Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Estimation of Combining Ability and Heterosis Effect for Yield and Yield Components in Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum Mill . ) at Lowland

A study was conducted in a 6 × 6 full diallel cross set of tomato including reciprocals to estimate the general combining ability, specific combining ability and heterosis for yield per plant (g) and yield components, namely number of fruits per plant, individual fruit weight (g) fruit length (cm), fruit diameter (cm), locule number, and fruit thickness (cm). The experiment was conducted from March to August 2013 at Bogor Agricultural University Experiment Field, BogorIndonesia. Randomized Complete Block Design was used with three replications. Data from Fl generation and parents were analyzed using the Griffing Method. Significant differences among genotypes were obtained for all the traits. The variances for general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) were highly significant indicating the presence of additive as well as non-additive gene effects except the fruit thickness. The tomato genotype IPB 78 is parental with the best general combining ability for yield per plant, individual fruit weight, fruit length, and fruit thickness. The tomato genotype IPB T73 x IPB T3 proved to be the best general combiner for yield and number of fruits per plant. The tomato genotype IPB T3 x IPB T1 proved to exhibit best heterosis for yield per plant and fruit thickness.
The Effects of the Media on College Age Men: A Study of Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder

This study inspected the influence of the media on Muscle Dysmorphia. The participants in this study were 41 male college students recruited from Western Kentucky University's Study Board. The participants completed demographics and then took the Muscle Dysmorphia Questionnaire and the Body Assessment Scale, viewed a film clip and then completed the aforementioned surveys again with rearranged questions. Results indicate that there is a significant time effect between the pre-test and post-test for both the Muscle Dysmorphia Questionnaire and the Body Assessment Scale, and a significant interaction between video and per-post-test Muscle Dysmorphic Questionnaire results. The findings suggest that films cause an increase in Muscle Dysmorphia symptoms, and a decrease in body satisfaction.
Maximin robust design for MIMO communication systems against imperfect CSIT

This paper considers robust transmit strategies, against the imperfectness of CSIT, for MIMO communication systems. Following a deterministic model that assumes the actual channel inside an ellipsoid centered at a nominal channel, we maximize the worst-case received SNR. It is shown that, for a general class of power constraints, the resulting maximin problem can be equivalently transformed into a convex problem, or even further into a semidefinite program. The most important result is that the optimal transmit directions are just the right singular vectors of the nominal channel under some mild conditions. This result reduces the complicated matrix-valued problems to scalar power allocation problems, for which the closed-form solutions are provided.
Organelle DNA phylogeography of Cycas taitungensis, a relict species in Taiwan

The phylogegraphic pattern of Cycas taitungensis, an endemic species with two remaining populations in Taiwan, was investigated based on genetic variability and phylogeny of the atpB‐rbcL noncoding spacer of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) and the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). High levels of genetic variation at both organelle loci, due to frequent intramolecular recombination, and low levels of genetic differentiation were detected in the relict gymnosperm. The apportionment of genetic variation within and between populations agreed with a migrant‐pool model, which describes a migratory pattern with colonists recruited from a random sample of earlier existing populations. Phylogenies obtained from cpDNA and mtDNA were discordant according to neighbour‐joining analyses. In total four chlorotypes (clades I–IV) and five mitotypes (clades A–E) were identified based on minimum spanning networks of each locus. Significant linkage disequilibrium in mitotype–chlorotype associations excluded the possibility of the recurrent homoplasious mutations as the major force causing phylogenetic inconsistency. The most abundant chlorotype I was associated with all mitotypes and the most abundant mitotype C with all chlorotypes; no combinations of rare mitotypes with rare chlorotypes were found. According to nested clade analyses, such nonrandom associations may be ascribed to relative ages among alleles associated with the geological history through which cycads evolved. Nested in networks as interior nodes coupled with wide geographical distribution, the most dominant cytotypes of CI and EI may represent ancestral haplotypes of C. taitungensis with a possible long existence prior to the Pleistocene glacial maximum. In contrast, rare chlorotypes and mitotypes with restricted and patchy distribution may have relatively recent origins. Newly evolved genetic elements of mtDNA, with a low frequency, were likely to be associated with the dominant chlorotype, and vice versa, resulting in the nonrandom mitotype–chlorotype associations. Paraphyly of CI and EI cytotypes, leading to the low level of genetic differentiation between cycad populations, indicated a short period for isolation, which allowed low possibilities of the attainment of coalescence at polymorphic ancestral alleles.
A Systematic Comparison of First-Time and Repeat Visitors' Satisfaction with a Destination

