Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chlorophyll-a Fluorescence Analysis Reveals Differential Response of Photosynthetic Machinery in Melatonin-Treated Oat Plants Exposed to Osmotic Stress

In this study, the effects of melatonin-induced enhancement on the principal photosynthetic parameters and antioxidant machinery were investigated in Avena sativa (oat) plants exposed to polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced osmotic stress. The parameters of growth, chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, proline accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and electrolyte leakage showed noteworthy improvements between the groups. Melatonin treatment caused upregulation of the genes that encode the three major antioxidant enzymes: ascorbate peroxidase (APX), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). Chlorophyll-a fluorescence kinetic analyses revealed that melatonin treatment improved performance indices (PIABS and PItotal), quantum yields, and efficiencies of photosystem II (PSII) in oat plants subjected to PEG-induced osmotic stress. Furthermore, upregulation of five genes (PsbA, PsbB, PsbC, PsbD, and PsbO) that encode the core proteins of PSII implied melatonin exerted a positive influence on photosynthesis under conditions of osmotic stress.
Incidental Exposure to Non-Like-Minded News through Social Media: Opposing Voices in Echo-Chambers’ News Feeds

Debates about post-truth need to take into account how news re-disseminates in a hybrid media system in which social networks and audience participation play a central role. Hence, there is a certain risk of reducing citizens’ exposure to politically adverse news content, creating ‘echo chambers’ of political affinity. This article presents the results of research conducted in agreement with 18 leading Spanish online news media, based on a survey (N = 6625) of their registered users. The results highlight that high levels of selective exposure that are a characteristic of offline media consumption are being moderated in the online realm. Although most of the respondents get news online from like-minded media, the figures related to those who also get news from media with a different media ideology should not be underestimated. As news consumption is becoming more ‘social,’ our research points out that Spanish citizens who are more active on social media sites are more likely to be exposed to news content from different ideological positions than those who are less active users. There is a weak association between the use of a particular social network site and gaining access to like- and non-like-minded news.
Dual-defect surface engineering of bimetallic sulfide nanotubes towards flexible asymmetric solid-state supercapacitors

Nickel cobalt sulfide (NiCo2S4) is a promising battery-type material for electrochemical energy storage. However, the slow charge transfer kinetics and ion diffusion as well as the deficiency of electrochemically active sites hinder the practical application of NiCo2S4. Defect engineering at the atomic level is adopted to improve charge storage kinetics, through the incorporation of P dopants and S vacancies onto the surface of a NiCo2S4 nanotube (P-NiCo2S4−x). Experimental results reveal that the introduction of these defects effectively increases the electrical conductivity and induces the formation of low oxidation state Ni and Co species, accelerating the charge transfer kinetics and enabling rich faradaic redox chemistry. Moreover, the partial substitution of S sites with P improves the covalent nature of P-NiCo2S4−x, facilitating surface electroactivity. The as-prepared P-NiCo2S4−x shows a high specific capacity of 1806.4 C g−1 at 1 A g−1 and a 95.5% capacity retention after 5000 cycles at a high current density of 30 A g−1. Flexible solid-state asymmetric supercapacitors with P-NiCo2S4−x and activated carbon as the positive and negative electrodes, respectively, deliver a high energy density of 68.2 W h kg−1 at 800 W kg−1 and excellent cycling stability. Moreover, the device exhibits good mechanical flexibility with negligible capacitance decay under different bending states.
EVALUATION OF IAA AND PHAs PRODUCTION BY CHROMIUM RESISTANT BACTERIAL ISOLATES

