Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phenotypic and molecular selection of yellow passion fruit progenies in the second cycle of recurrent selection

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of selection of a population of yellow passion fruit in the second cycle of recurrent selection, based on molecular and agronomic data. In 39 full-sib progenies, genotyped using microsatellite markers, 11 agronomic traits were evaluated. The progenies were selected based on the genetic distance matrix and the selection efficiency was confirmed based on the most important agronomic traits of yellow passion fruit. Only 12 of the 25 best progenies were identified by all three selection strategies (agronomic, molecular and combined selection). No significant correlation was observed between the genetic distance matrices and the molecular x agronomic data. The progenies selected by molecular markers had the highest mean yield and fruit number. Results indicate the possibility of applying this combined selection procedure based on agronomic as well as molecular data to optimize genetic gain for the traits under selection.
Local Gaussian Process Model for Large-Scale Dynamic Computer Experiments

ABSTRACT The recent accelerated growth in the computing power has generated popularization of experimentation with dynamic computer models in various physical and engineering applications. Despite the extensive statistical research in computer experiments, most of the focus had been on the theoretical and algorithmic innovations for the design and analysis of computer models with scalar responses. In this article, we propose a computationally efficient statistical emulator for a large-scale dynamic computer simulator (i.e., simulator which gives time series outputs). The main idea is to first find a good local neighborhood for every input location, and then emulate the simulator output via a singular value decomposition (SVD) based Gaussian process (GP) model. We develop a new design criterion for sequentially finding this local neighborhood set of training points. Several test functions and a real-life application have been used to demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach over a naive method of choosing local neighborhood set using the Euclidean distance among design points. The supplementary material, which contains proof of the theoretical results, detailed algorithms, additional simulation results, and R codes, are available online.
Impaired Autophagy in Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells Induced from iPS Cells obtained from a Patient with Sialidosis

Sialidosis type I patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were generated from blood mononuclear cells. During embryoid body-like 3D culture, aggregates of patient-derived iPSCs were irregular in shape and had increased vacuoles filled with lipid droplets and cellular components such as damaged mitochondria. Retinal pigment epithelial cells induced from patient-derived iPSCs showed impaired autophagy flux with decreased formation of LC3 puncta. Sialidosis patient-derived iPSCs could provide a useful tool for investigating the mechanism of the autophagy/ lysosome-mediated degradation system.
Deformation of a nearly-hemispherical conducting drop due to an electric field: theory and experiment

We consider, both theoretically and experimentally, the deformation due to an electric field of a pinned nearly hemispherical static sessile drop of an ionic fluid with a high conductivity resting on the lower substrate of a parallel-plate capacitor. Using both numerical and asymptotic approaches, we find solutions to the coupled electrostatic and augmented Young–Laplace equations which agree very well with the experimental results. Our asymptotic solution for the drop interface extends previous work in two ways, namely, to drops that have zero-field contact angles that are not exactly π/2 and to higher order in the applied electric field, and provides useful predictive equations for the changes in the height, contact angle, and pressure as functions of the zero-field contact angle, drop radius, surface tension, and applied electric field. The asymptotic solution requires some numerical computations, and so a surprisingly accurate approximate analytical asymptotic solution is also obtained.
BIOTIC (FORAMINIFERA AND THECAMOEBIANS) AND ABIOTIC PARAMETERS AS PROXIES FOR IDENTIFICATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HETEROGENEITY IN CAETÉ RIVER ESTUARY, AMAZON COAST, BRAZIL

Foraminifera and thecamoebians assemblages were analyzed at Caeté River Estuary in order to identify saline gradients and intensity of human impacts. In the study area, 29 species of foraminifera typically from intertidal environments and 11 species of thecamoebians were identified. The microfaunal assemblages were characterized by low diversity, averaging 1.9 at the mouth and 0.5 near Bragança City. These values are common in transitional coastal environments along de Brazilian Coast. Statistical analysis, based on the relative abundance of species, did not reveal the presence of an estuarine gradient, which was corroborated by the physical and chemical parameters measured in the field. An increasing of sedimentary fine fraction and organic matter occurs in the intermediate region of the estuary, indicating attenuation of the stream influence. The calcareous foraminifera species were associated with high salinity, temperature and pH values. The agglutinated species were associated with muddy sediment, total organic matter and lower salinity. Four environmental compartments were identified based on biotic and abiotic analysis, but they do not represent the classic estuarine gradient, instead, they represent the differences in the freshwater supply and mangrove distance.
A PROBLEM AMONG EFL: CAN HIGH-PROFICIENCY STUDENTS USE PROPER DISAGREEMENT STRATEGIES AS NATIVE SPEAKERS DO?

