Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thick Root Syndrome in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.): A Description of the Phenomenon and an Investigation of the Role of Ethylene

In commercial growth of horticultural plants in greenhouses, high financial losses are being suffered due to the so-called thick root syndrome (TRS), a phenomenon characterized by severe deterioration of the root system. The early symptoms of TRS in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) are strongly curving roots that are swollen and superficially damaged. Research focused on ethylene, as both the culture practice of cucumber and the known effects of ethylene on root growth point to a possible role for this phytohormone in TRS. Ethylene induced root curvature and swelling as well as damage of the epidermal layer and outer cortex of roots of cucumber plants similar to TRS symptoms. Formation of root hairs was stimulated and root elongation was also severely inhibited by exogenous ethylene. However, based on experiments with the ethylene inhibitor α-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB), a causal relation between ethylene and TRS in cucumber is doubted.
Using A Web-Based Homework System In A Managerial Accounting Course : Does It Help Students To Learn ?

Use of web-based homework systems has been rapidly increasing in accounting courses and other business disciplines. This study investigates whether the use of such systems increases student learning in a first-year managerial accounting course. A group of students used a web-based homework system, and their scores in a standardized final examination were compared to a control group of students who did not use the web-based homework system. Student learning was not adversely affected. Given the obvious savings in instructor clerical effort, this finding makes the use of a web-based homework system an attractive option.
Generational differences in ethnic and religious attachment and their interrelation. A study among Muslim minorities in the Netherlands

Abstract Are there generational differences in ethnic and religious attachment among Muslim minorities in the Netherlands? To answer this question, we assess patterns of ethnic and religious identity and practice as well as their interrelation among Dutch Turks and Moroccans. Classical assimilation theories predict a decline in ethnic attachment over generations, but are less clear on consequences of migration on religious attachment. We use quantitative analysis to test propositions among first and second generation minorities (N = 1,861). Our data indicate that the second generation reports weaker ethnic and religious identities, and engages less in ethno-cultural and religious practices. We do find, however, that religious and ethnic identity become increasingly related for the second generation. These differences can only partly be accounted for by differences in education, employment and life course events.
A Quantistic Interpretation of the Relationship between the Earth-Core and the Atmosphere

The atmospheric behaviour of air is largely governed by low and high pressure systems. However, the relationship between these systems is not linear, as winds, sea temperatures and solar intensity modulate their dynamics and reduce predictability. Several other factors are known to affect these atmospheric dynamics, such as solar cycles. Recent evidence shows however that the earth’s gravitational field can be quantized in terms of quantum numbers, as recently published in Nature. The implications of this relationship between gravity and quantum numbers give rise to the possible key role of a quantum behaviour of gravity in affecting the formation of high- and low-pressure systems. In this letter, the author suggests a relation between the recently observed quantized nature of gravity, the weight of air and the formation of Low and High pressure areas in the atmosphere. The theory is novel and can aid in the understanding of interplay between the earths core forces, the gravitational behaviour and the atmospheric dynamics. There are however several parts of this theory that need further development, and an initial expression of this putative relationship is introduced.
Effect of Increasing Food Intake on the Mobilization of Vitamin A in Children

The mobilizing effect of diet on plasma levels of vitamin A was studied in groups of mildly vitamin A-deficient and apparently normal children. Both groups showed significant increases in plasma vitamin A when fed diets containing more than 75% of the recommended dietary allowance for proteins and energy, but low in carotenoids. The magnitude of increase observed in plasma vitamin A was similar in both control and deficient children. The lowering in plasma vitamin A and the occurrence of clinical signs of deficiency in such children appear to be secondary to protein energy malnutrition and not entirely due to the very poor stores of vitamin A. These results are of significance in devising methodology for the evaluation of both protein-energy and vitamin A status of the population.
Direct three-dimensional tomographic reconstruction and phase retrieval of far-field coherent diffraction patterns