Extensive chromite mining activities have generated huge amount of toxic hexavalent chromium Cr (VI), which persists in the soil for many years. Long term accumulation of Cr(VI) in the soil decreases crop productivity in adjoining farming land. On account of that, 14 chromium resistant bacteria (CRB) were subjected to Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) and Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) Production. Bacterial strains such as Bacillus sp. CTSI-07, Enterobacter sp. CTWI-06 and Acinetobacter sp. CTWI-07 were producing 24, 114 and 106 μg/ml of IAA respectively. In addition, these bacterial isolates produced 0.75, 0.30 and 0.42 g/l of PHAs under submerged fermentation process. Moreover, higher amount of PHAs production (21.42%) was exhibited by Bacillus sp. CTSI-07. The extracted biopolymer is polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) (most common homopolymer of PHAs) as revealed from structural characterization. As these bacterial strains have the capability to produce IAA and PHAs, which may be utilized for long term bioremediation of Cr(VI) in chromium contaminated soil as well as to maintain soil fertility. * Corresponding author
Perceived Social Isolation and Self Esteem In Relation To Psychological Wellbeing of Hearing Impaired Individuals

Auditory perception provides a sense of security and involvement in life. It conjointly plays a vital role in the development of speech and language. Hearing impairment also known as deafness which can be partial or total inability to hear. Hearing impairment can cause psychosocial issues such as social isolation, poor self – esteem, psychological wellbeing, etc. The present study aims to understand the psychological well-being of hearingimpaired individuals with perceived social isolation and self-esteem. The data were collected from 100 samples (50 male and 50 female) using a purposive sampling technique. PGI General well-being scale(Verma & Verma, 1989),Rosenberg self-esteem scale(Rosenberg, 1965) and Multidimensional scale of perceived social support(Zimet et al, 1988) were used to measure the variables. Descriptive statistics, Correlation and t-test were used to analyze the data. It was found that there is no significant relationship between psychological wellbeing and perceived isolation of hearing-impaired individuals and there is a significant positive correlation between psychological wellbeing and self-esteem of hearing-impaired individuals. There is no gender difference in psychological wellbeing, self-esteem and perceived social isolation of hearing-impaired individuals. The findings of the study will be useful to enhance healthy coping skills and to improve the quality of life of hearing-impaired individuals by counseling.
Cultural and Morphological Characterization of Rhizoctonia solani f. sp. sasakii Isolates Collected from Different Districts of Andhra Pradesh

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most versatile emerging crops having wider adaptability under varied agro-climatic conditions. Globally, maize is known as queen of cereals due to its high genetic yield potential. Among the potential factors that limit maize production, fungal diseases are reported to cause extensive crop yield reduction in many countries and are considered as a priority in disease management practice (Agrios, 2005). Of different fungal diseases affecting maize cultivation, banded leaf and sheath blight (BLSB) incited by Rhizoctonia solani f. sp. sasakii Exner (Thanatephorus sasakii (Shirai) Tu and Kimbrough) (Tu and Kimbrrough, 1978) is an economically significant disease causing huge losses in all crop growing areas of the world. Increased incidence of BLSB has been observed in rice fallow maize crop (zero tillage) in different districts of Andhra Pradesh. Effective management of BLSB in maize is possible only when the pathogen is eliminated completely or the propagules are brought down below economic threshold limits at field level. Control measures used were partly effective because R. soiani is able to produce sclerotia that can persist in the soil for at least two years (Ou, 1985). The pace of International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 6 Number 11 (2017) pp. 3457-3469 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
The Potential Use of Drones for Tourism in Crises: A Facility Location Analysis Perspective

Considering the recent lockdowns and travel bans due to COVID-19, novel tourism strategies are necessary to face the increasing need for innovative products and services and to ensure long-term sustainable growth. This study looks into the potential use of drones in providing online virtual tours of open-space tourist attractions. To do so, a novel mixed-integer linear mathematical model is developed to optimally determine the number and location of required facilities and the number of drones assigned to each center. The model is applied to a case study of Rome by selecting six historic sites as the tourist attractions and considering several candidate locations for establishing the facilities. The results of different potential scenarios imply that the project is profitable, even if the demand for virtual tours is low.
Melatonin regulates the expression of Bone Morphogenetic Protein 15 (Bmp-15), Growth Differentiation Factor 9 (Gdf-9) and LH receptor (Lhr) genes in developing follicles of rats