Tourists behavior has received substantial attention in tourism literature with one focus being the difference between first-time visitors and repeat visitors. This paper, based on a survey conducted in Dalian city, one of Chinese top tourist destinations, attempts to identify the differences in satisfactions at both attribute and overall levels between first and repetitive visitors. One-way ANNOVA was made to examine the relationship between visitors' demographics and destination satisfaction. Regression analysis was performed to identify the relationship between attribute-level and overall satisfaction among the two groups. Results showed that first-timers and repeaters were similar at overall level but different at certain attribute levels. It was also found that age, education and income were important factors influencing tourists satisfaction with a destination.
Pressure effects on collective density fluctuations in water and protein solutions

Significance This is a combined study, which employs neutron scattering experiments and molecular dynamics simulations to compare high pressure-induced effects on collective properties of protein solutions and bulk water, to observe changes in the HB network structure of protein hydration water upon compression. Our experimental results reflect distinct properties of water at the protein–water interface, while at the same time atomistic molecular dynamics simulations allow us to analyze its pressure-dependent structural changes. This study therefore provides insights that allow establishing measurements of pressure-induced variations in collective dynamics as a probe to characterize biomolecular systems as complex as entire cells. Neutron Brillouin scattering and molecular dynamics simulations have been used to investigate protein hydration water density fluctuations as a function of pressure. Our results show significant differences between the pressure and density dependence of collective dynamics in bulk water and in concentrated protein solutions. Pressure-induced changes in the tetrahedral order of the water HB network have direct consequences for the high-frequency sound velocity and damping coefficients, which we find to be a sensitive probe for changes in the HB network structure as well as the wetting of biomolecular surfaces.
Effects of ketamine and propofol on motor evoked potentials elicited by intracranial microstimulation during deep brain stimulation

Few preclinical or clinical studies have evaluated the effect of anesthetics on motor evoked potentials (MEPs), either alone or in the presence of conditioning stimuli such as deep brain stimulation (DBS). In this study we evaluated the effects of two commonly used anesthetic agents, propofol and ketamine (KET), on MEPs elicited by intra-cortical microstimulation of the motor cortex in a rodent model with and without DBS of the dentatothalamocortical (DTC) pathway. The effects of propofol anesthesia on MEP amplitudes during DTC DBS were found to be highly dose dependent. Standard, but not high, dose propofol potentiated the facilitatory effects of 30 Hz DTC DBS on MEPs. This facilitation was sustained and phase-dependent indicating that, compared to high dose propofol, standard dose propofol has a beta-band excitatory effect on cortical networks. In contrast, KET anesthetic demonstrated a monotonic relationship with increasing frequencies of stimulation, such that the highest frequency of stimulation resulted in the greatest MEP amplitude. KET also showed phase dependency but less pronounced than standard dose propofol. The results underscore the importance of better understanding the complex effects of anesthetics on cortical networks and exogenous stimuli. Choice of anesthetic agents and dosing may significantly confound or even skew research outcomes, including experimentation in novel DBS indications and paradigms.
Directional relationships between BOLD activity and autonomic nervous system fluctuations revealed by fast fMRI acquisition

