Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rendements de la cacaoculture et formations vegetales: essai d'écologie pratique des forêts de la Sangha (Congo) et du sud-est du Cameroun

YIELDS OF THE CACAO CULTIVATION ANL) PLANT FORMATIONS. ESSAY OF PKATICXL ECOLOGY OF THE FORE~TS IN SANGHA(CONGO)AND THE SOUTH-EASTERN C~4nrmnoxs In the Sangha region, the map concerning the production of cacao per inhabitant is cloxely related to the geological map. As u matter of fact, the best yields of cocoa rvhich is a plant dificult to rear are fountl ;II fhe eustern part of the Sembé district rvhere pedological studies revealed the presence of very good soils on fillites, limestones and argillites. The zvorlrs carried out by the Centre Technique Forestier Tropical (CTFT) (’ Lnventorly of the Ouesso reyion) also shou~ thut these fertile soils contribute to the development of a sturdy and semi-deciduous fhesf, while less productive evergreen formations caver ba.rren zones (sandy alluviums, caver sands, nnd sandstones-quartzites). This relation between the soils quality and vegetation seems also to be very clear in the soufh-enstern part of the Cameroons (region of Haut Nyong and Boumba-Ngoko). The types of fore& rohich were revealed b:y unalysing the data from the inventories by means of the visual stundards cari be located easily in the field throagh the simultaneous occurrence of trees such as Triploc.hiton scleroxydon (ayous), Terminalia superba (limba), Ceiha pentadra (fromager), Celtis, Erihrorna oblonga (eyolzg), Mansonia altissirna (bèfé), etc. Therefore, they are lilzely, in fhe absence of other indications, to help growers or specialists to find soils suitable for the cacao cultkation. Cah. O.R. S.T. O.M. , sér. Sci. Hum. , vol. XVIII, no 1, 1981-1982: 63-106.
Combination of Naïve Bayes Classifier and K-Nearest Neighbor (cNK) in the Classification Based Predictive Models

In this study, we present a new classifier that combines the distance-based algorithm K-Nearest Neighbor and statistical based Naive Bayes Classifier. That is equipped with the power of both but avoid their weakness. The performance of the proposed algorithm in terms of accuracy is experimented on some standard datasets from the machine-learning repository of University of California and compared with some of the art algorithms. The experiments show that in most of the cases the proposed algorithm outperforms the other to some extent. Finally we apply the algorithm for predicting profitability positions of some financial institutions of Bangladesh using data provided by the central bank.
Chandra Multiwavelength Project: Normal Galaxies at Intermediate Redshift

We have investigated 136 Chandra extragalactic sources, including 93 galaxies with narrow emission lines (NELGs) and 43 with only absorption lines (ALGs). Based on fX/fO, LX, X-ray spectral hardness, and optical emission-line diagnostics, we have conservatively classified 36 normal galaxies and 71 AGNs. Their redshift ranges from 0.01 to 1.2, with normal galaxies in the range z = 0.01-0.3. Our normal galaxies appear to share characteristics with local galaxies, as expected from the X-ray binary populations and the hot interstellar matter (ISM). In conjunction with normal galaxies found in other surveys, we found no statistically significant evolution in LX/LB, within the limited z range (≲0.1). The best-fit slope of our log(N)-log(S) relationship is -1.5 for both S (0.5-2 keV) and B (0.5-8 keV) energy bands, which is considerably steeper than that of the AGN-dominated cosmic background sources, but slightly flatter than the previous estimate, indicating that normal galaxies will not exceed the AGN population until fX(0.5-2.0 keV) ~ 2 × 10-18 ergs s-1 cm-2 (a factor of ~5 lower than the previous estimate). A group of NELGs appear to be heavily obscured in X-rays. After correcting for intrinsic absorption, their X-ray luminosities could be LX > 1044 ergs s-1, making them type 2 quasar candidates. While most X-ray-luminous ALGs do not appear to be significantly absorbed, we found two heavily obscured objects that could be as luminous as an unobscured broad-line quasar. Among 43 ALGs, we found two E+A galaxy candidates. The X-ray spectra of both galaxies are soft, and one of them has a nearby close companion galaxy, supporting the merger/interaction scenario rather than the dusty starburst hypothesis.
STRANDS: Interactive Simulation of Thin Solids using Cosserat Models

