Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Uso de internet móvil en Chile: explorando los antecedentes de su aceptación a nivel individual Mobile internet usage in Chile: exploring the antecedents of its acceptance at the individual level

The purpose of this paper is to accomplish a partial validation of UTAUT 2 (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2) in mobile Internet. The study analyzes the relationship between hedonistic motivation, price/value and habit and the use intention of mobile internet in a sample of Chileans users. From the data collected in the field study, a SEM-PLS analysis of the research model was performed. The results of this analysis show a strong association of both hedonistic motivation and habit with the intention to use mobile internet. The research model and the results of this analysis are presented in this article.
Long-range transport of giant particles in Asian dust identified by physical, mineralogical, and meteorological analysis

Abstract. Giant particles transported over long distances are generally of limited concern in atmospheric studies due to their low number concentrations in mineral dust and possible local origin. However, they can play an important role in regional circulation of earth materials due to their enormous volume concentration. Asian dust laden with giant particles was observed in Korea on 31 March 2012, after a migration of about 2000 km across the Yellow Sea from the Gobi Desert. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that 20% of the particles exceeded 10 μm in equivalent sphere diameter, with a maximum of 60 μm. The median diameter from the number distribution was 5.7 μm, which was larger than the diameters recorded of 2.5 and 2.9 μm in Asian dust storms in 2010 and 2011, respectively, and was consistent with independent optical particle counter data. Giant particles (>10 μm) contributed about 89% of the volume of the dust in the 2012 storm. Illite–smectite series clay minerals were the major mineral group followed by quartz, plagioclase, K-feldspar, and calcite. The total phyllosilicate content was ~52%. The direct long-range transport of giant particles was confirmed by calcite nanofibers closely associated with clays in a submicron scale identified by high-resolution SEM and transmission electron microscopy. Since giant particles consisted of clay agglomerates and clay-coated quartz, feldspars, and micas, the mineral composition varied little throughout the fine ( 20 μm) size bins. Analysis of the synoptic conditions of the 2012 dust event and its migration indicated that the mid-tropospheric strong wind belt directly stretching to Korea induced rapid transport of the dust, delivering giant particles. Giant dust particles with high settling velocity would be the major input into the terrestrial and marine sedimentary and ecological systems of East Asia and the western Pacific. Analysis of ancient aeolian deposits in Korea suggested the common deposition of giant particles from Asian dust through the late Quaternary Period. The roles of giant particles should be reviewed with regard to regional circulation of mineral particles and nutrients.
Delineating species in the speciation continuum: A proposal

Delineating species is a difficult and seemingly uninteresting issue that is still essential to address. Taxonomic methodology is heterogeneous according to the taxa and scientists involved due to the disparate data quality and quantity and disagreements over the species concept. This has negative impacts on basic and applied research. Genomic data substantially enhance our understanding of the speciation process but do not provide a ubiquitous solution to the species problem. The relevance of comparative approaches in speciation research has nevertheless recently been demonstrated. I suggest moving towards a more unified taxonomic classification through a reference‐based decision procedure.
Positivity, Coping Style and Tobacco and Alcohol Use in Adolescence

Introduction. Adolescence is a period in which risky health behaviors, such as tobacco and alcohol consumption frequently begin; thus, it is a critical period to implement preventive strategies. Method. In this context, 106 adolescents (54 females and 52 males; mean age both groups = 14.10) took part on this research. The main objectives were to study, first, the relationships between psychosocial factors, such as coping style and the new construct of positivity, and tobacco and alcohol consumption; second, the potential effect of gender and age differences. Results. Results showed, first, significant relationships among coping, positivity, and consumption; second, these effects were modulated by age and gender; finally, positivity was one of the most significant predictors of alcohol and tobacco consumption, emphasizing its protective role. Conclusion. Results concerning the contribution of coping style, age and gender to explain the adolescents ́ tobacco and alcohol consumption tend to be consistent with previous research on this topic. Results, on the other hand, regarding to the positivity dimension mean a novel contribution to the research in this area, suggesting its significant protective role against the development of risk behaviors such as tobacco and alcohol consumption.
Temperatura de germinación de semillas de anón (Annona squamosa L.)

