Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Depressive symptoms disrupt leftward cradling

Objective: Leftward cradling bias is thought to facilitate optimal interaction between mother and infant. There is mixed evidence indicating this bias may be disrupted by depression. This study investigated the relationship between depressive symptoms and preferred cradling side (i.e., cradling bias) in nulliparous women. Method: Six hundred and nineteen females, aged 18 to 25 years, were asked to imagine cradling an infant to soothe it. This instruction was given on four separate occasions. Participants also completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II. All data were collected via an online survey. Results: As the number of depressive symptoms increased, leftward cradling decreased. Although this relationship was not statistically significant, a pattern emerged: As depressive symptoms increased, so too did the likelihood of cradling to the right. Furthermore, those scoring highest on depressive symptoms were more likely to cradle inconsistently to the left, consistently to the right, or show no bias, when compared to those scoring lower on depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Theory suggests that leftward cradling is facilitated by right hemisphere processes involved in relating to others. A relationship between affective symptoms such as depressive symptoms and reduced leftward cradling bias supports this argument. It is argued that leftward cradling facilitates optimal interactions between cradler and infant. Consequently, disruptions of leftward cradling have implications for child development.
Life cycle of Mycosphaerella brassicicola (Duby) Lindau and ascospore production in vitro

The germ-hyphae of the M. brassicicola ascospores penetrated the host leaves (white cabbage) 10 days after inoculation during the summer at 17 °C. The penetration occurred without exception by way of the stomata. Following a period of intercellular growth which lasted up to 15 days, brownish discolourations of the host cell walls and the destruction of mesophyll cells were observed. At this stage of infection, fruit-body primordia developed from hyaline, thick-walled, granulated mycelium, which blackend after conglomeration due to melanine deposits. The further ascocarp development was ascolocular. Ascospore production of M. brassicicola was increased in vitro by variation of the incubation temperatures, medium-pH and irradiation. The highest sporulation rate was obtained in cultures on vegetable juice medium adjusted to pH 6, incubated at 17 °C and subjected immediately after onset of growth to 4 h UVA radiation. The percentage of germinated ascospores (70 %) corresponded to that of the dark incubated controls. Fructification and infectivity were subject to seasonal fluctuations under growth chamber conditions.
ALTERATION IN CYTOSINE DNA METHYLATION PATTERNS AND LEVELS INDUCED BY ALUMINIUM TOXICITY STRESS IN MAIZE VARIETIES

Aluminium (Al) toxicity is one of the most critical abiotic stresses which limit crop production in acid soils. The plant epigenome is vulnerable to environmental factors and may become dysregulated under stress conditions. In this study, morphological, physiological and epigenetic changes in DNA cytosine methylation due to Al toxicity and low pH were investigated using a standardized Al‐sensitive Kenyan tropical maize (KTM) line against a Chinese temperate maize (CTM) line. Growth responses were measured aŌer 4, 24 and 48 hrs exposure to 200μM Al
NEW RECORD OF BASSARISCUS OGALLALAE (CARNIVORA: PROCYONIDAE) FROM THE OGALLALA GROUP (MIOCENE) OF ELLIS COUNTY, KANSAS, WITH COMMENTS ON VARIATION WITHIN BASSARISCUS

Abstract A partial left dentary containing c1 and p2-m1 is described as the second reported specimen of Bassariscus ogallalae, a taxon erected nearly 70 years ago. The specimen is from an early late Miocene (late Barstovian/early Clarendonian) exposure of the Ogallala Group in Ellis County, Kansas. Comparison of B. ogallalae to specimens of other species of Bassariscus, including a relatively large sample of B. astutus, reveals that only 2 of the original 4 diagnostic characters remain valid. A relatively large series of measurements and associated ratios reveal no new meristic characters that can be used to distinguish B. ogallalae from other species of Bassariscus. This specimen extends the temporal range of Bassariscus in Kansas from the Recent to the early late Miocene.
When peritoneum saves