This study investigated the effects of melatonin supplementation on the daily mRNA expression of Bmp-15, Gdf-9, FSH (Fshr) and LH (Lhr) receptor genes and the effect of gonadotropin supplementation on protein expression of melatonin-synthetizing enzymes (ASMT and AANAT) during in vitro maturation (IMV) of rat follicle-enclosed oocytes. We also studied the effects of pinealectomy on the mRNA expression of Bmp-15, Gdf-9, Fshr and Lhr genes in immature oocytes and cumulus cells and on the protein expression and immunolocalization of AANAT and ASMT in immature ovaries. Ovaries were collected from sham-pinealectomized (INTACT) and pinealectomized (PINX) females during the light and dark phases of the 12h:12h light-dark cycle. Melatonin increased the Bmp-15 and Gdf-9 mRNA expression in follicle-enclosed oocytes during dark phase and Lhr mRNA expression during the light phase. The daily mRNA expression of Lhr was negatively correlated with the daily mRNA expression of Bmp-15 and Gdf-9 in follicle-enclosed oocytes supplemented with melatonin. There were no phase differences in oocytes mRNA expression of Bmp-15 and Gdf-9 from PINX females. Pinealectomy did not altered the mRNA expression of Lhr gene in cumulus cells. There were no phase differences in ASMT and AANAT expression in ovaries from INTACT and PINX females and their immunolocalization was seen in most of ovarian cells. AANAT expression in follicle-enclosed oocytes supplemented with LH from INTACT and PINX females was greater during the dark phase. The results suggest that melatonin regulates the daily Bmp-15, Gdf-9 and Lhr mRNA expression during the rat follicle development. There is also an indicative that melatonin plays an important role in the relationship between the daily expression of Lhr and the daily expression of Bmp-15 and Gdf-9 in follicle-enclosed oocytes during oocyte maturation process.
The effective music teacher: A model for predicting music teacher’s self-efficacy

Effective music teachers have several skills that influence the learning processes of their students. Music teachers’ effectiveness is a multidimensional construct that includes professional and personal features; it is a complex phenomenon characterized by several hidden variables that contribute in an interrelated way. Variables like professional self-efficacy could be good indicators of teachers’ effectiveness and are used to analyze professional and personal factors. The aim of this study is to examine music teachers’ professional self-efficacy and to define a predictive model based on their psychological and professional attitudes. Participants were 335 music teachers from several European countries who completed a set of questionnaires that included measures for professional self-efficacy, professional motivation, professional satisfaction, resilience, coping strategies, and self-esteem. A regression analysis was used to define a predictive model of professional self-efficacy. The results show that professional self-efficacy was positively predicted by professional satisfaction, intrinsic motivation and regulation attitudes toward teaching activity, perceived resilience, coping strategies based on planning solutions, and self-esteem. Conversely, coping strategies based on passive acceptance of critical situations had a negative impact on music teachers’ professional self-efficacy. The educational implications of these findings are discussed.
Risk of Spotted-Wing Drosophila Injury and Associated Increases in Acetic Acid in Minnesota Winegrapes

Spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), is an invasive species to Minnesota that was first recorded in 2012. Since its arrival it has become a major pest of stone fruit and berry crops, including winegrapes. High fecundity and short generation times have allowed D. suzukii to flourish and spread throughout North America and Europe in a relatively short period of time. Laboratory and field trials were conducted between 2017 and 2019 to determine the risk of injury from D. suzukii in Minnesota winegrape varieties and to assess acetic acid (AA) levels in wine and juice samples from cold-hardy winegrape varieties in Minnesota. Results from risk of injury studies in 2017 and 2018 demonstrated a low risk of direct injury to intact grape berries. Winemakers, however, are concerned about the potential risk of D. suzukii infestations increasing AA-producing bacteria (e.g., Acetobacter spp.), known to expedite the development of sour rot in grapes. AA trials in 2017 and 2019 demonstrated significant increases in AA for select grape varieties as fly density increased. However, the 2018 AA trials with modified infestation protocols did not result in significant differences in AA. Our results are discussed within the context of improving integrated pest management programs for D. suzukii.
What are “tippy” and “stemmy” phylogenies? Resolving a phylogenetic terminological tangle

