Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparative analysis of miRNA expression in Oryza sativa cultivar PTB33 and TN1

It has been known that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the regulation for the plant development and defense mechanism by regulating the expression of the target gene. In this study, by adopting next-generation sequencing, we profiled the miRNA expression profile from two rice cultivars, one susceptible (TN1) and another resistant to the brown planthopper (PTB33). Two small RNA libraries from Oryza sativa TN1 and PTB33 were constructed and sequenced. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that 66 unique osa-miRNAs were found to be differentially-expressed in PTB33 library, including 41 up-regulated and 25 down-regulated miRNAs. These differentially expressed osa-miRNAs have been reported to be involved in a variety of cellular processed in rice, especially immune response. By using stem-loop qRT-PCR, the expression of the representative miRNAs, including osa-miR393, osa-miR398 and osa-miR7695 was found to be up-regulated, corresponding to the sequencing data. Hence, the PTB33 cultivar-specific miRNAs, which might be involved in BPH disease resistance have been identified. This might be useful for biotechnological approaches for crop protection and development.
Effects of Farmers’ Facial Expression on Consumers’ Responses in Print Advertising of Local Food: The Moderating Role of Emotional Intelligence

In the context of ethical consumption, we examine the effects of farmers’ facial expression in print advertising on consumers’ responses to local food. Furthermore, we try to verify the moderating role of emotional intelligence (EI) on consumers’ responses to the advertising message strategy. The advertising message strategy that connects farmers and consumers is expected to create more favorable responses among consumers toward local food and its retailers. This study examines consumers’ responses (perceived product quality, trust, and a positive attitude toward the local food retailer) to three conditions of farmers’ facial expression in the advertisement (neutral facial expression, positive facial expression, and product only, with no portrait) across two levels of EI (low and high). We find that farmers’ positive facial expressions in the advertisements have the greatest positive effects on consumers’ perceived product quality, trust, and attitude toward the local food retailer under a high level of EI. Therefore, individuals with a high level of EI were more influenced by facial expressions in print advertising, whereas those with a low level of EI were less influenced by facial expressions in print advertising, and their responses were indifferent to whether the local food farmer had a neutral or a positive facial expression in print advertising. Our findings suggest that marketing practitioners consider personal characteristics such as EI in persuading local food consumers in target markets to implement strategies to promote local food purchase and consumption.
EXTENT OF TEACHER PREPAREDNESS AND CAPACITY TO IMPLEMENT INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE NEPAD E-SCHOOLS, KENYA

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which teachers and principals are prepared and capacitated to implement ICTs in the NEPAD e-Schools, Kenya. Methodology: This study adopted a descriptive survey design. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. The target population for the study were all principals and 256 teachers from 6 model e-Schools. Sampling was done employing a mixture of methods. Stratified sampling was used to pick schools, while purposive sampling was used to pick principals and teachers. Five principals and 110 teachers were sampled. Data was collected using questionnaire for teachers, and structured interview for principals. The collected data was coded, run for descriptive analysis; including frequencies, percentages, measures of central tendency and measures of variability/spread, and presented with the aid of appropriate notes, frequency tables, percentages, charts and figures. Findings: The study established that despite most teachers and principals having been trained, they had not been sufficiently empowered towards effectively and successfully applying ICTs. Moreover, majority of the untrained teachers and principal had not trained because no training had occurred since they joined the schools. However, despite their status, most teachers believed they could still perform some tasks involving ICTs. Most trained teachers and principals needed to be trained, retrained and/or trained further on several skills, especially in the preparation and use of multimedia instructional tools, and on-line research and communication. The study concluded that most teachers and principals may be willing to apply ICTs but are limited by the nature and extent of their empowerment. Moreover, ICTs application programmes are likely to succeed better if they employ regular, on-going training. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study could inform education planners and trainers about necessary adjustments to future pre-service and in-service teacher training programmes involving application of ICTs. It would also contribute to the body of knowledge in educational technology, which might inform theory and practice in ICTs integration. It could also inform the development of best practices in the application and integration of ICTs in instruction.
Perceived understanding of supply chain integration, communication and teamwork competency in the global manufacturing companies

This study empirically examines a model that describes the direct path from perceived understanding of supply chain integration (PUSCI) to perceived understanding of supply chain responsiveness (PUSCR) to leverage supply chain manager's communication and teamwork competencies. This study also examines whether knowledge and task skill and proficiency mediate the relationship between PUSCI and PUSCR to improve the communication and teamwork competency of a supply chain manager. ,The data were collected using a survey questionnaire that was mailed to the 413 supply chain managers of global manufacturing companies in Indonesia. ,The result from model testing shows that PUSCR significantly and positively affected the communication and teamwork competency of supply chain manager and knowledge, task skill and proficiency as mediating variables improved communication and teamwork competency. The results found that PUSCI was related to supply chain manager's competency. ,Supply chain managers are advised to focus on PUSCI and consistently improve effective communication and teamwork competency. ,This study will extend the literature by utilizing the competency-based theory to investigate the perceived understanding and communication capabilities of supply chain managers.
Evaluating extinction debt in fragmented forests: the rapid recovery of a critically endangered primate

