Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aging-related changes in the association between negative affect and response time inconsistency in older adulthood

Negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA) are established modifiable psychosocial correlates of cognitive health and have demonstrated capacity for meaningful within-person fluctuations based on person–environment interactions, age, and measurement approach. Previous research has shown NA is associated with increased response time inconsistency (RTI), an early performance-based indicator of cognitive health and aging. It is unclear, however, whether PA is associated with RTI and whether affect-RTI associations exist within persons over time or change as individuals get older. We utilized data from a measurement burst study (Cognition, Health, and Aging Project) to explore within- and between-person associations between affect and RTI in community-dwelling older adults (N = 111, M = 80.04 years, SD = 6.30). Affect and RTI were assessed on 6 days over a 2-week period, every 6 months for 2 years. Results revealed a significant association between NA-low arousal and RTI within persons over time. RTI was higher on sessions when NA-low arousal was higher than usual (b = .21, 95% CI [0.08, 0.35], p < .01). This association decreased in magnitude over time (b = −.09, 95% CI [−0.14, −0.03], p < .001), ultimately resulting in increased NA-low arousal being associated with decreased RTI 2 years later (b = −.14, 95% CI [−0.27, −0.01], p < .05). No PA-RTI associations emerged. The results suggest efforts focused on maximizing resource allocation and personalizing cognitive health efforts should consider for whom and when mitigating NA may be maximally beneficial to daily cognition, whereas additional work is needed to determine influences from PA.
Genomic knockout of alms1 in zebrafish recapitulates Alström syndrome and provides insight into metabolic phenotypes

Alström syndrome is an autosomal recessive obesity ciliopathy caused by loss-of-function mutations in the ALMS1 gene. In addition to multi-organ dysfunction, such as cardiomyopathy, retinal degeneration, and renal dysfunction, the disorder is characterized by high rates of obesity, insulin resistance and early onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). To investigate mechanisms linking disease phenotypes we generated a loss-of-function deletion of alms1 in the zebrafish using CRISPR/Cas9. We demonstrate conserved phenotypic effects including cardiac defects, retinal degeneration, and metabolic deficits that included propensity for obesity and fatty livers in addition to hyperinsulinemia and glucose response defects. Gene expression changes in β-cells isolated from alms1−/− mutants revealed changes consistent with insulin hyper-secretion and glucose sensing failure, which were also identified in cultured murine β-cells lacking Alms1. These data present a zebrafish model to assess etiology and new secretory pathway defects underlying Alström syndrome-associated metabolic phenotypes. Given the hyperinsulinemia and reduced glucose sensitivity in these animals we also propose the alms1 loss-of-function mutant as a monogenic model for studying T2DM phenotypes. AUTHOR SUMMARY These data comprise a thorough characterization of a zebrafish model of Alström syndrome, a human obesity syndrome caused by loss-of-function deletions in a single gene, ALMS1. The high rates of obesity and insulin resistance found in these patients suggest this disorder as a single-gene model for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), a disorder caused by a variety of environmental and genetic factors in the general population. We identify a propensity for obesity, excess lipid storage, loss of β-cells in islets, and hyperinsulinemia in larval and adult stages of zebrafish alms1 mutants. We isolated β-cells from the alms1 mutants and compared the gene expression profiles from RNASeq datasets to identify molecular pathways that may contribute to the loss of β-cells and hyperinsulinemia. The increase in genes implicated in generalized pancreatic secretion, insulin secretion, and glucose transport suggest potential β-cell exhaustion as a source of β-cell loss and excess larval insulin. We propose this mutant as a new genetic tool for understanding the metabolic failures found in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.
Reproducing Transformation of Indolent B-cell Lymphoma by T-cell Immunosuppression of L.CD40 Mice