The problem of the relationship between brain function, characterized by functional magnetic resonance imaging, and physiological fluctuations by means of cardiac / respiratory oscillations is one of the most debated topics in the last decade. In recent literature, a great number of studies are found that focus on both practical and conceptual aspects about this topic. In this work, we start with reviewing two distinct approaches in considering physiology - related sequences with respect to functional magnetic resonance imaging: one treating physiology - related fluctuations as generators of noise, the other considering them as carriers of cognitively relevant information. In chapter 2 – “Physiology – related effects in the BOLD signal at rest at 4T”, we consider physiological quantities as generators of noise, and discuss conceptual flaws researchers have to face when dealing with data de-noising procedures. We point out that it can be difficult to show that the procedure has achieved its stated aim, i.e. to remove only physiology - related components from the data. As a practical solution, we present a benchmark for assessing whether correction for physiological noise has achieved its stated aim, based on the principle of permutation testing. In chapter 3 – “Directional relationships between BOLD activity and autonomic nervous system fluctuations revealed by fast fMRI acquisition”, on the other hand, we will consider autonomic indicants derived from physiological time - series as meaningful components of the BOLD signal. There, we describe a FMRI experiment building on this, where the goal was to localize brain areas whose activity is directionally related to autonomic one, in a top - down modulation fashion. In chapter 4 we recap the conclusions we found from the two approaches and we summarize the general contributions of our findings. We point out that bringing together the distinct approaches we reviewed lead us to mainly two contributions. On one hand we thought back the validity of almost established procedures in FMRI resting - state pre-processing pipelines. On the other we were able to say something new about general relationship between BOLD and autonomic activity, resting state fluctuations and deactivation theory.
Reliability and inter-observer agreement of dermoscopic diagnosis of melanoma and melanocytic naevi

The aim of this study was to analyse the reliability and the inter-observer agreement of dermoscopy in the diagnosis of melanocytic skin lesions. Nine dermatologists, with a different training experience and who routinely used dermoscopy in different hospitals in Italy, evaluated clinical and dermoscopy photographs of 15 melanocytic lesions (four invasive melanomas, four histologically common naevi, and seven naevi with histological atypia). A further series of dermoscopic photographs of 40 melanocytic lesions was evaluated to quantify inter-observer concordance in recognizing dermoscopic criteria. Compared to the true (histological) diagnosis, clinical diagnosis (categories: melanoma, common naevus, atypical naevus) was correct in 40% of cases (range, 27-53%). The percentage raised to 55% (40-73%) by the use of dermoscopy, with an average improvement of 15.6%. Concerning melanoma, clinical diagnosis resulted in a sensitivity of 41.9%, specificity of 77.8%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 36.1%, negative predictive value (NPV) of 81.8%. By using dermoscopy, an improvement of diagnostic performance was found (sensitivity 75%, specificity 88.8%, VPP 71.0%, VPN 90.7%). The inter-observer agreement in melanoma diagnosis, by using dermoscopy, was similar to that obtained by clinical examination (k statistics=0.54 and 0.52, respectively). Concerning dermoscopic criteria, the best agreement among observers was found for pseudopods, a dermoscopic parameter related to the radial growth phase of melanoma. We conclude that dermoscopy is an useful tool for a non-invasive diagnosis of melanocytic skin lesions, improving the diagnostic performance compared to clinical examination.
Identiﬁcation and Characterization of SSTK, a Serine/Threonine Protein Kinase Essential for Male Fertility