1. Heinemann K, Reed S, Moehner S, Minh TD. Risk of uterine perforation with levonorgestrel-releasing and copper intrauterine devices in the European Active Surveillance Study on Intrauterine Devices. Contraception 2015; 91: 274–9. 2. Stewart M, Digiusto E, Bateson D, South R, Black KI. Outcomes of intrauterine device insertion for training doctors working in primary care. Aust. Fam. Physician 2016; 45: 837–41. 3. Ye H, Huang S, Zhou Q et al. Migration of a foreign body to the rectum: a case report and literature review. Medicine 2018; 97: e11512. 4. Lei Y, Iablakov V, Karmali RJ, Forbes N. Endoscopic removal of migrated intrauterine device: case report and review of literature and technique. ACG Case Rep. J. 2019; 6: e00090. 5. Benacerraf BR, Shipp TD, Bromley B. Three-dimensional ultrasound detection of abnormally located intrauterine contraceptive devices which are a source of pelvic pain and abnormal bleeding. Ultrasound Obstet. Gynecol. 2009; 34: 110–5.
Determination of Ecological Diversity Indices to Assess the Interrelationship between Earthworm Diversity and Different Habitats of Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah, India

Diversity of earthworms was studied in five varied habitats differing in the type of plantation in the field in the Indian Botanic Garden in Howrah, India. It is a unique huge National Botanic Park rich in plant biodiversity with global variety. Twelve species of earthworms identified belonging to seven genera and three families out of a total of 911 individuals collected. Metaphire posthuma was the dominant species among all and was present at all the study sites. The rarest species was Metaphire houlleti available only at the flower garden. Analysis of different Diversity Indices values revealed that maximum species diversity in terms of diversity indices such as Shannon-Wiener index and Simpsons index were found in flower garden (Shannon H´= 0.707; Simpson 1/D = 3.701), while minimum diversity at GBT (H´= 0.414 and 1/D =1.79). Values of Margalef's index (M = 5.272) and Shannon Evenness Index (J' = 0.729) were found highest at Conifer plantation area. The species dominance in terms of Berger-Parker Dominance was maximum at GBT (d=0.734) and lowest at Flower Garden (d = 0.459). The study indicates the richness of earthworm diversity in the study site in Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah.
Renal Cell Carcinoma: Epidemiological Profile and Histopathological Features

Prevalence of renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) is approximately 2% among adult cancers and RCC accounts for about 85% of all parenchymal kidney tumors. Among urological cancers, RCC is the 3rd most common cancer after prostate and bladder tumors. RCC is the 6th leading cancer type in men and the 10th in women, worldwide (1,2). RCCs do not respond to conventional chemotherapy and have the highest mortality rate (more than a third of the patients will die from RCC) among the genitourinary cancers and RCC is the 13th most common cause of cancer death worldwide. Surgical resection of the tumor with minimal risk of recurrence is applied during early stages. Nowadays, with the use of advanced imaging methods, RCCs are recognizable at early stage. With the use of advanced imaging methods and incidental detection of renal masses, the incidence of RCCs has increased steadily (3,4).
Industry competition and firm conduct: Joint determinants of
 risk–return
 relations

In this paper, we offer a novel approach, establishing how firm conduct and competitive interactions among firms jointly provide micro-foundations of risk-return relations. Firms influence each other, and the way they reciprocate these influences to cause mutual adjustments is a core feature of industry dynamics. This core feature fundamentally influences risk-return relations. Based on our approach, we develop models that allow us to trace how, at the microlevel, firm conduct in conjunction with competitive interactions generate risk-return relations, and how these are associated with macro-level measures of industry concentration. That translates into an approach that affords fine-grained predictions of risk-return relations based on the nature of competition in an industry – e.g., Cournot or Bertrand – and observations of the industry’s competitive intensity and concentration.
Characterising spoken responses to an intelligent virtual agent by persons with mild cognitive impairment