This research aims to find out the correlation between students’ proficiency and disagreement strategies. The study involved the fourth-semester students of English Education Study Program. The instruments of this research were English language proficiency test to get the data of students’ language proficiency scores and Discourse Completion Task (DCT) to get the data of students’ disagreement statements. The correlation between language proficiency test scores and DCT’s scores was significant with the coefficient correlation (r count ) was 0,264 which was higher than R table 5% (0.235). The coefficient correlation shows that the correlation was positive. However, the strength of correlation was weak. The results implied that there was a correlation between students’ proficiency and disagreement strategies but the language proficiency did not indirectly affect the disagreement strategies of students because the correlation was weak.
How defensive were lending and aid to HIPC

We examine both grants and net loans made to low income countries during the last two decades to understand the main reasons that motivated the behaviour of both donors and creditors. Our results point to an overall "mixed" evidence, concerning the hypotheses of defensive lending (and defensive granting). Specifically, while a higher level of multilateral debt negatively affects both multilateral new loans and grants to low-income countries, in the case of HIPC such "correction" does not take place at all (in the case of grants) or it is much weaker (in the case of net loans). Bilateral creditors reduce their loans as their debt exposure increases and significantly so in the case of HIPC, while bilateral donors give more grants to HIPC as their bilateral debt share increases.
Geometric Optimization of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting System

Introduction: Piezoelectric energy harvesting systems are able to provide a clean source of energy by transforming mechanical vibrations into electrical charges that can be used to operate ultra-low power devices. However, innovative technical approaches need to be developed in order to increase the efficiency of piezo-harvesters, as the percentage of output power in comparison to the input mechanical vibrations is considerably low. The aim of this study is to optimize the harvested energy by investigating different geometrical structures for a unimorph piezoelectric cantilever. This will be achieved by connecting a previously optimized cantilever in a two-element and a three-element array to increase energy conversion efficiency (Figure 1). The elements of the array have the same geometrical structure. Use of COMSOL Multiphysics: The analysis was made on Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT-5H) in COMSOL, using the Piezoelectric Devices interface. The model has two different material layers, the top layer is the piezoelectric material, and the bottom layer is made of steel. A parametric study was conducted to optimize the design by varying the element-spacing of adjacent elements in the array. The models were then excited at their resonance frequencies and results were compared to that of a single element. Results: The overall stored energy for the twoelement array and the three-element array was much more than that of the single element. This is a result of a significant increase in the open circuit voltage and charge measurements (Figure 2). Conclusion: Results of this study proves that geometrical optimization of a piezoelectric device connected in an array configuration can greatly affect its performance and increase its efficiency. The results are based on the condition that the device was excited at its resonance frequency and that the element spacing between the cantilevers was optimized for maximum output.
A Sociocultural View of Language Learning: The Importance of Meaning-Based Instruction

The process of second-language teaching is grounded in the sociocultural theory of Vygotsky, which emphasizes meaningful interaction among individuals as the greatest motivating force in human development and learning. In this theoretical framework, the concepts of meaning and mediation are considered as the two essential elements affecting an individual’s learning of a second language. Suggestions are offered for enhancing students’ second-language learning in their regular classrooms by applying sociocultural theories to practice. Socioculturally based implications for classroom teaching include bilingual instruction, focus on pragmatics, literacy instruction based on drama, inclusive learning environments, instruction based on children’s interests, and the teacher’s role as a facilitator mediating between students and their second-language learning environment.
Spanish E-Consumer Segmentation and Positioning in Virtual Supermarkets Sector

This article analyses different factors that influence the purchasing behaviour of online supermarket customers. These factors are related to both the appearance of the website as well as the processes that take place when making the purchase. Based on these analyses, the various groups of consumers with homogenous behaviour are studied and positioned according to their attitudes. The analysis also allows the quality of the service offered by this kind of establishment to be defined, as well as the main dimensions in which it develops. In the conclusions, factors which should influence the manager of an online supermarket to improve the quality of its service are given.
Effect of Additives and Fermentation Periods on Chemical Composition and In situ Digestion Kinetics of Mott Grass (Pennisetum purpureum) Silage

