Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Critical Factors Influencing Acceptance of Automated Vehicles by Hong Kong Drivers

This study aimed to identify critical factors that influence acceptance of automated vehicles among drivers. The focus of this study was on automated vehicles (AVs) of level 3 (conditional driving automation) as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers. A research model was proposed here by using the technology acceptance model (TAM) with trust, risk perception (perceived safety risk and perceived privacy risk), compatibility, and system quality. A cross-sectional structured questionnaire survey was used to collect quantitative data from 237 drivers in Hong Kong. The data were analyzed to test the proposed research model by structural equation modeling. The proposed research model was found to explain 68% of the variance in intention to use AVs. In contrast with the TAM constructs of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, the results of this study indicated that trust was the most important factor in shaping a positive attitude towards using AVs, which affected driver intention to use AVs. Also, trust was found to be influenced by perceived safety risk, compatibility, and system quality. This study is the first attempt to consider technological factors related to AVs (compatibility and system quality) in explaining AV acceptance among drivers and highlighted the importance of the technological factors in the context of driver acceptance of AVs. Based on the findings of this study, several recommendations are discussed to help AV developers and governments to improve driver attitudes towards adoption of AVs.
Chick-a-dee call variation in Carolina chickadees and recruiting flockmates to food

The "chick-a-dee" call of many Paridae species (titmice, tits, and chickadees) is structurally complex and functions in social cohesion. Studies with different Parid species suggest that variation in the note composition of calls relates to a wide variety of contexts. An earlier study with Carolina chickadees (Poecile carolinensis), the focal species of the present study, found that receivers responded differently to playback calls differing in note composition in feeding contexts. Here, we addressed whether signalers actually produce calls differing in note composition in feeding contexts and whether those calls might serve a recruitment function. In a first study, we found that the first chickadee to take seed from a feeding station produced calls with a greater number of D notes before the second chickadee arrived to take seed, compared with after the second chickadee arrived to take seed. This suggests that calls with a large number of D notes might serve a general recruitment function. We tested this idea in a second study, using playbacks of calls containing a large number of D notes or a small number of D notes at different sites. We found that the latency for a first chickadee to come into a site and take seed was shorter for playback variants containing a large number of D notes. Thus, in Carolina chickadees, chick-a-dee calls containing a large number of D notes may function to recruit other flock members to a discovered food source. Copyright 2009, Oxford University Press.
The Effects of the First Step to Success Program on Academic Engagement Behaviors of Turkish Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of the First Step to Success (FSS) early intervention program with Turkish children identified with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Intervention effectiveness on target children’s academic engagement behaviors was studied. Participants were four 7-year-old first-grade students in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. The design was a single-subject, multiple-baseline, across-groups design. Findings from the study revealed that all target children displayed increased levels of academic engagement behaviors with the introduction of the FSS program and at 3 months’ follow-up. However, follow-up data at 2 years indicated that although three students continued to display high levels of academic engagement behavior, one student did not catch up to these levels of performance. Limitations are discussed and implications for future research are presented.
Position of the Epicoracoids in Arciferal Pectoral Girdles of the Fire-Bellies Bombina (Amphibia: Discoglossidae)

The fire-bellies are among anurans that have the minimal ratio of the number of specimens with the left epicoracoid in the top position to the number of specimens with the right epicoracoid in the top position (L.top/R.top). In Bombina there are no significant geographical and interspecies differences in L.top/R.top, whereas significant sex differences of this index were found in B. bombina . Observations on the tadpoles of the latter supported the idea that the order of limb eruption does not affect the mode of mutual arrangement of contralateral epicoracoids.
A New Method for Intrusion Detection on RPL Routing Protocol Using Fuzzy Logic