We present an alternative numerical reconstruction algorithm for direct tomographic reconstruction of a sample refractive indices from the measured intensities of its far-field coherent diffraction patterns. We formulate the well-known phase-retrieval problem in ptychography in a tomographic framework which allows for simultaneous reconstruction of the illumination function and the sample refractive indices in three dimensions. Our iterative reconstruction algorithm is based on the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm. We demonstrate the performance of our proposed method with simulation studies.
STAR-FORMING BRIGHTEST CLUSTER GALAXIES AT 0.25 < z < 1.25: A TRANSITIONING FUEL SUPPLY

We present a multiwavelength study of the 90 brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) in a sample of galaxy clusters selected via the Sunyaev Zel’dovich effect by the South Pole Telescope, utilizing data from various ground- and space-based facilities. We infer the star-formation rate (SFR) for the BCG in each cluster—based on the UV and IR continuum luminosity, as well as the [O ii]λλ3726,3729 emission line luminosity in cases where spectroscopy is available—and find seven systems with SFR > 100 M⊙ yr−1. We find that the BCG SFR exceeds 10 M⊙ yr−1 in 31 of 90 (34%) cases at 0.25 < z < 1.25, compared to ∼1%–5% at z ∼ 0 from the literature. At z ≳ 1, this fraction increases to 92 − 31 + 6 ? > %, implying a steady decrease in the BCG SFR over the past ∼9 Gyr. At low-z, we find that the specific SFR in BCGs is declining more slowly with time than for field or cluster galaxies, which is most likely due to the replenishing fuel from the cooling ICM in relaxed, cool core clusters. At z ≳ 0.6, the correlation between the cluster central entropy and BCG star formation—which is well established at z ∼ 0—is not present. Instead, we find that the most star-forming BCGs at high-z are found in the cores of dynamically unrelaxed clusters. We use data from the Hubble Space Telescope to investigate the rest-frame near-UV morphology of a subsample of the most star-forming BCGs, and find complex, highly asymmetric UV morphologies on scales as large as ∼50–60 kpc. The high fraction of star-forming BCGs hosted in unrelaxed, non-cool core clusters at early times suggests that the dominant mode of fueling star formation in BCGs may have recently transitioned from galaxy–galaxy interactions to ICM cooling.
Reconstructed facial appearance of the sabretoothed felid Smilodon

Abstract Life reconstructions are a useful means of providing a package of information about morphology, functionality, behaviour, biology and ecological characteristics of an extinct organism. These reconstructions are of interest not only to researchers but also to a wider public. Reconstructions of sabretoothed cats in particular are widely published and exhibited, despite the absence of a general consensus on either how their canines were used or the prey sought. Cat-like restorations of the American Pleistocene sabretooth genusSmilodonprepared by Charles Knight under the direction of J.C. Merriam were accepted as valid for over three decades until G.J. Miller criticized them, claiming thatSmilodonshould have looked very different from modern felids. In particular, he argued for a longer mouth opening and lip line to provide a wider gape, a retracted nose and ears set relatively lower on a head with a straighter dorsal profile. These arguments were accepted by many authors employing reconstructions, and have lead to depictions of bizarre appearance and interpretations of rather specialized feeding behaviour. We believe that phylogenetic, anatomical and functional considerations point to substantial flaws in the basis for such depictions, and argue for a return to more felid-like morphology and to interpretations of broadly cat-like eating patterns.
Are we all cultural intermediaries now? An introduction to cultural intermediaries in context