La propagacion sexual del anon es el metodo mas utilizado por los productores en Colombia, sin embargo uno de los problemas del cultivo es la baja e irregular germinacion de las semillas. En esta investigacion se busco establecer la temperatura optima de germinacion de semillas de A. squamosa L. Esta se realizo en el laboratorio de Fisiologia Vegetal, Facultad de Agronomia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, semillas de accesiones de Apulo (Cundinamarca) y Castilla (Tolima) fueron puestas a germinar en turba rubia humeda sin nutrientes en un fitotron (humedad relativa de 60%, sin luz) durante 30 dias, en dos regimenes de temperatura constante: 30 y 35°C y dos regimenes de temperatura alterna: 30/20°C y temperatura ambiente (media: 18,7°C, maxima: 22,9°C, minima: 17,3°C). Se evaluo la respuesta de las variables porcentaje de germinacion (PG) cada 5 dias durante 1 mes y los indices sincronia de germinacion (E), tiempo medio de germinacion (TMG) y velocidad media de germinacion (VMG) al finalizar el ensayo. El maximo porcentaje de germinacion se obtuvo a una temperatura constante de 35°C para las semillas provenientes de Cundinamarca como del Tolima (58% y 57%, respectivamente), igualmente a esta temperatura se observo un menor TMG (18,41 dias para Cundinamarca y 17,09 dias para Tolima), una mayor VMG (0,035 y 0,040 semillas germinadas/dia para Cundinamarca y Tolima, respectivamente) y un indice de sincronizacion mas bajo (0,29 y 0,33 para Cundinamarca y Tolima, respectivamente), lo que sugiere como temperatura optima 35°C para la germinacion de las semillas de A. squamosa . Palabras clave adicionales: propagacion sexual, sincronia de germinacion, temperatura optima.
Brood size influences patterns of DNA methylation in wild Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

ABSTRACT Both natural and experimentally manipulated brood size can influence the competition dynamics among siblings in a nest and alter the environment during early development in birds. Brood size affects a variety of life-history and fitness-related traits, but relatively little is known about the mechanisms that might mediate these effects. There is accumulating evidence that early-life environments can influence adult phenotypes though epigenetic mechanisms such as variation in DNA methylation. Here, we profile DNA methylation in nestling Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata) raised in naturally variable and experimentally manipulated brood sizes. We found that (1) natal brood size is significantly, positively correlated with percent DNA methylation in blood; and (2) individuals in manipulated broods experience significantly more demethylation events across early development than individuals from broods that remain the same size. Any manipulation of brood size creates fluctuations in early developmental conditions, potentially explaining why the frequency of demethylation events in these treatments was higher than in control broods. We also found that the specific loci that lost and gained methylation across early development differed between individuals in enlarged and reduced broods, which may reflect the different developmental pressures imposed by the different manipulations. Although the phenotypic consequences of reduced levels of methylation are yet to be elucidated, our findings support the hypothesis that brood size is associated with the prevalence and pattern of DNA methylation in wild birds.
First Record of Lepidoptera in Southern Brazilian Salt Marshes

Salt marshes are highly productive environments and economic importance, however, little attention is given to insects in this ecosystem, and its entomofauna unknown in Brazil. Thus, it is the first record for lepidopteran Southern Brazilian coastal marshes (32°01’S; 052°06’W). Primeiro Registro de Lepidoptera em Marisma no Sul do Brasil Resumo. Marismas sao ambientes de grande produtividade e importância economica, no entanto, pouca atencao e dada aos insetos neste ecossistema, sendo sua entomofauna desconhecida no Brasil. Assim, faz-se o primeiro registro de lepidopteros para as marismas do sul do Brasil (32°01’S; 052°06’W).
Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and their various mechanisms for plant growth enhancement in stressful conditions: a review

