Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Forecasting a Nonstationary Time Series with a Mixture of Stationary and Nonstationary Factors as Predictors

This paper develops a method for forecasting a nonstationary time series, such as GDP, using a set of high-dimensional panel data as predictors. To this end, we use what is known as a factor augmented regression [FAR] model that contains a small number of estimated factors as predictors; the factors are estimated using time series data on a large number of potential predictors. The validity of this method for forecasting has been established when all the variables are stationary and also when they are all nonstationary, but not when they consist of a mixture of stationary and nonstationary ones. This paper fills this gap. More specifically, we develop a method for constructing an asymptotically valid prediction interval using the FAR model when the predictors include a mixture of stationary and nonstationary factors; we refer to this as mixture-FAR model. This topic is important because typically time series data on a large number of economic variables is likely to contain a mixture of stationary and nonstationary variables. In a simulation study, we observed that the mixture-FAR performed better than its competitor that requires all the variables to be nonstationary. As an empirical illustration, we evaluated the aforementioned methods for forecasting the nonstationary variables, GDP and Industrial Production [IP], using the quarterly panel data on US macroeconomic variables, known as FRED-D. We observed that the mixture-FAR model proposed in this paper performed better than its aforementioned competitors.
CHANGES DURING THE FIFTH INSTAR OF LOCUSTA MIGRATORIA IN THE RATE OF CROP EMPTYING AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO FEEDING AND FOOD UTILISATION

Crop emptying was investigated both during and up until 60 min (ca. an average inter‐feed) after a meal of seedling wheat taken by 5th‐instar Locusta migratoria L. nymphs which had been previously deprived of food for 5 hr. Emptying was linearly related to meal size over this period and was fastest during mid‐instar and during the light phase of the LD 12: 12 photoregime (at a constant 30°). The changes in crop emptying were found to be due, on all days except the day of ecdysis, to variation in the amount passed back from the crop in the 60‐min period after the meal, rather than variation in emptying during the meal. Up until mid‐instar the changes in crop emptying tended to counter the increase shown in mean meal size, so that a relatively similar amount of food remained in the crop after a 60‐min period since the meal on all days. This was also shown to be the case in insects with constant access to food. The relationships evident for such insects between crop emptying, feeding patterns and changes in food utilisation are discussed.
Intracellular pH is a Critical Element in Apoptosis Triggered by GM-CSF Deprivation in TF1 Cells

Background: Hemopoietic cells require the constant presence of growth factors for survival in vitro and in vivo. Caspases have been known as central executors of apoptotic cell death. We have, therefore, investigated the pathways that regulate caspase activity and apoptosis using the CD34 cell line, TF-1 which requires GM-CSF for survival. Methods: Apoptosis was measured by annexin V staining and mitochondrial membrane potential was measured by DiOC6 labelling. Intracellular pH was measured using pH sensitive fluorochrome, BCECF or SNARF-1, followed by flow cytometry analysis. Caspase activation was analyzed by PARP cleavage using anti-PARP antibody. Results: Removal of GM-CSF induceed PARP cleavage, a hallmark of caspase activity, concomitant with pHi acidification and a drop in mitochondrial potential. Treatment with ZVAD, a competitive inhibitor of caspases, partially rescued cell death without affecting pHi acidification and the reduction of mitochondrial potential, suggesting that both these events act upstream of caspases. Overexpression of Bcl-2 prevented cell death induced by GM-CSF deprivation as well as pHi acidification and the reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential. In parental cells maintained with GM-CSF, EIPA, a competitive inhibitor of Na/H antiporter induced apoptosis, accompanied by a drastic reduction in mitochondrial potential. In contrast, EIPA induced apoptosis in Bcl-2 transfectants without causing mitochondrial membrane depolarization. Conclusion: Taken together, our results suggest that the regulation of Hfluxes, either through a mitochondriondependent or independent pathway, is central to caspase activation and apoptosis. (Immune Network 2003;3(4):268-275)
Seed germination of Solanum spp. (Solanaceae) for use in rehabilitation and commercial industries