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a new concept in the world of technology and communications for the description of the future in which physical objects or sensor nodes connect to the Internet using IPv6. One of the most prominent protocols used on the IoT for routing is RPL (IPv6 Routing Protocol for Low power and Lossy Networks) that could be exposed to specific attacks like the Local Repair attack. Hence, researchers focus on RPL security as the most important challenge at this protocol. In this paper, we proposed a new Fuzzy-based method for the detection of Local Repair Attack on the RPL routing protocol. The obtained results using the Cooja simulator in the Contiki OS show that the proposed method detects the Local Repair attack with a very high True Positive Rate (TPR) and very low False Positive Rate (FPR).
Tooth retention in cladodont sharks: with a comparison between primitive grasping and swallowing, and modern cutting and gouging feeding mechanisms

Abstract Continuous replacement of teeth throughout their lifetimes is a well known phenomenon in modern sharks. The mechanism involves the continuous generation of embryonic teeth internally on the inner surface of the jaws, and their subsequent displacement on a moving mat of connective tissue in “assembly-line” fashion. The fully-formed teeth erupt from the gum at the outer jaw margin, are functional for a short time, and are shed as the next tooth in the series takes its place. This study reports a specimen of a Devonian cladodont shark, Ctenacanthus, in which the dentition was not shed at the jaw margin, but instead migrated beneath the skin on the outside of the head. A survey of additional specimens demonstrates that tooth retention was present in cladoselachians as well, and may have been a feature of cladodont sharks in general. Tooth retention in the cladodonts (the top-level predacious sharks of their day) seems to have been a problem that had to be overcome before the development of the modern cutting and gouging mechanism. It is suggested that the reorganization of the blood supply to the teeth, coupled with a sharp jaw margin, may have provided the mechanism for tooth loss and the eventual development of rapid tooth replacement.
First Ukrainian record of the invasive leech Helobdella europaea (Hirudinea: Glossiphoniidae) from an aquarium in Kharkiv: morphological variability and phylogenetic relationships

New information on the occurrence of Helobdella europaea Kutschera, 1987 was obtained. Four individuals assigned to this species were found in a private aquarium in Kharkiv. Helobdella europaea has not been recorded for Ukraine so far. The taxonomic identity of the leeches was confirmed by both a morphological examination and a molecular phylogenetic analysis based on all available cox1 sequences of Helobdella leeches. Helobdella europaea was found to have extremely low genetic diversity, which has been probably caused by the founder effect. The variability of the coloration pattern of H. europaea was documented and discussed in the light of its potential usefulness for identification. The species can invade local freshwater ecosystems as has been already happened elsewhere.
Analysis of the associations of meiobenthic Copepoda of the Irish Sea

The composition of subtidal meiobenthic associations off the Isle of Man is analysed, with particular reference to the harpacticoid copepods. By comparisons with surveys in other seas it is suggested that coherent associations of benthic copepods can be recognized in the sublittoral fringe area of tidal fine sand beaches and in offshore fine sand in Europe. The heterogeneity of offshore coarse deposits and muddy sands results in the inability to distinguish communities or isocommunities in these deposits. As muddy sand grades into mud some evidence is presented to suggest that, given similar temperature and salinity regimes, a consistent association of copepods may develop.
Dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) production of Gephyrocapsa oceanica in response to environmental forcing

Dimethyl sulphide (DMS) is an important trace gas, both for its contribution to the global sulphur cycle and also, when oxidised in the atmosphere to sulphates, for its potential to alter the properties of clouds and so potentially affect climate. The precursor to DMS, dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP), is produced by a number of marine micro-algae. This study investigated the role of temperature (10-30C), salinity (20-45), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 0-2000+ micromol photons m-2 s-1), daylength, rapidly varying light intensity, CO2 concentration and ambient PAR, ultraviolet A and B exposures on the physiology and production of DMSP in the coccolithophore Gephyrocapsa oceanica. Increasing temperature or CO2 concentration led to decreased cellular DMSP and net DMSP production. Increased PAR, up to the point of photoinhibition (which for G. oceanica} is about 1200 micromol photons m-2 s-1), daylength, salinity and potentially UVR were associated with increased cellular DMSP. Increased PAR above that causing photoinhibition resulted in decreased cellular and net DMSP production. The rate of photosynthetic carbon fixation was modelled as a function of incident light, temperature and CO2 concentration. While the photochemistry of photosystems I and II is essentially temperature independent, the process of carbon assimilation is not. The cell must continually match the photochemical production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reductant with the ability of the Calvin-Benson cycle to utilise this reductant to fix carbon, as this is not possible, an antioxidant system is also required. Low temperatures, and/or low CO2 concentrations, both of which reduce the carbon fixation rate, and/or increased PAR, UVR and/or salinity all potentially lead to an increased need for an antioxidant system to be up-regulated and vice versa. Both the experimental and modelling results obtained are consistent with the hypothesis that DMSP acts as such an antioxidant within the cell, and for salinity, that it may act both as an antioxidant and a compatible osmolyte.
Line × tester analysis in french bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