Strandsare thin elastic solids that are visually well approximated as smooth curves, and yet possess essential physical behaviors characteristic of solid objects such as twisting. Common examples in computer graphics include: sutures, catheters, and tendons in surgical simulation; hairs, ropes, and vegetation in animation. Physical models based on spring meshes or 3D finite elements for such thin solids are either inaccurate or inefficient for interactive simulation. In this paper we show that models based on the Cosserat theory of elastic rods are very well suited for interactive simulation of these objects. The physical model reduces to a system of spatial ordinary differential equations that can be solved efficiently for typical boundary conditions. The model handles the important geometric non‐linearity due to large changes in shape. We introduce Cosserat‐type physical models, describe efficient numerical methods for interactive simulation of these models, and implementation results.
INCOMPOSITA: a MADS-box gene controlling prophyll development and floral meristem identity in Antirrhinum

INCOMPOSITA (INCO) is a MADS-box transcription factor and member of the functionally diverse StMADS11 clade of the MADS-box family. The most conspicuous feature of inco mutant flowers are prophylls initiated prior to first whorl sepals at lateral positions of the flower primordium. The developing prophylls physically interfere with subsequent floral organ development that results in aberrant floral architecture. INCO, which is controlled by SQUAMOSA, prevents prophyll formation in the wild type, a role that is novel among MADS-box proteins, and we discuss evolutionary implications of this function. Overexpression of INCO or SVP, a structurally related Arabidopsis MADS-box gene involved in the negative control of Arabidopsis flowering time, conditions delayed flowering in transgenic plants, suggesting that SVP and INCO have functions in common. Enhanced flowering of squamosa mutants in the inco mutant background corroborates this potential role of INCO as a floral repressor in Antirrhinum. One further, hitherto hidden, role of INCO is the positive control of Antirrhinum floral meristem identity. This is revealed by genetic interactions between inco and mutants of FLORICAULA, a gene that controls the inflorescence to floral transition, together with SQUAMOSA. The complex regulatory and combinatorial relations between INCO, FLORICAULA and SQUAMOSA are summarised in a model that integrates observations from molecular studies as well as analyses of expression patterns and genetic interactions.
Efficient transmission under low dimming control levels in indoor visible light communications

In indoor visible light communication (VLC) systems based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), employing multi-pulse position modulation (MPPM) for dimming control will affect the receiver (Rx) sensitivity requirement particularly at low dimming levels (DLs), thus affecting the system bit error rate (BER) performance. In this paper, we propose a hybrid visible light (VL) and infrared (IR) link, where the IR is used for downlink when the DL for VLC is very low. The “off” periods of MPPM is utilized for data transmission without affecting the illumination level. This arrangement will ensure data transmission under all illumination and dark conditions. Numerical results show that by adopting the IR link, low level M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation can be always used. At low DLs, both the Rx sensitivity requirement of the VL signal and the required transmit power can be significantly alleviated while keeping a constant data rate at a BER <; 10-3.
Eating out of home and its correlates in 10 European countries. The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study

Abstract Objective To compare the average out-of-home (OH) consumption of foods and beverages, as well as energy intake, among populations from 10 European countries and to describe the characteristics of substantial OH eaters, as defined for the purpose of the present study, in comparison to other individuals. Design Cross-sectional study. Dietary data were collected through single 24-hour dietary recalls, in which the place of consumption was recorded. For the present study, substantial OH eaters were defined as those who consumed more than 25% of total daily energy intake at locations other than the household premises. Mean dietary intakes and the proportion of substantial OH eaters are presented by food group and country. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the odds of being a substantial OH eater in comparison to not being one, using mutually adjusted possible non-dietary determinants. Setting Ten European countries participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Subjects The subjects were 34 270 individuals, 12 537 men and 21 733 women, aged 35–74 years. Results The fraction of energy intake during OH eating was generally higher in northern European countries than in the southern ones. Among the food and beverage groups, those selectively consumed outside the home were coffee/tea/waters and sweets and, to a lesser extent, cereals, meats, added lipids and vegetables. Substantial OH eating was positively associated with energy intake and inversely associated with age and physical activity. Substantial OH eating was less common among the less educated compared with the more educated, and more common during weekdays in central and north Europe and during the weekend in south Europe. Conclusions Eating outside the home was associated with sedentary lifestyle and increased energy intake; it was more common among the young and concerned in particular coffee/tea/waters and sweets.
Revisiting the Arcade Learning Environment: Evaluation Protocols and Open Problems for General Agents

