Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genotype x Environment Interaction Effect on Farmer Preferred Traits of Cassava Varieties Adapted to the Tropical Climatic Conditions of Western Kenya

Presence of farmer preferred traits and understanding their sensitivity to heterogeneous environments is important and critical to variety adoption. The study aimed at determining genotype x environment interaction (GEI) effect and heritability of farmers preferred cassava traits. A 5 x 2 α-lattice design with two replicates was used. Ten cassava varieties were evaluated at Kenya Agricultural Research Institute farms in Kakamega and Alupe and on-farm in Mumias, Busia and Teso between 2009 and 2011. Data were collected on; plant height (PT), height of first branching (HB), internode length (IL), Branching level (BL) per plot, total number of storage roots per plant (NR) and Fresh storage roots yield (RY) converted to yield per hectare. Four stability analyses parameters; Finlay and Wilkinson’s regression coefficient (β1), mean squares deviations from the regression (Sdi), Wricke’s ecovalence (Wi) and Additive Main effects and Multiplicative Interaction stability value (ASV) were used. Heritability was estimated as the proportion of phenotypic variances that is due to genetic differences among varieties. GEI effects were significant (p=0.05) for all traits evaluated except PT and NR. Traits related to plant architecture had fairly high heritability as compared to RY and NR with heritability of 6.9% and 13.6%, respectively. W i, Sdi , and ASV significantly (p=0.05) correlated for all Original Research Article American Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 4(6): 686-702, 2014 687 the traits evaluated. However, βi did not significantly (p=0.05) correlate with all the other procedures except with Sdi for height of first branching with Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient of 0.74. For effective cassava evaluation, traits related to plant type which has high heritability should be evaluated early when planting materials is still a hindrance to carry out multi-location replicated trials. Later, with enough planting materials, evaluation should focus on yield and yield related traits with low heritability in multi-location replicated trials. The presence of GEI implies cassava variety selection should be based on both mean performance and stability. Any one of the Wi, Sdi or ASV stability analysis methods can be used.
A real-time spike sorting method based on the embedded GPU

Microelectrode arrays with hundreds of channels have been widely used to acquire neuron population signals in neuroscience studies. Online spike sorting is becoming one of the most important challenges for high-throughput neural signal acquisition systems. Graphic processing unit (GPU) with high parallel computing capability might provide an alternative solution for increasing real-time computational demands on spike sorting. This study reported a method of real-time spike sorting through computing unified device architecture (CUDA) which was implemented on an embedded GPU (NVIDIA JETSON Tegra K1, TK1). The sorting approach is based on the principal component analysis (PCA) and K-means. By analyzing the parallelism of each process, the method was further optimized in the thread memory model of GPU. Our results showed that the GPU-based classifier on TK1 is 37.92 times faster than the MATLAB-based classifier on PC while their accuracies were the same with each other. The high-performance computing features of embedded GPU demonstrated in our studies suggested that the embedded GPU provide a promising platform for the real-time neural signal processing.
Attendance at accident and emergency for deliberate self harm predicts increased risk of suicide, especially in women

Outcome: Suicide rates. Deaths by suicide were identified using the National Confidential Inquiry Into Suicide and Homicide by People With Mental Illness database of the Office of National Statistics. Confirmed suicides and deaths from unknown cause (ICD-9 codes) were considered suicides. Suicide rates in the study population were compared with those for general population of Manchester to give standardised mortality ratios (SMRs).
Sellers' and Buyers' Reference Point Dynamics in the Housing Market

Building on behavioural research in economics, this paper examines reference points for sellers and for buyers in the housing market. Using experimental data, it is shown that, contrary to standard economic theory predictions, reference point dynamics can be influenced by market evolution and available information. More precisely, is it shown that the reference point depends on the seller/buyer role in the housing market, that past prices influence the reference point and that the reference point can be manipulated by information disclosure. The results are consistent with the theoretical implications of prospect theory and mental accounting.
Reforms in Indian agro-processing and agriculture sectors in the context of unilateral and multilateral trade agreements

