Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Conventional and Organic Soil Fertility Management Practices Affect Corn Plant Nutrition and Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Larval Performance

ABSTRACT Few studies compare how different soil fertilization practices affect plant mineral content and insect performance in organic systems. This study examined: 1) The European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), larval response on corn (Zea mays L.) grown in field soils with different soil management histories; and 2) resilience of these plants to O. nubilalis herbivory. Treatments included: 1) standard organic— organically managed soil fertilized with dairy manure and 2 yr of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in the rotation; 2) basic cation saturation ratio—organically managed soil fertilized with dairy manure and alfalfa nitrogen credits, plus addition of gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) according to the soil balance hypothesis; and 3) conventional—conventionally managed soil fertilized with synthetic fertilizers. Corn plants were reared to maturity in a greenhouse, and then infested with 0–40 O. nubilalis larvae for 17 d. O. nubilalis exhibited negative competitive response to increasing larval densities. Mean development time was significantly faster for larvae consuming basic cation saturation ratio plants than those on standard organic plants, with intermediate development time on conventional plants. Neither total yield (number of kernels) nor proportion kernels damaged differed among soil fertility treatments. Soil nutrients differed significantly in S and in Ca:Mg and Ca:K ratios, but principal components analysis of plant tissue samples taken before O. nubilalis infestation showed that S, Fe, and Cu contributed most to differences in plant nutrient profiles among soil fertility treatments. Results demonstrate that different fertilization regimens can significantly affect insect performance within the context of organic systems, but the effects in this study were relatively minor compared with effects of intraspecific competition.
The Impact of Undergraduate Personal Finance Education on Individual Financial Literacy, Attitudes and Intentions

Financial literacy education features prominently among the policy options available to improve personal financial decision‐making. Notwithstanding calls to expand delivery of financial literacy units at university level, such offerings are relatively rare with little evaluation. We provide an evaluation of the impact on financial literacy, financial attitudes and financial behaviour intentions of a semester unit in personal finance delivered to undergraduates at an Australian university, carefully controlling for confounding effects in the analysis. We report increases in objective and subjective financial literacy and an additional gender effect. Contrary to previous speculation, we do not find overconfidence as an associated outcome.
A Blog Personality Recommender System Based on Cloud Computing Infrastructure

Blog is an important carrier of the current network information, and it has quick update, high quality and personalized characteristic. However, as the number of blogs increase sharply, it becomes more difficult to find high quality and personalized blog. In order to resolve this problem, this paper presents a new blog recommender system based on cloud computing infrastructure. This system adopts the user collaborative filtering recommendation algorithm in blog search, uses Hadoop distributed file system to store mass blog data and implements the distributed processing of blog crawl and index creation stages. The blog recommender engine of the system records user preferences from the blog search results firstly, then finds out user potential preference content by using collaborative filtering algorithm to generate individual and high quality blog recommendation with high reliability and scalability. The experimental results show that the blog recommendation can meet the user's requirements.
Potentiation of norepinephrine-induced activation of cardiac phosphorylase by theopylline and reserpine.

Reserpine and theophylline pretreatment significantly enhanced the norepinephrine-induced activation of rat cardiac phosphorylase a activation as shown by a shift to the left in the norepinephrine dose–response curve. When both treatments were administered together the curve was shifted further to the left. The results indicate that reserpine and theophylline probably enhance the norepinephrine response by different mechanisms.
A comparison of AC and DC power flow models for contingency and reliability analysis

AC and DC (optimal) power flow is discussed and compared. The comparisons are done through two case studies, where the two power flow models are used in contingency and reliability analyses. It is shown that the two models can lead to quite different results. The problem related to the convergence difficulties with the AC power flow is also discussed.
vPROBE: Variation aware post-silicon power/performance binning using embedded 3T1D cells

In this paper, we present an on-die post-silicon binning methodology that takes into account the effect of static and dynamic variations and categorizes every processor based on power/performance.The proposed scheme is composed of a discretization hardware that exploits the delay/leakage dependence on variability sources characteristic for categorization
Heart Rate Independence of Catecholamine-Induced Myocardial Damage in the Newborn Pig