A line × tester analysis was made in french bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) with four female parents (lines) and 10 pollinator parents (testers), so as to identify suitable general and specific combiners for breeding programme. Additive gene action was observed for the main yield-contributing traits in french bean, i.e. number of pods/plant and green pod yield/plant, and non-additive gene action was predominant for pod thickness only. Protein content and node of first flower initiation were governed by both additive and non-additive components equally. Specific combining ability was largely operative for green-pod yield which could be profitably be exploited for production of new plant type in french bean. Among lines VC-1 and among testers Pusa Parvati were observed to be the best combiners for most of the traits.
Effect of Different Constant Temperatures on Biology of Schizaphis Graminum (Rondani) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on Barley, Hordeum Vulgare L. (Poaceae) in Iran

Effect of Different Constant Temperatures on Biology ofSchizaphis Graminum(Rondani) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on Barley,Hordeum VulgareL. (Poaceae) in IranThe temperature dependent biology of greenbug,Schizaphis graminumRondani on Kavir barley cultivar was studied at seven constant temperatures including 10, 15, 19, 22, 26, 31, and 33±1°C, 70% relative humidity (RH), and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L:D) hours. The period of immature development ranged between 6.60 days at 26°C to 28.56 days at 10°C, respectively. All tested aphids failed to develop at 33°C. The calculatedrmand λ values were significantly the highest at 26°C and lowest at 10°C, respectively. The mean generation time and doubling time ofS. graminumdecreased linearly by increasing the temperature from 10 to 26°C. Additionally, the total number of offsprings per female was extremely low at 10 and 31°C, contrary to the highest and lowest values of life expectancy at 10°C (41.73 days) and 31°C (7.66 days), respectively. The results of the present study revealed that temperature had great effects on biology ofS. graminum, which was never previously studied on barley in Iran.
Original Article A cytogenetical study on Barilius ngawa, Vishwanath and Manojkumar, 2002 (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) from Northeast India, Manipur

Karyotypic characteristics of Barilius ngawa described from Manipur, northeast India reported here for the first time revealed diploid complements of 50 chromosomes. The karyotype consisted of 12 metacentric, 10 submetacentric, and 28 acrocentric chromosomes (Fundamental arm numbers, NF = 72). No heteromorphic sex chromosomes were observed in the species. The present study reports the karyotypic and cytogenetic data of bariline cyprinid fishes of northeast India thereby, enhances the existing cytotaxonomic information and chromosome evolution of Cyprinidae family in particular the genus Barilius.
Pollen morphology of Ficus subsection Urostigma (Moraceae)

The pollen morphology of Ficus subsection Urostigma has been studied using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. It conforms to the description of Ficus pollen in the literature except for the observed rare occurrence of 4-porate pollen, which was unknown so far in the genus. Due to minor variability it was not possible to distinguish any pollen types. No significant pollen morphological differences were found between species with active pollination and species with passive pollination.
Tillage systems affect trifluralin bioavailability in soil