Fragmented tropical forests can be highly dynamic, with the spatial configuration of forest patches changing through time. Yet, the lack of longitudinal studies limits our understanding of how patch dynamics affect biodiversity, especially when there is a time lag in species extinctions (extinction debt). We assessed how temporal changes in patch size, shape complexity and isolation affect populations of the Mexican howler monkey (Alouatta palliata mexicana), hypothesizing that we would find an extinction debt in this relatively long‐lived species. We assessed patch occupancy, subpopulation size and immature‐to‐female ratio in 39 forest patches from Los Tuxtlas, Mexico, in both 2001 and 2013. To identify time‐lag responses to habitat disturbance, we related demographic attributes in 2013 to patch metrics in 2001 and 2013 and tested whether primate subpopulations were better predicted by current or historical patch characteristics. We also assessed how changes in patch metrics affected each demographic attribute between 2001 and 2013. Patch size and shape complexity increased over time, whereas isolation decreased. These positive spatial changes were accompanied by a 1.6‐fold increase in mean subpopulation size over the same period. In addition, occupancy and immature‐to‐female ratio were similarly related to patch attributes in both years, suggesting that there is no extinction debt. Our findings are ‘good news’, suggesting that forest recovery over a relatively short period can promote the recovery of this Critically Endangered taxon. They also highlight the importance of preventing forest loss and promoting forest regeneration in human‐modified tropical landscapes.
On the Performance of Efficient Channel Estimation Strategies for Hybrid Millimeter Wave MIMO System

Millimeter wave (mmWave) relying upon the multiple output multiple input (MIMO) is a new potential candidate for fulfilling the huge emerging bandwidth requirements. Due to the short wavelength and the complicated hardware architecture of mmWave MIMO systems, the conventional estimation strategies based on the individual exploitation of sparsity or low rank properties are no longer efficient and hence more modern and advance estimation strategies are required to recapture the targeted channel matrix. Therefore, in this paper, we proposed a novel channel estimation strategy based on the symmetrical version of alternating direction methods of multipliers (S-ADMM), which exploits the sparsity and low rank property of channel altogether in a symmetrical manner. In S-ADMM, at each iteration, the Lagrange multipliers are updated twice which results symmetrical handling of all of the available variables in optimization problem. To validate the proposed algorithm, numerous computer simulations have been carried out which straightforwardly depicts that the S-ADMM performed well in terms of convergence as compared to other benchmark algorithms and also able to provide global optimal solutions for the strictly convex mmWave joint channel estimation optimization problem.
Grain spilled from moving trains create a substantial wildlife attractant in protected areas

Transportation corridors can attract threatened wildlife via habitat enhancement and foraging opportunities, leading to collisions with vehicles. But wildlife may also be attracted to energy‐dense food products that are spilled or discarded from moving vehicles, which is rarely studied. Therefore, we quantified train‐spilled attractants in Banff and Yoho National Parks, Canada, where agricultural products (hereafter, grain) are transported along 134 km of railway and may contribute to wildlife mortality. We measured grain deposition from 2012 to 2015 at 19 sites and assessed the performance of three structures developed to measure spilled grain. We then modeled grain deposition with respect to four types of spatial and temporal variables: those related to grain shipment, physical habitat characteristic, train‐related characteristics and variables specific to the study site. Grain was spilled at a mean rate of 1.64 g m−2 day−1 (sd = 3.60) from April to October (n = 3 years) and 1.52 (sd = 2.37) from November to March (n = 1 year). Extrapolating annual deposition across the study area yielded enough grain (110 tons) to provide 4.77 × 108 kcal of gross energy, which is equivalent to the average annual caloric needs of 42–54 grizzly bears Ursus arctos horribilis; the regional population is estimated at 50–73 animals. Much of this energy will not be accessible or available to bears; however, their attraction to it could contribute to rising and unsustainable rates of mortality. Models explained 9–31% of the variance in deposition for each grain type, primarily via coarse temporal variables of shipping rates and month. The absence of more specific predictive variables suggests that mitigation should target broader policies, such as prompt reporting and repair of leaky hopper cars, and limits to train stoppage in protected areas. We encourage more global assessment of the under‐studied issue of food attractants spilled by vehicles along transportation corridors.
Training Machine Learning Surrogate Models From a High‐Fidelity Physics‐Based Model: Application for Real‐Time Street‐Scale Flood Prediction in an Urban Coastal Community