The term ‘cultural intermediaries’ is good to think with: it has been a productive device for examining the producers of symbolic value in various industries, commodity chains and urban spaces, highlighting such issues as the blurring of work and leisure, the conservatism of ‘new’ and ‘creative’ work, and the material practices involved in the promotion of consumption (e.g. Bovone, 2005; Entwistle, 2006; McFall, 2004; Moor, 2008; Negus, 2002; Nixon and Crewe, 2004; Smith Maguire, 2008; Wright, 2005). In addition, cultural intermediary research offers an important complement to the study of cultural production, within which questions of agency are typically focused on consumers, and questions of power on institutions. The concept of cultural intermediaries usefully prioritizes issues of agency, negotiation and power, moving the everyday, contested practices of market agents to the fore for the study of the production of culture (Garnham, 2005; Havens et al., 2009; Smith Maguire and Matthews, 2010). Generally, research on cultural intermediaries has followed two different (although not incompatible) directions: cultural intermediaries as exemplars of the new middle class, involved in the mediation of production and consumption (following e.g. Bourdieu, 1984, 1996); and cultural intermediaries as market actors involved in the qualification of goods, mediating between economy and culture (following developments in actornetwork theory and new economic sociology, e.g. Callon et al., 2002; Muniesa et al., 2007). Engagements within and between these streams of work have resulted in conceptual developments: for example, du Gay’s (2004) discussion of devices and dispositions, and Cronin’s (2004) elaboration of multiple regimes of mediation. Nevertheless,
3D Microstructural Characterization of Ni/YSZ Electrodes Exposed to 1 Year of Electrolysis Testing

10 Long-term operation strongly affects the microstructure of Ni/YSZ cermets used in state of the art fuel 11 electrodes for solid oxide cells. The microstructural changes are considered to heavily affect the cell 12 degradation. In this paper, the characterization of the Ni/YSZ electrode of a solid oxide electrolysis cell tested 13 as part of a stack tested for 1 year was performed through focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy and 14 energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. A reference cell and two locations of interest in the tested cell were 15 selected: one at the steam inlet side and the other at the outlet. Considerable microstructural changes were 16 observed in the tested cell compared to the reference cell and between the inlet and outlet side. A decrease in 17 Ni (from 30 % in the reference cell to 24 % in the tested cell), and in percolating triple phase boundaries length 18 (from 2.83 μm/μm in the reference cell to 0.76 μm/μm in the tested cell) was observed in the active fuel 19 electrode. Based on the results of this work and previous studies we hypothesize that the degradation trend 20 between different operating conditions at the inlet and outlet of the cell is related to the current redistribution 21 inside the cell. 22
An Efficiency Wage—Imperfect Information Model of the Phillips Curve

This study develops an efficiency wage model in which workers have imperfect information about wages elsewhere. Firms’ profit-maximizing behavior results in a Phillips curve relationship. Three types of Phillips curves are derived: a wage-wage Phillips curve, a wage-price Phillips curve, and a price-price Phillips curve. The wage-wage Phillips curve is a reduced form relationship with the coefficient on lagged wage inflation equaling 1. To obtain the wage-price and the price-price Phillips curves, stochastic shocks to the growth rate of demand are modeled, yielding expressions over time for wage inflation, price inflation, and unemployment. These expressions are used in a regression of current wage or price inflation on unemployment and lagged price inflation, and it is demonstrated that the coefficient on lagged inflation asymptotically approaches 1. In addition, the model predicts that real wages are strictly procyclical in response to technology shocks, but can be either procyclical, acyclical, or countercyclical in response to demand shocks. Thus, this study can explain why economists have reached different conclusions about the cyclical behavior of real wages.
Role of Iron and Surface Free Radical Activity of Silica in the Induction of Morphological Transformation of Syrian Hamster Embryo Cells