ABSTRACT The diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) characterises patients at risk of dementia and may provide an opportunity for disease-modifying interventions. Identifying persons with MCI (PwMCI) from adults of a similar age without cognitive complaints is a significant challenge. The main aims of this study were to determine whether generic speech differences were evident between PwMCI and healthy controls (HC), whether such differences were identifiable in responses to recent or remote memory questions, and to determine which speech variables showed the clearest between-group differences. This study analysed recordings of 8 PwMCI (5 females, 3 males) and 14 HC of a similar age (8 females, 6 males). Participants were recorded interacting with an intelligent virtual agent: a computer-generated talking head on a computer screen which asks pre-recorded questions when prompted by the interviewee through pressing the next key on a computer keyboard. Responses to recent and remote memory questions were analysed. Mann–Whitney U tests were used to test for statistically significant differences between PwMCI and HC on each of 12 speech variables, relating to temporal characteristics, number of words produced and pitch. It was found that compared to HC, PwMCI produce speech for less time and in shorter chunks, they pause more often and for longer, take longer to begin speaking and produce fewer words in their answers. It was also found that the PwMCI and HC were more alike when responding to remote memory questions than when responding to recent memory questions. These findings show great promise and suggest that detailed speech analysis can make an important contribution to diagnostic and stratification systems in patients with memory complaints.
To Decrease or Not to Decrease: The Impact of Zero and Negative Interest Rates on Investment Decisions

Abstract The suggestion to implement a negative monetary policy has divided economists and politicians. The effects of this experiment on the willingness of individuals and financial intermediaries to borrow and spend money and increase their risk are controversial. To provide insight into the debate, we provide experimental evidence revealing two important results. First, zero interest rates are more efficient than negative interest rates in terms of the impact on the willingness of individuals to borrow money and take risks. We suggest two behavioral explanations for this result. Second, we find no statistical difference between the effect that positive and negative interest rates have on the change in the allocation of risky assets in investment portfolios.
A Combined Experimental and First-Principle Calculation (DFT Study) for In Situ Polymer Inclusion Membrane-Assisted Growth of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)

A simple yet effective strategy was developed to prepare a metal-organic framework- (MOF-) based asymmetric membrane by depositing the Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (Zif-8) layer on the aminosilane-functionalized surface of a polymer inclusion membrane via an in situ growth process. During the extraction of the ligand molecules from the source to stripping compartment, metal ions react with ligand, and layers of Zif-8 were gradually grown onto aminosilane-modified polymer inclusion membrane (PIM). The properties of the surface-grown Zif-8 nanocrystalline layer were well characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, adsorption-desorption analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The potential use of these Zif-8-supported PIM membranes for the separation of gases N2, CH4, and CO2 was evaluated at two temperatures (25 and 50°C) and pressures (1, 3, and 5 bar), by comparing the permeability and selectivity behavior of these membranes with neat PIM. The gas permeability of both pure PIM (PCO2=799.2 barrer) and PIM-co-MOF (PCO2=675.8 barrer) increases with the temperature for all three gases, and the permeation rate order was CO2 > CH4 > N2. The results showed that the presence of a layer of Zif-8 on the surface of the polymer inclusion membranes can get a slightly reduced permeability (~21%) but an enhanced selectivity of up to ~70% for CO2/CH4 and ~34% for CO2/N2. In the case of both membrane types, the ideal permselectivity decreases with the temperature, but this decrease was slightly more pronounced for the case of PIM-co-MOF. To understand more details about the electronic structure and optical and adsorption properties of Zif-8 and M+Zif-8 (M=N2,CH4,and CO2) compounds, the periodic plane-wave density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used. The electronic band structures and density of states for pure Zif-8 showed that this compound is metallic. Also, using DFT, the formation energy of M+Zif-8 compounds was calculated, and we showed that the CO2+Zif-8 composition is more stable than other compounds. This result suggests that the tendency of the Zif-8 compound to absorb the CO2 molecule is higher than that of other molecules. Confirming these results, DFT optical calculations showed that the affinity of the CO2+Zif-8 composition to absorb infrared light was greater than that of the other compounds.
Isolation and Characterization of Microsatellite Loci in the Freshwater Crab Sinopotamon yangtsekiense and Cross-Species Amplification in Related Taxa (Decapoda: Brachyura)