Mitigating the adverse impacts caused by increasing flood risks in urban coastal communities requires effective flood prediction for prompt action. Typically, physics‐based 1‐D pipe/2‐D overland flow models are used to simulate urban pluvial flooding. Because these models require significant computational resources and have long run times, they are often unsuitable for real‐time flood prediction at a street scale. This study explores the potential of a machine learning method, Random Forest (RF), to serve as a surrogate model for urban flood predictions. The surrogate model was trained to relate topographic and environmental features to hourly water depths simulated by a high‐resolution 1‐D/2‐D physics‐based model at 16,914 road segments in the coastal city of Norfolk, Virginia, USA. Two training scenarios for the RF model were explored: (i) training on only the most flood‐prone street segments in the study area and (ii) training on all 16,914 street segments in the study area. The RF model yielded high predictive skill, especially for the scenario when the model was trained on only the most flood‐prone streets. The results also showed that the surrogate model reduced the computational run time of the physics‐based model by a factor of 3,000, making real‐time decision support more feasible compared to using the full physics‐based model. We concluded that machine learning surrogate models strategically trained on high‐resolution and high‐fidelity physics‐based models have the potential to significantly advance the ability to support decision making in real‐time flood management within urban communities.
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug [Halyomorpha halys (Stal)]

halys Stål) (Fig. 1) is a recent invasive insect to North America and is native to eastern Asia. Its first North American detection was in Pennsylvania in 1996. In the last decade, it has become a severe urban nuisance (Fig. 2) and agricultural pest (Fig. 3) in the mid-Atlantic and northwestern regions of the U.S. Since January 2017, 43 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces have reported BMSB occurrence (Fig. 4). BMSB was first detected in Utah in 2012; it is now established in four counties (Weber, Davis, Salt Lake, and Utah) and has been detected in two other counties (Cache and Box Elder). As an aggressive generalist herbivore, BMSB infests a broad range of plants and habitats, enabling its rapid spread across many regions of North America, including the Wasatch Front of Utah.
Middle School Students' Line Graph Skills and Affective States about Common Graph Types Used in Science Courses

This study investigated the graphing skills and some affective states of middle school students about graphs by their gender, grade level, and the common graph types used in science courses. Participants’ line graph skills, self-efficacy beliefs and attitudes toward graphs, and their personal literacy perceptions about different graph types (line, bar, and pie) are explored quantitatively. Qualitative data was collected about the views of participants about graphs in general, as well as about the factors that impact students like/dislike certain graph types. Based on the findings, while participants were found to lack line graph skills, they were found to hold high self-efficacy beliefs and positive attitudes toward graphs. No significant difference among the dependent variables was found based on gender; however, grade level and graph type variables were found to impact students’ graph skills and personal graph literacy perceptions. Among the commonly used graphs in middle schools, a vast majority of students favored bar graphs, mostly due to the simplicity of them, and disliked pie charts, as finding them difficult to draw.
Conventional and Second Order Sliding Mode Control of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Fed by Direct Matrix Converter: Comparative Study

The main objective of this work revolves around the design of second order sliding mode controllers (SOSMC) based on the super twisting algorithm (STA) for asynchronous permanent magnet motor (PMSM) fed by a direct matrix converter (DMC), in order to improve the effectiveness of the considered drive system. The SOSMC was selected to minimize the chattering phenomenon caused by the conventional sliding mode controller (SMC), as well to decrease the level of total harmonic distortion (THD) produced by the drive system. In addition, the literature has taken a great interest in the STA due to its robustness to modeling errors and to external disturbances. Furthermore, due to its low conduction losses, the space vector approach was designated as a switching law to control the DMC. In addition, the topology and design method of the damped passive filter, which allows improvement of the waveform and attenuation of the harmonics of the input current, have been detailed. Finally, to discover the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed control approach based on SOSMC, a comparative study between the latter and that using the conventional SMC was executed. The results obtained confirm the effectiveness of SOSMC over the conventional SMC under different operating conditions.
REDESCRIPTION OF ‘PERLEIDUS’ (OSTEICHTHYES, ACTINOPTERYGII) FROM THE EARLY TRIASSIC OF NORTHWESTERN MADAGASCAR