Phylogenetic stemminess is one of the most popular metrics of tree shape among evolutionary biologists. The index was originally described by Fiala & Sokal (1985) as the proportion of the total length of the branches of a phylogenetic clade (including the subtending branch or “stem”) that is accounted for by the length of the subtending branch of the clade. Accordingly, phylogenies with high stemminess would show accumulation of speciation events toward the present, whereas those with low‐stemminess values would reflect the opposite pattern (i.e., speciation events skewed toward the root node, Fig. 1). Five years after the publication of the seminal paper of Fiala & Sokal (1985), Rohlf et al. (1990) used the term “stemmy” for the first time to denote high‐stemminess phylogenies (i.e., short terminal but longer internal branches), and later on, other authors used the term “tippy” to denote phylogenies with low stemminess (i.e., short internal but longer terminal branches; Swenson, 2011). However, I have noted that both terms have been used interchangeably in the phylogenetic literature during the last decade, which is notably confusing. To quantify the extent of this controversy, I conducted an exhaustive literature review in Google Scholar using the searching criteria “phylog*” AND “stemmy” OR “tippy” (accessed between 13 and 15 June 2019), and considered only scientific articles published in journals indexed in the ISI Web of Science (n= 65, see Table S1). I found that of all the papers that included the words “stemmy” and/or “tippy” as descriptors of phylogenetic stemminess (n= 41), 68% used such terms according to the formulation by Rohlf et al. (1990), that is, “stemmy” to denote phylogenies with high stemminess and “tippy” to refer to low‐stemminess phylogenies (e.g., Davies & Buckley, 2012; Mazel et al., 2016). In contrast, the remaining 32% of the papers used the terms in an inverted way, that is, “stemmy” to denote phylogenies with low stemminess and “tippy” to refer to high‐stemminess phylogenies instead (e.g., Morlon, 2014; Manceau et al., 2015). More important, some authors did not provide an explicit definition of the terms (e.g., Smith & Littlewood, 1994; Slater et al., 2012; Yedid et al., 2012), and thus their actual meaning (i.e., high or low stemminess) could only be ascertained thorough indirect evidence (i.e., figures and draft context). In a few cases, the authors did not provide any evidence that may allow disclosing the meaning of the terms (e.g., Beaulieu & O'Meara, 2018; Xie et al., 2018), which makes the concern described here particularly conspicuous.
The evolution and plasticity of life histories upon variation in nutrition : on aging focused integrative approach

In this thesis I describe studies of life history traits under variation in nutrition focused on ageing. The predictive adaptive response is a type of plastic response which is advantageous later in life, rather than immediately. We tested with a resource allocation model whether for a relatively short-lived organism, Bicyclus anynana increasing allocation to dispersal capability would be advantageous as an adult, when the individual would be stressed as a larva. This was indeed the case. Using a similar model we tested whether increased lifespan under dietary restriction would be evolutionary conserved. This did not seem to be the case. Then we describe how traits and gene expression in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) was affected by sustained cycles of low and high food, compared to constant food controls. Furthermore we compare predictions from a model, in which the relationship between fecundity and lifespan changes with the age of the flies measured. Lastly we test whether genetic variation in genes described in model organisms under laboratory conditions can be correlated to phenotypic variation in life history traits under natural conditions of the least killifish (Heterandria formosa). Indeed this was the case
Effects of surface proteins and lipids on molecular structure, thermal properties, and enzymatic hydrolysis of rice starch

