Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
David and Goliath: comparative use of facilitation and competition studies in the plant ecology literature

Abstract. Competition and facilitation are extensively studied in plant ecology and are central to ecological theory. However, these processes do not occur in isolation from each other and should be studied concurrently and synthetically. Here, we compare the relative citation success of studies that focus on either side of the same interaction coin in terms of number of publications and citations per publication in six of the following major themes in plant ecology: biogeography, populations, communities, ecosystems, evolution and conservation. There were eight times more publications on plant competition than on facilitation but this is not surprising given its long history of comprehensive and relatively exclusive study in plant ecology. Although studies of facilitation comprised a smaller body of literature, the mean citation rate for each publication was equivalent to that of competition studies. Thus, facilitation studies are being used as much as competition. These patterns of use by the ecological community clearly indicate that both aspects of plant interactions address broad themes and that studies on plant interactions should now strive to either test both simultaneously or at the very minimum include interpretations and relevant literature from both sets of ideas. Importantly, these broad trends illustrate the old axiom that quality and not quantity of studies may be a consideration in the success of a sub-discipline.
Mining the VVV: star formation and embedded clusters

The aim of this study is to locate previously unknown stellar clusters from the VISTA variables in the V\'ia L\'actea Survey (VVV) catalogue data. The method, fitting a mixture model of Gaussian densities and background noise using the expectation maximization algorithm to a pre-filtered NIR survey stellar catalogue data, was developed by the authors for the UKIDSS Galactic Plane Survey (GPS). The search located 88 previously unknown mainly embedded stellar cluster candidates and 39 previously unknown sites of star formation in the 562 deg2 covered by VVV in the Galactic bulge and the southern disk.
MEAT MINERAL CONTENT IN BROILERS FED DIETS WITHOUT MINERAL AND VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS 1

A study was conducted to veriI' the effect of trace mineral and vitamin supplement (MVS) withdrawal from the diet of broilers on meat mineral content. Birds received the following feed treatments: control diet with MVS from day 21 to day 42; diet without MVS frorn day 21 to day 42; diet without MVS from day 28 to day 42 and diet without MVS from day 35 to day 42. Mineral composition was assessed in light and dark meat from male and female birds. Calcium leveI was lower in meat from birds fed diet without MVS from day 21 to day 42 as compared to the other treatments. Potassium levei was higher in meat from birds fed diet without MVS from day 28 to day 42 than in that from other treatments. Removal ofdietary MVS did not affect the meat leveis of Na, Fe, Zn and Mn. The meat from female birds showed higher contents ofK and Fe than that from male birds. Dark meat was found higher in Ca, Na, Fe and Zn contents and lower in P, Mg and K leveis than iight meat. Index terrns: light meat, dark meat, poultry nutrition.
The effects of Spiruline on the immune functions of HIV-infected undernourished children

Background: Malnutrition is a public health problem in the entire world, particularly in the developing countries. The effect of Spiruline supplement in the weight recovery of HIV-negative and HIV-infected undernourished children has been largely demonstrated. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of Spiruline on the immune status of 46 HIV-infected undernourished children, aged 15 ± 5 months, and of 23 undernourished HIV-negative children, aged 14 ± 6 months. Methodology: The duration of this study was eight weeks. To assess immune functions a count of CD4 lymphocyte subpopulation was performed before and after introducing the Spiruline supplement. Results: The degree of anemia improved in all the children, but the effect was less evident among HIV-infected children; in fact, 81% of HIV-negative versus 62% of HIV-infected children showed signs of improvement. The mean values of CD4 lymphocyte subpopulation showed a consistent increment in HIV-negative children [from 1257 (range 531-2301) to 1562 (range 798-2552) mm 3 ] while they showed an irregular increase in HIV-infected children [from 1339 (152-4000) to 2088 (244-4214) mm 3 ]. Conclusions: The improvement of the immunological status due to Spiruline treatment might represent an effective barrier
Multiresolution directional-oriented image transform based on Gaussian derivatives

In this work, a multi-channel model for image representation is derived based on the scale-space theory. This model is inspired in biological insights and it includes some important properties of human vision such as the Gaussian derivative model for early vision proposed by Young. The image transform that we propose in this work uses similar analysis operators as the Hermite transform at multiple scales, but the synthesis scheme of our approach integrates the responses of all channels at different scales. The advantages of this scheme are: 1) both analysis and synthesis operators are Gaussian derivatives. This allows for simplicity during implementation. 2) The operator functions possess better space-frequency localization, and it is possible to separate adjacent scales one octave apart, according to Wilson's results on human vision channels. 3) In the case of 2-D signals, it is easy to analyze local orientations at different scales. A discrete approximation is also derived from an asymptotic relation between the Gaussian derivatives and the discrete binomial filters. We show in this work how the proposed transform can be applied to the problem of image coding. Practical considerations are also of concern.
Concentration in Knowledge Output: A Case of Economics Journals