Effective methods for propagation of native Solanum species are required for mine rehabilitation and the native food industry in Australia. This study investigated seed germination of eight native Solanum species with respect to incubation temperature and the efficacy of germination-promoting compounds gibberellic acid (GA3), the butenolide isolated from smoke (karrikinolide, KAR1) and smoke water (SW). Seeds of all species were tested under a temperature regime of 26/13°C or 33/18°C. In these conditions, seeds of only two species, S. cunninghamii Benth. and S. phlomoides Benth. germinated to high levels without treatment. Of the remaining six species, GA3 alone promoted germination in S. chippendalei Symon, S. diversiflorum F.Muell. and S. sturtianum F.Muell. , whereas GA3, KAR1 and SW were effective at promoting germination of S. centrale J.M. Black, S. dioicum W.Fitzg. and S. orbiculatum Dunal ex Poir. to varying degrees. Additional incubation temperatures (10, 15, 20, 25 and 30°C) were examined for S. centrale and S. orbiculatum. For both species, broadly similar patterns were noted in the response of seeds to GA3, KAR1 and SW across all temperatures. However, for S. centrale seeds, germination percentages were higher at 26/13°C than at any of the constant temperatures, and there was a trend of increasing germination with increasing constant temperature for S. orbiculatum seeds. Analysis of seed embryo type and imbibition characteristics and consideration of the subsequent germination results indicates that dormant Solanum seeds possess physiological dormancy.
Operationally Simple Regioselective 5′-Phosphorylation of Unprotected 5-Ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine Analogues

Here, we present the development of a straightforward methodology to regioselectively phosphorylate the 5′-OH group of unprotected nucleosides. We employ cyclosaligenyl phosphoramidite reagents together with pyridinium trifluoroacetate as activator, followed by in situ oxidation to prepare a panel of novel nucleoside-based chemical probes, ProLabel compounds 4–15. Alternative procedures for this transformation are available, but are limited in number and scope. Furthermore, the benefits of the new methodology include milder reaction conditions, wider solvent applicability, and, by avoiding sensitive reagents, a more straightforward handling of reagents, reactions, and workup processes. The panel of novel cyclosaligenyl phosphotriester uridine ProLabels have variable 2′ substituents (H, F, Cl, Br, I) as well as four different cyclosaligenyl groups that would span a range of half-lives for in vitro applications.
Evaluating the Development of Competences of Students in the Master-Level Course in Socioemotional Learning for Personal and Professional Development (MAESE)

The purpose of this work is to evaluate the impact that the Master-level course in Socioemotional Learning for Personal and Social Development (hereinafter MAESE) has had on socioemotional skills, positive psychology (dispositional optimism and satisfaction with life), the level of communicative and teamwork skills developed through coaching, and the capacity for entrepreneurship and innovation in the students of four consecutive graduating classes. This Master-level course has been taught at the University of Zaragoza in a blended-instruction form since 2014 and is currently in its sixth year. The methodology used here is eminently quantitative through an ex post facto descriptive study, although in the coaching and entrepreneurship block, qualitative information is also collected through open-ended questions. The results show that after completing the MAESE, there are few significant improvements in socioemotional skills (MSCEIT). On the other hand, there are significant improvements in the participants’ dispositional optimism (Life Orientation Test), satisfaction with life (SWLS), skill development through coaching, and ability to undertake projects and to innovate (PTWS). We conclude by reinforcing the importance of and responsibility to evaluate the impact that university training has on its students, especially for degrees covering emotion-related content.
Fine root dynamics and trace gas fluxes in two lowland tropical forest soils