In this paper, we explore the potential impacts of trade and investment-related policy reforms on India's agro-processing sector. We consider the direct effects of policy reforms within the processing sector, and the indirect effects on agro-processing of policy reforms in the primary agriculture sector, in the Indian economy as a whole, and in a multilateral framework. Towards this, we develop a 22-sector, 16-region version of the GTAP computable general equilibrium (CGE), global model for our analysis. We find that trade and investment-related reforms in agro-processing together can help the sector to grow. Policy reforms that stimulate investment and help to improve productivity will be crucial in offsetting the contractionary pressures of trade reform alone on the production of processed agricultural products. We also find that indirect effects on agroprocessing from India's policy reforms in other sectors are more important than reforms in agro-processing itself. Our findings argue for an economy-wide perspective when targeting reform or development of the agro-processing sector in India. Compared to trade reform, comprehensive domestic reforms in the agro-processing and agriculture sectors relating to investment are critical for achieving growth in agro-processing. However, while the impacts of trade reform per se seem to be small, trade reform - by ushering in a higher degree of competition - could itself be a stimulus for investment and productivity gains in India. At present, unilateral reforms, especially those that improve productivity in agroprocessing and in primary agriculture, are more important to agro-processing than multilateral trade reforms. Nevertheless, our findings also suggest the importance of pursuing a domestic reform agenda within a multilateral trading strategy that can accommodate the expected economic growth of India and its future role in global markets, with general equilibrium effects on agro-processing.
Exploiting Polarity Features for Developing Sentiment Analysis Tool

This paper proposes a system known as: SentiFinder (Sentiment Finder), a tool for sentiment analysis of amazon data to identifying the intensity of sentiments either positive or negative. The proposed system is based on our previous comprehensive experiments which we have been doing since more than a year. To identify a Sentiment of a comment/review, one need to analyze polarity features present in the natural language text. Different researchers have utilized different polarity features like adjectives, verbs, and adverbs. To conduct this study a comprehensive dataset has been acquired which contains 53,258 from Amazon. We extracted verbs, adverbs, and adjectives and evaluated them. It is found that adverb, adjectives, and verb combination can achieve the nest accuracy when trained on a specific settings of Random Forest Classifier and Gradient Boosting Classifier. This paper explains the lessons learned from the literature and followed by the findings and it gives an input to build a scalable system: SentiFinder.
When Do Price Promotions Affect Pretrial Brand Evaluations?

The authors investigate the conditions in which price promotions affect pretrial brand evaluations. A price promotion is theorized to be informative about brand quality when it stands out because it deviates from either its own past behavior or industry norms. Product category experts, who have alternative sources of information to make quality judgments, are expected to make less use of price promotions as a quality cue than novices are. The authors describe three laboratory studies in the context of a price promotion that is designed to increase trial in a service industry. Results suggest that consistency with past promotional behavior, distinctiveness in terms of how common it is to promote in an industry, and consumer expertise are important variables that moderate when price promotions have an unfavorable effect on brand evaluations. The authors highlight implications for service providers that are offering promotions to attract new customers in industries in which promotions are uncommon and discuss the theoretical implications of the finding that expertise moderates the effects of distinctiveness and consistency on evaluations in the context of price promotions.
Mid-Treatment Reduction in Trauma-Related Guilt Predicts PTSD and Functioning Following Cognitive Trauma Therapy for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) results in severe and chronic posttraumatic psychological symptoms, maladaptive trauma-related guilt (TRG) and functional impairment for many women. Cognitive Trauma Therapy (CTT) was developed to specifically address empirically identified contributors of distress and functioning difficulties specific to IPV and has been found to be efficacious in treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and reducing TRG. The primary aim of this study was to investigate to what extent reductions in TRG contribute to improvements in PTSD and functioning, given evidence of the important role that TRG plays in posttraumatic distress in IPV survivors and the emphasis placed on TRG in CTT. Twenty women with IPV-related chronic and functionally impairing posttraumatic distress were recruited from the community and completed CTT as part of a larger neurobiological study of PTSD. Women experienced statistically and clinically significant improvements in functioning as well as expected reductions in PTSD and TRG with large effect sizes at post-treatment, and improvements were maintained at 3-month follow-up, with no participant meeting full PTSD criteria. Pre- to mid-treatment reductions in TRG predicted post-treatment PTSD and functioning outcomes. These findings support the efficacy of CTT and provide preliminary evidence for the importance of addressing TRG. Dismantling research is indicated to identify the active ingredient(s) of this multi-module treatment.
Differences in Virus Prevalence and Load in the Hearts of Patients with Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy with and without Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases

ABSTRACT Infections with cardiotrophic viruses and immune-mediated responses against the heart have been suggested to play a dominant role in the pathogenesis of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Furthermore, immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) may result in DCM. It has not previously been assessed whether DCM patients with and without an IMID have different prevalences and quantities of cardiotrophic viruses in the heart. Therefore, we compared the profiles of cardiotrophic viruses in heart tissue of DCM patients with and without an IMID. Serum and myocardial tissue samples were obtained from 159 consecutive patients with DCM and 20 controls. Patients were subdivided into three groups, the first two based on the presence (n = 34) or absence (n = 125) of an IMID and the third being a control group. The parvovirus B19 virus genome was detected in equal quantities in the non-IMID DCM patients (100/125) and the control group (15/20) but in lower quantities in the IMID patients (21/34, P = 0.02). Both the non-IMID and IMID DCM patients demonstrated increased myocardial inflammation compared to controls: 12.5 ± 1.8 and 14.0 ± 3.2 CD45-positive inflammatory cells, respectively, versus 5.1 ± 0.7 for the controls (P < 0.05 for both). Importantly, significantly higher parvovirus B19 copy numbers could be amplified in non-IMID than in IMID patients (561 ± 97 versus 191 ± 92 copies/μg DNA, P < 0.001) and control subjects (103 ± 47 copies/μg DNA, P < 0.001). The present study shows decreased parvovirus B19 prevalence and copy numbers in hearts of DCM patients with an IMID compared to those without an IMID. These findings may suggest that DCM patients with an IMID have a different pathophysiologic mechanism from that which is present in the virus-induced form of DCM.
Parameter identification of a perturbed servomechanism operating in closed loop under PID control

This paper presents a methodology for closed-loop identification of a position-controlled servomechanism subject to a constant disturbance. A Proportional Integral Derivative controller, which stabilizes the servomechanism without knowledge about its parameters, closes the loop. Theoretical results show that the integral action plays a fundamental role in counteracting the effect of the disturbance on the parameter estimates. Experiments on a laboratory prototype show that the estimates obtained under disturbance conditions remain closer to that obtained under disturbance-free conditions.
Optimal Path Planning for Autonomous Airship Based on Clonal Selection and Direct Collocation Algorithm

A novel algorithm, based on clonal selection and direct collocation theories, is introduced to solve the three-dimensional optimal path problem of airship. Firstly, the six-DOF (Degree of Freedom) nonlinear dynamic model for a special kind of airship is presented. Then, the model of novel algorithm is designed from clonal selection and direct collocation aspects respectively, and the dissipative energy function of airship is designed as performance index function. So the optimal control problem has been converted into the nonlinear programming problem which must subject to constraint conditions and performance index. Finally, nonlinear programming problem is solved by presented algorithm, and gets satisfied solutions. Simulation results also demonstrate the validity and feasibility of the presented novel algorithm for solving the optimal path problem of airship.
Projections of owner-occupation rates, house values, income and financial assets among older people, UK, 2002-2022

This paper contains projections of owner-occupation rates, house values, income and financial assets among people aged 85+ in the UK covering the period 2002 to 2022. The projections have been produced by the microsimulation model CARESIM. CARESIM is a model which simulates the amounts that current and future older people would be required to pay towards residential or home care, should they need that care, under different charging regimes. The projections presented here are produced as an input to those simulations. CARESIM uses a sample of people aged 65 years and over drawn from the Family Resources Survey and projections involve ageing this sample. The sample is not ‘refreshed’ i.e. people under the age of 65 in the base year (2002) are not brought into the sample as they reach 65. By 2022, therefore, CARESIM projections apply only to those aged 85 and over. For this reason results for 2022 are given only for those aged 85 and over. Results for years between 2002 and 2022 are shown only for those age groups for which CARESIM projections apply.
Faith in Empire: Religion, Politics, and Colonial Rule in French Senegal, 1880–1940

Faith in Empire is an innovative exploration of French colonial rule in West Africa, conducted through the prism of religion and religious policy. Elizabeth Foster examines the relationships among French Catholic missionaries, colonial administrators, and Muslim, animist, and Christian Africans in colonial Senegal between 1880 and 1940. In doing so she illuminates the nature of the relationship between the French Third Republic and its colonies, reveals competing French visions of how to approach Africans, and demonstrates how disparate groups of French and African actors, many of whom were unconnected with the colonial state, shaped French colonial rule. Among other topics, the book provides historical perspective on current French controversies over the place of Islam in the Fifth Republic by exploring how Third Republic officials wrestled with whether to apply the legal separation of church and state to West African Muslims.
Retinal vein Occlusion and Factor V Leiden and Prothrombin 20210 G:A Mutations

Purpose The aim of this study was to establish whether the factor V Leiden mutation and the prothrombin 20210 G:A mutation were risk factors for retinal vein occlusion. Methods Blood samples were obtained from 40 patients with retinal vein occlusion and from 50 healthy normal volunteers as controls. Polymerase chain reaction assays were done to detect factor V Leiden and prothrombin 20210 G:A mutations, and the two groups were compared. Results Two (5%) of 40 patients with retinal vein occlusion and three (6%) of 50 controls were heterozygous for factor V Leiden (p=0.84). None of the individuals in either group had the prothrombin 20210 G:A mutation. Conclusions There was no significant association between retinal vein occlusion and the factor V Leiden mutation.
Evolutionary Product Differentiation And Market Creation In Turbulent Economic Environments