Abstract Trifluralin is widely used for control of rigid ryegrass in no-till grain crops in southern Australia. Trifluralin must be incorporated into soil to be effective. Several field studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of different tillage systems on vertical seed distribution and efficacy and rate of loss of bioavailable trifluralin. Experiments were conducted during the growing seasons of 2004 and 2005 at two sites in South Australia: on the Roseworthy Campus farm of the University of Adelaide and near Minlaton on the Yorke Peninsula. The tillage systems at the Roseworthy Campus were minimum tillage (MinTill) and no-till using narrow points, whereas four direct-drill-seeding systems were used at Minlaton. Plastic beads were spread on the soil surface to simulate weed seeds. MinTill sowing buried more plastic beads than no-till, indicating that greater soil disturbance was caused by the MinTill system. Trifluralin efficacy was lower under no-till as compared to MinTill. A bioassay, based on response of oat roots, was used to quantify the concentrations of bioavailable trifluralin under different tillage systems. In both years at the Roseworthy Campus, loss of bioavailable trifluralin was greater under no-till than under MinTill; however, the rate of loss under both systems was much faster in 2004 than in 2005. In 2004, bioavailable trifluralin at 12 d after sowing under MinTill and no-till was 55 and 33% of the initial concentration, respectively. In 2005, bioavailable trifluralin remaining at 23 d after sowing was 86% under MinTill and 54% under no-till. At Minlaton in both years, bioavailable trifluralin was greater under tillage systems that provided the highest level of soil disturbance. These results demonstrate that reduced bioavailability of trifluralin occurs in no-till seeding systems, which could result in reduced weed control. Nomenclature: Rigid ryegrass, Lolium rigidum Gaud. , LOLRI; oat, Avena sativa L. ‘Swan’.
Consequences of individual removal on persistence of a protected population of long‐lived turtles

Box turtles Terrapene carolina are long‐lived vertebrates found in many habitats throughout eastern North America. Because they routinely live >30–70 years, individuals and populations likely face periodic catastrophic effects from habitat alteration, such as hurricanes and other violent storms, flooding, and climatic perturbations such as cold or drought. We used a dataset based on a 16‐year mark‐recapture study of a Florida box turtle population inhabiting an isolated island to model the effects of rare and chronic removal of individuals from the population. ‘Removing’ individuals based on actual sampling records allowed us to compare the resulting effects on population structure and persistence with the known demographic characteristics of the population. For the increasing population, removal had no effect on population size over a projected 50‐year time span. However, only the increasing population could sustain an annual loss of up to 56 individuals (3.8% of our initial model population) per year. Beyond this level of annual removal, the population would eventually go extinct. Both the stable and declining populations were projected to become extinct by year 50, regardless of removal intensity. Irrespective of frequency, a pre‐reproductive season loss leads to a smaller population than a post‐reproductive season loss. These results have implications for understanding the effect of individual removal on population persistence of declining box turtle populations.
Época de florescimento e horas de frio para pessegueiros e nectarineiras

Blossom dates for 41 peaches and nectarines accesses from the Active Gene Bank (BAG) of stone fruits were evaluated at Capao Bonito (SP), Brazil. Observations of flowering date (70% of opened flowers) were taken and compared to the chilling hour's requirement (NHF) considering 7.2 and 13oC. The NHF was estimated using multiple regression equations based on maximum and minimum temperature. The accesses from the BAG were separated by cluster analysis into four groups for peaches and three for nectarines by cluster analysis. The following peaches accesses: IAC 2485-6, IAC 680-13 and Regis and for nectarine: IAC N 785- 9 showed flowering date before July 10th with NHF less than 40 and 500, below 7.2 and 13oC, respectively. The peach cultivars Eldorado, Diamante, Arlequim, Bolao, and Marli showed blossom dates after August 1st, requiring more than 70 and 650 NHF bellow 7.2 and 13oC, respectively. The main peach cultivars for Sao Paulo State like: Aurora-1, Douradao and Dourado-1, flowered from July 11 to 20 with NHF from 41 to 50 bellow 7.2oC and from 501 to 560 bellow 13oC.
The Priming of Word Associations: A Levels-of-Processing Approach