Fine root dynamics have the potential to contribute significantly to ecosystem‐scale biogeochemical cycling, including the production and emission of greenhouse gases. This is particularly true in tropical forests which are often characterized as having large fine root biomass and rapid rates of root production and decomposition. We examined patterns in fine root dynamics on two soil types in a lowland moist Amazonian forest, and determined the effect of root decay on rates of C and N trace gas fluxes. Root production averaged 229 (±35) and 153 (±27) g m−2 yr−1 for years 1 and 2 of the study, respectively, and did not vary significantly with soil texture. Root decay was sensitive to soil texture with faster rates in the clay soil (k=−0.96 year−1) than in the sandy loam soil (k=−0.61 year−1), leading to greater standing stocks of dead roots in the sandy loam. Rates of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions were significantly greater in the clay soil (13±1 ng N cm−2 h−1) than in the sandy loam (1.4±0.2 ng N cm−2 h−1). Root mortality and decay following trenching doubled rates of N2O emissions in the clay and tripled them in sandy loam over a 1‐year period. Trenching also increased nitric oxide fluxes, which were greater in the sandy loam than in the clay. We used trenching (clay only) and a mass balance approach to estimate the root contribution to soil respiration. In clay soil root respiration was 264–380 g C m−2 yr−1, accounting for 24% to 35% of the total soil CO2 efflux. Estimates were similar using both approaches. In sandy loam, root respiration rates were slightly higher and more variable (521±206 g C m2 yr−1) and contributed 35% of the total soil respiration. Our results show that soil heterotrophs strongly dominate soil respiration in this forest, regardless of soil texture. Our results also suggest that fine root mortality and decomposition associated with disturbance and land‐use change can contribute significantly to increased rates of nitrogen trace gas emissions.
Cultivation of seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) doty ex silva using tissue–cultured seedlings in encircling tank culture system

The seaweed, Kappaphycus alvarezii, is the most widely cultivated commodity in Indonesia. The problem currently faced is seedling availability due annual seasonal variations such as heavy flooding This paper presents a study aimed at solving seedling scarcity: the first based on cultivating tissue-cultured seedlings in encircling tanks. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of different initial weight on growth and carrageenan yield of K. alvarezii using tissue – cultured seedlings. This research was conducted from March to June 2019 in the Shrimp Hatchery, Kendari, Indonesia. This study applied three treatments based on different initial weight and five replications. The treatments were 5g, B: 10g and 15 g initial weights (IW). The results showed that the daily growth rate (DGR) of all treatments tended not to differ significantly but the DGR of 5-g IW tended to be higher than those of the other two treatments. The means of DGR were 3.76±0.54%/day, 3.30±0.46%/day, and 2.84±0.27%/day for 5-, 10-, and 15-g IW, respectively. Healthy rates of all treatments were 90.28%, 94.45% and 87.47% for 5-, 10- and 15-g IW. The ratio of fresh weight (FW) and dry weight (DW of 5-, 10-, and 15-g IW were 9.51:1, 9.54:1, and 9.56:1, respectively. The ratio showed no significant differences among treatments. Furthermore, for carrageenan yield, 15-g IW treatment showed the highest yield (37.05±2.18%), but had no significant differences from the other two treatments. Furthermore, all water quality parameters, temperature, salinity, DO, pH, nitrat, phosphate and turbidity were within the normal range for cultivating the seedlings. In conclusion, 5-g initial weight is a prominent weight suitable to be used in cultivating the seedlings in the encircling tank.
FACTORS AFFECTING MATERNAL EXPENDITURE IN SOUTHERN ELEPHANT SEALS DURING LACTATION

Southern elephant seals Mirounga leonina provide a unique opportunity for examination of parental investment because postpartum pup growth is fueled exclusively by energy from stored reserves in fasting mothers, and the seals are extremely sexually dimorphic as adults. We examined the influence of pup sex, maternal size, and other factors on the variation in postpartum maternal mass change and pup growth. Elephant seals (178 mothers and 445 pups) were weighed during four breeding periods at South Georgia Island. Maternal mass change during lactation increased markedly with the mass of the mother at parturition. Postpartum maternal mass accounted for 75% of the variation in mass loss and 62% of the variation of pup mass at weaning. Size of the pup at birth explained <4% of this variation, and the sex of the pup explained virtually none (<0.1%). The duration of lactation was positively correlated with the pstpartumo mass of mothers, but negatively correlated with the rate of maternal mass loss when corrected for the effect of maternal postpartum mass. Mothers giving birth late in the season had shorter lactation periods than those that gave birth early but seemed to compensate for this by increasing the rate of mass transfer. Average transfer efficiency (pup mass gain/maternal mass loss) was 46±0.5%. Mothers lost, on average, 35% of their postpartum mass during lactation and 40% during the whole breeding period. Females whose postpartum mass increased between seasons increased their expenditure on their pups; females whose postpartum mass decreased, decreased their expenditure. These data from mothers with single pups do not clarify whether differences in investment were controlled by mothers or their offspring. However on three occasions, study females raised two pups in a season. Despite the increased demand, these females did not increase their expenditure, suggesting that levels of investment are maternally controlled. These results show that levels of expenditure in southern elephant seals appear to be determined largely by a single variable: female mass at parturition.
Estimativas de parâmetros e tendências genéticas para algumas características de importância econômica em linhagem paterna de frangos de corte sob seleção