The Arcade Learning Environment (ALE) is an evaluation platform that poses the challenge of building AI agents with general competency across dozens of Atari 2600 games. It supports a variety of different problem settings and it has been receiving increasing attention from the scientific community, leading to some high-profile success stories such as the much publicized Deep Q-Networks (DQN). In this article we take a big picture look at how the ALE is being used by the research community. We show how diverse the evaluation methodologies in the ALE have become with time, and highlight some key concerns when evaluating agents in the ALE. We use this discussion to present some methodological best practices and provide new benchmark results using these best practices. To further the progress in the field, we introduce a new version of the ALE that supports multiple game modes and provides a form of stochasticity we call sticky actions. We conclude this big picture look by revisiting challenges posed when the ALE was introduced, summarizing the state-of-the-art in various problems and highlighting problems that remain open.
Rapid ice flow rearrangement induced by subglacial drainage in West Antarctica

Ice streams are corridors of rapid ice flow draining the ice sheets. They can exhibit astonishing spatial variability on annual to centennial time scales. We propose that changes in the subglacial drainage of meltwater could induce these sudden rearrangements of ice streams. We develop a two‐dimensional, thermomechanical model representing an ice stream cross section and couple it to a plastically deforming bed with spatially variable meltwater influx. We find that where ice flows over deformable sediments and lacks significant topographic control, the efficiency of subglacial water drainage exerts direct control on the velocity, location, and width of ice streams. This implies that meltwater percolation at the meter scale could have a significant effect on the short‐term variability in ice loss from a continental‐scale ice sheet. We verify our model against previous analytical results and validate it against surface observations from the Siple Coast of West Antarctica.
Evaluation of Public Awareness, Knowledge and Attitudes about Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Report of İzmir.

OBJECTIVE Early initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by witnesses increases survival after cardiac arrest. In Turkey, our country, it is rare that basic life support (BLS) is initiated by a layperson. In our study, we aimed to use a survey to research awareness, level of knowledge and attitudes of the public to CPR and BLS. METHODS A 21-question survey was administered to individuals aged ≥18 years on a busy street in a city of a western region of Turkey. Topics such as knowledge about cardiac arrest findings, previous experience of CPR, knowledge of BLS and concerns related to CPR were questioned. RESULTS The fully completed forms of 533 people were evaluated. There were 40.7% who stated that they had received training in CPR. For signs of cardiac arrest, 40.7% answered loss of consciousness, 49.3% answered cessation of breathing and 60.7% answered cessation of circulation. It was found that 35.5% could perform only chest compressions, 27.6% could perform mouth-to-mouth ventilation and 28.7% able to perform both. While 52.0% knew the location for performing chest compressions, 34.3% knew the correct depth and 15.6% knew the correct compression-ventilation rate. Bystander CPR was performed by 3.6%. CONCLUSION In conclusion, 40.7% of people living in a highly educated region in the western part of Turkey had received CPR training and 3.6% performed bystander CPR. A majority of participants stated that they were willing to correct and develop their knowledge and skills related to CPR. Effective public CPR training programmes may increase the knowledge and awareness of CPR in the adult population.
Rectal biopsy for diagnosis of intestinal neuronal dysplasia in children: a prospective multicentre study on interobserver variation and clinical outcome