This paper assesses the degree of author concentration in seven economics journals, which were published in India during 1990-2002. To measure the degree of author concentration, Lotka's Law was used. Moreover, we also make an exploratory analysis of the geographic, economics subfield and institutional concentration in 704 economics journals. An important finding of this paper is that specialized journals in the sample report the highest degree of author concentration. This result is quite similar to the findings by Cox and Chung (1991). Furthermore, there are several instances showing that the journals lean towards certain norms; this may affect the flow of innovative ideas into economics. We conclude that a knowledge activity, involving the high degree of concentration and a biased publication process, may affect the flow of new ideas into the discipline.
A Comparative Study Of Ondansetron And Granisetron For Prevention Of Nausea And Vomiting Following Laparoscopic Surgeries

Background and objectives Laparoscopic surgeries are associated with an appreciably high rate of post operative nausea and vomiting (PONV). This study was designed to compare the effectiveness of Ondansetron with that of Granisetron for prevention of PONV after laparoscopic surgery and their effect on clinical recovery and recovery time.Methods This is a randomized prospective study of 60 adult patients of both sexes received either Ondansetron 4mg or Granisetron 2mg intravenously at the end of surgery. Perioperative anaesthetic care was standardized in all patients. Patients were then observed 24 hours after administration of the study drug.Results A complete response (defined as no PONV and no need for another rescue antiemetic) was achieved in 75% of the patients given ondansetron and 86% of the patients given granisetron with (p<.05%). No significant difference observed in the recovery time from anesthesia between the two drugs and slight differences in the adverse events were observed between the two groups.Conclusion This study concludes that the prophylactic intravenous administration of Granisetron is more effective drug than ondansetron for controlling postoperative nausea and vomiting with fewer incidences of side effects.
Construction and calibration of a bar weighing lysimeter

Generally, standard lysimeters include a lever-load cell scale, which has become expensive compared to new electronic equipment available for experimental purposes. Currently, lysimeters containing weighing bars with up to 4 load cells are economically feasible. This goal of this study was to present the construction and calibration of four weighing lysimeters built using two rectangular tanks, with a surface area of 1.35 m 2 (1 m by 1.35 m) and a depth of 1.5 m, loaded on two weighing bars. Each bar had two high accuracy loading cells connected to a junction box and a datalogger by a coaxial cable. Calibration of each lysimeter was performed after field installation. The results showed a linear response (R 2 > 0.9999) of electric signal (mV) to mass increase or decrease (kg) with minimum hysteresis. The mean absolute error of the mass estimate (0.0245 to 0.2844 equivalent-mm) and a Willmott index between the observed and estimated data (d = 1.0000) indicate the high precision of the new equipment. The results allow concluding that the lysimeters in this study are appropriate for estimating evapotranspiration and other components of soil water balance.
Development of Indicators of Cyberbullying among Youths in Songkhla Province

The objectives of this study were to develop indicators and to test the goodness of fit of the structural relationship model of indicators of cyberbullying among youths in Songkhla Province. The study was conducted with 480 youths, and confirmatory factor analysis was performed.The results of the study revealed that the indicators of cyberbullying among youths in Songkhla Province consisted of five factors with twenty-four indicators. The factor with the highest weight was slandering (b=0.90) consisting of five indicators, followed by revealing other people’s personal secrets (b=0.89) consisting of five indicators; identity theft (b=0.88) consisting of five indicators; deleting or blocking others from the group (b=0.65) consisting of four indicators; and flaming (b=0.17) consisting of five indicators. The linear structural model of cyberbullying among youths was in statistically significant congruence with empirical data.
Aerothermochemical Nonequilibrium Modeling for Oxygen Flows

The results from a set of vibrational nonequilibrium models with a range of fidelity are compared to the recent experimental data for several postnormal shock test cases. The present work focuses solely on oxygen flows with an emphasis on implementing a new set of accurate state-specific rate coefficients for O2–O collisions. The two-temperature model is presented as the computationally efficient, lower-fidelity approach in this work. The two-temperature model is driven by the relaxation parameters based on the Millikan–White empirical equation as well as on the parameters resulting from a master equation simulation that employs the database of state-resolved O2–O rate coefficients. The full state-to-state master equation approach is presented as the higher-fidelity modeling approach. The O2–O system uses recently available results of trajectory simulations for state-specific transition rate coefficients The O2–O2 system uses transition rates from the forced harmonic oscillator model. The test case compar.
ANCIEN Assessing Needs of Care in European Nations THE SUPPLY OF INFORMAL CARE IN EUROPE