Estimativas dos parâmetros geneticos e fenotipicos de algumas caracteristicas produtivas em linhagem paterna de matrizes de frango de corte foram obtidas utilizando-se a metodologia de modelos mistos. Utilizaram-se dados de aproximadamente 46.000 aves, originados de 12 geracoes no periodo de 1992 a 2003, fornecidos pela EMBRAPA Suinos e aves. Nos machos foram avaliadas as caracteristicas peso corporal aos 42 dias de idade (P42), comprimento de peito (CPeito), largura maior do peito (Larg1) e largura menor do peito (Larg2) aos 42 dias de idade. Os componentes de variância e co-variância foram estimados utilizando-se o programa DFREML. As estimativas de herdabilidade obtidas foram moderadas e variaram de 0,29 a 0,53. As correlacoes geneticas foram: 0,68 entre P42 e CPeito; 0,65 entre P42 e Larg1; 0,48 entre P42 e Larg2. O estudo da tendencia genetica das caracteristicas indicou que progresso genetico esta sendo obtido.
The summer metabolic balance in the epilimnion of southeastern Quebec lakes

On the basis of data collected in Quebec lakes, del Giorgio and Peters (1994) and Carignan et al. (2000) have come to opposite conclusions regarding the metabolic balance between heterotrophy and autotrophy in lakes in general. In the present study, epilimnetic oxygen and carbon dioxide saturation was measured in 33 lakes from the St. Lawrence Lowlands region of Quebec to examine the extent of epilimnetic net heterotrophy (i.e., O2:CO2 balance) in lakes of different characteristics. We found that ~75% of the lakes were undersaturated with oxygen and supersaturated with CO2. There was a strong negative relationship between the departures of O2 and CO2 from saturation. What has not been noted elsewhere is that oxygen concentrations were negatively related to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration, and, therefore, metabolic gas balances could be predicted from DOC; a value between 4 and 6 mg L−1 DOC corresponds to metabolic equilibrium. Because most of the lakes in del Giorgio and Peters (1994) had DOC concentrations above this threshold and most lakes in Carignan et al. (2000) were below, their apparently contradictory conclusions can be reconciled within a larger general theory. Contrary to studies elsewhere, however, we found that the degree of oxygen undersaturation increased with lake trophic status, expressed either as total phosphorus or nitrogen concentrations.
Simulation of Natural Iron Oxide Alteration in Soil: Conversion of Synthetic Ferrihydrite to Hematite Without Artificial Dopants, Observed With Magnetic Methods

We present new results on the conversion of pure, undoped synthetic ferrihydrite, wet‐annealed at pH 6.56 and 90°C without stabilizing ligands, to nanophase goethite, hematite, and an intermediate magnetic phase, nanophase maghemite. Our analyses included magnetic field and temperature‐dependent properties and characterization by powder X‐ray diffraction, Mössbauer spectra, and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy. We sampled alteration products after 0.5 hr, and then in a geometric progression to 32 hr, yielding a detailed examination of the earliest alteration phases. There are many similarities to the latest studies of pure ferrihydrite alteration but with a significant difference: We observe early appearance of oriented nanophase goethite along with a soft magnetic contribution, while rhombohedral hematite crystals form later, as reported in previous studies. Our observations attest to the non‐uniqueness of the magnetic enhancement process and to its strong dependence on environmental conditions, with important implications for use of the hematite/goethite ratio as a paleoprecipitation proxy.
Influence of Lake Morphometry on the Response of Submerged Macrophytes to Sediment Fertilization