This study was conducted to see the influence of additives and fermentation periods on Mott grass silage (MGS) characteristics, its chemical composition and to compare the digestion kinetics of Mott grass (MG) and MGS in Nili buffaloes. Mott grass chopped with a locally manufactured chopper was ensiled using two additives, cane molasses and crushed corn grains each at 2, 4 and 6% of forage DM for 30 and 40 days in laboratory silos. The pH, lactic acid concentration, dry matter (DM), crude protein and fiber fractions of MGS were not affected by the type or level of additive and fermentation periods. The non-significant pH lactic acid concentration, and chemical composition of MGS indicated that the both molasses and crushed corn were utilized at similar rate for the growth of lactic acid bacteria and production of organic acids. The MG ensiled with molasses at 2% of fodder DM for 30 days was screened out for in situ digestion kinetics in Nili buffaloes. Ruminal DM and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) degradabilities of MGS were significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of MG. The DM and NDF rate of degradation, lag time and extent of degradation was non-significant between MGS and MG. The higher ruminal degradation of DM and NDF of MGS than MG was probably a reflection of fermentation of MG during ensilation that improved its degradability by improving the availability of easily degradable structural polysaccharides to ruminal microbial population. The results in the present study have indicated that MG ensiled with either 2% molasses or 2% crushed corn for 30 days has better nutritive value for buffalo.
Validity of the Dimensions of the Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire: Implications for Research and Practice

Pay satisfaction has long been a topic of interest to researchers and practitioners. However, only in the past several years have researchers began to realize that pay satisfaction is a multidimensional construct. Heneman and Schwab (1979, 1985) are largely responsible for hypothesizing the multidimensionality of pay satisfaction, and their Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ) is the only instrument available to measure dimensions of pay satisfaction. Recent research, however, has questioned the validity of the PSQ and the measurement of the dimensions of pay satisfaction. Although this research has been informative, it really has not constituted a formal test of the construct validity of the PSQ and its dimensions. Using a heterogeneous sample of employees from a large corporation, the present study found supportive evidence for the validity of the dimensions of the PSQ. The items from the PSQ loaded on their hypothesized dimensions, and the dimensions were empirically distinct. Furthermore, the dimensions displayed differing patterns of correlations with their hypothesized influences. Implications of the results for research and practice are discussed.
Memory Effects Due to Fractional Time Derivative and Integral Space in Diffusion Like Equation Via Haar Wavelets

Memory and hereditary effects due to fractional time derivative are combined with the global behaviours due to space integral term. Haar wavelet operational matrix is adjusted to solve diffusion like equations with time fractional derivative, space derivatives and integral terms. The fractional derivative is understood in the Caputo sense. The memory behaviours is included in all the points of the domain due to the existence of space integral term and the inverse fractional operator treatment and this is ilustrated in error graphs introduced. A general example with four subproblems ranging from the simple classical heat equation to the fractional time diffusion equation with global integral term is proposed and the calculated results are displayed graphically.
Quantile Regression due to Skewness and Outliers

Regression models explore relationship between a response variable and some explanatory variables based often on conditionally mean function. The choice of mean framework is not always appropriate for two reasons. First, when the distribution of explanatory variable may highly be skewed, and second when sever outliers may be observed in the analysis. In contrast, quantile regression, in special case median regression, remains informative in such situations. In this paper, we briefly define quantile regression. We investigate the efficiency of this method by estimating the effect of age on satisfaction score by median regression.
Dynamics of Mitotic Microtubules in Fission Yeast

Microtubules (MTs) are cytoskeletal polymers that assemble into a biomechanical complex known as the mitotic spindle. The spindle is responsible for the equal partitioning of chromosomes during cell division; an event known as mitosis. The dependence of proper chromosome segregation on the dynamics of individual microtubules (MTs) is not well understood or easy to study due to their small size and quick dynamics. Mathematical models and simulations have been constructed in order to better understand the physical basis of how the mitotic spindle accurately, or inaccurately, divides duplicated chromosomes during mitosis. These models rely on the dynamics parameters of individual MTs, some of which are difficult to measure due to the resolution limits of live cell microscopy. This research has better quantified the dynamics of mitotic MTs in an effort to further restrict parameter ranges implemented in simulations of mitosis. Using biological and computational methods, I created a microscopy protocol to image fission yeast cells stalled in early mitosis and developed a pipeline that allows for the direct analysis of MT dynamics from raw micrograph data. I also conducted various bleaching experiments to determine kinetics of unresolvable MTs during spindle formation. I developed a kinetic Monte Carlo simulation of the stalled mitotic spindle that can be used to generate simulated data to benchmark the performance of the analysis techniques. This work has better defined parameter ranges for the dynamics of mitotic microtubules, values critical for accurate simulation of chromosome segregation, as well as developed a computational pipeline that may be applicable to a wide range of other biological
An investigation of teacher-provided versus student-made vocabulary notebooks