Transformation of an indolent B-cell lymphoma is associated with a more aggressive clinical course and poor survival. The role of immune surveillance in the transformation of a B-cell indolent lymphoma towards a more aggressive form is poorly documented. To experimentally address this question, we used the L.CD40 mouse model, which is characterized by B-cell specific continuous CD40 signaling, responsible for spleen indolent clonal or oligoclonal B-cell lymphoma after one year in 60% cases. Immunosuppression was obtained either by T/NK cell depletion or by treatment with the T-cell immunosuppressive drug cyclosporin A. Immunosuppressed L.CD40 mice had larger splenomegaly with increased numbers of B-cells in both spleen and peripheral blood. High-throughput sequencing of immunoglobulin variable segments revealed that clonal expansion was increased in immunosuppressed L.CD40 mice. Tumor B cells of immunosuppressed mice were larger with an immunoblastic aspect, both on blood smears and spleen tissue sections, with increased proliferation rate and increased numbers of activated B-cells. Collectively, these features suggest that immune suppression induced a shift from indolent lymphomas into aggressive ones. Thus, as a preclinical model, immunosuppressed L.CD40 mice reproduce aggressive transformation of an indolent B-cell tumor and highlight the role of the immune surveillance in its clinical course, opening new perspective for immune restoration therapies. Summary statement Highlighting the role of immune surveillance, transformation of indolent B-cell lymphoma into an aggressive malignancy is experimentally reproduced after T-cell immune suppression in the L.CD40 preclinical mouse model.
Riddles in the dark: Assessing diversity patterns for cryptic subterranean fauna of the Pilbara

Spatial modelling can provide new understanding of patterns in biodiversity and help inform policy, planning and management decisions. However, for many taxa, in many regions, issues with currently available biological data curtail the application of spatial biodiversity models. Here we develop techniques to model spatial patterns of diverse subterranean invertebrate fauna (troglofauna and stygofauna) in the Pilbara region, to better inform biodiversity planning and management for these groups. In this context, the available data are highly biased in their distribution, with specimens often identified only at coarse taxonomic resolution, and individual community surveys sampling a relatively small proportion of the total assemblage at a location.
Design and implementation of monitoring and warning (IOT) system for electricity poles

There are many serious accidents on human life caused by electric current columns, and it is possible for the Internet of Things to find solutions to prevent the risks that occur, as in many fields such as medicine, agriculture, industry and others. In this paper, we will show monitoring and tracking of the current that passes through the electrical poles and the possible leakage, in addition to monitoring the temperature and humidity in the area, and knowing the condition of the light in the column according to morning and evening, this proposed system that will perform a general purpose added to the region. using Open source NODE MCU board, GPS positioning, current sensor, temperature and humidity sensor that provide desired data via open source platforms that we have chosen to be ThingSpeak that easily to handle.
Effects of Respiratory-Gated Auricular Vagal Afferent Nerve Stimulation (RAVANS) in Hypertensive Patients during the Handgrip experiment

Several studies have proposed transcutaneous stimulation of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (ABVN) as a non-invasive alternative to vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). In this study we present preliminary results of the effect of respiratory-gated, auricular vagal afferent nerve stimulation (RAVANS) associated with a Handgrip (HG) experiment. Twelve hypertensive subjects underwent three experimental sessions on non-consecutive days. In each session subjects performed HG before and after receiving one of three types of RAVANS stimulation in a counterbalanced order: low-intensity, medium-intensity or sham stimulation. Electrocardiogram recordings were collected and analyzed by point process linear analysis of heartbeat dynamics, and instantaneous time- and frequency-domain features of heart rate variability were estimated. Results provide a preliminary characterization of HG elicited autonomic responses before and after different RAVANS stimulation intensities.
Step-Up Series Resonant DC–DC Converter with Bidirectional-Switch-Based Boost Rectifier for Wide Input Voltage Range Photovoltaic Applications

