Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of cattle on conservation land licensed for grazing in South Westland, New Zealand

Making use of existing fences as ready-made exclosures, this study aimed to assess the long-term effects of cattle grazing on forest margins. Results indicated: 1) that cattle browsing and trampling has an impact on vegetation species composition, structure and regeneration; 2) that the effects of a particular grazing regime may take many decades to dissipate; and 3) that the impacts of cattle change with stock intensity. Some plant species appeared to be highly palatable to cattle and only occurred on sites without cattle. Such species included pate (Schefflera digitata), broadleaf (Griselinia littoralis), pigeonwood (Hedycarya arborea), supplejack (Ripogonum scandens), mahoe (Melicytus ramiflorus), milk tree (Streblus heterophyllus), lancewood (Pseudopanax crassifolius) and hen and chickens fern (Asplenium bulbiferum). A small group of plants appeared to regenerate better under cattle than in their absence, particularly mountain horopito (Pseudowintera colorata) and prickly shield fern (Polystichum vestitum). A few species were encouraged by cattle at one site but suppressed by them at another: kahikatea (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides), wheki (Dicksonia squarrosa), Coprosma rhamnoides and Blechnum fluviatile. The impact of cattle on most other plant species was not discernible. The results of this study, while somewhat equivocal, indicate that future grazing licences in South Westland should restrict stock to low numbers and be confined to already modified sites where damage to conservation values would be
Genome Analysis and Functional Characterization of the E2 and RING-Type E3 Ligase Ubiquitination Enzymes of Arabidopsis1[W]

Attachment of ubiquitin to substrate proteins is catalyzed by the three enzymes E1, E2 (ubiquitin conjugating [UBC]), and E3 (ubiquitin ligase). Forty-one functional proteins with a UBC domain and active-site cysteine are predicted in the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genome, which includes four that are predicted or shown to function with ubiquitin-like proteins. Only nine were previously characterized biochemically as ubiquitin E2s. We obtained soluble protein for 22 of the 28 uncharacterized UBCs after expression in Escherichia coli and demonstrated that 16 function as ubiquitin E2s. Twelve, plus three previously characterized ubiquitin E2s, were also tested for the ability to catalyze ubiquitination in vitro in the presence of one of 65 really interesting new gene (RING) E3 ligases. UBC22, UBC19-20, and UBC1-6 had variable levels of E3-independent activity. Six UBCs were inactive with all RINGs tested. Closely related UBC8, 10, 11, and 28 were active with the largest number of RING E3s and with all RING types. Expression analysis was performed to determine whether E2s or E3s were expressed in specific organs or under specific environmental conditions. Closely related E2s show unique patterns of expression and most express ubiquitously. Some RING E3s are also ubiquitously expressed; however, others show organ-specific expression. Of all the organs tested, RING mRNAs are most abundant in floral organs. This study demonstrates that E2 diversity includes examples with broad and narrow specificity toward RINGs, and that most ubiquitin E2s are broadly expressed with each having a unique spatial and developmental pattern of expression.
Altered lysosomal proteins in neural-derived plasma exosomes in preclinical Alzheimer disease

Objective: Diverse autolysosomal proteins were quantified in neurally derived blood exosomes from patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) and controls to investigate disordered neuronal autophagy. Methods: Blood exosomes obtained once from patients with AD (n = 26) or frontotemporal dementia (n = 16), other patients with AD (n = 20) both when cognitively normal and 1 to 10 years later when diagnosed, and case controls were enriched for neural sources by anti-human L1CAM antibody immunoabsorption. Extracted exosomal proteins were quantified by ELISAs and normalized with the CD81 exosomal marker. Results: Mean exosomal levels of cathepsin D, lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP-1), and ubiquitinylated proteins were significantly higher and of heat-shock protein 70 significantly lower for AD than controls in cross-sectional studies (p ≤ 0.0005). Levels of cathepsin D, LAMP-1, and ubiquitinylated protein also were significantly higher for patients with AD than for patients with frontotemporal dementia (p ≤ 0.006). Step-wise discriminant modeling of the protein levels correctly classified 100% of patients with AD. Exosomal levels of all proteins were similarly significantly different from those of matched controls in 20 patients 1 to 10 years before and at diagnosis of AD (p ≤ 0.0003). Conclusions: Levels of autolysosomal proteins in neurally derived blood exosomes distinguish patients with AD from case controls and appear to reflect the pathology of AD up to 10 years before clinical onset. These preliminary results confirm in living patients with AD the early appearance of neuronal lysosomal dysfunction and suggest that these proteins may be useful biomarkers in large prospective studies.
An analysis of trends in Ph.D. research in tourism