The population has been rising in a rapid state and so is the demand of basic necessities like food requirements. Today agriculture demands increase in yield with a substantial decrease in chemical fertilizer and pesticides that are responsible for huge environmental degradation. Today a huge part of yield has been lost due to various stresses plant are subjected too. It could be broadly divided into biotic and abiotic stress. Meanwhile, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria has promised us a substantial agriculture development platform. These are generally a group of microorganism that is found either in the plane of the rhizosphere or above root impacting some positive benefits to plants. These stresses include but in no sense limited to ion toxicity, pathogen susceptibility, physiological disorder, salinity, temperature, flooding, pH etc. In response to the above-mentioned stresses plant with PGPR exhibits various sorts of response to handle these unfavorable conditions. They could be further divided into direct and indirect mechanics. PGPR has shown both synergistic as well as antagonist interaction with microorganism inhabiting in near surrounding to boost plant favorably. This review has tried to undertake all possible mechanism of PGPR along with reported studies for various possibilities through which sustainable agriculture development could take place. This review has tried to understand the mechanism to take PGPR at a commercial level under bio-fertilizer. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.5281/zenodo.1455995
Automatic placement for matched devices of analog circuits

It is time-consuming to obtain the matched devices by manual analysis and place them in hand for analog circuits of the mixed signal system. To achieve high performance, matched placement is a key point to layout design of analog circuits. In order to simplify layout design, it is necessary to realize the procedure automatically. In this paper, a method for automatic analog circuit placement is provided, as well as an efficient algorithm for the matched device groups. The experimental results verify the automatic placement algorithm of matched device groups.
Fast coding unit selection method for high efficiency video coding intra prediction

The high efficiency video coding (HEVC) video coding standard under development can achieve higher compression performance than previous standards, such as MPEG-4, H.263, and H.264/AVC. To improve coding performance, a quad-tree coding structure and a robust rate-distortion (RD) optimization technique is used to select an optimum coding mode. Since the RD costs of all possible coding modes are computed to decide an optimum mode, high computational complexity is induced in the encoder. A fast learning-based coding unit (CU) size selection method is presented for HEVC intra prediction. The proposed algorithm is based on theoretical analysis that shows the non-normalized histogram of oriented gradient (n-HOG) can be used to help select CU size. A codebook is constructed offline by clustering n-HOGs of training sequences for each CU size. The optimum size is determined by comparing the n-HOG of the current CU with the learned codebooks. Experimental results show that the CU size selection scheme speeds up intra coding significantly with negligible loss of peak signal-to-noise ratio.
The MAP3K2-ERK5 pathway upregulates cyclin D1 expression through histone H2A (Thr120) phosphorylation by VRK1

Title The MAP3K2-ERK5 pathway upregulates cyclin D1 expression through histone H2A (Thr120) phosphorylation by VRK1 Author(s) Kato, Masanori; Yoneda, Mitsuhiro; Takeshima, Yukio; Amatya, Vishwa Jeet; Higashi, Miki; Nakagawa, Takeya; Ito, Takashi Citation Acta medica Nagasakiensia, 62(1), pp.15-26; 2018 Issue Date 2018-10 URL http://hdl.handle. net/10069/38669 Right NAOSITE: Nagasaki University's Academic Output SITE
Improved plastid transformation in Marchantia polymorpha

