Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deforestation and forest degradation in Papua New Guinea

Abstract• The Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) has played a prominent part in recent negotiations for “rainforest nations” to be compensated for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation or forest degradation (DFD). • A new report “The State of the Forests of Papua New Guinea” claims that rates of DFD in PNG are much higher than have previously reported. It suggests more than half of PNG’s remaining forests will have disappeared or be damaged beyond recovery by 2021. • We argue that this claim is incorrect. The report overestimates the area of intact primary forest in 1972 and the impact of traditional land use practices on forest cover. Much of what the RSLUP report considers as deforestation is part of a cycle of traditional clearance for farming, fallow and regrowth that has been occurring for hundreds of years. • The assumption that areas impacted by harvesting or shifting cultivation will inevitably degrade and become non-forest is also not supported by observation of cutover forest in PNG. A considerable proportion of cutover forest areas will recover carbon stocks after harvesting. • It is argued that traditional land use practices and forest recovery processes need to be considered in assessing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and degradation in countries with complex land use histories such as PNG. Résumé• Le Gouvernement de Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée (PNG) a joué un rôle important dans les récentes négociations pour que « les pays à forêt tropicale humide » soient indemnisés pour la réduction des émissions de gaz à effet de serre provenant de la déforestation ou la dégradation des forêts (DFD). • Un nouveau rapport « L’État des forêts de Papouasie-Nouvelle Guinée » affirme que les taux de DFD en PNG sont nettement plus élevés que précédemment signalés. Il suggère que plus de la moitié des forêts de PNG auront disparu ou seront endommagées au-delà de la récupération d’ici 2021. • Nous sommes d’avis que cette affirmation est erronée. Le rapport surestime la surface de la forêt primaire intacte, en 1972, et l’impact des pratiques traditionnelles d’utilisation des terres sur le couvert forestier. Une partie importante de ce que le rapport RSLUP considère comme de la déforestation fait partie d’un cycle traditionnel de dégagement pour l’agriculture, la jachère et la repousse ce qui s’est produit pendant des centaines d’années. • L’hypothèse que les zones touchées par l’exploitation forestière ou la culture itinérante vont inévitablement se dégrader et ne pas devenir de la forêt n’est pas non plus soutenue par l’observation des déboisement en PNG. Une proportion considérable des zones forestières déboisées récupérera des stocks de carbone après la récolte. • Il est fait valoir que l’utilisation traditionnelle des terres et les processus de régénération forestières doivent être pris en considération dans l’évaluation des émissions de gaz à effet de serre résultant du déboisement et des dégradations dans les pays ayant une histoire complexe de l’utilisation des terres comme la Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée.
Growth Conditions of and Emetic Toxin Production by Bacillus cereus in a Defined Medium with Amino Acids

The growth and emetic toxin (cereulide) production of Bacillus cereus strains in defined culture media were studied. We found that a fully synthetic medium (CADM) allowed the production of emetic toxin and the addition of glucose enhanced it. By subtracting each amino acid from CADM, we found that only three amino acids, valine, leucine and threonine, were essential for growth and toxin production by B. cereus. The addition of high levels (50 mM) of leucine, isoleucine and glutamic acid decreased the toxin production. Other amino acids had no effect at this concentration.
Major Alterations of Phosphatidylcholine and Lysophosphotidylcholine Lipids in the Substantia Nigra Using an Early Stage Model of Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting the nigrostriatal pathway, where patients do not manifest motor symptoms until >50% of neurons are lost. Thus, it is of great importance to determine early neuronal changes that may contribute to disease progression. Recent attention has focused on lipids and their role in pro- and anti-apoptotic processes. However, information regarding the lipid alterations in animal models of PD is lacking. In this study, we utilized high performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) and novel HPLC solvent methodology to profile phosphatidylcholines and sphingolipids within the substantia nigra. The ipsilateral substantia nigra pars compacta was collected from rats 21 days after an infusion of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), or vehicle into the anterior dorsal striatum. We identified 115 lipid species from their mass/charge ratio using the LMAPS Lipid MS Predict Database. Of these, 19 lipid species (from phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphotidylcholine lipid classes) were significantly altered by 6-OHDA, with most being down-regulated. The two lipid species that were up-regulated were LPC (16:0) and LPC (18:1), which are important for neuroinflammatory signalling. These findings provide a first step in the characterization of lipid changes in early stages of PD-like pathology and could provide novel targets for early interventions in PD.
Identification of perivascular mesenchymal stromal/stem cells by flow cytometry

