Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Climate extremes are associated with invertebrate taxonomic and functional composition in mountain lakes

Abstract Climate change is expected to increase climate variability and the occurrence of extreme climatic events, with potentially devastating effects on aquatic ecosystems. However, little is known about the role of climate extremes in structuring aquatic communities or the interplay between climate and local abiotic and biotic factors. Here, we examine the relative influence of climate and local abiotic and biotic conditions on biodiversity and community structure in lake invertebrates. We sampled aquatic invertebrates and measured environmental variables in 19 lakes throughout California, USA, to test hypotheses of the relationship between climate, local biotic and environmental conditions, and the taxonomic and functional structure of aquatic invertebrate communities. We found that, while local biotic and abiotic factors such as habitat availability and conductivity were the most consistent predictors of alpha diversity, extreme climate conditions such as maximum summer temperature and dry‐season precipitation were most often associated with multivariate taxonomic and functional composition. Specifically, sites with high maximum temperatures and low dry‐season precipitation housed communities containing high abundances of large predatory taxa. Furthermore, both climate dissimilarity and abiotic dissimilarity determined taxonomic turnover among sites (beta diversity). These findings suggest that while local‐scale environmental variables may predict alpha diversity, climatic variability is important to consider when projecting broad‐scale aquatic community responses to the extreme temperature and precipitation events that are expected for much of the world during the next century.
Effectiveness of online assessment

For five academic years we have engaged in an on-going study of the effectiveness of online assessment of student programming abilities for introductory programming courses in Computer Science. Our results show that online evaluation can be implemented securely, efficiently, and can result in increased student motivation and programming efficacy; however, unless online components are integrated throughout the course evaluations, student competence will be underestimated. Our data reveals disadvantages of online evaluations, but also shows that both students and faculty benefit when online evaluations are implemented appropriately.
Engineering of recombinant Escherichia coli cells co-expressing poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) synthetase and glutamate racemase for differential yielding of γ-PGA

Poly‐γ‐glutamic acid (γ‐PGA) is a promising environmental‐friendly material with outstanding water solubility, biocompatibility and degradability. However, it is tough to determine the relationship between functional synthetic enzyme and the strains' yield or substrate dependency. We cloned γ‐PGA synthetase genes pgsBCA and glutamate racemase gene racE from both L‐glutamate‐dependent γ‐PGA‐producing Bacillus licheniformis NK‐03 and L‐glutamate‐independent B. amyloliquefaciens LL3 strains. The deduced RacE and PgsA from the two strains shared the identity of 84.5% and 78.53%, while PgsB and PgsC possessed greater similarity with 93.13% and 93.96%. The induced co‐expression of pgsBCA and racE showed that the engineered Escherichia coli strains had the capacity of synthesizing γ‐PGA, and LL3 derived PgsBCA had higher catalytic activity and enhanced productivity than NK‐03 in Luria–Bertani medium containing glucose or L‐glutamate. However, the differential effect was weakened when providing sufficient immediateness L‐glutamate substrate, that is, the supply of substrate could be served as the ascendance upon γ‐PGA production. Furthermore, RacE integration could enhance γ‐PGA yield through improving the preferred d‐glutamate content. This is the first report about co‐expression of pgsBCA and racE from the two Bacillus strains, which will be of great value for the determination of the biosynthetic mechanism of γ‐PGA.
The quality of stored umbilical cord and adult-donated whole blood in Mombasa, Kenya

BACKGROUND: In sub‐Saharan Africa umbilical cord blood may be a useful source of blood for transfusion. Before clinical trials, evidence is needed that cord blood donations, which vary greatly in volume, can be collected and stored into a fixed volume of anticoagulant‐preservative solution obviating the need for prestorage processing.
Orbital period variation in close binaries from radial velocity data and magnetic activity cycles. II. HR 1099

We studied orbital period changes in the non-eclipsing close binary HR 1099, one of the most bright members of the RS CVn class of magnetically active binary systems. Intermediate-resolution optical spectroscopy and IUE archive spectra were used to build radial-velocity curves yielding epochs of superior conjunction with an accuracy of 0.01 days. The final database ranged from 1976 to 2002 and allowed us a better assessment of the amplitude of the orbital period variation and its timescale. On the basis of such results, the mechanisms proposed to explain the observed period change were briefly discussed giving further support to the possible connection between the orbital period modulation and the change of the gravitational quadrupole moment of the Kl subgiant component, in the framework of the model elaborated by Lanza et al. (1998).
The engagement and retention of non-profit employees in Belgium and South Africa