ABSTRACT This paper provides an analysis of the research interests of Ph.D. students in the field of tourism. This type of assessment is important as it provides an indication of the research directions, health and diversity of the field. Examining the research interests of Ph.D. students arguably provided a window through which the current research foci of academic interest in tourism and potential future of research in the field can be viewed. The data set on which this paper is based was gathered from 1047 Ph.D. students who joined Trinet between mid-March 2007 and mid-July 2015. The data set was analysed using an abbreviated version of thematic analysis. The four mega-trends identified among the research interests of the Ph.D. students were: marketing, tourist behaviour, destination management, and sustainability. In concluding, the paper calls for academic research gatekeepers to maintain a balance between tourism ‘management’ and tourism ‘studies’ to ensure the vitality of the research field.
Dorsal Radial Glial Cells Have the Potential to Generate Cortical Interneurons in Human But Not in Mouse Brain

Radial glial (RG) cells, in the neocortical ventricular/subventricular zone (VZ/SVZ), generate cortical projection neurons both in rodents and humans, but whether they can also generate cortical interneurons is not clear. We demonstrated both on cryosections and in cell cultures that in the human VZ/SVZ, cells can be double labeled with RG markers and calretinin (CalR) and GABA, markers that suggest interneuronal lineage. We examined in more detail the cell fate of human RG cells isolated from the VZ/SVZ at midterm. After 24 h, no CalR+ or GABA+ cells were seen in cultures, whereas 5–10% cells expressed Nkx2.1 and Dlx, two ventral transcription factors. CalR+ and GABA+ cells were apparent for the first time after 3 d in vitro, and their number increased in subsequent days, consistent with the gradual transition of RG cells into CalR+ or GABA+ cells. Indeed, the progeny of genetically labeled RG cells could be immunolabeled with antibodies to CalR and GABA or ventral transcription factors (Nkx2.1+, Dlx+). In contrast to humans, in the embryonic mouse, similar experiments showed that only RG cells isolated from the subpallium (ganglionic eminence) generate CalR+ or GABA+ cells, whereas this was not the case with RG cells isolated from the pallium. These findings support the idea that human, but not mouse, dorsal RG cells have the potential to generate various subtypes of neocortical interneurons. Multiple progenitors and sites of cortical interneuron origin in human might be an evolutionary adaptation underlying brain expansion and the increased complexity of cortical circuitry in humans.
An Exploratory Study on the Satisfaction and Barriers of Online Trip Planning to China: American College Students' Experience

ABSTRACT The Internet is one of the major information sources for trip planning. However, sometimes it can be difficult to use, especially for planning a trip to a novel destination with a different culture. Using mixed methods which comprise process tracing, think-aloud protocol, and clickstream analysis, this research explores the usability problems and barriers when American college students are planning trips to China online. The results illustrate that American students had a frustrating planning experience. While some of the problems are technical or functional in nature, more than half of the problems encountered were due to cultural barriers. As the dominant information portal most American students used, Google.com induces bias in travel information space and is not a suitable tool for trip planning to China.
Small world in a seismic network: the California case