The assumption of given consumer tastes and production, loses ground very rapidly in information-intensive economic systems, where the ability to design products and services combinations for increasingly specific needs and skills is a key variable to competition. This article presents a search-oriented conceptual framework and proposes a schematic representation of endogenous product differentiation. The evolution of users' and producers' discriminating capabilities is shown to govern their interaction leading to product definition. Patterns of sub-market creation or standardization provide a central building block to market creation analysis.
On forecasting exchange rates using neural networks

The paper considers the modelling, description and forecasting of four daily exchange rate returns relative to the Dutch guilder using artificial neural network models (ANNs). Based on simulations it is argued (i) that neglected GARCH does not lead to spuriously successful ANNs and (ii) that if there is some form of nonlinearity other than GARCH, ANNs will exploit this for improved forecasting. For the sample data it is found that ANNs do not yield favourable in-sample fits or forecasting performance. These results are interpreted as indicating that the nonlinearity often found in exchange rates is most likely due to GARCH and therefore ANNs are recommended as a diagnostic for mean nonlinearity.
Assessment of hepatic functional reserve by cirrhosis grading and liver volume measurement using CT.

AIM To explore a method for quantitative assessment of hepatic functional reserve by combining computed tomography (CT) volumetry with CT grading of liver cirrhosis before liver resection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS CT images of 55 patients undergoing liver resection were studied prospectively. The degree of liver cirrhosis was referred as "CT grade" and the percentage of remnant liver volume (PRLV) [PRLV = predicted RLV/predicted total liver volume (PTLV) multiply 100%; PTLV (mL) = 121.75 + 16.49 multiply body mass (kg)] were calculated by adding slice by slice of CT liver images. The postoperative RLV, pathologic stages of liver fibrosis in non-tumor area and survival time in these cases were analyzed. RESULTS There was a significant difference in survival time between the group with PRLV <= 50% and the group with PRLV > 50% (c2 = 4.988, P = 0.026), and between the group with CT grade 0/1 and the group with CT grade 2/3 (c2 = 5.429, P = 0.026). With combination of the both parameters, an oblique line was identified according to the distribution of 32 survivors versus 23 deceased subjects. The mortality rate above the line was 7.1% (1/14), and that below the line was 53.7% (22/41), indicating a significant difference between the two rates (c2 = 9.281, P = 0.002, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION PRLV and CT grades are significantly correlated with hepatic functional reserve. The predicted line using these two parameters is useful in candidates undergoing liver resection for judging hepatic functional reserve.
Synthesis and cytotoxic activity of certain benzothiazole derivatives against human MCF‐7 cancer cell line

A new series of benzothiazole has been synthesized as cytotoxic agents. The new derivatives were tested for their cytotoxic activity toward the human breast cancer MCF‐7 cell line against cisplatin as the reference drug. Many derivatives revealed good cytotoxic effect, whereas four of them, 4, 5c, 5d, and 6b, were more potent than cisplatin, with IC50 values being 8.64, 7.39, 7.56, and 5.15 μm compared to 13.33 μm of cisplatin. The four derivatives’ cytotoxic activity was accompanied by regulating free radicals production, by increasing the activity of superoxide dismutase and depletion of intracellular reduced glutathione, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities, accordingly, the high production of hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide, and other free radicals causing tumor cell death as monitored by reduction in the synthesis of protein and nucleic acids. Most of the tested compounds showed potent to moderate growth inhibitory activity; in particular, compound 6b exhibited the highest activity suggesting it is a lead compound in cytotoxic activity.
Degradation of Partially Oxidized Alginate and Its Potential Application for Tissue Engineering

Alginate has been widely used in a variety of biomedical applications including drug delivery and cell transplantation. However, alginate itself has a very slow degradation rate, and its gels degrade in an uncontrollable manner, releasing high molecular weight strands that may have difficulty being cleared from the body. We hypothesized that the periodate oxidation of alginate, which cleaves the carbon‐carbon bond of the cis‐diol group in the uronate residue and alters the chain conformation, would result in promoting the hydrolysis of alginate in aqueous solutions. Alginate, oxidized to a low extent (∼5%), degraded with a rate depending on the pH and temperature of the solution. This polymer was still capable of being ionically cross‐linked with calcium ions to form gels, which degraded within 9 days in PBS solution. Finally, the use of these degradable alginate‐derived hydrogels greatly improved cartilage‐like tissue formation in vivo, as compared to alginate hydrogels.