This paper proposes a high gain DC–DC converter based on the series resonant converter (SRC) for photovoltaic (PV) applications. This study considers low power applications, where the resonant inductance is usually relatively small to reduce the cost of the converter realization, which results in low-quality factor values. On the other hand, these SRCs can be controlled at a fixed switching frequency. The proposed topology utilizes a bidirectional switch (AC switch) to regulate the input voltage in a wide range. This study shows that the existing topology with a bidirectional switch has a limited input voltage regulation range. To avoid this issue, the resonant tank is rearranged in the proposed converter to the resonance capacitor before the bidirectional switch. By this rearrangement, the dependence of the DC voltage gain on the duty cycle is changed, so the proposed converter requires a smaller duty cycle than that of the existing counterpart at the same gain. Theoretical analysis shows that the input voltage regulation range is extended to the region of high DC voltage gain values at the maximum input current. Contrary to the existing counterpart, the proposed converter can be realized with a wide range of the resonant inductance values without compromising the input voltage regulation range. Nevertheless, the proposed converter maintains advantages of the SRC, such as zero voltage switching (ZVS) turn-on of the primary-side semiconductor switches. In addition, the output-side diodes are turned off at zero current. The proposed converter is analyzed and compared with the existing counterpart theoretically and experimentally. A 300 W experimental prototype is used to validate the theoretical analysis of the proposed converter. The peak efficiency of the converter is 96.5%.
Function of Distress Calls in Least Horseshoe Bats: A Field Study Using Playback Experiments

Many social animals utter distress calls in the context of fear. These vocalizations may serve to attract audiences for help, warn individuals of danger, and confuse the predator. Here, we aim to assess the function of distress calls in free-living least horseshoe bats, Rhinolophus pusillus. We recorded distress calls from four allopatric colonies in mainland China. Playback trials, consisting of distress calls, silence, and noise, were presented to bats outside three bat roosts. Rhinolophus pusillus emitted long, harsh, broadband calls when under duress. Playback of distress calls induced a significant increase in bat passes at the loudspeaker in comparison with control trials. The number of recorded echolocation pulses increased 3.2–6.1 folds during playbacks of distress calls compared to playbacks of silence, and 2.9–5.2 folds compared to playbacks of noise. There was a positive association between bat passes and echolocation vocalizations. However, some bats delayed their emergence from the roost in response to distress call stimuli. Despite similar delayed responses, more bat passes were detected in the presence of allopatric distress calls than those from colony members. Overall, the results indicate that distress calls could attract and warn conspecifics in least horseshoe bats.
Business Cycle, SSE Policy, and Cooperatives: The Case of Ecuador

Over the last few decades, the social and solidarity economy (SSE) has undergone complex changes, from being undervalued to being institutionalized as a key sector in the economy. Within this context of change, Ecuador is a remarkable example of a country that has revamped its public policy to situate the SSE in a position of prominence on the national landscape. Using the business cycle theory and based on a model of panel data from 2007–2017, this article attempts to empirically validate that the relationship between the size of Ecuadorian cooperatives, as core businesses of SSE, is coupled with the expansive and destructive economic cycles by adding two more variables: business structure and public policy. From a global perspective, the results confirm a procyclical of the behavior of cooperatives and the positive impact of the new public policy. However, the sectoral and territorial analysis concludes that only production cooperatives in the primary sector have grown in the new institutional framework, and that this growth is concentrated in provinces with a strong cooperative tradition.
Examining the Sentence of Life without Parole in Kentucky Homicide Cases

Abstract This study examines the issue of prosecutorial discretion and the decision to offer a plea of life without parole (LWOP) in Kentucky death-eligible homicide cases (2000–2016). Using focal concerns theory as a framework and propensity score matching (PSM) and logistic regression as the methods of analysis, it attempts to explain the factors influencing prosecutorial discretion in the decision to grant a plea for LWOP with an emphasis on the role of race and gender or the victim and offender in this process. Among similarly situated cases, black offenders convicted of killing a white victim and those cases featuring a female victim were significantly more likely to receive a sentence of life without parole. Within the context of LWOP sentencing, the blameworthiness of a case was more significant than factors measuring the protection of the community.
A problem in the application of inverse methods to tracer data