Abstract A total of twenty microsatellite loci included dinucleotide, trinucleotide, and tetranucleotide microsatellite loci were isolated for Sinopotamon yangtsekiense using the FIASCO protocol. Genotyping of 30 individuals showed that the number of alleles ranged from 2 to 22, with observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.103 to 0.900 and expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.100 to 0.957. The polymorphism information content per locus ranged from 0.093 to 0.932. Cross-species amplification was investigated in seven related taxa. The results suggested that the developed microsatellite loci are specific to Sinopotamon and have potential for limited use in cross-genus amplification within Potamidae. These microsatellite markers should prove valuable tools for population genetic studies of the species Sinopotamon.
Influence of processing route on the alloying behavior, microstructural evolution and thermal stability of CrMoNbTiW refractory high-entropy alloy

Two different processing routes of mechanical alloying followed by the spark plasma sintering (powder metallurgy) and vacuum arc melting (casting route) were employed to understand the role of processing routes on the phase and microstructural evolution in an equiatomic CrMoNbTiW refractory high-entropy alloy. Besides a major BCC solid solution, a small fraction of carbide, σ phase, nitride, and oxide phases were observed in the alloys prepared by the powder metallurgy route in contrast to a single-phase BCC solid solution in the casting route. The milling atmosphere (dry milling in air and Ar) has significantly influenced the phase and microstructural evolution, illustrating the substantial role of contaminants. Good thermal stability of microstructure at high homologous temperatures was shown based on the long-term heat treatment at 1300 °C for 240 h. The phase evolution predictions via Calphad studies were found to be in reasonable agreement with the experimental observations, albeit with some limitations.
Effect of Haptic Feedback on Pilot/Operator Performance During Flight Simulation

Flying an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is a challenging task, due to the absence of direct sensory information such as a view of surroundings, sound, vibrations, and motion. It is important to provide these sensory stimulations to an operator for better situational awareness and efficient control. In this research, we study the effects of incorporating haptic feedback in UAV flight control. We present an experimental evaluation of three flight control scenarios, that is, in the absence of haptic feedback, in the presence of realistic haptic feedback, and an exaggerated haptic feedback. These three conditions are tested for an altitude hold, gain, and descent task in the flight simulation environment. A linear mathematical model is used to simulate the flight dynamics of a UAV controlled by a 6 DOF Touch 3D Stylus haptic device. Fifteen untrained users are recruited to participate in the flight simulation experiment. The analysis of the results of the experiment indicates an improvement in the longitudinal flight control performance. Specifically, the altitude hold task is better performed with no feedback, the altitude gain with exaggerated haptic feedback, and the altitude descent with realistic haptic feedback. A subjective evaluation in the end corroborates these findings.
Quality of Work Life: A Study on Civil Construction Workers

The civil construction sector has experienced ongoing changes due to the economic globalization, new technologies, and competition. It demands a large number of workers that are often recruited outside their original city, far from their families, with low work conditions, and without guarantee of continuity in employment, which may affect their health and performance. This study presents an exploratory and descriptive study with a quantitative approach, conducted by the Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS), with 159 workers in the civil construction sector in Brazil. The objective is to assess the level of satisfaction with work, compare the results of different workers at the workplace, and contribute to the discussion about QWL. It was found that the variable General Satisfaction with Work obtained the most negative general average score among the personal and the professional results, pointing out little satisfaction with their work as a whole, which can be improved through training and increase workers empowerment. This study carried out a survey with the construction worker, subjects who are hardly evaluated in research on working conditions. The JDS questionnaire was an important tool in this evaluation, contributing to understanding the variables that impact on the performance of these workers. In this context, improving the quality of work life (QWL) make it possible to assist managers to help workers’ satisfaction at work.
The Evolving Audience Network during Media Environment Transition – A Longitudinal Study of Cross-Platform Use in China