Plastids are subcellular organelles which perform photosynthesis in plants and algae. They are descended from free-living photosynthetic bacteria which were engulfed by early eukaryotes ~1.5 billion years ago. Nearly all plastids retain a small genome separate from the nuclear genome of the plants in which they reside, which is termed the plastome (plastid genome). This genome encodes many of the proteins required for photosynthesis, as well as bacteria-like transcriptional and translational machinery. Biotechnological techniques for making precise modifications to the plastome have been available for three decades, nearly as long as the equivalent techniques for the plant nuclear genome. However, while nuclear genetic engineering quickly moved from a laboratory novelty to a tool used for the improvement of crop plants planted on over a billion acres, plastome engineering remains largely confined to research use. The primary reasons for this lack of application are the species restrictions and technical difficulty of the transformation process, which until recently was only possible in a few species. In 2007, a protocol for plastid transformation was reported for ​Marchantia polymorpha​, a thalloid liverwort classically used as a model species. ​Marchantia offers rapid generation time, small size, simple genetics, and asexual reproduction by means of gemmae, small disks of tissue which provide a powerful platform for live-tissue microscopy. In this thesis, tools for ​Marchantia ​plastid transformation are systematically improved by the generation of the first plastome sequence assembly for a widely used laboratory strain of ​Marchantia​, optimisation of the transformation protocol itself, and a comparison of the ​in vivo​ activity of plastid regulatory elements through a fluorescent marker and quantitative microscopy. The highly conserved nature of the land plant plastome suggests the improvements to plastid transformation developed in ​Marchantia​ will translate to other species.
Acidovorax citrulli Type III Effector AopP Suppresses Plant Immunity by Targeting the Watermelon Transcription Factor WRKY6

Acidovorax citrulli (Ac) is the causal agent of bacterial fruit blotch (BFB), and BFB poses a threat to global watermelon production. Despite its economic importance, the molecular mechanisms underlying Ac pathogenicity and virulence are not well understood, particularly with regard to its type III secreted effectors. We identify a new effector, AopP, in Ac and confirm its secretion and translocation. AopP suppresses reactive oxygen species burst and salicylic acid (SA) content and significantly contributes to virulence. Interestingly, AopP interacts with a watermelon transcription factor, ClWRKY6, in vivo and in vitro. ClWRKY6 shows typical nuclear localization, and AopP and ClWRKY6 co-localize in the nucleus. Ac infection, SA, and the pathogen-associated molecular pattern flg22Ac promote ClWRKY6 production, suggesting that ClWRKY6 is involved in plant immunity and SA signaling. Furthermore, ClWRKY6 positively regulates PTI and SA production when expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana. Importantly, AopP reduces ClWRKY6 mRNA and ClWRKY6 protein levels, suggesting that AopP suppresses plant immunity by targeting ClWRKY6. In summary, we identify a novel effector associated with the virulence mechanism of Ac, which interacts with the transcription factor of the natural host, watermelon. The findings of this study provide insights into the mechanisms of watermelon immune responses and may facilitate molecular breeding for bacterial fruit blotch resistance.
I can feel it moving: Science Communicators Talking About the Potential of Mid-Air Haptics

We explored the potential of haptics for improving science communication, and recognized that mid-air haptic interaction supports public engagement with science in three relevant themes. While science instruction often focuses on the cognitive domain of acquiring new knowledge, in science communication the primary goal is to produce personal responses, such as awareness, enjoyment, or interest in science. Science communicators seek novel ways of communicating with the public, often using new technologies to produce personal responses. Thus, we explored how mid-air haptics technology could play a role in communicating scientific concepts. We prototyped six mid-air haptic probes for three thematic areas: particle physics, quantum mechanics, cell biology; and conducted three qualitative focus group sessions with domain expert science communicators. Participants highlighted values of the dynamic features of mid-air haptics, its ability to produce shared experiences, and its flexibility in communicating scientific concepts through metaphors and stories. We discuss how mid-air haptics can complement existing approaches of science communication, for example multimedia experiences or live exhibits by helping to create enjoyment or interest, generalized to any fields of science.
Latent Class and Transition Analysis of Alzheimer's Disease Data