Starch is synthesized as granules in higher plants and composed of two major components, amylose and amylopectin, and some minor components such as proteins and lipids (Baldwin, 2001; Jaiswal & Kumar, 2015; Xia et al., 2015). The proteins and lipids within starch granules are normally classified into two types: starch surface and interior proteins and lipids. The starch surface proteins stem from the storage proteins and some matrix proteins that remain absorbed to the surface of starch granules during starch development or after starch extraction, whereas the starch interior proteins stem from the starch biosynthetic or degradative enzymes, which remain following the starch synthesis and are entrapped within starch granules (Baldwin, 2001). The starch surface lipids are loosely attached or absorbed into the surface layers of starch granules in the endosperm, whereas the starch interior lipids are inclined to form a complex with amylose (Morrison, 1995).
Convergent regulatory evolution and the origin of flightlessness in palaeognathous birds

The relative roles of regulatory and protein evolution in the origin and loss of convergent phenotypic traits is a core question in evolutionary biology. Here we combine phylogenomic, epigenomic and developmental data to show that convergent evolution of regulatory regions, but not protein-coding genes, is associated with flightlessness in palaeognathous birds, a classic example of a convergent phenotype. Eleven new genomes, including a draft genome from an extinct moa, resolve palaeognath phylogeny and show that the incidence of independent, convergent accelerations among 284,000 conserved non-exonic elements is significantly more frequent in ratites than other bird lineages. Ratite-specific acceleration of conserved regions and measures of open chromatin across eight tissues in the developing chick identify candidate regulatory regions that may have modified or lost function in ratites. Enhancer activity assays conducted in the early developing chicken forelimb confirm that volant versions of a conserved element in the first intron of the TEAD1 gene display conserved enhancer activity, whereas an accelerated flightless version fails to drive reporter gene expression. Our results show that convergent molecular changes associated with loss of flight are largely regulatory in nature.
Using Digital Games for Enhancing EFL Grammar and Vocabulary in Higher Education

The purpose of this study is to analyze the use of digital games to enhance English as a Foreign Language (EFL) grammar and vocabulary in the English Major of Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, in southern Ecuador. A total of 68 students from B1 level, according to the Common European Frame-work of Reference for Languages (CEFR), participated in this study. All the par-ticipants were enrolled in two different classes of a Communicative Grammar course. A mixed-method approach was used to collect and analyze data in this study. Pre and post-questionnaires as well as writing rubrics were applied as in-struments. Digital games were implemented throughout an academic term of 5 months in which students received permanent feedback. The results show that digital games were useful to improve learners´ grammar in aspects concerning the use of modals, gerunds, and infinitives; also, students showed an improvement in their vocabulary knowledge, especially in topics related to jobs and education.
Numerical upper bounds to the ultimate load bearing capacity of three‐dimensional reinforced concrete structures

This contribution is addressing the ultimate limit state design of massive three‐dimensional reinforced concrete structures based on a finite‐element implementation of yield design theory. The strength properties of plain concrete are modeled either by means of a tension cutoff Mohr Coulomb or a Rankine condition, while the contribution of the reinforcing bars is taken into account by means of a homogenization method. This homogenization method can either represent regions of uniformly distributed steel rebars smeared into the concrete domain, but it can also be extended to model single rebars diluted into a larger region, thereby simplifying mesh generation and mesh size requirements in this region. The present paper is mainly focused on the implementation of the upper bound kinematic approach formulated as a convex minimization problem. The retained strength condition for the plain concrete and homogenized reinforced regions are both amenable to a formulation involving positive semidefinite constraints. The resulting semidefinite programming problems can, therefore, be solved using state‐of‐the‐art dedicated solvers. The whole computational procedure is applied to some illustrative examples, where the implementation of both static and kinematic methods produces a relatively accurate bracketing of the exact failure load for this kind of structures.