ABSTRACT Scholars disagree on whether the media environment has become more concentrated, fragmented, polarized or overlapped. By pooling data from a total of 250 audience surveys conducted over 9 years, we investigated the evolution of a cross-platform audience network during a time of transition in the media environment. We found that both the fragmentation and duplication of the media system changed in a curvilinear manner. More importantly, this study showed that the center of the cross-platform network was transferred from offline to online. This study emphasizes the dynamic of media choice at various stages of media technology development.
Impairment of Macrophage Functions after Ingestion

Summary Human monocyte-derived macrophages ingest diamide-treated red blood cells (RBC), anti-D immunoglobulin (Ig)G-opsonized RBC, or Plasmodium fakiparum ring-stage parasitized RBC (RPRBC), degrade ingested hemoglobin rapidly, and can repeat the phagocytic cycle. Monocytes fed with trophozoite-parasitized RBC (TPRBC), which contain malarial pigment, or fed with isolated pigment are virtually unable to degrade the ingested material and to repeat the phagocytic cycle. Monocytes fed with pigment display a long-lasting oxidative burst that does not occur when they phagocytose diamide-treated RBC or RPRBC. The phorbol myristate acetate-elicited oxidative burst is irreversibly suppressed in monocytes fed with TPRBC or pigment, but not in monocytes fed with diamide-treated or IgG-opsonized RBC. This pattern of inhibition of phagocytosis and oxidative burst suggests that malarial pigment is responsible for the toxic effects. Pigment iron released in the monocyte phagolysosome may be the responsible element. 3% of total pigment iron is labile and easily detached under conditions simulating the internal environment of the phagolysosome, i.e., pH 5.5 and 10/zM H202. Iron liberated from pigment could account for the lipid peroxidation and increased production of malondialdehyde observed in monocytes fed with pigment or in RBC ghosts and liposomes incubated at pH 6.5 in presence of pigment and low amounts of H202. Removal of the labile iron fraction from pigment by repeated treatments with 0.1 mM H202 at pH 5.5 reduces pigment toxicity. It is suggested that iron released from ingested pigment is responsible for the intoxication of monocytes. In acute and chronic falciparum infections, circulating and tissue-resident phagocytes are seen filled with TPRBC and pigment particles over long periods of time. Moreover, human monocytes previously fed with TPRBC are unable to neutralize pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and tumor cells, and macrophage responses decline during the course of human and animal malaria. The present results may offer a mechanistic explanation for depression of cellular immunity in malaria.
DNA Oligonucleotides with Cleavable 3'-terminal Ribonucleotides: A Versatile Molecular Tool

Synthetic oligonucleotides are the fuel that drives the engine of molecular biology. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in all of its embodiments, antisense technology, DNA sequencing, microarrays, mutagenesis, cloning, as well as RNA interference and microRNA research all depend upon the design and synthesis of high quality, high purity DNA, RNA, and chimeric oligonucleotides. For the vast majority of applications synthetic oligonucleotides composed entirely of deoxynucleotide monomers are sufficient. However, there remain many applications in which one or more modifications and/or substitutions are useful or even necessary. One of these modifications is the chimeric construct in which the 3’-terminal deoxynucleotide is substituted with the corresponding ribonucleotide. Though much less well-known than other modifications like RNA-DNA-RNA chimeric antisense agents, dual-labeled fluorescent real-time PCR probes, and the various 5’ and 3’ additions used to attach oligonucleotides to solid supports, 3’-terminal ribonucleotide substituted sequences represent a versatile and valuable molecular tool whose full potential is far from realized. Here, we present a number of extant applications in which these constructs have been successfully employed.