Recent work has shown that disparate systems can be described as complex networks i.e. assemblies of nodes and links with nontrivial topological properties. Examples include technological, biological and social systems. Among them, earthquakes have been studied from this perspective. In the present work, we divide the Southern California re- gion into cells of 0.1 , and calculate the correlation of activ- ity between them to create functional networks for that seis- mic area, in the same way that the brain activity is studied from the complex network perspective. We found that the network shows small world features.
Star Formation Rate Indicators in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) first data release provides a database of ≈106,000 unique galaxies in the main galaxy sample with measured spectra. A sample of star-forming (SF) galaxies are identified from among the 3079 of these having 1.4 GHz luminosities from FIRST, by using optical spectral diagnostics. Using 1.4 GHz luminosities as a reference star formation rate (SFR) estimator insensitive to obscuration effects, the SFRs derived from the measured SDSS Hα, [O II], and u-band luminosities, as well as far-infrared luminosities from IRAS, are compared. It is established that straightforward corrections for obscuration and aperture effects reliably bring the SDSS emission line and photometric SFR estimates into agreement with those at 1.4 GHz, although considerable scatter (≈60%) remains in the relations. It thus appears feasible to perform detailed investigations of star formation for large and varied samples of SF galaxies through the available spectroscopic and photometric measurements from the SDSS. We provide herein exact prescriptions for determining the SFR for SDSS galaxies. The expected strong correlation between [O II] and Hα line fluxes for SF galaxies is seen, but with a median line flux ratio F/FHα = 0.23, about a factor of 2 smaller than that found in the sample of Kennicutt. This correlation, used in deriving the [O II] SFRs, is consistent with the luminosity-dependent relation found by Jansen and coworkers. The median obscuration for the SDSS SF systems is found to be AHα = 1.2 mag, while for the radio-detected sample the median obscuration is notably higher, 1.6 mag, and with a broader distribution.
An ultralow-sidelobe adaptive array antenna

One of the most important functions of a radar antenna is to provide spatial filtering that maximizes the radar's sensitivity in the desired sUIveillance direction while suppressing interference signals that enter the radar from other directions. This article describes a UHF radar antenna systemwith exceptional interference-rejection capabilities that are achieved through a combination of precision passive beamforming in the azimuth plane, and active, digital adaptive nulling in elevation. The antenna is composed of 14 stacked rows; each row contains a stripline, low-sidelobe, passive corporate-feed network. For signal reception, a separate receiver and analog-to-digital converter are used at each row output. The system adaptively combines the digitized row signals to form an elevation pattern with nulls at the elevation angles ofinterference sources. The antenna system is part ofan advanced air surveillance radar that Lincoln Laboratory is developing for the Navy. This article describes the design of the antenna system and presents performance analyses and measured results.
Testing the Asymmetric Inhibition Model: Frontal EEG Asymmetry Does Not Predict Inhibitory Control of Emotional Distractors

Frontal electroencephalographic (EEG) asymmetry is a reliable marker of psychopathology vulnerability, yet the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. There is accumulating evidence that frontal asymmetry reflects individual differences in ability to use cognitive control to regulate emotional processing. This thesis provides the first test of the asymmetric inhibition model (Grimshaw & Carmel, 2014), which holds that frontal asymmetry reflects ability to engage valence-specific inhibitory control mechanisms supported by dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC): left dlPFC inhibits negative distractors and right dlPFC inhibits positive distractors. Frontal asymmetry was tested as a predictor of ability to inhibit distracting emotional images. Frontal asymmetry was measured at rest and during emotional challenge, which is argued to provide a more powerful measure of individual differences (capability model; Coan, Allen, & McKnight, 2006). Emotional challenge was induced using a stressful serial subtraction task, verified to be effective in Study 1, followed by a silent speech preparation task, during which EEG was recorded. An irrelevant distractor paradigm measured ability to inhibit emotional distraction; participants identified a target letter within a central symbol array while attempting to inhibit positive, negative and neutral peripheral images (Study 2). Overall, positive and negative images were more distracting than neutral images. Critically, neither resting nor emotional challenge frontal asymmetry predicted distraction by positive, negative or neutral images, suggesting that frontal asymmetry does not reflect ability to inhibit irrelevant emotional distractors. Thus, the asymmetric inhibition model was not supported. This thesis provides the first direct test of the relationship between frontal EEG asymmetry and inhibitory control of emotion, paving the way for future explorations into this relationship. These findings add to a growing literature attempting to elucidate the cognitive mechanisms underlying frontal asymmetry in order to better understand the etiology of psychopathology.
Do I Need To Follow You?: Examining the Utility of The Pinterest Follow Mechanism