This ANCIEN research report is concerned with the analysis of the supply of informal care provided by family and friends in Europe, using data on provision of informal care from the 2007 Eurobarometer survey, which includes all the countries in the ANCIEN study. The research uses multivariate analysis of the provision of informal help with personal care tasks in Europe, taking into account socio-demographic factors likely to affect the provision of informal care, including gender, age, marital status and education, and also taking into account differences in long-term systems. The key conclusion of the report is that differences in informal care provision in European countries are affected, not only by differences in socio-demographic factors, but also by differences in long-term care systems between countries. ENEPRI Research Reports present the findings and conclusions of research undertaken in the context of research projects carried out by a consortium of ENEPRI member institutes. This report is a contribution to Work Package 3 of the ANCIEN project, which focuses on the future of long-term care for the elderly in Europe, funded by the European Commission under the 7 Framework Programme (FP 7 Health-2007-3.2.2, Grant no. 223483). ). See back page for more information. The views expressed are attributable only to the authors in a personal capacity and not to any institution with which they are associated. ISBN 978-94-6138-122-4 Available for free downloading from the CEPS website (www.ceps.eu) and the ANCIEN website (http://www.ancien-longtermcare.eu/) © Copyright 2011 Linda Pickard
DETUNING CURVE ANALYSIS ON THE UVSOR2 FREE ELECTRON LASER

Storage Ring Free Electron Laser (FEL) dynamics and behaviour can be explored versus the detuning, i.e. a small difference between the frequencies of revolution of the electron bunches, and of the optical pulse circulating into the optical cavity. In fact, it provides situations ranging from the maximum initial gain over losses conditions to threshold ones. A complete detuning curve gives the intensity of the FEL versus the detuning. Streak camera provides a full characterisation of the FEL versus detuning: position of the centre of mass of the laser, bunch lengthening. The energy spread is deduced from the electron beam transverse sizes. The analysis of the FEL behaviour versus detuning is compared with simulations performed with LAS. The detuning behaviour is then illustrated under different cases.
How IEQ affects health, productivity

This article, a summary of Fisk, estimates the nationwide improvements in health and productivity potentially attainable by providing better indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in U.S. buildings. Estimates include the potential reductions in three categories of health effects, the associated economic benefits, and the potential direct improvements in productivity not mediated through health.
The stellar content of the Hamburg/ESO survey. II. A large, homogeneously-selected sample of high latitude carbon stars

We present a sample of 403 faint high latitude carbon (FHLC) stars selected from the digitized objective prism plates of the Hamburg/ESO Survey (HES). Because of the ~15 Angstroem spectral resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio of the HES prism spectra, our automated procedure based on the detection of C_2 and CN molecular bands permits high-confidence identification of carbon stars without the need for follow-up spectroscopy. From a set of 329 plates (87% of the survey), covering 6400 square degrees to a magnitude limit of V~16.5, we analyze the selection efficiency and effective surface area of the HES FHLC survey to date. The surface density of FHLC stars that we detect (0.072 +/- 0.005 square degrees) is 2-4 times higher than that of previous objective prism and CCD surveys at high galactic latitude, even though those surveys claimed a limiting magnitude up to 1.5 magnitudes fainter. This attests to the highest selection sensitivity yet achieved for these types of stars.
Egg Size Variation in Blue Tits Cyanistes caeruleus and Great Tits Parus major in Relation to Habitat Differences in Snail Abundance

Abstract. Wild passerines, especially tits, utilize snail shells as the main source of calcium necessary for laying females to construct egg shells. This research found that the two study areas, representing two habitat types — a mature deciduous forest and a human-disturbed parkland — are inhabited by different snail assemblages: both species richness and density are much higher in the parkland than in the forest. This means that less calcium is available to female tits in the forest than in the parkland, which could result in calcium limitation in the former habitat. Egg size traits, i.e. volume, length and breadth, in the Blue Tit show a consistent long-term pattern of variation that reflects the pattern of calcium availability: egg trait values are higher in the parkland than in the woodland. No habitat-related variation in egg size traits was found in the Great Tits. We suggest that the lack of a relation between Great Tit egg characteristics and snail availability results from the higher ecological plasticity of this species in comparison with the Blue Tit, including its ability to exploit alternative sources of calcium.
Numerical study of nanofluid heat transfer SiO2 through a solar flat plate collector

This paper illustrates how practical application of nanoparticles (SiO2) as working fluid to stimulate solar flat plate collector efficiency with heat transfer modification properties. A numerical study of nanofluids laminar forced convection, permanent and stationary (SiO2), is conducted in a solar flat plate collector. The effectiveness of these nanofluids are compared to conventional working fluid (water), wherein the dynamic and thermal properties are evaluated for four volume concentrations of nanoparticles (1%, 3%, 5% and 10%), and this done for Reynolds number from 25 to 900. Results from the application of those nonfluids are obtained versus average temperature; pressure drop coefficient and Nusselt number are discussed later in this paper. Finally, we concluded that heat transfer increases with increasing both nanoparticles concentration and Reynolds number.
Comparison of RANS, DES and DDES Results for ONERA M-6 Wing at Transonic Flow Speed Using an In-House Parallel Code