Using various surface modified silica dusts we previously showed that the samples able to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced transformation of Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) cells. The purpose of the present study was to determine in what measure trace iron on the surface of silica particles is involved in the cellular effects, through the formation of ROS. Min-U-Sil 5 quartz (Q) and an amorphous diatomite earth (DE), as well as the same samples pretreated with the Fe chelators ferrozine (fz, 3 mM) and desferrioxamine (dfx, 0.1 mM), were studied for: (i) morphological transformation; and (ii) aberrant mitotic division of SHE cells, which we reported as one of the possible mechanisms of silica-induced cell transformation. In order to determine the nature of the ROS involved in these effects, the antioxidants superoxide dismutase, catalase and mannitol were added to the treated cells. On a per weight basis, DE appeared more cytotoxic and slightly more transforming than Q. The suspensions of Q and DE preincubated in Fe chelators were significantly less transforming and, in particular Q particles, had reduced potency in inducing abnormal mitoses than the untreated samples. Although the amount of Fe mobilized from the silica particles by dfx was greater than that of Fe(II) mobilized by fz, a decrease in transforming potency was largely achieved after pretreatment of particles with fz. In the presence of antioxidants, both the transformation and mitotic aberration frequencies were significantly decreased. The results show that the iron associated with the surface of particles is implicated in the generation of ROS and is partly responsible for the transforming potency of silicas. This study confirms the role of free radical activity in the induction of cell transformation in vitro, suggesting that oxidative stress is one of the mechanisms of silica carcinogenesis.
Mechanisms of adjustment by different pearl millet plant types to varying plant population densities

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br. ) is commonly grown at a wide range of plant population densities, both by design and as a consequence of stand establishment problems. High tillering genotypes are known to compensate effectively for lower plant population densities through their tillering capacity; less is known about the ability of naturally low tillering genotypes to adjust to low plant population densities. This is a particular concern in the case of the Iniadi landrace materials which are currently widely used in breeding programmes in both India and Africa. This research was done to determine how effectively the low tillering Iniadi types adjust to low plant population densities and how their mechanism(s) of adjustment compares to those of higher tillering materials. Two high and two low tillering genotypes were grown over a period of 5 years at plant population densities ranging from 12 to 2 plants/m2, under both high and low fertility regimes at the ICRISAT Centre, India. Both the high and low tillering types adjusted equally well to the reduced plant population densities, as judged by grain yield, but differed in their mechanism of adjustment. The high tillering genotypes adjusted, as expected, primarily by increasing productive tiller numbers, with only small changes in individual tiller productivity. The Iniadi genotypes increased productive tiller numbers in response to decreasing plant population densities to a limited degree, but increased panicle productivity to a much greater degree than the high tillering types. There was no differential effect on adjustment ability between the two types as a consequence of increased fertility, despite the stimulating effect of fertility on productive tiller numbers. The results are discussed in terms of generalized mechanisms of response to changing individual plant environmental resources (fertility and space), and in terms of the use of Iniadi germplasm in pearl millet breeding programmes.
Should We Do More When We Know Less ? Optimal Risk Reduction under Technological Uncertainty ∗

Technological uncertainty (TU) arises whenever the effects of risk mitigation depend on exogenous factors or are subjectively perceived to be uncertain. It is a widespread condition in decision-making under risk and uncertainty. We study the effects of TU on self-insurance and self-protection. TU reduces the willingness to pay for self-insurance and has no effect on that for self-protection. Its impact on the optimal demand for both activities is jointly determined by the decision-maker’s preferences and risk reduction effectiveness. We identify conditions for TU, FSD improvements and increases of TU to have unambiguous comparative statics. These conditions involve prudence, relative risk aversion, and relative prudence. We highlight cases where TU raises the optimal investment consistent with the precautionary principle. Our theory is rich in empirical predictions and our results have implications in the areas of safety, loss control, insurance demand under nonperformance risk, and climate change.
Firm’s Environmental Expenditure, R&D Intensity, and Profitability

In order to live up to its environmental responsibility, a firm makes an environmental expenditure to reduce its pollution emissions. Then, an important question is what impact the environmental expenditure has on the firm’s profitability. In this paper, we first propose and test a hypothesis that the more environmental expenditure the firm makes, the less profitability it enjoys, i.e., there is a negative relationship between the firm’s environmental expenditure and its profitability, more specifically its return on assets (ROA). We go further to suggest and test the second hypothesis that the more R&D-intensive the firm is, the lower the “negative impact” of the environmental expenditure on the firm’s profitability is, i.e., the firm’s R&D intensity moderates the negative relationship between firm’s environmental expenditure and its profitability. A significant implication is that since it has to spend money on reducing its pollution emission, the firm should also enhance its innovation capability. That is, by investing in its R&D, the firm can mitigate the negative impact of environmental expenditure on its profitability. In order to test the hypotheses, we collect financial data and carry out panel regression analyses. The analysis results support our hypotheses that there is a negative relationship between the firm’s environmental expenditure and its profitability and that the negative relationship is moderated by the firm’s R&D capability represented by its R&D intensity.
Developing an algorithm to identify patients with intracerebral haemorrhage secondary to a macrovascular cause