The revision of the material from the Lower Triassic fossil-bearing-nodule levels from northwestern Madagascar supports the assumption that the genus Perleidus De Alessandri, 1910 is not present in the Early Triassic. In the past, the presence of this genus has been reported in the Early Triassic of Angola, Canada, China, Greenland, Madagascar and Spitsbergen. More recently, it has been pointed out that these taxa may not be ascribed to Perleidus owing to several anatomical differences. The morphometric, meristic and morphological analyses revealed a remarkable ontogenetic and individual intraspecific variation among dozens of specimens from the lower Triassic of Ankitokazo basin, northwestern Madagascar and allowed to consider the two Malagasyan species P. madagascariensis Piveteau, 1934, and P. piveteaui Lehman, 1952, as a single one and to ascribe it to the new genus Teffichthys . This new genus exhibits a unique combination of features, mainly in the skull dermal bone pattern and structure of caudal fin, that clearly support its exclusion from Perleidiformes. We also suggest to extend the use of Teffichthys for the other Early Triassic ‘ Perleidus ’ species except those from southern China.
Influence of environmental enrichment on the behavior of captive Ateles paniscus (Primates: Atelidae) in the Parque Zoobotânico Getúlio Vargas, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Técnicas de enriquecimento ambiental tornam o ambiente cativo mais interessante e agradável para os animais, aumentando o bem-estar e prevenindo o desenvolvimento de comportamentos anormais. Nesta pesquisa, avaliamos a influência de diferentes técnicas de enriquecimento no comportamento de dois indivíduos de Ateles paniscus mantidos cativos no Parque Zoobotânico Getúlio Vargas, Salvador, Brasil. O estudo foi dividido em cinco fases: controle; enriquecimento sensorial; enriquecimento social; enriquecimento alimentar e pós-enriquecimento. O método animal-focal com registro instantâneo foi utilizado para registrar os atos comportamentais exibidos nas diferentes fases de enriquecimento e estes foram comparados, quanto à sua frequência, com os exibidos na fase controle. Também foi comparada a frequência de uso dos artefatos introduzidos no recinto durante as fases sensorial e alimentar. De modo geral, não houve diferenças entre os atos comportamentais exibidos nas diferentes fases de enriquecimento, exceto durante a fase de enriquecimento alimentar do macho. Também não houve diferenças quanto ao uso dos artefatos. Contudo, os resultados evidenciam a influência de um ambiente enriquecido sobre a frequência de ocorrência dos comportamentos dos indivíduos. É possível que as condições do recinto e a presença dos visitantes exerçam influências negativas no comportamento dos indivíduos, de modo a não favorecer a redução efetiva dos comportamentos anormais observado.
In the still of the night: firefly tourism in Mexico

ABSTRACT Excursions to the estimated 55 firefly sanctuaries of Mexico have seen phenomenal growth in the past decade. Visits to three firefly entomotourism destinations in the state of Tlaxcala (Canto del Bosque, Piedra Canteada and Santa Clara), and one in the State of Mexico (Bosque Esmeralda) were made in 2017 and 2018. The goal of these visits was to observe current management approaches, and to develop visitor strategies aimed at mitigating the anthropogenic impacts on the firefly sanctuaries and on the fireflies. Considering the recent interest in firefly entomotourism by the IUCN Firefly Group, findings from this exploratory study are particularly timely as they can be used to inform the protection of fireflies and support appropriate entomotourism opportunities in Mexico.
Stocks of organic carbon in German agricultural soils—Key results of the first comprehensive inventory

Background: There is considerable uncertainty about the actual size of the global soil organic carbon (SOC) pool and its spatial distribution due to insufficient and heterogeneous data coverage. Aims: We aimed to assess the size of the German agricultural SOC stock and develop a stratification approach that could be used in national greenhouse gas reporting. Methods: Soils from a total of 3104 sites, comprising 2234 croplands, 820 permanent grasslands and 50 sites with permanent crops (vineyards, orchards) were sampled in a grid of 8 · 8 km to a depth of 100 cm in fixed depth increments. In addition, a decade of management data was recorded in a questionnaire completed by farmers. Two different approaches were used to stratify cropland and grassland mineral soils and derive homogeneous groups: stratification via soil type (pedogenesis) and via SOC-relevant soil properties. Results: A total of 146 soils were identified as organic soils, which stored by far the highest average SOC stock of 528 – 201 Mg ha–1 in 0–100 cm depth. Of the mineral soils, croplands and permanent crops stored on average 61 – 25 and 62 – 25 Mg ha–1 in 0–30 cm (topsoil) and 35 – 30 and 44 – 28 Mg ha–1 in 30–100 cm (subsoil), while permanent grasslands stored significantly more SOC (88 – 32 and 47 – 50 Mg ha–1 in topsoil and subsoil). Overall, topsoils stored 67 – 14% and subsoils 33 – 14% of total SOC stocks. Soil C:N ratio, clay content and groundwater level were major factors that explained the spatial variability of SOC stocks in mineral soils. Accordingly, Podzols, Gleysols and Vertisols were found to have the highest SOC stocks. Conclusions: Stratification via soil properties yielded the most comparable cropland and grassland strata and is thus preferable for estimating land-use change effects, e.g., for greenhouse gas inventories. In total, 2.5 Pg C are stored in the upper 100 cm of German agricultural soils, making them the largest organic carbon pool in terrestrial ecosystems of Germany. This bares a large responsibility for the agricultural sector and society as a whole to maintain and, if possible, enhance this pool.