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are adult multipotent progenitors of great promise for cell therapy. MSCs can mediate tissue regeneration, immunomodulation, and hematopoiesis support. Despite the unique properties of MSCs and their broad range of potential clinical applications, the very nature of these cells has been uncertain. Furthermore, MSCs are heterogeneous and only defined subpopulations of these are endowed with the particular abilities to sustain hematopoietic stem cells, regulate immune responses, or differentiate into mesodermal cell lineages. It is becoming evident that current criteria used to define cultured polyclonal MSCs (expression of nonspecific markers and in vitro mesodermal differentiation) are not sufficient to fully understand and exploit the potential of these cells. Here, we describe how flow cytometry has been used to reveal a perivascular origin of MSCs. As a result, the prospective purification of MSCs and specialized subsets thereof is now possible, and the clinical use of purified autologous MSCs is now within reach. © 2013 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Parameter estimation from nonlinear frequency response of MEMS resonators

This paper deals with parameter extraction from nonlinear frequency responses of resonant systems. We show that nonlinear frequency responses can be exploited to identify not only the Q-factor and the natural frequency of a resonator, but also information about its internal structure. The proposed method requires less demanding measurements and is less model-dependent than the existing state-of-the-art methods. Its accuracy is illustrated with simulations and it is experimentally validated on a capacitive MEMS resonator.
Community business: the internet in remote Australian Indigenous communities

This article reports on the findings of a research project that mapped the patterns of internet access and use in remote Indigenous communities in Australia. Remote Indigenous communities comprise some of Australia’s most disadvantaged users of internet services. Taking a case-study approach, the article raises challenging theoretical questions for those seeking to understand the extent and nature of the digital divide in relation to indigeneity and remoteness. It suggests approaches for more sustainable introduction of internet facilities to remote Indigenous communities in Australia and improved practices for better delivery of training to users. It reinforces the need for research and collaboration at the community level so that the introduction of facilities is conducted in a culturally and technically appropriate manner.
The role of F0 variation in the intelligibility of Mandarin sentences

This study tested the importance of F0 variation for tone language comprehension. The intelligibility of Mandarin sentences with natural F0 contours was compared to the intelligibility of monotone (flat-F0) sentences created via speech resynthesis. In a quiet background, flat-F0 speech was just as intelligible as natural speech (about 94% intelligible), highlighting the robustness of the language comprehension system. However, when babble noise was added (0 db SNR) flat-F0 speech was substantially less intelligible than natural speech (60% vs. 80% intelligible), indicating that F0 variation is very important for Mandarin sentence intelligibility in noise.
Phenotypic Diversification Across an Environmental Gradient: A Role for Predators and Resource Availability on the Evolution of Life Histories

Changes in age/size-specific mortality, due to such factors as predation, have potent evolutionary consequences. However, interactions with predators commonly impact prey growth rates and food availability and such indirect effects may also influence evolutionary change. We evaluated life-history differences in Trinidadian killifish, Rivulus hartii, across a gradient in predation. Rivulus are located in (1) “high predation” sites with large piscivores, (2) “Rivulus/guppy” sites with guppies, and (3) “Rivulus-only” sites with just Rivulus. Rivulus suffer higher mortality with large predators, and guppies may prey upon small/young Rivulus in Rivulus/guppy environments. In turn, population densities decline while growth rates increase in both localities compared to Rivulus-only sites. To explore how the direct and indirect effects of predators and guppies influence trait diversification in Rivulus, we examined life-history phenotypes across five rivers. High predation phenotypes exhibited a smaller size at reproduction, a greater number of eggs that were smaller, and increased reproductive allotment. Such changes are consistent with a direct response to predation. Rivulus from Rivulus/guppy sites were intermediate; they exhibited a smaller size at reproduction, increased fecundity, smaller eggs, and larger reproductive allotment than Rivulus-only fish. These changes are consistent with models that incorporate the impacts of growth and resources.
Expressive language in male adolescents with fragile X syndrome with and without comorbid autism.