Here we describe and characterize a small serine/threonine kinase (SSTK) which consists solely of the N- and C-lobes of a protein kinase catalytic domain. SSTK protein is highly conserved among mammals, and no close homologues were found in the genomes of nonmammalian organisms. SSTK speciﬁcally interacts with HSP90-1 (cid:1) , HSC70, and HSP70 proteins, and this association appears to be required for SSTK kinase activity. The SSTK transcript was most abundant in human and mouse testes but was also detected in all human tissues tested. In the mouse testis, SSTK protein was localized to the heads of elongating spermatids. Targeted deletion of the SSTK gene in mice resulted in male sterility due to profound impairment in motility and morphology of spermatozoa. A defect in DNA condensation in SSTK null mutants occurred in elongating spermatids at a step in spermiogenesis coincident with chromatin displacement of histones by transition proteins. SSTK phosphor- ylated histones H1, H2A, H2AX, and H3 but not H2B or H4 or transition protein 1 in vitro. These results demonstrate that SSTK is required for proper postmeiotic chromatin remodeling and male fertility. Abnormal sperm chromatin condensation is common in sterile men, and our results may provide insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying certain human infertility disorders.
Efficacy and outcomes of dynamic-plated single-level anterior diskectomy/fusion with additional analysis of comparative costs

Background: Few studies focus on the fusion rates and outcomes for single-level anterior cervical diskectomy/fusion (1-ACDF) utilizing iliac autograft and dynamic plates. Methods: Fusion rates and outcomes were prospectively evaluated in 60 consecutive patients undergoing 1-ACDF utilizing iliac autograft and dynamic plates (ABC; Aesculap, Tuttlingen, Germany). Eighteen patients had radiculopathy, while 42 were myelopathic (average Nurick Score 3.3). Pathology included single-level disc disease/spondylosis (38 patients) and/or ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL, 22 patients). Fusion was assessed at 3, 6, and up to 12 months postoperatively utilizing dynamic X-rays and 2D-CT scans. Outcomes were evaluated up to 24 months postoperatively utilizing Odom's Criteria, Nurick Grades, and Short-Form 36 (SF-36) outcome questionnaires. Patients were followed for an average of 4.8 postoperative years (minimum 2 years). Results: Although dynamic X-rays/2D-CT studies documented 100% fusion an average of 3.8 months (range 2.5-8 months] postoperatively, 5 heavy smokers exhibited delayed fusions [6-8 months postoperatively]. Two years postoperatively, the average Nurick Score was 0.3 (mild radiculopathy), while Odom's Criteria revealed 52 excellent, 6 good, and 2 fair outcomes [the latter 8 patients were heavy smokers]). Utilizing SF-36 outcome questionnaires, patients markedly improved (>10.0 point gain) on 5 of 8 Health Scales within 6 months, 7 of 8 within 1 year, and all 8 within 2 postoperative years. Conclusions: For 60 patients undergoing 1-ACDF utilizing dynamic plates, ultimately a 100% fusion rate was achieved (5 heavy smokers exhibited delayed fusions). Two years postoperatively, Nurick Grades, Odom's Criteria, and SF-36 questionnaires revealed adequate outcomes.
Dynamic Spectrum Access for Primary Operators Via Carrier Aggregation in LTE-Advanced Environments

In this paper, we address dynamic spectrum access for Primary Operators (POs) for LTEAdvanced systems. We propose a dynamic spectrum acc ess framework that exploits the capabilities of car rier aggregation to efficiently utilize the unutilized spectrum which varies with time and space when stati c spectrum access policies are adopted. A spectrum ow ner (SO) adopts an auction scheme for accessing spe ctrum for the dynamic requests when the overall demand is higher than the available bandwidth and uses peakload pricing (PLP) otherwise. The objectives of the SO a re to maximize its revenues and to increase the spe ctrum utilization efficiency as well as achieving social welfare. On the other hand, the objective of the POs is to maximize their benefits by reducing expenditures co mpared to the case of static allocation based on th e projected maximum demand in a forecasting period. F urthermore, we introduce an accurate model for estimating the bandwidth required to satisfy the traffic demands of an operator’s subscribers for a pr ojected demand model. For the auction process, we map the s pectrum access problem into a bounded knapsack problem which is solved using dynamic programming i n pseudo-polynomial time. The solution uses the sec ond price strategy, i.e. the winner pays the second hig hest price. Simulation results show more than 20% reduction in the required spectrum and up to 80% reduction in the average unutilized spectrum as compared with traditional static spectrum access due to the on-de mand spectrum assignment. Keywords— Dynamic spectrum access; auction; peak lo ad pricing, carrier aggregation; knapsack problem. * This work is part of the 4G++ project supported by the National Telecom Regulatory Authority of Egypt.
Viral suppression of RNA silencing by destabilization of ARGONAUTE 1

