyofauna were Tampamachoco, Términos, Alvarado, and Madre. This study contributed to the knowledge on a lagoon that sustains local and regional fisheries on which local communities depend.
Modelling 1H NMR spectra of organic compounds: Theory, applications and NMR prediction software

Provides a theoretical introduction to graduate scientists and industrial researchers towards the understanding of the assignment of 1H NMR spectra Discusses, and includes on enclosed CD, one of the best, the fastest and most applicable pieces of NMR prediction software available Allows students of organic chemistry to solve problems on 1H NMR with access to over 500 assigned spectra.
Expression of CD27 and CD28 on γδ T cells from the peripheral blood of patients with allergic rhinitis

The costimulatory receptors CD27 and CD28 have pivotal and non-redundant roles in the activation and differentiation of γδ T-cells. However, the roles of CD27 and CD28 on γδ T-cells in allergic rhinitis (AR) have remained elusive. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of CD27 and CD28 on γδ T cells in patients with AR. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 14 patients with AR and 12 healthy subjects were isolated and analyzed by flow cytometry to determine the percentage of γδ T cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs), and the expression of IFN-γ, IL-17A, CD27 and CD28 on γδ T cells. The correlations between the expression of CD27 and CD28, and the percentages of IFN-γ+ and IL-17A+ γδ T-cell subsets and Tregs in AR were analyzed. It was observed that the percentages of γδ T cells, and the IL-17A+, CD27-CD28+ and CD27-CD28- γδ T-cell subsets were significantly increased, while the percentages of Tregs and IFN-γ+ and CD27+CD28+ γδ T-cell subsets were significantly decreased in AR. Of note, the percentage of CD27+CD28+ γδ T-cell subsets was positively correlated with that of the IFN-γ+ γδ T-cell subset and the percentage of the CD27-CD28+ γδ T-cell subset was positively correlated with that of the IL-17A+ γδ T-cell subset. Furthermore, the percentages of γδ T cells and the CD27-CD28+ γδ T-cell subset were both negatively correlated with that of Tregs. Therefore, the results of the present study indicate that CD27 and CD28 may be the key signals for activation of different γδ T-cell subsets and may contribute to the immune regulatory function of γδ T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with AR.
Functional response of the soil microbial community to biochar applications

Biochar has the potential to mitigate the impacts of climate change and soil degradation by simultaneously sequestering C in soil and improving soil quality. However, the mechanism of biochar's effect on soil microbial communities remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted a global meta‐analysis, where we collected 2,110 paired observations from 107 published papers and used structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the effects of biochar on microbial community structure and function. Our result indicated that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal abundance, microbial biomass C, and functional richness increased with biochar addition regardless of loads, time since application, and experiment types. Results from mixed linear model analysis suggested that soil respiration and actinomycetes (ACT) abundance decreased with biochar application. With the increase of soil pH, the effect of biochar on fungal abundance and C metabolic ability was lessened. Higher biochar pH associated with higher pyrolysis temperatures reduced the abundance of bacteria, fungi, ACT, and soil microbes feeding on miscellaneous C from Biolog Eco‐plate experiments. SEM that examined the effect of biochar properties, load, and soil properties on microbial community indicated that fungal abundance was the dominant factor affecting the response of the bacterial abundance to biochar. The response of bacterial abundance to biochar addition was soil dependent, whereas fungi abundance was mostly related to biochar load and pyrolysis temperature. Based on soil conditions, controlling biochar load and production conditions would be a direct way to regulate the effect of biochar application on soil microbial function and increase the capacity to sequester C.
Phase-angle dependence of colour ratios and potential implications for lunar remote sensing

Context. The colour-ratio technique has been widely used in mapping planetary surfaces, but its solar phase-angle dependence is not well understood. Understanding the phase-angle dependence of the colour ratio would enhance our abilities in interpreting planetary remote sensing data. Aims. We aim to investigate the dependence of the colour ratio indices on mineralogy, phase angle, particle size, and the degree of simulated space weathering. Methods. We measured the multi-band (i.e. 458, 633, 750, and 905 nm) and multi-angle reflectance spectra of four typical lunar-type minerals with different particle sizes using a custom multi-angular imaging device. Results. The colour ratio does have a phase-angle dependence that is more sensitive to the mineralogy and wavelength and less sensitive to particle size distribution. Conclusions. The combined analysis of the colour ratio and its phase dependence can improve efficiency in mapping the lunar surface. With a prior knowledge of the phase behaviours of colour ratios of specific lunar-type minerals, an optimised colour ratio at certain phase angles can be found to efficiently distinguish the composition of a target surface.
Biological Responses to the Consumption of Non-Nutritional Sweeteners

Non-nutritive sweetener (NNS) use has increased exponentially over the last 30 years as industrialized countries attempted, and failed, to battle obesity epidemics. Large studies have now shown that consumption of NNS’s does not help obese individuals lose weight. A large number of scientific studies on NNS’s effects have many conflicting results, methodological issues, conflicts of interest, while double blind studies represent a small minority of the studies. NNS’s have often been considered as a group despite having unique in vivo absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME). Aspartame may be the most desirable NNS due to its rapid degradation in vivo, whereas saccharin and sucralose are worrisome due to their extended stability in vivo. This review will focus on the most ubiquitous NNS’s: aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, sucralose, stevia, sugar alcohols (sorbitol, xylitol, and erythritol), and discuss their different chemical structures, metabolism, effect on the gut biome and cancer.
Presence and persistence of Pseudomonas sp. during Caspian Sea-style spontaneous milk fermentation highlights the importance of safety and regulatory concerns for traditional and ethnic foods

The emergence of dairying was a critical step in early agriculture, with considerable importance in the human diet (Panesar, 2011). As a rich nutritional source for microbial growth, prehistoric farmers used lactic acid fermentation to prolong the shelf life of milk (Carrer et al., 2016). The finding of abundant milk residues in pottery vessels from seventhmillennium sites from north-western Anatolia provided the earliest evidence of milk processing (Salque et al., 2013). Until now, fermented dairy products have been a vital component in the daily diet of ethnic groups all around the world, and play an important nutritional role in modern life (Granato et al., 2010).
Coping with Danger and Deception: Lessons from Signal Detection Theory

Signal detection theory (SDT) has been used to model optimal stimulus discrimination for more than four decades in evolutionary ecology. A popular standard model that maximizes payoff per encounter was recently criticized for being too simplistic, leading to erroneous predictions. We review a number of SDT models that have received less attention but have explicitly taken repeated encounters into account, focusing on prey choice, mate search, aggressive mimicry, and the aiding of kin. We show how these models can be seen as variants of a second standard model that can be analyzed in a unified framework. In contrast to the simpler model, in this second model a higher probability of an undesirable or dangerous event occurring may either decrease or increase the receiver’s acceptance rates. In each instance, the latter outcome requires undesirable events to be undesirable in a relative rather than an absolute sense. Increasing the abundance of desirable signalers or the payoff from accepting them may also either raise or reduce acceptance rates. Our synthesis highlights fundamental similarities among models previously studied on a case-by-case basis and challenges some long-held beliefs. For example, some classic predictions of Batesian mimicry can be reversed when model prey are protected by low profitability rather than harmful defense.