BACKGROUND Approximately one-quarter of individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS) meet diagnostic criteria for autism; however, it is unclear whether individuals with comorbid FXS and autism are simply more severely affected than their peers with only FXS or whether they have qualitatively different profiles of behavioural impairments. To address this issue, variation in the FXS linguistic phenotype was examined in males with FXS with and without autism. The syndrome-specificity of the expressive language impairment of both groups of those with FXS was assessed in relation to Down syndrome. The extent to which different language sampling contexts affected expressive language in each diagnostic group was also examined. METHOD Spontaneous language samples were collected from male adolescents with FXS without autism (n = 20), comorbid FXS and autism (n = 8), and Down syndrome (n = 16). Syntactic complexity (indexed by mean length of utterance), expressive vocabulary (indexed by lexical diversity), talkativeness, fluency and intelligibility were assessed in two contexts: conversation and narration. Groups were matched on non-verbal IQ, non-verbal mental age and chronological age to allow the assessment of relative strengths and weaknesses across language variables. RESULTS Males with comorbid FXS and autism were less intelligible than males with only FXS; no other differences between these two groups were found. Participants' performance differed across contexts for syntactic complexity, lexical diversity, talkativeness and fluency. CONCLUSIONS These findings contribute to existing research on the behavioural profiles of individuals with FXS or FXS with autism who have low cognitive abilities. Although individuals with comorbid FXS and autism may be, as a group, more impaired than those with only FXS, data from this small sample of males with comorbid FXS and autism with low IQs suggest that their relative strengths and weaknesses in spontaneous expressive language are largely comparable and not differentially affected by the context in which their talk occurs.
Mechanizing Coinduction and Corecursion in Higher-Order Logic

A theory of recursive and corecursive deflnitions has been developed in higher-order logic (HOL) and mechanized using Isabelle. Least flxedpoints express inductive data types such as strict lists; greatest flxedpoints express coinductive data types, such as lazy lists. Wellfounded recursion expresses recursive functions over inductive data types; corecursion expresses functions that yield elements of coinductive data types. The theory rests on a traditional formalization of inflnite trees. The theory is intended for use in speciflcation and veriflcation. It supports reasoning about a wide range of computable functions, but it does not formalize their operational semantics and can express noncomputable functions also. The theory is illustrated using flnite and inflnite lists. Corecursion expresses functions over inflnite lists; coinduction reasons about such functions.
The transcription factor Prox1 is a marker for lymphatic endothelial cells in normal and diseased human tissues

Detection of lymphatic endothelal cells (LECs) has been problematic because of the lack of specific markers. The homeobox transcription factor Prox1 is expressed in LECs of murine and avian embryos. We have studied expression of Prox1 in human tissues with immunofluorescence. In 19‐wk‐old human fetuses, Prox1 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor‐3 (VEGFR‐3) are coexpressed in LECs of lymphatic trunks and lymphatic capillaries. Prox1 is located in the nucleus, and its expression is mutually exclusive with that of the blood vascular marker PAL‐E. Prox1 is a constitutive marker of LECs and is found in tissues of healthy adults and lymphedema patients. Blood vascular endothelial cells (BECs) of hemangiomas express CD31 and CD34, but not Prox1. A subset of these cells is positive for VEGFR‐3. Lymphatics in the periphery of hemangiomas express Prox1 and CD31, but not CD34. In lymphangiomas, LECs express Prox1, CD31, and VEGFR‐3, but rarely CD34. In the stroma, spindle‐shaped CD34‐positive cells are present. We show that Prox1 is a reliable marker for LECs in normal and pathologic human tissues, coexpressed with VEGFR‐3 and CD31. VEGFR‐3 and CD34 are less reliable markers for LECs and BECs, respectively, because exceptions from their normal expression patterns are found in pathologic tissues.
A STUDY ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR (With reference to V.B factors)