BACKGROUND Intestinal neuronal dysplasia (IND) of the colonic submucous plexus is considered to be a congenital malformation of the enteric nervous system causing symptoms resembling those of Hirschsprung’s disease. In contrast with the established diagnosis of aganglionosis using enzyme histochemistry, controversy exists over the diagnostic criteria of IND on rectal biopsies previously defined by a consensus report and the causal relation between morphological findings and clinical symptoms. AIMS The interobserver variability was prospectively investigated with respect to final diagnoses and several histological features in rectal biopsy specimens from children suspected of having colonic motility disturbances. METHODS 377 biopsy specimens from 108 children aged 4 days to 15 years were independently coded without knowledge of clinical symptoms by three experienced pathologists for 20 histological features, and a final diagnosis was given for every case. Interobserver variation for the different items and the final diagnosis were analysed using Cohen’s κ statistic. Clinical data at biopsy and outcome after 12 months were related to morphological findings. RESULTS The three pathologists agreed completely with respect to the diagnosis Hirschsprung’s disease (κ = 1), but in only 14% of the children without aganglionosis. In 15 (17%) of the 87 children without aganglionosis, at least one pathologist judged the case as normal, while another diagnosed IND. κ values were close to the zero value expected by chance for the diagnoses normal and IND. Young age was related to the presence of several morphological features—for example, acetylcholine esterase staining and presence of giant ganglia. Children with chronic constipation diagnosed as having IND, given no other specific diagnosis by any of the pathologists, were significantly younger (median 8.8 months) and had a higher cure rate after one year (60%) than constipated patients considered by all observers to have no histological abnormalities (median 6.1 years, cure rate 23%). CONCLUSIONS In contrast with Hirschsprung’s disease, there is a high interobserver variation with regard to the different morphological features and final diagnosis of IND, based on the criteria and conditions of the previous consensus report. The high frequency of histological “abnormalities” in young infants suggests that some of the features may represent a normal variant of postnatal development rather than a pathological process. Investigations using more refined and morphometric methods in rectal specimens from infants and children without bowel disease are needed to define the normal range of morphological appearance at different ages. These preliminary data indicate that, with current knowledge, rectal biopsy for diagnostic purposes should only be performed in constipated children for diagnosis of Hirschsprung’s disease.
Effect of Contrast Dose and Field Strength in the Magnetic Resonance Detection of Brain Metastases

PurposeTo compare the diagnostic efficacy of a standard and cumulative triple dose of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging contrast agent in the evaluation of brain metastases using a high-field 3.0 T MR unit versus a standard field 1.5 T MR unit. MethodsTwenty-two patients with suspected brain metastases were examined at both field strengths using identical postcontrast coronal 3D gradient echo with magnetization preparation, which was adjusted separately for each field strength. In both groups initially, iv injection of 0.1 mmol/kg body weight gadolinium chelate (gadodiamide) and thereafter, 0.2 mmol/kg body weight gadodiamide were administered. Subjective assessment of the images was performed independently by 3 neuroradiologists. Objective measurement of signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios was obtained. ResultsThe subjective assessment of cumulative triple-dose 3.0 T images obtained the best results compared with other sequences, detecting 84 metastases, followed by 1.5 T cumulative triple-dose enhanced images with 81 brain metastases. The objective assessment confirmed those results, showing significantly higher signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios with 3.0 T than with 1.5 T. ConclusionsCumulative triple-dose images of both field strengths were superior to standard field strengths. However, administration of gadodiamide contrast agent produces higher contrast between tumor and normal brain on 3.0 T than on 1.5 T, resulting in better detection of brain metastases and leptomeningeal involvement.
BDCaM: Big Data for Context-Aware Monitoring—A Personalized Knowledge Discovery Framework for Assisted Healthcare

