Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diverse guilds provide complementary dispersal services in a woodland expansion process after land abandonment

Summary 1. Land abandonment due to increasing depopulation of rural areas is an ongoing trend in developed countries worldwide. Abandoned lands represent an opportunity for ecosystem recovery, an urgent need for biodiversity conservation. Seed dispersal services provided by animals are a key feature for this process. Different dispersers may differentially contribute to plant recruitment under different ecological conditions, leading to complementary dispersal services. 2. We studied the dispersal services, quantified as the contribution to plant recruitment, provided by the main dispersal guilds of Spanish juniper Juniperus thurifera L. : small-to-mediumsized strongly frugivorous birds (thrushes) and medium-to-large-sized carnivorous mammals (red fox and stone marten). To do this, we studied seed fate from seed dispersal to seedling survival during 2 years and estimated seed dispersal effectiveness (seedlings recruited per m 2 ) in two ecological contexts derived from ecosystem recovery after a historical period of degradation: remnant woodlands and old fields. 3. Results showed a clear shift in the contribution to plant recruitment between these guilds, resulting in complementary and non-redundant dispersal services. Thrushes were the main contributors to plant recruitment in woodlands (73%), leading to population growth but with a reduced impact on the colonization of old fields where carnivores contributed to 80% of recruitment (42% red fox, 38% stone marten). The dispersal complementarity observed for thrushes and carnivores is a consequence of their functional diversity, mainly driven by their differences in feeding and movement behaviour. 4. Synthesis and applications. The combination of short-distance, strongly frugivorous dispersers (e.g. passerine birds) together with big generalist frugivores with long-distance movements (e.g. carnivorous mammals) maintained (i) effective seed dispersal services in remnant woodlands and (ii) the connectivity between patches promoting old fields colonization and woodland expansion. Thus, it is in heterogeneous landscape mosaics ecosystems (e.g. agroenvironments) where functionally diverse disperser communities play a key role in ecosystem recovery. By performing effective dispersal services across an array of habitat types, functionally diverse disperser communities assist natural restoration of human-impacted ecosystems all over the world. Thus, dispersal communities provide an important ecosystem service that may replace costly human-mediated restoration projects.
Pathogen-derived biomarkers for active tuberculosis diagnosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by members of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Despite the availability of effective treatments, TB remains a major public health concern in most low and middle-income countries, representing worldwide the second leading cause of death from an infectious disease. Inadequate case detection and failures to classify the disease status hamper proper TB control. The limitations of the conventional diagnostic methods have encouraged much research activities in this field, but there is still an urgent need for an accurate point of care test for active TB diagnosis. A rapid, precise, and inexpensive TB diagnostic test would allow an earlier implementation of an appropriate treatment and the reduction of disease transmission. Pathogen-derived molecules present in clinical specimens of affected patients are being validated for that purpose. This short review aims to summarize the available data regarding biomarkers derived from M. tuberculosis, and their current usage in active TB diagnosis.
Perceptions of Undergraduate Students of Student-Regulated Online Courses

Undergraduate students at a large, public, southeastern university enrolled in one of two independent, fully-online courses were released from the instructor-regulated structure mid-semester. Subsequently, the course was structured as student-regulated and students self-managed pace of study and timing of assessments for the remainder of the course. The objective of the research is to assess student preferences in learning structure (instructor-regulated versus student-regulated) in order to inform effective course design options in the online learning environment. At the end of each semester included in the study, a survey was administered to ascertain students’ perceptions of the student-regulated (self-paced) learning environment. After analyzing the survey results, but before drawing ﬁnal conclusions, it was acknowledged that student preferences might be skewed if coupled with altered performance in the course, real or perceived. Therefore, student performance was evaluated to ensure neutrality in this component. To this end, exam grades were collected over multiple semesters based on the original instructor-regulated structure (control group) together with the student-regulated structure (study group) and analyzed to compare mean grade performance between the two learning formats. Results indicated that the slight decline in grades for the self-paced students were not statistically signiﬁcant. Given the benign performance results, the survey results were analyzed for statistical reliability and revealed a strong student preference for the self-paced online structure. The survey and grade performance results were compared against other research literature on online learning. Issues relating to incompatibility of student-paced ﬂexibility and group-based assignments are also presented. Implications and opportunities for increasing student-regulated learning in online course design are addressed.
Conventional or sustainable? Chinese university students’ thinking about feedback used in their English lessons