Due to various influencing factors to low-income consumers in the market place we have taken only Veblenian socio-psychological factors (culture, sub-culture, social class, reference group and family) to measure its impact on consumer behavior while making a purchase decision in the present study. Multi-stage stratified disproportionate random sampling technique was employed for sample selection. We could find that the consumers are mostly being influenced by social class and family out of five above mentioned factors.
Transverse maxillary deficiency in Class II and Class III malocclusions: a cephalometric and morphometric study on postero-anterior films.

UNLABELLED AUTHORS: Franchi L, Baccetti T. OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study is to evaluate the dentoskeletal features of subjects with either Class II or Class III malocclusions in the mixed dentition using both conventional cephalometric analysis and TPS morphometric analysis applied to posteroanterior (PA) cephalograms. DESIGN TPS analyses of PA cephalograms on 49 Cl-II, and 20 Cl-III subjects. Tracings were done by hand. SETTING AND SAMPLE POPULATION The Department of Orthodontics, University of Florence. OUTCOME MEASURE Size and shape differences between Cl-II and Cl-III malocclusions. RESULTS Maxillary width was smaller in both Cl-II and Cl-III subjects compared with normal as measured conventionally. The TPS analysis revealed transverse plane compression and extension in the vertical plane. CONCLUSION In Cl-II and Cl-III subjects the maxillary width was smaller 2.5 and 4 mm, respectively. TPS analyses corroborate these findings.
Exploring interconnections between local ecological knowledge, professional identity and sense of place among Swedish fishers

The ecological knowledge of those who interact with ecosystems in everyday-life is situated in social and cultural contexts, as well as accumulated, transferred and adjusted through work practices. For them, ecosystems represent not only places for living but also places for working and defining themselves. This paper explores psychological aspects linking LEK/IEK/TEK to identity and sense of place in the context of fishery practices and management in Sweden. We analyse how knowledge of local ecosystems connect to fishers’ professional identity and their attachment to place by using the Person-Process-Place framework in integration with the Structure-Dynamic-Function framework on professional fishers in Sweden. On the basis of our results we conclude on the significance of physical as well as social and cultural features of fishing places for attachment and meaning as they are important for fishers’ local and professional identities, and also for ecological knowledge generation. Furthermore, fishers’ understanding of ecosystems complexity enhances their attachment and promotes positive emotions and behaviours for proximity maintenance.
Presynaptic NMDA receptor subunit immunoreactivity in GABAergic terminals in rat brain

N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors are commonly found post‐synaptically; they mediate fast excitatory neurotransmission in the central nervous system. In this study, we provide immunocytochemical data supporting the existence of presynaptic NMDA receptors in GABAergic terminals using polyclonal antisera raised against the C‐terminus of the NMDAR1 subunit. At the light microscope level, rich plexuses of NMDAR1‐positive varicose fibers were found in various nuclei in the basal forebrain (bed nucleus of stria terminalis, septum, parastrial nucleus, vascular organ of the lamina terminalis), thalamus (paraventricular nucleus, midline nuclei), and hypothalamus (parvocellular paraventricular nucleus, arcuate nucleus, preoptic nucleus, suprachiasmatic nucleus). In the brainstem, labeled fibers were much less abundant and were confined to the ventral tegmental area, periaqueductal gray, parabrachial nucleus, and locus coeruleus. At the electron microscope level, NMDAR1‐immunoreactive terminals examined in the bed nucleus of stria terminalis, parvocellular paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, and arcuate nucleus formed symmetric synapses, contained darkly stained large dense‐core vesicles, and displayed γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) immunoreactivity. Terminals with similar ultrastructural features were found in the paraventricular thalamic nucleus. These findings demonstrate the existence of NMDAR1 subunit immunoreactivity in subsets of GABAergic terminals, which raises questions about the potential roles and mechanisms of activation of presynaptic NMDA heteroreceptors in the rat central nervous system. The pattern of distribution and ultrastructural features of these boutons suggest that they may arise from local GABAergic projections interconnecting a group of brain structures mediating stress responses and/or other endocrine, autonomic, and limbic functions. J. Comp. Neurol. 423:330–347, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Membrane curvature controls dynamin polymerization