The very first thought that comes to the mind with the application area of the DES and DDES schemes is a massively separated flow with highly unsteady flowfield. However, for various complex three dimensional cases, there is no prior knowledge of the flowfield in the domain and it may have mild separation or no separation at all with a steady domain. This study is carried out to see that what will be the behaviour of the DES and DDES schemes in comparison with the URANS scheme if they are applied to a steady state case. An in-house mpi code DG-DES is used for the present study. Three different flux computational schemes named Roe, AUSM and HLLC schemes within DES formulation are compared to check the response for the flows without massive separation and unsteadiness. The cases are run in both single and double precision mode for DES formulation using Roe flux computational scheme to appreciate the accuracy of the solver. A good comparison of pressure distribution with the experimental data is obtained for all URANS, DES and DDES simulations. The pressure distribution results for DES scheme using single and double precision agree well with the experimental data. The pressure distribution predicted by DES using Roe, AUSM and HLLC schemes agree well with the experimental data. The computed values of Cl and Cd are also in close approximity to the other studies. The drag predicted by all DES and DDES simulations is lower than the URANS scheme. It indicates that the DES and DDES schemes generate lower dissipation due to switching to the LES mode and hence result in lower drag prediction as compared with the URANS solution. There is no anomaly observed in the flow due to the use of DES or DDES for steady flow case.
Yield and Yield Components of Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) in Response to Soil and Foliar Application of Potassium

This study was carried out in the greenhouse of the National Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt during two summer seasons 2013 and 2014 in order to investigate the effect of soil and foliar application of potassium on yield and yield components of two groundnut varieties (Giza-6 and Line-623) grown in sandy soil. The results indicated that application of soil or foliar potassium fertilizer significantly increased pods weight compared to untreated plants (control). The highest pods weight (32.44g) was produced by the treatment received K +K , while the lowest (15.12g) with control plants. The results also indicated that the 100-seed soil foliar weight and shelling percentage were increased by applying K compared to untreated plants or other two foliar potassium treatments. The highest 100-seed weight (56.86g) and shelling percentage (76.93%) were obtained with the treatment received K. While, applying these treatment either soil or foliar singly, as well as in foliar combination with them resulted in a significant increase in oil content compared to control plants. The highest oil yield (11.13g) was obtained by the treatment received K +K followed by K (8.85g) and K (6.58g), soil foliar soil foliar while the lowest (4.02g) with untreated plants. In both cultivars, application of K +K as one treatment soil foliar resulted in a significant increase in pods weight, seed yield per plant, number of seeds per plant, shelling % and seed oil content in comparison to untreated plants (control). However, in Giza-6 applied of K singly increased soil pods weight, number of seeds per plant and oil % compared to other treatment received K singly. On the foliar other hand, applied the K singly with Line-623 increased the pods weight per plant, number of pods and foliar seeds per plant, shelling %, oil content and oil yield in comparison to the treatment received K singly. soil Application of soil potassium fertilizer singly increased the calcium content in the seeds of Giza-6 cultivar compared to control plants or K and K +K , while it was increased by applying K +K with Line-623 foliar soil foliar soil foliar in comparison to untreated plants or K and K. On the other hand, the Fe, Zn and Mn contents were soil foliar increased in Giza-6 cultivar by applying K +K in comparison to untreated plants or K and K , while in soil foliar soil foliar Line-623 under the same treatment Fe and Zn contents were increased in comparison to untreated plants or K soil and K. foliar
Incontinentia pigmenti in a term neonate: an atypical presentation

: Incontinentia pigmenti is a rare X-linked dominant multi-system disorder that is clinically suspected, based on the characteristic evolution of skin lesions through four stages. We describe a term neonate who presented at birth with pleomorphic skin rashes, including linear hyperpigmented hyperkeratotic lesions and erythematous vesicles, and then developed seizures. She was later histologically and genetically confirmed as a case of incontinentia pigmenti. The simultaneous presence of three stages of skin lesions in the neonatal period is an atypical presentation, which has not been previously well described.
Debt- Versus Equity-Financing in Auction Designs

A social planner wishes to launch a project but the contenders capable of running the project are cash-constrained and may default. To signal their capabilities, the contenders may finance their bids through debt or equity, depending on the mechanism chosen by the social planner. When moral hazard is absent, it is established as theorems that the ex post efficient social choice function cannot be achieved by any mechanism using only debt financing and can be achieved by a mechanism using equity financing. When moral hazard is present, however, it is illustrated heuristically that equity share discourages effort and exacerbates default more than risky debt does.