Attempts to apply inverse methods to the interpretation of tracer data usually seek some least squares solution of the flux divergence equations AC = S, where A is a matrix of transport coefficients, C a vector of concentrations and S a vector of sources/sinks. However, what is often really required is a set of values for the elements of A, which will give a satisfactory prediction of the concentrations. This corresponds to finding a least squares solution of C = A-1 S. The two problems are not equivalent. The latter corresponds to an extensively reweighted version of the former, where the weights depend on the solution (the elements of A). The former is linear in the elements of A : the latter is highly nonlinear. In addition, the matrix A is invariably sparse, and required to be so. However, A-1 is not, nor is it guaranteed that its inverse will be if its elements are determined freely. It is not clear whether the standard methods of generalized inverse theory are applicable to the more difficult ‘ real ’ problem nor, if they are not, what other methods might be used. It is, however, possible that solutions of the ‘real’ problem, if they can be found, would be more informative.
Pollination ecology of Synedrella nodiflora (l.) Gaertn. (Asteraceae)

Synedrella nodiflora (L.) Gaertn grows almost throughout the year if the soil is damp. It produces heterogamous capitula with female ray florets anthesing first day and bisexual disc florets anthesing on the next three consecutive days. Disc florets are dichogamous, herkogamous, self-compatible, self-pollinating (vector-mediated) and display secondary pollen presentation through an intermediate form of brush mechanism. Ray and disc florets exhibit facultative xenogamy. Butterflies are principal pollinators while bees, wasps and flies are supplementary pollinators. Thrips, Microcephalothrips abdominalis uses the florets as breeding and feeding sites; the feeding activity effects pollination. The ray and disc florets produce cypselas; the cypselas produced by ray florets are heavier, elliptical, membranous with upwardly-pointing teeth along the margins and 2 short terminal awns while those produced by disc floret are lighter, cylindrical and tangentially compressed with 2 or 3 stiff terminal divaricate awns. Seed dispersal is polychorous and represented by anemochory, anthropochory, zoochory and ombrohydrochory. Cypselas of ray florets disperse to short distances and germinate germinate under specific germination conditions either at parental sites or in similar habitats while those of disc florets disperse farther away from parental sites and germinate readily under a wide range of conditions. Therefore, bimorphic cypselas with different germination abilities enable the plant to grow as a widespread weed but not as an invasive weed.
Research Article Efficient method for Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of tobacco nodal segments

Plant transformation is a widely used procedure for obtaining transgenic plants and to develop plant models to understand gene function. Plant models such as Nicotiana tabacum are widely used for understanding gene responses to external influences. An important tool in such studies is genetic transformation through infection with Agrobacterium tumefaciens. However, this transformation is often inefficient. Consequently, development and optimization of techniques to promote high rates of seedling regeneration of transgenic tobacco is imperative. The methods tested for infection of tobacco explants consisted of injecting 10 μl of the bacterial culture directly into anodal segment using an insulin syringe (1 mL); bacterial co-cultivation with nodal segments and micro-sectioned leaf disks. Infection through punctures made with a syringe in nodal segments of tobacco and no co-cultivation period was the most efficient in the regeneration process and in obtaining genetically transformed plants, with 88 and 75% success rates, respectively. We obtained an increase of 50% in the transformation rates when compared to previous studies using N. tabacum.
Transcriptomic response to divergent selection for flowering time in maize reveals convergence and key players of the underlying gene regulatory network