Abstract Feedback has been increasingly conceptualised as a dialogical process where students interpret the provided information through interaction with comment providers and use it to enhance their learning. A major challenge for the development of sustainable feedback is closely related to how students think about it. This study explored how 25 Chinese university students made sense of instructor and peer feedback following their English group presentations. The findings reveal that most of the participants perceived more judging and encouraging functions of feedback than its improving functions, which reflected their conventional thinking about feedback. Variation also existed in the perceived functions of instructor and peer feedback. Imbalanced power relations, face, group harmony and instructors’ feedback practice as well as students’ past learning and assessment experiences appeared to inhibit the participants from viewing feedback in a sustainable way. This study sheds light on college students’ complex thinking about feedback in a non-Anglophone context which has been neglected in the feedback literature, and has implications for educators and researchers in facilitating sustainable feedback in the Chinese context and the non-Chinese contexts where Chinese students study.
Cosmic reionization by stellar sources: population III stars

We combine fast radiative transfer calculations with high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations to study an epoch of early hydrogen reionization by primordial stellar sources at redshifts 15 ≤ z ≤ 30. We consider the implications of various local and global feedback mechanisms using a set of models that bracket the severity of these effects to determine, qualitatively, how they may have influenced the global star formation rate and the details of hydrogen reionization. With relatively conservative assumptions, most of our models suggest that population III star formation proceeds in a self-regulated manner both locally and globally and, for a conventional ACDM cosmology, can significantly reionize the intergalactic medium between 15 ≤ z ≤ 20 as long as a large fraction of ionizing photons can escape from these earliest galaxies. We then combine these results with our earlier work focusing on the role of population II stars in galaxies with virial temperatures ≥ 10 4 K at redshifts 5 ≤ z ≤ 20. Hence, we construct a complete reionization history of the Universe that matches the Thomson optical depths as measured by the WMAP satellite as well as the evolution of the Gunn-Peterson optical depth as seen in the absorption spectra of the highest redshift quasars. We find that even with conservative estimates for the impact of negative feedback mechanisms, primordial stellar sources contribute significantly to early reionization. Future observations of a Thomson optical depth of τ e ≥ 0.13 would bolster the claim for the existence of population III stars similar to the ones studied here.
A Brief Analysis of the Relationship between Housing, Mental Health and Wellbeing under the Eco-City Context

Housing is not only the provision of physical shelter but also a complex source of residents’ mental health and wellbeing. Housing type, housing condition and neighborhood quality are directly affect inhabitants’ mental health and wellbeing. Suitability, affordability and quality of housing are among the issues that help to determine the experience of housing for households. Additionally, housing is a special kind of place or setting with attributes, features and ambience. It is usually defined by systems of activities which may call attention to certain temporal, psychological, economic, emotional, behavioral features of the inhabitants in the place.
The Role of Voluntary and Involuntary Attention in Selecting Perceptual Dominance during Binocular Rivalry

When incompatible images are presented to corresponding regions of each eye, perception alternates between the two monocular views (binocular rivalry). In this study, we have investigated how involuntary (exogenous) and voluntary (endogenous) attention can influence the perceptual dominance of one rival image or the other during contour rivalry. Subjects viewed two orthogonal grating stimuli that were presented to both eyes. Involuntary attention was directed to one of the grating stimuli with a brief change in orientation. After a short period, the cued grating was removed from the image in one eye and the uncued grating was removed from the image in the other eye, generating binocular rivalry. Subjects usually reported dominance of the cued grating during the rivalry period. We found that the influence of the cue declined with the interval between its onset and the onset of binocular rivalry in a manner consistent with the effect of involuntary attention. Finally, we demonstrated that voluntary attention to a grating stimulus could also influence the ongoing changes in perceptual dominance that accompany longer periods of binocular rivalry. Voluntary attention did not increase the mean dominance period of the attended grating, but rather decreased the mean dominance period of the non-attended grating. This pattern is analogous to increasing the perceived contrast of the attended grating. These results suggest that the competition during binocular rivalry might be an example of a more general attentional mechanism within the visual system.
Is Cooking Still a Part of Our Eating Practices? Analysing the Decline of a Practice with Time-Use Surveys

People now spend less time doing housework in general, and cooking in particular. So is cooking still a central feature of our daily eating practices? This article compares trends in household cooking durations in France and the USA in the period 1985–2010 using time-use surveys and practice theory. We ask how the association between cooking and eating at home has changed over time, and how it has contributed to the decline in the time spent on household cooking. Descriptive statistics show that US households spent 20 minutes less time per day cooking in 2010 than in 1985 (15 minutes less time per day in France). Linear regressions indicate that the association between cooking duration and the number of eating events at home has declined in the USA but not in France. The Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method points to this fact as the primary reason for the change in cooking time in the USA; in France, decreased cooking time is accounted for primarily by changes in population characteristics. French and American food practices have followed gradually diverging trajectories, with cooking less a feature of eating practices – even at home – in the USA, whereas the association between eating and preparing food at home remains stable in France.
Epistemic Modals , Qualitative Probability , and Nonstandard Probability