Vocabulary notebooks are viewed as a self-study strategy, and they have been widely used in many EFL contexts (Nation, 2011). Given this, the challenge is that EFL learners may not be able to decide what sort of knowledge to acquire about a certain word. Anchored in this challenge, the present study compares teacher-provided vocabulary notebooks (TPVNs) with student-made vocabulary notebooks (SMVNs). The participants were 28 elementary teenage EFL learners divided into two experimental groups: TPVN and SMVN. The results indicated that the TPVN group outperformed the SMVN group, especially in their productive knowledge of orthography and productive knowledge of meaning and form. Three days after the post-test, a number of participants from both groups were interviewed randomly to explore their viewpoints about each kind of notebook. It was found out that the SMVN group did not look some of the words up for three reasons: (a) they thought they could guess the correct meaning from the context, (b) they were at times lazy, and (c) they did not have enough time. The results of this study have implications for EFL teachers and materials writers.
A novel method for direct kinematics solution of fully parallel manipulators using basic regions theory

Model-based controllers potentially offer a higher positioning accuracy for robotic systems. The direct kinematics solution is an essential part of these controllers. However, the direct kinematics problem for parallel manipulators is usually very complicated and in general does not have a closed-form solution. This problem usually leads to multiple solutions. When a control application or dynamics simulation is considered, only one of the solutions is acceptable. Although there are some numerical methods that obtain all possible solutions, specifying the one acceptable solution among them is still a challenging problem. It is shown that the tool space of a parallel manipulator with one inverse kinematic solution can be categorized into special regions called basic regions. In this paper, a new concept for basic regions is proposed that extends the concept to non-cuspidal fully parallel manipulators with multiple inverse and multiple direct kinematics solutions. Then, for general non-cuspidal fully parallel manipulators, a numerical algorithm is proposed that determines the basic region domains in the tool space. Finally, a novel method is proposed which utilizes the basic regions theory to determine which direct kinematics solution is acceptable. The proposed method presents a general solution to the direct kinematics problem of non-cuspidal parallel manipulators in trajectory following. The provided solutions are reliable and can be refined up to an arbitrary accuracy. The proposed method is illustrated using a 3-RRR planar parallel manipulator.
Religious Pluralism, Conflict and HIV/Aids Education in Refugee-Affected Regions of North-Western Kenya

This paper examines how multi-religious factors influence the teaching and learning of HIV/AIDS education in refugee schools based on a qualitative study conducted in refugee-affected communities in North-Western Kenya. The study involved a total of 3 primary schools from Kakuma Refugee Camp (KRC) and 3 from the host community. A sample of 617 respondents of diverse nationalities, including 356 male and 160 female pupils, was used. The study utilized semi-structured interviews, observation, FGDs, documentary analysis and drawings to generate data. The findings reveal that, first; traditional ethnic cultures interacted with religion to influence the nature and level of interaction between boys and girls during HIV/AIDS education lessons, thereby determining the process of learning. Whereas Somali Muslim pupils sat and worked in same gender clusters, Christian Sudanese and Turkana boys and girls interacted across genders more freely. Consequently, the cultural and religious tendencies denied Muslim Somali boys and girls an opportunity to work together as allies in addressing pertinent and effective strategies in HIV/AIDS education. Further, unlike the Christian Turkana and Ugandan girls who seemed open and outgoing in their participation in HIV/AIDS education activities, Somali and Ethiopian Muslim girls remained quiet, reserved and shy as a way of showing respect to male teachers and pupils. In this regard, Kenyan Christian teachers interpreted the behaviour of Somali and Ethiopian Muslim girls to mean disobedience and hence, tended to exclude the girls during classroom activities. Because religion determined the teacher’s interpretation of the content, pupils received different and sometimes conflicting messages on similar topics depending on the teacher’s religious background. It was therefore concluded that religious beliefs influenced the learning of HIV/AIDS education in refugee schools in a complex manner, which teachers need to understand clearly for them to be able to enhance inclusive and responsive learning Keywords: Religious Pluralism, Conflict, HIV/AIDS Education, Refugee-Affected Regions, North-Western Kenya
Information provision framework for strategic planning in public institutions

In order to use strategic planning as a rational means to develop the activity of public institutions effectively, it is necessary to solve methodological and information provision problems. The solution of the methodological issues allows the creation of a model revealing the concept of effective strategic planning as well as forming the rational composition set of methods for the fulfilment of the strategic planning objectives. The solution of the information provision problem enables to reach strategic planning objectives by applying a decision support system (DSS). The offered DSS is based on the integrated approach, the use of which allows joining in the whole of the support elements for the fulfilment of planning objectives under internal and external conditions of different uncertainty.
RELATION BETWEEN FACIAL EXPRESSION AND EMOTION.

Samir Kumar Bandyopadhyay 1 and Goutam Roy Chowdhury 2 . 1. Research Director, Techno India University Techno India University, EM-4, Sector-V, Salt Lake, Kolkata700091, West Bengal, India. 2. Chairman, Techno India Group Techno India University, EM-4, Sector-V, Salt Lake, Kolkata-700091, West Bengal, India. Manuscript Info Abstract . Manuscript History