Orientation: A lack of qualitative research exists that investigates work engagement and retention within Belgium and South Africa, particularly within the non-profit sector. Research purpose: The study aimed to gather in-depth qualitative data pertaining to the factors that promote work engagement and retention amongst non-profit employees working within these two countries. Motivation for the study: Because of scarce funding and resources, non-profit organisations are pressured to retain their talented employees, with high levels of turnover being a standard for low-paid, human-service positions. However, when individuals are engaged in their work, they display lower turnover intentions, suggesting the importance of work engagement in relation to retention. Research design, approach and method: Non-probability purposive and convenience sampling was used to organise in-depth interviews with 25 paid non-profit employees working on either a full-time or a part-time basis within Belgium and South Africa. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data produced. Main findings: Participants were found to be absorbed in, dedicated to and energised by their work, and revealed numerous aspects promoting their retention including working towards a purpose, finding fulfilment in their tasks and working in a caring environment. Practical/managerial implications: Non-profit organisations should develop positive work environments for their employees to sustain their levels of work engagement, as well as place significance on intrinsic rewards in order to retain employees. Contribution: This study provides insights into the means by which non-profit employees across two nations demonstrate their enthusiasm, pride and involvement in the work that they perform. It moreover sheds light on the factors contributing to such employees intending to leave or stay within the employment of their organisations.
Exploiting Transitivity in Probabilistic Models for Ontology Learning

Capturing word meaning is one of the challenges of natural language processing (NLP). Formal models of meaning such as semantic networks of words or concepts are knowledge repositories used in a variety of applications. To be effectively used, these networks have to be large or, at least, adapted to specific domains. Our main goal is to contribute practically to the research on semantic networks learning models by covering different aspects of the task. We propose a novel probabilistic model for learning semantic networks that expands existing semantic networks taking into accounts both corpus-extracted evidences and the structure of the generated semantic networks. The model exploits structural properties of target relations such as transitivity during learning. The probability for a given relation instance to belong to the semantic networks of words depends both on its direct probability and on the induced probability derived from the structural properties of the target relation. Our model presents some innovations in estimating these probabilities. We also propose a model that can be used in different specific knowledge domains with a small effort for its adaptation. In this approach a model is learned from a generic domain that can be exploited to extract new informations in a specific domain. Finally, we propose an incremental ontology learning system: Semantic Turkey Ontology Learner (ST-OL). ST-OL addresses two principal issues. The first issue is an efficient way to interact with final users and, then, to put the final users decisions in the learning loop. We obtain this positive interaction using an ontology editor. The second issue is a probabilistic learning semantic networks of words model that exploits transitive relations for inducing better extraction models. ST-OL provides a graphical user interface and a human- computer interaction workflow supporting the incremental leaning loop of our learning semantic networks of words.
Assisted Execution

We introduce a new execution paradigm called assisted execution. In this model, a set of auxiliary “assistant” threads, called nanothreads, is attached to each thread of an application. Nanothreads are very lightweight threads which run on the same processor as the main (application) thread and help execute the main thread as fast as possible. Nanothreads exploit resources that are idled in the processor because of dependencies and memory access delays. Assisted execution has the potential to alter the current trade-offs between static and dynamic execution mechanisms. Nanothreads can monitor and reconfigure the underlying hardware, can emulate hardware and can profile applications with li ttle or no interference to improve the program on-line or off-line. We demonstrate the power of assisted execution with an important application, namely data prefetching to fight the memory wall problem. Simulation results on several SPEC95 benchmarks show that sequential and stride prefetching implemented with nanothread technology performs just as well as ideal hardware prefetchers.
Argumentation-Based Reasoning Using Preferences over Sources of Information: (Extended Abstract)

Argumentation-based reasoning plays an important role in agent reasoning and communication. In this work, we extend an argumentation-based reasoning mechanism to take into account preferences over arguments supporting contrary conclusions. Such preferences come from elements that are present or can be more easily obtained in the context of practical multi-agent programming platforms, such as multiple sources from which the information (used to construct the arguments) was acquired, as well as varying degrees of trust on them. Further, we introduce different agent profiles by varying the way certain operators are applied over the various information sources. Unlike previous approaches, our approach accounts for multiple sources for a single piece of information and is based on an argumentation-based reasoning mechanism implemented on a multi-agent platform.
An Analytical Study on an Orthodontic Index: Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need (ICON)