Yalcin [23] shows that Kratzer’s model [5] does not validate some intuitively valid inferences and validates some intuitively invalid ones. He adopts a model based directly on a probability measure. However, as Kratzer [6] says, ‘Our semantic knowledge alone does not give us the precise quantitative notions of probability and desirability that mathematicians and scientists work with’, Yalcin’s model seems to be unnatural as a model for comparative epistemic modals. The aim of this paper is to propose a new version of complete logic—modal-qualitative-probability logic (MQPL)—the model of the language of which has the following four merits: (i) The model reflects Kratzer’s intuition above in the sense that the model is not based directly on a probability measure, but based on a qualitative probability ordering. (ii) The model does not cause Yalcin’s problem. (iii) The model has no limitation of the size of the domain. (iv) The model can deal with the two-dimensional geometric probability that Kolmogorov probability theory cannot.
Political Homophily in a Large-Scale Online Communication Network

As communication increasingly occurs in online environments, it is important to know the structure of such conversations in social networks. Here, we investigate patterns of conversation in online forums concerning politics, as well as patterns of cross-ideological interactions in forums that are not expressly political. First, we demonstrate a method for measuring the latent ideological preferences of more than 690,000 individuals using patterns of political commenting. Using this measure, we find that communication between ideologically dissimilar individuals becomes more common in periods of increased engagement with politics, that political homophily decreases as more individuals contribute to a conversation, and that forums dedicated to nonpolitical topics exhibit substantially less homophily than political forums. Theoretical implications for political communication on online platforms are discussed.
PROCEDURAL FAIRNESS AS INTERVENING VARIABLE BETWEEN VOICE AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION FORMALITY ON TRUST

This study aims to test the hypothesis developed by Hartmann and Slapnicar (2009). Thatis to examine the influence of subordinate participation and performance evaluation formality in the process of performance evaluation of trust through the perception of procedural fairness. This research uses a survey method, which is data retrieval through a questionnaire. Subjects in this study are all staffs in one of the University of Malang who has met the criteria. The test used Partial Least Square (PLS). Results showed that the participation of subordinates was not able to improve the perception of procedural fairness directly, but can increase trust. While, the formalities of performance evaluation, directly able to improve the perception of procedural fairness, but can not increase trust. However, if tested indirectly performance evaluation formality can increase trust through the perception of procedural fairness, whereas subordinate participation cannot improve. Conclusion, this study supports the hypothesis developed by Hartmann and Slapnicar (2009), but there are some unsupported hypotheses because of the difference of the research object, where each research object has different evaluation system according to organizational objectives.
BUILDING INTELLIGENT TUTORING SYSTEMS

This project’s goal was to improve the ASSISTments intelligent tutoring system’s algebraic capabilities. We worked towards three main objectives. First, we built support for parsing expressions and comparing them for algebraic equality. Second, we implemented an interactive grapher capable of plotting a variety of expressions. Third, we added support for rendering expressions to well formatted images. Finally, we implemented a basic tutoring system including sample problems that demonstrate our work, establishing our tools’ usability and integrability.
The Search for Primordial Tensor Modes

We review the prospects for detecting tensor modes generated during inflation by CMB polarization experiments and by searching for a stochastic gravitational wave background with laser interferometers in space. We tackle the following two questions: (i) what does inflation predict for the tensor fluctuations? (ii) is it really worth building experiments that can cover only a small range of tensor amplitudes?
Light-Weight versus Heavy-Weight Algorithms for SAC and Neighbourhood SAC

This paper compares different forms of singleton arc consistency (SAC) algorithms with respect to: (i) their relative efficiency as a function of the increase in problem size and/or difficulty, (ii) the effectiveness with which they can be transformed into algorithms for establishing neighbourhood singleton arc consistency (NSAC) In such comparisons, it was found useful to distinguish two classes of SAC algorithm with the terms “light-weight” and “heavy-weight”. The difference turns on the complexity of data structures required; this complexity is much greater for the heavyweight than the light-weight algorithms. The present work shows that this difference is reflected in scalability. In general, light-weight algorithms scale better than heavy-weight algorithms on both random and structured problems, although in the latter case the heavyweight algorithm SAC-3 is able to compensate for its extra overhead. In addition, it is shown that modifying heavy-weight algorithms to produce NSAC algorithms is problematic because the logic underlying their improvements, while suited to SAC, requires major revisions when carried over to neighbourhood SAC. As a result, even for problems where heavy-weight SAC algorithms are competitive with light-weight algorithms, the efficiency of the corresponding NSAC algorithms is seriously compromised. In contrast, light-weight SAC algorithms can be easily converted to efficient NSAC algorithms. These results show that heavy-weight algorithms for SAC cannot be considered as unconditional improvements on light-weight algorithms, and more importantly that more attention should be paid to the basic tradeoff between reducing the number of dominant operations (constraint checks) and minimizing extra overhead in local consistency algorithms.
Structural and Corrosion Study of Uncoated and Zn-Cu Coated Magnesium-Based Alloy