Introduction Determining the cause of spontaneous (non-traumatic) intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) is critical to guide treatment and prognosis. We investigated whether small vessel disease (SVD) in addition to clinical and other radiological findings on acute neuroimaging predicts a low risk of a macrovascular cause (e.g. an arterio-venous malformation, aneurysm or dural arteriovenous fistula). Patients and methods We identified patients with acute spontaneous ICH who underwent acute non-contrast CT, CT angiography (CTA) and intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography (IADSA) at our institution from January 2010 to April 2014. Logistic regression including CTA result, SVD, age, pre-ICH hypertension and ICH location was used to derive a prediction model, validated using bootstrapping. Results 173 patients (46% female, median age 49) of whom 78 had a macrovascular cause on IADSA were included. Predictors of a macrovascular cause were: abnormal CTA (OR 67.4; p < 0.001); absence of SVD (OR 5.0; p = 0.019); and absence of pre-ICH hypertension (OR 3.4; p = 0.05). In our internally derived prediction model, the combination of CTA, SVD and pre-ICH hypertension predicted the likelihood of an underlying macrovascular cause (optimism-adjusted ROC area 0.919). Patients with negative CTA, SVD and pre-ICH hypertension have a low likelihood of an underlying macrovascular cause (1.8%). Discussion and conclusion A combination of CTA, SVD and pre-ICH hypertension predict the likelihood of finding a macrovascular cause in patients with acute spontaneous ICH, allowing informed decisions regarding the likely benefit and risk of IADSA.
Regulationofglycogenmetabolism inyeast and bacteria

Regulationofglycogenmetabolism inyeast and bacteria Wayne A. Wilson, Peter J. Roach, Manuel Montero, Edurne Baroja-Fernández, Francisco José Muñoz, Gustavo Eydallin, Alejandro M. Viale & Javier Pozueta-Romero Biochemistry and Nutrition Department, Des Moines University, Des Moines, IA, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Instituto de Agrobiotecnologı́a, Universidad Pública de Navarra/Gobierno de Navarra/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientı́ficas, Nafarroa, Spain; and Instituto de Biologı́a Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR, CONICET), Departamento de Microbiologı́a, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquı́micas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
Nucleation during phase transitions in random networks

We analyze the 3-parameter family of random networks which are uniform on networks with fixed number of edges, triangles, and nodes (between 33 and 66). We find precursors of phase transitions which are known to be present in the asymptotic node regime as the edge and triangle numbers are varied, and focus on one of the discontinuous ones. By use of a natural edge flip dynamics we determine nucleation barriers as a random network crosses the transition, in analogy to the process a material undergoes when frozen or melted, and characterize some of the stochastic properties of the network nucleation.
Observations of fire‐induced turbulence regimes during low‐intensity wildland fires in forested environments: implications for smoke dispersion

Low‐intensity wildland fires occurring beneath forest canopies can result in particularly adverse local air‐quality conditions. Ambient and fire‐induced turbulent circulations play a substantial role in the transport and dispersion of smoke during these fire events. Recent in situ measurements of fire–atmosphere interactions during low‐intensity wildland fires have provided new insight into the structure of fire‐induced turbulence regimes and how forest overstory vegetation can affect the horizontal and vertical dispersion of smoke. In this paper, we provide a summary of the key turbulence observations made during two low‐intensity wildland fire events that occurred in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.