Statement of the Problem The validity of the Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need (ICON) which is an orthodontic index developed and introduced in 2000 should be studied in different ethnic groups. Purpose The aim of this study was to perform an analysis on the ICON and to verify whether this index is valid for assessing both the need and complexity of orthodontic treatment in Iran. Materials and Method Five orthodontists were asked to score pre-treatment diagnostic records of 100 patients with a uniform distribution of different types of malocclusions determined by Dental Health Component of the Index of Treatment Need. A calibrated examiner also assessed the need for orthodontic treatment and complexity of the cases based on the ICON index as well as the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). 10 days later, 25% of the cases were re-scored by the panel of experts and the calibrated orthodontist. Results The weighted kappa revealed the inter-examiner reliability of the experts to be 0.63 and 0.51 for the need and complexity components, respectively. ROC curve was used to assess the validity of the index. A new cut-off point was adjusted at 35 in lieu of 43 as the suggested cut-off point. This cut-off point showed the highest level of sensitivity and specificity in our society for orthodontic treatment need (0.77 and 0.78, respectively), but it failed to define definite ranges for the complexity of treatment. Conclusion ICON is a valid index in assessing the need for treatment in Iran when the cut-off point is adjusted to 35. As for complexity of treatment, the index is not validated for our society. It seems that ICON is a well-suited substitute for the IOTN index.
Drug eluting and bare metal stents in people with and without diabetes: collaborative network meta-analysis

Objective To compare the effectiveness and safety of three types of stents (sirolimus eluting, paclitaxel eluting, and bare metal) in people with and without diabetes mellitus. Design Collaborative network meta-analysis. Data sources Electronic databases (Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), relevant websites, reference lists, conference abstracts, reviews, book chapters, and proceedings of advisory panels for the US Food and Drug Administration. Manufacturers and trialists provided additional data. Review methods Network meta-analysis with a mixed treatment comparison method to combine direct within trial comparisons between stents with indirect evidence from other trials while maintaining randomisation. Overall mortality was the primary safety end point, target lesion revascularisation the effectiveness end point. Results 35 trials in 3852 people with diabetes and 10 947 people without diabetes contributed to the analyses. Inconsistency of the network was substantial for overall mortality in people with diabetes and seemed to be related to the duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (P value for interaction 0.02). Restricting the analysis to trials with a duration of dual antiplatelet therapy of six months or more, inconsistency was reduced considerably and hazard ratios for overall mortality were near one for all comparisons in people with diabetes: sirolimus eluting stents compared with bare metal stents 0.88 (95% credibility interval 0.55 to 1.30), paclitaxel eluting stents compared with bare metal stents 0.91 (0.60 to 1.38), and sirolimus eluting stents compared with paclitaxel eluting stents 0.95 (0.63 to 1.43). In people without diabetes, hazard ratios were unaffected by the restriction. Both drug eluting stents were associated with a decrease in revascularisation rates compared with bare metal stents in people both with and without diabetes. Conclusion In trials that specified a duration of dual antiplatelet therapy of six months or more after stent implantation, drug eluting stents seemed safe and effective in people both with and without diabetes.
Threshold Current of Domain Wall Motion under Extrinsic Pinning, β-Term and Non-Adiabaticity(Condensed matter: electronic structure and electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

Threshold current of domain wall motion under spin-polarized electric current in ferromagnets is theoretically studied based on the equation of motion of a wall in terms of collective coordinates. Effects of non-adiabaticity and a so-called β-term in Landau–Lifshitz equation, which are described by the same term in the equation of motion of a wall, are taken into account as well as extrinsic pinning. It is demonstrated that there are four different regimes characterized by different dependence of threshold on extrinsic pinning, hard-axis magnetic anisotropy, non-adiabaticity and β.
Is There Any Difference between Bipolar and Non-bipolar Individuals in the Use of Facebook?

Objective: To access how individuals with and without bipolar disorder differ in the use of Facebook, using the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) as a screening instrument for Bipolar Disorder (BD). The bipolar spectrum group will be analyzed in another paper. Method: One questionnaire containing 54 questions about social and demographic variables, aspects of Facebook usage and the MDQ was applied. The sample consisted of 672 Facebook users. Participants were classified into three groups: 1 – individuals with BD (n=73); 2 –individuals without BD (n=402); 3 - bipolar spectrum (subjects whose scores were not enough to fulfill the complete criteria for BD) (n=197). Data analysis was performed using the chi-square test (χ²) among the three groups. When this result was statistically significant, pairwise comparisons were performed using ANOVA (with Sheffe correction) tests. Bonferroni test was used to reduce type I error of multiple comparisons. This paper present differences between individuals with without BD. Results: Individuals with BD presented higher percentage than individuals without BD in the following aspects related to the use of Facebook: a) the amount of friends (more than 1,000 friends: 1=20.5%; 2=10.0%); b) the number of people excluded (excluded more than 30 friends: 1=24.7%; 2=14.4%) or blocked from their contacts (blocked more than 30: 1=5.5%; 2=1.7%); c) increased privacy exposure online (excessive exposure on the internet: 1=6.8%; 2=3.2%); d) problems in private life (1=52.1%; 2=19.4%); e) influences of emotional status on online behavior (1=65.8%; 2=41.5%); f) use when worried/anxious (1=49.3%; 2=29,4%). Conclusions: Individuals with BD are more sensitive, excluding and blocking more frequently and use the internet more often when they are more emotional.
From ground to aerial communication: dissecting WLAN 802.11n for the drones

Micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) employed in civil missions are receiving remarkable attention from both research and industry. UAVs embed more and more sensor technology, and their small mounted cameras allow for efficient mapping of large areas in short time. Yet, civil missions such as rescue operations would need a timely delivery of high-resolution images, which calls for high-speed communication such as provided by WLAN IEEE 802.11n. Driven by extensive experiments, the key finding of this contribution is that 802.11n performs poorly in highly mobile and aerial scenarios, as the throughput between UAVs drops far below the theoretical maximum as soon as they become airborne. This is partially caused by the limitations of the embedded hardware, but also a result of the network dynamics of the aerial links. In order to dissect the origins of the low performance figures, we isolate the potential causes of degradation by analyzing our data of throughput, packet loss, aircraft and antenna orientation, and cruise speed. We discuss quantitatively how practical it is to deliver high-resolution images when being exposed to aerial throughput. We believe that it will be a long way until micro UAVs transferring large-size data become reality and argue for a new amendment of IEEE 802.11 addressing the communication among highly-mobile UAVs.
A device-level placement with multi-directional convex clustering

A challenge to an automated layout of analog IC starts with the insight into a high quality placement crafted by experts. It has been observed that such a placement comprises clusters corresponding to groups of matched devices and devices are placed faithfully to the drawn schema while the placement is still compacted. This paper proposes a novel device-level placement based on Sequence-Pair which includes an effective representation of clusters extracted from the schema. A key idea is to capture a topological structure of clusters in order to place clusters at as faithful positions to those in the schema. We represent this structure in terms of ABLR-relations which can be translated into Sequence-Pair. In experiments, we tested our algorithm for industrial instances and compared the results with those by manual. We showed that our results were better than manual results by, on average, 12.8% and 18.1% with respect to area and net-length.
A cognitive approach to studying the development of preschool aggression

PRESCHOOL AGGRESSION By KALEIGH MATTHEWS A Dissertation submitted to the Graduate School-Newark Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Program in Psychology written under the direction of Dr. Vanessa LoBue and approved by ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Newark, NJ
Applications and Explanations of Zipf’s Law

Recently I have been intrigued by the reappearance of an old friend, George Kingsley Zipf, in a number of not entirely expected places. The law named for him is ubiquitous, but Zipf did not actually discover the law so much as provide a plausible explanation. Others have proposed modifications to Zipf's Law, and closer examination uncovers systematic deviations from its normative form. We demonstrate how Zipf's analysis can be extended to include some of these phenomena.
Establishment of a surgically induced cryptorchidism canine recipient model for spermatogonial stem cell transplantation

Transplantation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) in experimental animal models has been used to study germ line stem cell biology and to produce transgenic animals. The species-specific recipient model preparation is important for the characterization of SSCs and the production of offspring. Here, we investigated the effects of surgically induced cryptorchidism in dog as a new recipient model for spermatogonial stem cell transplantation. Artificially unilateral or bilateral cryptorchidism was induced in ten mature male dogs by surgically returning the testis and epididymis to the abdominal cavity. The testes and epididymides were collected every week after the induction of artificial cryptorchidism (surgery) for one month. To determine the effect of surgical cryptorchidism, the seminiferous tubule diameter was measured and immunohistochemistry using PGP9.5 and GATA4 antibodies was analyzed. The diameters of the seminiferous tubules of abdominal testes were significantly reduced compared to those of the scrotal testes. Immunohistochemistry results showed that PGP9.5 positive undifferentiated spermatogonia were significantly reduced after surgical cryptorchidism induction, but there were no significant changes in GATA-4 positive sertoli cells. To evaluate the testis function recovery rate, orchiopexy was performed on two dogs after 30 days of bilateral cryptorchidism. In the orchiopexy group, SCP3 positive spermatocytes were detected, and spermatogenesis was recovered 8 weeks after orchiopexy. In this study, we provided optimum experimental conditions and time for surgical preparation of a recipient canine model for SSC transplantation. Additionally, our data will contribute to recipient preparation by using surgically induced cryptorchidism in non-rodent species.