The generation of membrane curvature in intracellular traffic involves many proteins that can curve lipid bilayers. Among these, dynamin-like proteins were shown to deform membranes into tubules, and thus far are the only proteins known to mechanically drive membrane fission. Because dynamin forms a helical coat circling a membrane tubule, its polymerization is thought to be responsible for this membrane deformation. Here we show that the force generated by dynamin polymerization, 18 pN, is sufficient to deform membranes yet can still be counteracted by high membrane tension. Importantly, we observe that at low dynamin concentration, polymer nucleation strongly depends on membrane curvature. This suggests that dynamin may be precisely recruited to membrane buds’ necks because of their high curvature. To understand this curvature dependence, we developed a theory based on the competition between dynamin polymerization and membrane mechanical deformation. This curvature control of dynamin polymerization is predicted for a specific range of concentrations (∼0.1–10 μM), which corresponds to our measurements. More generally, we expect that any protein that binds or self-assembles onto membranes in a curvature-coupled way should behave in a qualitatively similar manner, but with its own specific range of concentration.
Predicting Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Blood-based Gene Expression Signatures and Machine Learning

Objective The aim of this study was to identify a transcriptomic signature that could be used to classify subjects with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to controls on the basis of blood gene expression profiles. The gene expression profiles could ultimately be used as diagnostic biomarkers for ASD. Methods We used the published microarray data (GSE26415) from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, which included 21 young adults with ASD and 21 age- and sex-matched unaffected controls. Nineteen differentially expressed probes were identified from a training dataset (n=26, 13 ASD cases and 13 controls) using the limma package in R language (adjusted p value <0.05) and were further analyzed in a test dataset (n=16, 8 ASD cases and 8 controls) using machine learning algorithms. Results Hierarchical cluster analysis showed that subjects with ASD were relatively well-discriminated from controls. Based on the support vector machine and K-nearest neighbors analysis, validation of 19-DE probes with a test dataset resulted in an overall class prediction accuracy of 93.8% as well as a sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 87.5%, respectively. Conclusion The results of our exploratory study suggest that the gene expression profiles identified from the peripheral blood samples of young adults with ASD can be used to identify a biological signature for ASD. Further study using a larger cohort and more homogeneous datasets is required to improve the diagnostic accuracy.
Relational-cultural therapy: Theory, research, and application to counseling competencies.

An overview of relational-cultural theory and Relational-Cultural Therapy (RCT) is provided. First, a summary of the overarching framework for relational-cultural theory is offered. The theory’s roots in feminist and psychodynamic theories are discussed, along with distinguishing aspects of relationalcultural theory. The practice of RCT is reviewed, including research support regarding assumptions, practice applications, and effectiveness. The unique role that teaching RCT can play in building counseling competencies is explored with a focus on competencies related to therapeutic relationshipbuilding skills and awareness of individual-cultural diversity. It is contended that RCT can provide an organized, systematic structure for the development of therapeutic relationship-building skills and a framework on which to build when asking counseling trainees to reflect on issues of power, privilege, oppression, and marginalization, including the ways in which those issues influence counseling. Specific examples are provided to illustrate the application of RCT in fostering these counseling competencies.