This study uses independent latent class analysis (LCA) and latent transition analysis (LTA) to explore accurate diagnosis and disease status change of a big Alzheimer's disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) data of 2,132 individuals over a 3-year period. The data includes clinical and neural measures of controls (CN), individuals with subjective memory complains (SMC), early-onset mild cognitive impairment (EMCI), late-onset mild cognitive impairment (LMCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD). LCA at each time point yielded 3 classes: Class 1 is mostly composed of individuals from CN, SMC, and EMCI groups; Class 2 represents individuals from LMCI and AD groups with improved scores on memory, clinical, and neural measures; in contrast, Class 3 represents LMCI and from AD individuals with deteriorated scores on memory, clinical, and neural measures. However, 63 individuals from Class 1 were diagnosed as AD patients. This could be misdiagnosis, as their conditional probability of belonging to Class 1 (0.65) was higher than that of Class 2 (0.27) and Class 3 (0.08). LTA results showed that individuals had a higher probability of staying in the same class over time with probability >0.90 for Class 1 and 3 and probability >0.85 for Class 2. Individuals from Class 2, however, transitioned to Class 1 from time 2 to time 3 with a probability of 0.10. Other transition probabilities were not significant. Lastly, further analysis showed that individuals in Class 2 who moved to Class 1 have different memory, clinical, and neural measures to other individuals in the same class. We acknowledge that the proposed framework is sophisticated and time-consuming. However, given the severe neurodegenerative nature of AD, we argue that clinicians should prioritize an accurate diagnosis. Our findings show that LCA can provide a more accurate prediction for classifying and identifying the progression of AD compared to traditional clinical cut-off measures on neuropsychological assessments.
Hospitalization, Asthma Phenotypes, and Readmission Rates in Pre-school Asthma

Objective: Children with pre-school asthma suffer disproportionally more often from severe asthma exacerbations with emergency visits and hospital admissions compared to school children. Despite this high disease burden, there are only a few reports looking at this particular severe asthma cohort. Similarly, there is little real-life research on the distribution of asthma phenotypes and personalized treatment at discharge in this age group. Patients and Methods: Retrospective analysis of the electronic charts of all children aged 1–5 years with asthma hospitalizations (ICD J45) at the Frankfurt University between 2008 and 2017. An acute severe asthma exacerbation was defined as dyspnea, oxygen demand, and/or systemic steroid therapy. Age, gender, duration of hospitalization, asthma phenotype, treatment, and readmission rate were analyzed. Results: Of 572 patients, 205 met the definition of acute severe asthma. The phenotypic characterization showed 56.1% had allergic asthma, 15.2% eosinophilic asthma and 28.7% non-allergic asthma. Of these patients, 71.7% were discharged with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) or ICS + long-acting-beta-agonists (LABA), 15.1% with leukotriene antagonists (LTRA) and 7.3% salbutamol on demand. The rate of emergency presentations (emergency department and readmission) within 12 months after discharge was high (n = 42; 20.5%). No phenotype tailored treatment was detectable. Neither the number of eosinophils (>300/μl) nor the treatment at discharge had an effect on emergency visits and readmission rate. Conclusion: Despite protective therapy with ICS, ICS + LABA, or LTRA, the readmission rate was high. Thus, current care and treatment strategies should be reevaluated continuously, in order to better control asthma in pre-school children and prevent hospitalization.
Splicing Endonuclease Is an Important Player in rRNA and tRNA Maturation in Archaea

In all three domains of life, tRNA genes contain introns that must be removed to yield functional tRNA. In archaea and eukarya, the first step of this process is catalyzed by a splicing endonuclease. The consensus structure recognized by the splicing endonuclease is a bulge-helix-bulge (BHB) motif which is also found in rRNA precursors. So far, a systematic analysis to identify all biological substrates of the splicing endonuclease has not been carried out. In this study, we employed CRISPRi to repress expression of the splicing endonuclease in the archaeon Haloferax volcanii to identify all substrates of this enzyme. Expression of the splicing endonuclease was reduced to 1% of its normal level, resulting in a significant extension of lag phase in H. volcanii growth. In the repression strain, 41 genes were down-regulated and 102 were up-regulated. As an additional approach in identifying new substrates of the splicing endonuclease, we isolated and sequenced circular RNAs, which identified excised introns removed from tRNA and rRNA precursors as well as from the 5′ UTR of the gene HVO_1309. In vitro processing assays showed that the BHB sites in the 5′ UTR of HVO_1309 and in a 16S rRNA-like precursor are processed by the recombinant splicing endonuclease. The splicing endonuclease is therefore an important player in RNA maturation in archaea.