ABSTRACT: Neonates undergoing heart surgery are exposed to high levels of circulating catecholamines. Our objective was to determine to what extent epinephrine (E)-related cardiotoxicity can be attributed to induced tachycardia. We assessed left ventricle function by pressure-volume data obtained by conductance catheter/micromanometer technique and correlated it with ultrastructure in newborn piglets (3 to 7 d old). Group A (n = 6) received E (1 μg/kg/min) for 2 h, whereas group B piglets (n = 6) were atrially paced at a rate (220/min) matched to group A. Left ventricle peak systolic pressure and stroke work were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in group A. End-systolic elastance increased during E infusion (70%) versus no significant change in group B. After 2 h of E infusion, end-systolic elastance was significantly reduced in group A from 9.8 ± 3.5 to 5 ± 2.4 mm Hg/mL (p < 0.05). Chamber stiffness index increased during E infusion from 0.36 ± 0.2 to 0.6 ± 0.3 mL−1 (p < 0.05) and remained elevated (0.58 ± 0.2 mL−1) after E infusion was discontinued versus no change in group B. E-induced left ventricle dysfunction was associated with scattered but irreversible ultra-structural changes consisting of sarcolemmal rupture and loss of mitochondrial architecture, whereas only minor reversible changes such as microvesicular lipid accumulation and mitochondrial swelling were seen in group B. We conclude that E cardiotoxicity in the neonate is independent of induced tachycardia.
Do ownership structure and quality of financial information affect the cost of debt of Tunisian listing firms

The main objective of this paper is to investigate empirically the relationship between the boards with other internal governance mechanisms such as ownership structure, quality of financial information and the cost of debt. To do so, we use a sample of 28 Tunisian listing firms during the period from 2007-2015. The empirical results show that the ownership structure and the quality of financial information have an important role in determining the characteristics of the cost of debt. The results also indicate that the cost of debt is related positively with factors from the boards of directors, to the size of the listing firms and negatively to the institutional participation on the capital of firm.
An econometric analysis of global warming hiatus

ABSTRACT There is an avid debate concerning the presence of a hiatus in global warming. Recognizing that this phenomenon has considerable economic implications, this study aims to make a threefold contribution to the climate econometrics literature. Firstly, it formulates a testable hypothesis; secondly, it proposes a systematic empirical procedure; thirdly, it performs the Bai–Perron test to detect the starting point of the global warming hiatus. The findings supported the existence of the global warming hiatus.
Inverse Laminoplasty for the Treatment of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Study Design. Fifteen patients with lumbar spinal stenosis were treated by a new technique, inverse laminoplasty, and the results were evaluated clinically and radiologically. Objective. To present the advantages of inverse laminoplasty over laminectomy for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. Summary and Background data. Laminectomy has been used widely in the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. Destruction of the spinal bony structure, instability, and peridural scar formation are the main problems with this procedure. To overcome these disadvantages, a practical technique is presented here. Material and Methods. In a prospective study, 15 patients who underwent surgery with the inverse laminoplasty technique were evaluated clinically and radiologically. The Oswestry Disability Index was used for clinical assessment. L4–L5 spinal stenosis was detected in all patients. As the operative technique, the L4 lamina was elevated en bloc using a high-speed drill and rongeur. After removal of the ligamentum flavum, the roof of the foramina, and/or disc , the lamina was rotated 180 degrees, rested on facets, and reattached by use of a titanium miniplate. Results. All patients improved clinically and neurologically after this procedure. The mean Oswestry Disability Score was 38.33 preoperatively and 7.0 postoperatively. The mean follow-up time was 17.3 months. Spinal canal diameters were calculated by preoperative and postoperative computed tomography, and the mean enlargement was 77.8%. No complications were observed. Conclusion. With this technique, the important integrity of the spinal osseous structures is preserved, and a significant enlargement of the spinal canal area is achieved. This technique prevents peridural scar formation after laminectomy caused by a mechanical barrier effect. Long-term follow-up is needed to evaluate spinal stability in these patients.
Luminescent Lanthanoid Calixarene Complexes and Materials

This review aims to provide an overview of recent examples of lanthanoid-calixarene complexes incorporated into light-emitting materials. Background information on the antenna effect and early work on lanthanoid complexes on calixarenes is provided to set the context. Classes of materials discussed include polymers, nanoparticles, and metal clusters.
Development and psychometric testing of a Chinese version of the Fatigue Scale-Children in Taiwan.

AIMS The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the Fatigue Scale-Children (FS-C-C). BACKGROUND Cancer-related fatigue is one of the most distressing and prevalent symptoms reported by paediatric oncology patients during and after their cancer treatment. A reliable and valid instrument to measure fatigue is essential to the successful clinical care of paediatric oncology patients in Taiwan who experience this troubling symptom. DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 108 paediatric oncology Taiwanese patients who were aged 7-12 years participated in this cross-sectional, instrumentation study. The FS-C was translated into Chinese by using an established translation/back-translation method. The psychometric testing of the FS-C-C included internal consistency, content validity, construct validity, convergent validity, criterion-related validity and known-group validity. RESULTS The FS-C-C achieved an acceptable internal consistency coefficient. Content validity was moderately high (content validity indices ranged from 83-100%). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the three-factor model as an acceptable model fit (the goodness-of-fit index and adjusted goodness-of-fit index both were greater than 0.9; normed fit index, 0.89; root-mean-square residual, 0.15). Although the results did not support the known-group hypothesis, the convergent validity, concurrent validity and predictive validity of the FS-C-C were supported by significant associations with the PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale, the Anxious/Depressed subscale of the Child Behaviour Checklist and the generic and disease-specific scores on the Quality of Life for Children with Cancer instrument, respectively. CONCLUSION Our newly developed FS-C-C is a reliable and valid instrument for the measurement of cancer-related fatigue intensity in Taiwanese children. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE The FS-C-C could provide useful information to guide clinical practice in assessing and managing cancer-related fatigue in childhood cancer patients in Taiwan.
Reliable data delivery for relay-based overlay multicast