RNA silencing is a manifestation of a ubiquitous phenomenon that acts, at least in plants and some insects, as a natural defense mechanism against viruses. As a counter-strategy, viruses have evolved to encode silencing suppressor proteins (SSPs) that can block the defense response and evade the host immunity. Although numerous SSP have been identified, little information is available on the molecular basis of their mode of action. Among SSPs, the polerovirus protein P0 functions as an F-box protein that targets an essential actor of the silencing pathway. Our work demonstrates that one of the main targets is ARGONAUTE 1 (AGO1), a key component of the RISC effector complex. By a physical interaction with AGO1, P0 mediates AGO1 protein degradation in planta. This is the first report of a plant virus that exploits components of the host ubiquitination machinery to overcome RNA silencing. This unusual mode of action may provide some clues concerning the mechanism governing phloem tropism of poleroviruses.
Export Performance Measurement: An Evaluation of the Empirical Research in the Literature

Carlos M. P. Sousa is Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Marketing at The Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business, University College Dublin, Ireland. Address for correspondence: Department of Marketing, The Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business, University College Dublin, Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland; Tel: (+ 353 1) 716 8811; Fax: (+ 353 1) 716 8993; Email: Carlos.Sousa@ucd.ie. The author would like to thank the editor James W. Gentry and the three anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions.
The large deviations of the whitening process in random constraint satisfaction problems

Random constraint satisfaction problems undergo several phase transitions as the ratio between the number of constraints and the number of variables is varied. When this ratio exceeds the satisfiability threshold no more solutions exist; the satisfiable phase, for less constrained problems, is itself divided in an unclustered regime and a clustered one. In the latter solutions are grouped in clusters of nearby solutions separated in configuration space from solutions of other clusters. In addition the rigidity transition signals the appearance of so-called frozen variables in typical solutions: beyond this threshold most solutions belong to clusters with an extensive number of variables taking the same values in all solutions of the cluster. In this paper we refine the description of this phenomenon by estimating the location of the freezing transition, corresponding to the disappearance of all unfrozen solutions (not only typical ones). We also unveil phase transitions for the existence and uniqueness of locked solutions, in which all variables are frozen. From a technical point of view we characterize atypical solutions with a number of frozen variables different from the typical value via a large deviation study of the dynamics of a stripping process (whitening) that unveils the frozen variables of a solution, building upon recent works on atypical trajectories of the bootstrap percolation dynamics. Our results also bear some relevance from an algorithmic perspective, previous numerical studies having shown that heuristic algorithms of various kinds usually output unfrozen solutions.
Ansiedad y medio: su valor adaptativo y maladaptaciones

El conjunto de respuestas emitidas por diferentes especies frente a un peligro real o potencial se conoce como Estado de Ansiedad. Este estado, de importancia evolutiva para las especies, aparece cuando se detecta un peligro o amenaza o ante la presencia de estimulos ambiguos, innatos o aprendidos, que indican una amenaza. Asi, un determinado nivel de ansiedad es benefico para los animales, siendo un recurso fundamental de proteccion contra peligros fisicos y sociales. Los substratos neurales responsables por tales estados, corresponden a areas cerebrales antiguas, preservadas en muchas especies y criticas para el control de las emociones que al sufrir alteraciones en su funcionamiento producen disturbios del comportamiento. Diversos modelos experimentales se han desarrollado para estudiar los componentes conductuales y sustratos neurales implicados en el estado de ansiedad y su utilizacion ya esta suministrando herramientas para complementar la comprension de diversas patologias y conocimiento del mundo de las emociones.