Zn-Cu alloy was deposited onto AZ63 substrate, and the corrosion behaviour of resulting modified electrodes was investigated in 3 wt % NaCl solution in comparison with uncoated AZ63. Electrochemical, structural, and morphological study of the coating is presented. SEM images reveal that the surface morphology of the films is uniformly small spherical grain distributions. The XRD patterns illustrate polycrystalline structure and the formation of peaks corresponding to hexagonal close-packed e-phase of Zn-Cu with various crystallographic orientations. Cyclic voltammetry was used to determine the potential ranges where the various redox processes occur. Linear sweep voltammetry results illustrate that longer exposure of uncoated AZ63 in NaCl solution produces a greater corrosion potential shift because of the formation of an oxide layer that did not prevent the progression of corrosion attack. The corrosion resistivity of Zn-Cu coated AZ63 is approximately two orders of magnitude greater than that of uncoated AZ63.
Optical and Near-Infrared Color Profiles in Nearby Early-Type Galaxies and the Implied Age and Metallicity Gradients

We present results of an age and metallicity gradient analysis inferred from both optical and near-infrared surface photometry. The analysis is based on a sample of 36 nearby early-type galaxies, obtained from the Early Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Two Micron All Sky Survey. Surface brightness profiles were derived in each band and used to study the color gradients of the galaxies. Using simple stellar population models with both optical and near-infrared colors, we may interpret the color gradients in terms of age and metallicity gradients of galaxies. Using gZ ≡ d log Zmet/d log R and gA = d log(age)/d log R to represent the metallicity and age gradients, we found a median value of gZ = -0.25 ± 0.03 for the metallicity gradient, with a dispersion σ = 0.19 ± 0.02. The corresponding values for the age gradients were gA = 0.02 ± 0.04 and σ = 0.25 ± 0.03. These results are in good agreement with recent observational results, as well as with recent simulations that suggest that both monolithic collapse and major mergers have played important roles in the formation of early-type galaxies. Our results demonstrate the potential of using multi-wave band colors obtained from current and future optical and infrared surveys in constraining the age and metallicity gradients of early-type galaxies.
The influence of contextual information regarding the breakdown of relationships and perpetrator-target sex composition on perceptions of relational stalking

ABSTRACT The present study examines the influence of prior relationship (with contextual information regarding the breakdown of the relationship) and perpetrator-target sex composition on perceptions of relational stalking. The study employed an experimental 7 × 2 independent measures design, and the sample comprised 1,260 members of the community residing in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Participants received one of 14 versions of a hypothetical scenario and responded to scale items concerning the situation described. The situation was perceived to be most serious when the perpetrator was a stranger or a physically violent ex-partner and least serious when the perpetrator was an ex-partner of an unfaithful target. Scenarios involving a male perpetrator and a female victim were also perceived to be more serious than scenarios involving a female perpetrator and a male target. It is apparent therefore that the context of the relationship breakdown and the sex of the perpetrator and target significantly influence perceptions of relational stalking.
Stability analysis in elite sugarcane varieties of Fiji

The present investigation was conducted to identify the stable cultivars across different environmental condition. Seventeen genotypes of which fourteen were in the final stage of multi-location secondary adaptation trials of the plant breeding program and three commercial varieties were evaluated in five different locations. The stability parameters regression coefficients (βi) and mean square deviations (S2di) were estimated for cane yield using the Eberhart & Russell's (1966) model. The pooled analysis of variance showed highly significant variances for environments (E), Genotypes (G), and GxE interactions. The results showed that there were highly significant (p <; 0.001) variations among the genotypes, environments and GxE interaction for cane yield. The top four high yielding genotypes were found to be LF82-2122, LF60-3917, LF82-2244 and LF57-5104. The first two genotypes had higher yield and stability statistics. Thus, from the present study it is concluded that for cane yield, the genotypes LF82-2122 and LF60-3917 can be recommended for adoption as the two most superior promising varieties for cultivation on all soil types in Fiji.