Although the IP multicast can be solution for various new emerging services which require active participation from many users, it does not work well in the current Internet which is based on the unicast communications [5]. Various alternative methods are being developed to overcome this limitation of the current Internet. One such method is an overlay multicast method. Most overlay multicast uses bi-directional TCP connection between the end-systems. Although TCP guarantees the ordered sequence and reliable transmission, TCP does not satisfy all properties of the overlay multicast in viewpoint of reliable transmission which includes establishment of new connection from new end-system. This paper introduces reliable data delivery scheme for relay-based overlay multicast. The proposed method is based on the architecture for n-plex multicast service which realizes simultaneous communication between multiple senders and multiple receivers [1][2].
Harmonic Golay coded excitation based on harmonic quadrature demodulation method

Harmonic coded excitation techniques have been used to increase SNR of harmonic imaging with limited peak voltage. Harmonic Golay coded excitation, in particular, generates each scan line using four transmit-receive cycles, unlike conventional Golay coded excitation method, thus resulting in low frame rates. In this paper we propose a method of increasing the frame rate of said method without impacting the image quality. The proposed method performs two transmit-receive cycles using QPSK code to ensure that the harmonic components of incoming signals are Golay coded and uses harmonic quadrature demodulation to extract compressed second harmonic component only. The proposed method has been validated through mathematical analysis and MATLAB simulation, and has been verified to yield a limited error of −52.08dB compared to the ideal case. Therefore, the proposed method doubles the frame rate compared to the existing harmonic Golay coded excitation method without significantly deteriorating the image quality.
Confocal microscopy reveals zones of membrane remodeling in the outer cortex of the human lens.

PURPOSE To optimize fixation, sectioning, and immunolabeling protocols to map the morphology of the human lens with confocal microscopy. METHODS Transparent human lenses were fixed in 0.75% paraformaldehyde for 24 hours, cut in half, and fixed for another 24 hours. Lenses were cryoprotected, sectioned, and labeled with wheat germ agglutinin, aquaporin-0 antibodies, Hoechst, or toluidine blue. Before fixation, some lenses were incubated in an extracellular marker dye, Texas Red-dextran. Labeled sections were imaged with a confocal microscope. Overlapping images were tiled together to form a continuous image montage of fiber cell morphology from the periphery to the lens center. RESULTS Fiber cell morphologies were identical with those previously described by electron microscopy and allowed immunohistochemistry to be performed for a representative membrane protein, aquaporin-0. Sectioning protocols enabled the epithelium and outer cortex to be retained, leading to the identification of two unique morphologic zones. In the first zone, an age-independent compaction of nucleated fiber cells and the initiation of extensive membrane remodeling occur. In the second zone, fiber cells retain their interdigitations but lose their nuclei, exhibit a distorted shape, and are less compressed. These zones are followed by the adult nucleus, which is marked by extensive compaction and a restriction of the extracellular space to the diffusion of Texas Red-dextran. CONCLUSIONS The authors have developed sectioning and imaging protocols to capture differentiation-dependent changes in fiber cell morphology and protein expression throughout the human lens. Results reveal that differentiating fiber cells undergo extensive membrane remodeling before their internalization into the adult nucleus.
ARHGAP21 Protein, a New Partner of α-Tubulin Involved in Cell-Cell Adhesion Formation and Essential for Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition*