Four experiments are reported in which the magnitude of the associative-priming effect is manipulated by varying both the experimental task and the conditions within a given task. The between-task manipulation involved a comparison of priming effects in length categorization on the one hand and lexical decision on the other. The within-task manipulation involved varying the type of letter strings presented as the nonword stimuli in lexical decisions. Pseudowords and two types of orthographically illegal letter strings—namely, consonant strings and random letter strings—served as nonwords. Finally, the effect of varying the proportion of pseudowords to illegal nonwords across four sets of experimental materials was investigated. On the whole, these within-and between-task manipulations turned out to be very effective ways of affecting the size of the associative-priming effect. Also, the size of the lexicality effect (the difference between the RTs to word and nonword stimuli) varied systematically with these within-and between-task manipulations. The results are discussed in relation to both Shulman and Davison's (1977) parallel-processing model and Balota and Chumbley's (1984) account of lexical decision.
Wing diagnostic characters for Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex nigripalpus (Diptera, Culicidae)

Wing diagnostic characters for Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex nigripalpus (Diptera, Culicidae). Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex nigripalpus are mosquitoes of public health interest, which can occur sympatrically in urban and semi-urban localities. Morphological identification of these species may be difficult when specimens are not perfectly preserved. In order to suggest an alternative taxonomical diagnosis, wings of these species were comparatively characterized using geometric morphometrics. Both species could be distinguished by wing shape with accuracy rates ranging from 85-100%. Present results indicate that one can identify these species relying only on wing characters when traditional taxonomical characters are not visible.
First report on captive breeding of endemic Red tailed silver shark Gonoproktopterus curmuca (Cyprinidae: Hamilton-Buchanan 1807)

Induced breeding of the endemic curmuca barb, Gonoproktopterus curmuca, was successfully carried out in the laboratory, using carp pituitary extract @30-37.5mg. kg -1 body weight. Fertilized eggs were incubated in filtered rainwater at temperature 24 - 25 0 C and pH 7.2 - 7.5. Since the fishes were failed to spawn naturally they undergo dry stripping 20h after injection. Average fertilization and hatching rate observed were 89.5% and 73.5% respectively. Hatching occurred at 44 h post fertilization and the hatchling had a size of 6.74 + 0.20mm. After yolk absorption, larvae were fed with egg yolk and live feed comprising newly hatched Artemia nauplii and cladocerans. This study provides a basis for initiating a breeding program for the species.
Cloning, expression and characterization of three types of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases from the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

In order to elucidate the roles of 17-HSDs in fish gonadal steroidogenesis, three types of 17-HSDs (17-HSD1, 17-HSD8 and putative 17-HSD12) were cloned and characterized from the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. The cloned cDNAs of 17-HSD type 1, 8 and 12 were 1504, 1006 and 1930 bp long, with open reading frames encoding proteins of 289, 256 and 314 aminoacids, respectively. Tissue distribution pattern analyzed by RT-PCR and Northern blot showed that 17-HSD1 was dominantly expressed in the ovary, while the putative 17-HSD12, one of the two duplicates found in fish, is a male specific enzyme and expressed exclusively in testis (detected by RT-PCR only). On the other hand, 17-HSD8 was expressed in the brain, gill, heart, liver, intestine, gonad, kidney and muscle of both male and female. Enzymatic assays of the three types of 17-HSDs were performed using recombinant proteins expressed in E. coli or HEK 293 cells. Tilapia 17-HSD1 expressed in E. coli had the preference for NADP(H) as cofactor and could catalyze the inter-conversion between estrone and estradiol efficiently as well as the inter-conversion between androstenedione and testosterone, but less efficiently. Tilapia 17-HSD8 recombinant protein expressed in HEK 293 cells could catalyze the conversion of testosterone to androstenedione, as well as the inter-conversion between estrone and estradiol. However, the putative 17-HSD12 expressed in E. coli or in HEK 293 cells showed no conversion to any of the four substrates tested in this study. Based on enzyme characterization and tissue distribution, it is plausible to attribute crucial roles to 17-HSDs in the gonadal steroidogenesis of teleosts.