Artificial selection experiments are designed to investigate phenotypic evolution of complex traits and its genetic bases. Here we focused on flowering time, a trait of key importance for plant adaptation and life-cycle shifts. We undertook divergent selection experiments (Saclay DSEs) from two maize inbred lines. After 13 generations of selection, we obtained we obtained a time-lag of roughly two weeks between Early- and Late-populations. We used this material to characterize the genome-wide transcriptomic response to selection in the shoot apical meristem (SAM) before, during and after floral transition in realistic field conditions during two consecutive years. We validated the reliability of performing RNA-sequencing in uncontrolled conditions. We found that roughly half of maize genes were expressed in the SAM, 59.3% of which were differentially expressed. We detected a majority of genes with differential expression between inbreds and across meristem status, and retrieved a subset of 2,451 genes involved in the response to selection. Among these, we found a significant enrichment for genes with known function in maize flowering time. Furthermore, they were more often shared between inbreds than expected by chance, suggesting convergence of gene expression. We discuss new insights into the expression pattern of key players of the underlying gene regulatory network including ZCN8, RAP2.7, ZMM4, KN1, GA2ox1, as well as alternative scenarios for genetic convergence.
Molecular characterization of induced mutation of jewawut (Setaria italica ssp. italica) from Buru Island, Indonesia using SRAP.

Yulita KS, Ridwan. 2018. Molecular characterization of induced mutation of jewawut (Setaria italica ssp. italica) from BuruIsland, Indonesia using SRAP. Biodiversitas 19: 1160-1168. Jewawut (Setaria italica ssp. italica) or foxtail millet is minor cropsdomesticated and consumed only in few parts of Sulawesi, Maluku and East Nusa Tenggara, while in other region such as Java, it isknown as food for bird despite the fact that jewawut is rich in fiber. The utilization of jewawut as an alternative crop was limited due totheir small size of seeds as well low yield. An effort to improve the potency of jewawut as an alternative food is through geneticimprovement by induced mutation. This present study was aimed to determinate mutant of jewawut from Buru Island irradiated bygamma rays as potential genotype to produce high grain yield. Two variants of jewawut were recorded from Buru Island, red and yellowvariant each referring to the colour of their seeds. Samples were consisted of 26 red and 24 of yellow variant. Mutant was detected bymolecular characterization using SRAP marker. UPGMA cluster analysis was also performed to ensure the position of mutant within theUPGMA dendrogram against the control samples. Mutant with the most distinct genyotypes for yellow variant are accession O1O2#10treated in 100 Gy and O1E1#10 treated in 200 Gy gamma radiation, whereas in the red variant are accessions O2C4#13 treated in 50 Gyand O2E4#6 treated in 200 Gy gamma radiation. All the mutants have random agronomic performances relative to controls. Mutantswith potential high grain yield are O2B2#14 treated in 25 Gy for the red variant, and this should be used as a candidate to developsuperior genotype.
Intimate Partner Violence and Labour Market Outcomes in Tanzania

This paper takes data from the Tanzania National Panel Survey (TNPS) (2008-2009), fits them to the probit model to examine factors driving the probability of women to experience IPV (Intimate Partner Violence) and uses the propensity score matching to estimate the effect of IPV on women’s probability of employment and earnings. The results show that the levels of IPV in Tanzania are still alarmingly high, relative to the levels in the developed countries. It is found that IPV is exacerbated by some male characteristics, including alcohol abuse, young age, polygamy, cohabitation, among others, with violence being higher in the rural areas than in the urban areas. In addition, low property ownership for women is found to contribute to the problem. A majority of women accept to live by the oppressing traditional norms, which they are using to justify IPV. The study finds IPV to be a catalyst to self-employment for women, which may enhance their bargaining. However, the negative side is that the business incomes from such self-employment ventures are likely to be depressed. In view of these findings, we still need to continue the fight against IPV.
Building team brand equity through perceived CSR: the mediating role of dual identification

ABSTRACT While involvement in CSR activities is common practice in today’s sporting world, there is a need to go beyond the activities themselves to explore how fans’ perceptions of CSR can affect customer-based brand equity and what role online community and team identification can play in this relationship, which this study aims to explore. Data collected through an online survey of South Korean Samsung Lions baseball club fans (N = 331), analysed through structural equation modelling, support the positive influence of perceived CSR on dual identification (team and online community), and the impact of team identification on brand equity. Interestingly, CSR perception is shown to be an insignificant predictor of brand equity, influenced fully by team identification. This study suggests that promoting a sport team’s socially responsible image is important in terms of building both team and online community identification while developing team identification can be vital in increasing the value of the sport brand.