Pinterest is a Social Network Site (SNS) centered around the curation and sharing of visual content. The site encourages users to form ties with (follow) other users based on mutual interests, and use these ties to discover and share content. In this work, we examine the efficacy and relevance of the Pinterest follow mechanism in driving content discovery and curation. We collect a sample of user activity and find that the vast majority (88%) of the unique users who interact with an average user's content are non-followers. Conversely, only 12.3% of a user's followers interact with any of their pins. Users who discover and repost content from outside their follow network also do not subsequently follow the contributors of that content. Our results strongly suggest that following is neither heavily utilized nor strongly effective for driving content discovery and sharing on Pinterest.
MicroRNAs Modulate Schwann Cell Response to Nerve Injury by Reinforcing Transcriptional Silencing of Dedifferentiation-Related Genes

In the peripheral nervous system, Schwann cells (SCs) surrounding damaged axons undergo an injury response that is driven by an intricate transcriptional program and is critical for nerve regeneration. To examine whether these injury-induced changes in SCs are also regulated posttranscriptionally by miRNAs, we performed miRNA expression profiling of mouse sciatic nerve distal segment after crush injury. We also characterized the SC injury response in mice containing SCs with disrupted miRNA processing due to loss of Dicer. We identified 87 miRNAs that were expressed in mouse adult peripheral nerve, 48 of which were dynamically regulated after nerve injury. Most of these injury-regulated SC miRNAs were computationally predicted to inhibit drivers of SC dedifferentiation/proliferation and thereby re-enforce the transcriptional program driving SC remyelination. SCs deficient in miRNAs manifested a delay in the transition between the distinct differentiation states required to support peripheral nerve regeneration. Among the miRNAs expressed in adult mouse SCs, miR-34a and miR-140 were identified as functional regulators of SC dedifferentiation/proliferation and remyelination, respectively. We found that miR-34a interacted with positive regulators of dedifferentiation and proliferation such as Notch1 and Ccnd1 to control cell cycle dynamics in SCs. miR-140 targeted the transcription factor Egr2, a master regulator of myelination, and modulated myelination in DRG/SC cocultures. Together, these results demonstrate that SC miRNAs are important modulators of the SC regenerative response after nerve damage.
Learner Autonomy as a Factor of the Learning Process in Distance Education

Abstract The present study aims to empirically examine the relation between learner autonomy and specific aspects of the learning process, such as student-student interaction and tutor-student interaction, in a distance learning environment in Greece. An empirical study was conducted at the Hellenic Open University (HOU) using data gathered via a four-section questionnaire, completed by 100 postgraduate students. The correlation analysis yielded a positive correlation between learner autonomy and both student-student and tutor-student interaction. In particular, the results revealed the existence of a positive correlation between all three subscales of autonomy, namely sensibility to others, ability to manage new situations and self-awareness, and student-student interaction. A significant positive correlation was also observed between selfawareness and tutor-student interaction. Moreover, the results suggested that there are no statistically significant differences of the above parameters in relation to demographic features, such as gender, age and the number of Counselling Group Sessions (CGS) in which students had participated. Yet, results suggested that there is an effect of the number of course modules attended by students on the levels of student-student interaction.
The Role of Academic Achievement Motivation in Predicting Performance on the Northwest Evaluation Association's Measure of Academic Progress. Mindsets: Incremental vs. Entity Beliefs About Intelligence