Background: ARHGAP21 is an important Rho-GAP for Cdc42 involved in vesicle trafficking and focal adhesion kinase activity. Results: ARHGAP21 participates in cell-cell adhesion formation and cellular migration, interacts and modulates α-tubulin acetylation, and is essential for epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Conclusion: ARHGAP21 is a novel α-tubulin partner coordinating cell-cell adhesion, migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Significance: ARHGAP21 might be involved in cancer metastasis. Cell-cell adhesions and the cytoskeletons play important and coordinated roles in cell biology, including cell differentiation, development, and migration. Adhesion and cytoskeletal dynamics are regulated by Rho-GTPases. ARHGAP21 is a negative regulator of Rho-GTPases, particularly Cdc42. Here we assess the function of ARHGAP21 in cell-cell adhesion, cell migration, and scattering. We find that ARHGAP21 is localized in the nucleus, cytoplasm, or perinuclear region but is transiently redistributed to cell-cell junctions 4 h after initiation of cell-cell adhesion. ARHGAP21 interacts with Cdc42, and decreased Cdc42 activity coincides with the appearance of ARHGAP21 at the cell-cell junctions. Cells lacking ARHGAP21 expression show weaker cell-cell adhesions, increased cell migration, and a diminished ability to undergo hepatocyte growth factor-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In addition, ARHGAP21 interacts with α-tubulin, and it is essential for α-tubulin acetylation in EMT. Our findings indicate that ARHGAP21 is a Rho-GAP involved in cell-cell junction remodeling and that ARHGAP21 affects migration and EMT through α-tubulin interaction and acetylation.
Ranid Herpesvirus 3 and Proliferative Dermatitis in Free-Ranging Wild Common Frogs (Rana Temporaria)

Amphibian pathogens are of current interest as contributors to the global decline of amphibians. However, compared with chytrid fungi and ranaviruses, herpesviruses have received relatively little attention. Two ranid herpesviruses have been described: namely, Ranid herpesvirus 1 (RHV1) and Ranid herpesvirus 2 (RHV2). This article describes the discovery and partial characterization of a novel virus tentatively named Ranid herpesvirus 3 (RHV3), a candidate member of the genus Batrachovirus in the family Alloherpesviridae. RHV3 infection in wild common frogs (Rana temporaria) was associated with severe multifocal epidermal hyperplasia, dermal edema, a minor inflammatory response, and variable mucous gland degeneration. Intranuclear inclusions were numerous in the affected epidermis together with unique extracellular aggregates of herpesvirus-like particles. The RHV3-associated skin disease has features similar to those of a condition recognized in European frogs for the last 20 years and whose cause has remained elusive. The genome of RHV3 shares most of the features of the Alloherpesviruses. The characterization of this presumptive pathogen may be of value for amphibian conservation and for a better understanding of the biology of Alloherpesviruses.
Antioxidant potential of green and black tea determined using the ferric reducing power (FRAP) assay

Tea is one of the most commonly consumed beverages in the world and is rich in polyphenolic compounds collectively known as the tea flavonoids. Tea flavonoids possess antioxidant properties in vitro and have been proposed as key protective dietary components, reducing risk of coronary heart disease and some cancers. The present study aimed to evaluate the possible effects of different preparation methods on the antioxidant properties of green and black tea. Antioxidant potentials of tea infusates were assessed using an assay based upon the reduction of ferric chloride linked to a chromophore. Green tea, black leaf tea and black tea in tea bags were infused with water at 90°C for time periods ranging from 0.25 to 15 min. Green tea infusates possessed approximately 2.5-fold greater antioxidant capacity than both types of black tea infusates. Both green and black teas released significant levels of antioxidants into the hot water within 2 min of infusion. Preparation of teas across a range of temperatures between 20 and 90°C revealed that although antioxidants were liberated from the leaves into the water in cooler infusions, increasing the temperature could increase antioxidant potential by 4 to 9.5-fold. Black tea prepared using tea bags had significantly lower antioxidant capacity than black leaf tea at temperatures between 20 and 70°C, suggesting that tea bag materials may prevent some extraction of flavonoids into the tea solution. The addition of milk appeared to diminish the antioxidant potential of black tea preparations. This effect was greatest where whole cow's milk was used and appeared to be primarily related to the fat content of the added milk. These experiments have considered the effects of commonly used domestic methods of preparation on the in vitro antioxidant potential of tea. It is concluded that maximum antioxidant capacity and hence maximal health benefit may be derived from green tea or from black leaf tea prepared by infusion with water at 90°C for up to 2 min and taken with the addition of either fat-free milk, or without milk addition. Further studies are required to assess the antioxidant actions of tea flavonoids in vivo.
Contextualized Workforce Skills and ESL Learner Identity.

This article reports on an empirical case study centering on adult ESL learners’ motivational patterns for learning English and its relevance to their career goals. It looks at past patterns of immigrant insertion within the socioeconomic context of the US and explores current trends in adult ESL curriculum development focused on the task of “career readiness. ” Drawing on Norton-Peirce’s (1995, 1997) concept of “investment” in second language learning, research for this study poses the question of curriculum relevance to student aspirations, implicating aspects of learner identity and various modes of belonging. The study contributes to the understanding of ESL learners’ positioning vis-à-vis curriculum change while reflecting on the extent of learner autonomy in the face of structural limitations.