The influence of lake morphometry on the growth of submerged macrophytes in response to sediment fertilization was studied at sites of varying bottom slope (steep to gentle), wave exposure (high to low), and depth (1.0 and 2.5 m) in Lake Memphremagog (Quebec–Vermont). The biomass increases were on average 2.1 times greater for fertilized plants than for the paired controls. The extent of the growth response was greatest at the 1.0-m sites. The smaller response at the 2.5-m sites was further decreased as exposure to waves increased. The smaller response at 2.5 m (depth of maximum biomass) suggests that factors such as light limitation, length of the growing season, and littoral slope, but not sediment nutrient levels, limit submerged biomass there. The importance of the physical factors appears to increase as the biomass increases. "Overwintering" plants showed greater response to fertilization than those growing from seeds. Overall, the extent of the growth response to sediment fertilization depends on th.
Bison: Mating and Conservation in Small Populations

This examination of a depopulated species, the North American bison, provides insights into the past and present behaviour and ecology of what was once the continent's largest terrestrial mammal. The authors' research, conducted over a five-year period, attempts to resolve such questions as: what happens when only a small proportion of the male of a species mate? ; why do animals in particular areas experience morphological malformations? ; and how much genetic diversity has been lost since the 19th century? The study also discusses the consequences of mating failures, lineage differences in growth and birth synchrony. It explores behavioural ecology, mate choice, the conservation of ecosystems and the management of endangered species.
Stomatal characteristics, conductance ratios, and drought‐induced leaf modifications of semiarid grassland species

Seventeen greenhouse-grown grasses from the Nebraska Sandhills region were surveyed for foliar stomatal density and distribution, closed guard cell lengths, open stomatal apertures, and surface characteristics (using scanning electron microscopy), surface conductance (using a steady-state porometer), and drought-induced leaf modifications. Leaves of C3 species exhibited a proclivity toward being amphistomatic or hyperstomatic, while C4 species tended to be more hypostomatic. Leaf modification, when it occurred, resulted in the enshrouding of the adaxial surface. Conductance data showed functional amphistomaty in most species, revealing differential functioning of adaxial and abaxial stomata. Conductance patterns were not closely related to stomatal aperture per unit area leaf surface or to stomatal distribution patterns. Lowered adaxial: abaxial conductance ratios, increased stomatal density, reduced stomatal size, and less drought-induced leaf modification were seen in C4 grasses as compared with C3 grasses. C3 range and C3 meadow species did not differ in conductance ratios, density ratios, or stomatal size, although meadow species exhibited much greater drought-induced leaf modification. Postulations involving correlation of adaxial: abaxial conductance ratios to stomatal distribution patterns, and assumptions of stomatal distribution based upon habitat and/or photosynthetic pathway may be erroneous. These characteristics may be of limited usefulness as morphological indicators in the search for drought-tolerant ecotypes of prairie grasses.
Characterization and Pathogenicity of Fusarium oxysporum Associated with Carya illinoinensis Seedlings

Pecan cultivation in Brazil has gained increasingly economic importance in the southern part of the country. The objective of this work was to identify the pathogen that causes root rot in Carya illinoinensis seedlings in the nursery, through morphological, molecular and pathogenicity tests. Fungi from the genus Fusarium found in symptomatic roots of pecan seedlings were isolated in potato dextrose agar (PDA) culture medium and purified. Morphological characterization was performed in PDA and carnation leaf agar (CLA) media. For the molecular characterization, the genomic segments ITS (internal transcribed spaces), β-tub (beta-tubulin), and tef1-α (elongation fact 1-alpha) were sequenced. The pathogenicity test was performed on healthy seedlings in the greenhouse. The combination of morphological and molecular characters was fundamental for identification of the species, showing that the most suitable genes for identification were ITS and tef1-α. The causative agent of root rot in C. illinoinensis seedlings in the nursery was identified as Fusarium oxysporum.