A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted in order to evaluate the relationship between a student’s mindset (incremental vs. entity beliefs about intelligence) and their score on the Northwest Evaluation Assessment (NWEA) Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) in the areas of Math, Reading, and Language. The NWEA MAP is a computer adaptive test aligned with the Common Core Standards. Students' mindsets were measured using Dweck’s (2000) Implicit Theories of Intelligence Scale for Children. The study was conducted at a college preparatory charter school in a metropolitan area of the Southwestern United States. Participants included 307 middle school students in grades 6-8. Question predictor and control variables were evaluated through descriptive statistics and estimated bivariate correlation matrices. Nested taxonomies of multiple regression models for each of the NWEA MAP subject tests were constructed. The control variables evaluated include: gender, ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, ROLE OF MINDSET IN NWEA MAP TEST PERFORMANCE vi special education participation, gifted education participation, grade point average, attendance, and year in school. Results indicated that there was a small to moderate, statistically significant estimated correlation between student mindset and NWEA MAP performance across all subject tests. Contingent on the subject test, specific control predictors were identified as mediating this relationship. There were negative estimated correlations found between the NWEA MAP subject tests and ethnicity (math), socioeconomic status (math and reading), and special education (reading and language). There were positive estimated correlations found between GPA and gifted program identification across math, reading, and language subject tests. In support of previous findings suggesting student mindset is associated with student achievement, this study provides further evidence that student mindset correlates with student performance on standardized tests and that this estimated correlation is mediated by subgroup factors. ROLE OF MINDSET IN NWEA MAP TEST PERFORMANCE vii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables. ix List of Figures. xi CHAPTER
Does the Director Labor Market Offer Ex Post Settling-Up for CEOs? The Case of Acquisitions

We examine the rewards for experience and ability in the director labor market. We show that large acquisitions are associated with significantly higher numbers of subsequent board seats for the acquiring CEO, target CEO, and the directors. We also find that, in the case of acquisitions, experience is more important than ability. Both value-destroying and value-increasing acquisitions have significant and positive effects on a CEO's future prospects in the director labor market. In addition to increasing our understanding of the director labor market, these results suggest that the ex post settling-up incentives thought to exist in the director labor market are weak for acquisitions.
Hypothetical Bias Mitigation Techniques in Choice Experiments: Do Cheap Talk and Honesty Priming Effects Fade with Repeated Choices?

We design a choice experiment comparing policies that reduce agricultural nutrient pollution and harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie and administer it to Ohio residents using an online survey panel. We compare two treatments that have been found to mitigate hypothetical bias, cheap talk and honesty priming, with a neutral priming control. We find greater sensitivity to price among respondents during choices made immediately following the cheap talk intervention. As additional choices are made, the “wedge” between price sensitivity in the control and honesty prime treatments diminishes and eventually loses statistical significance. We find this effect in both our online choice experiments and among respondents to face-to-face choice experiments conducted by de-Magistris, Gracia, and Nayga. Our online implementation of an honesty priming intervention yields no significant change in price sensitivity compared to a control. While de-Magistris et al. implement an honesty priming intervention that fully mitigates hypothetical bias in a face-to-face setting, we show that this effect is also transient, and in later choice exercises we cannot reject the null hypothesis of equality between honesty priming and the control. Our results are robust to multiple specifications and suggest additional work is required to adapt priming interventions for online settings and to extend the effectiveness of popular hypothetical bias mitigation techniques when respondents face multiple choice tasks.
Interest Rates, Inflation, and Federal Reserve Policy since 1980

This paper characterizes Federal Reserve policy since 1980 as one that actively manages short-term nominal interest rates in order to control inflation and evaluates this policy using a dynamic, stochastic, sticky-price model of the United States economy. The results show that the Fed's policy insulates aggregate output from the effects of exogenous demand-side disturbances and, by calling for a modest but persistent reduction in short-term interest rates following a positive technology shock, helps the economy to respond to supply-side disturbances as it would in the absence of nominal rigidities.