Context-aware monitoring is an <italic>emerging technology</italic> that provides real-time <italic>personalised health-care</italic> services and a rich area of <italic>big data</italic> application. In this paper, we propose a knowledge discovery-based approach that allows the <italic>context-aware system</italic> to adapt its behaviour in runtime by analysing large amounts of data generated in <italic>ambient assisted living (AAL)</italic> systems and stored in <italic>cloud repositories</italic>. The proposed <bold>BDCaM</bold> model facilitates analysis of big data inside a cloud environment. It first mines the trends and patterns in the data of an individual patient with associated probabilities and utilizes that knowledge to learn proper abnormal conditions. The outcomes of this learning method are then applied in context-aware <italic>decision-making</italic> processes for the patient. <italic> A use case</italic> is implemented to illustrate the applicability of the framework that discovers the knowledge of classification to identify the true abnormal conditions of patients having variations in blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). The evaluation shows a much better estimate of detecting proper <italic>anomalous situations</italic> for different types of patients. The accuracy and efficiency obtained for the implemented case study demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model.
Requisite Role for the Dectin-1 β-Glucan Receptor in Pulmonary Defense against Aspergillus fumigatus 1

Immune suppression increases the incidence of invasive fungal infections, particularly those caused by the opportunistic mold Aspergillus fumigatus. Previous investigations revealed that members of the TLR family are not absolutely required for host defense against A. fumigatus in nonimmunosuppressed hosts, suggesting that other pattern recognition receptors are involved. We show in this study that naive mice (i.e., not pharmacologically immunosuppressed) lacking the β-glucan receptor Dectin-1 (Dectin-1−/−) are more sensitive to intratracheal challenge with A. fumigatus than control mice, exhibiting >80% mortality within 5 days, ultimately attributed to a compromise in respiratory mechanics. In response to A. fumigatus challenge, Dectin-1−/− mice demonstrated impaired IL-1α, IL-1β, TNF-α, CCL3/MIP-1α, CCL4/MIP-1β, and CXCL1/KC production, which resulted in insufficient lung neutrophil recruitment and uncontrolled A. fumigatus lung growth. Alveolar macrophages from Dectin-1−/− mice failed to produce proinflammatory mediators in response to A. fumigatus, whereas neutrophils from Dectin-1−/− mice had impaired reactive oxygen species production and impaired killing of A. fumigatus. We further show that IL-17 production in the lung after A. fumigatus challenge was Dectin-1 dependent, and that neutralization of IL-17 significantly impaired A. fumigatus clearance. Collectively, these results support a requisite role for Dectin-1 in in vivo defense against A. fumigatus.
Investment Horizons and Price Indeterminacy in Financial Markets

We examine how different investment horizons, and consequently the number of hands through which a security passes during its life, affect prices in a laboratory market populated by overlapping generations of investors. We find that (i) price deviations are larger in markets populated only by short-horizon investors compared to markets with long-horizon investors; (ii) for a given maturity of security, price deviations increase as investment horizons shrink (and frequency of transfers increases); and (iii) short investment horizons create upward pressure on prices when liquidity is high and downward pressure when liquidity is low.
Evolution of insect arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferases: Structural evidence from the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti

Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (aaNAT) catalyzes the transacetylation from acetyl-CoA to arylalkylamines. aaNATs are involved in sclerotization and neurotransmitter inactivation in insects. Phyletic distribution analysis confirms three clusters of aaNAT-like sequences in insects: typical insect aaNAT, polyamine NAT-like aaNAT, and mosquito unique putative aaNAT (paaNAT). Here we studied three proteins: aaNAT2, aaNAT5b, and paaNAT7, each from a different cluster. aaNAT2, a protein from the typical insect aaNAT cluster, uses histamine as a substrate as well as the previously identified arylalkylamines. aaNAT5b, a protein from polyamine NAT -like aaNAT cluster, uses hydrazine and histamine as substrates. The crystal structure of aaNAT2 was determined using single-wavelength anomalous dispersion methods, and that of native aaNAT2, aaNAT5b and paaNAT7 was detected using molecular replacement techniques. All three aaNAT structures have a common fold core of GCN5-related N-acetyltransferase superfamily proteins, along with a unique structural feature: helix/helices between β3 and β4 strands. Our data provide a start toward a more comprehensive understanding of the structure–function relationship and physiology of aaNATs from the mosquito Aedes aegypti and serve as a reference for studying the aaNAT family of proteins from other insect species. The structures of three different types of aaNATs may provide targets for designing insecticides for use in mosquito control.