Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recent invasion of buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) of a natural protected area from the southern Sonoran Desert

THE CENTRO ECOLOGICO DE SONORA IS A NATURAL PROTECTED AREA WHERE THE NATURAL VEGETATION REMAINED UNDISTURBED AT LEAST UNTIL 1997. SINCE THEN, CENCHRUS CILIARIS HAS BECOME A PROMINENT ELEMENT OF THE VEGETATION BECAUSE OF DISTURBANCE. CLIMATE, SOIL PROPERTIES, POPULATION STRUCTURE AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY FOR C. CILIARIS WERE STUDIED TO GAIN UNDERSTANDING OF THE ECOLOGICAL MECHANISMS THAT FAVORED THE INVASION BY THIS EXOTIC GRASS. MEAN AIR TEMPERATURE AND ANNUAL RAINFALL WERE 24.8°C AND 302 MM. THE SOIL WAS A LOAMY-SAND THAT WAS POOR IN MOST NUTRIENTS, BUT PARTICULARLY RICH IN PHOSPHORUS. PENNISETUM CILIARE WAS THE MOST ABUNDANT SPECIES AT THE CENTRO ECOLOGICO, REPRESENTING OVER ONE THIRD OF TOTAL PLANT GROUND COVER. BASAL AREA FOR INDIVIDUAL PLANTS RANGED FROM LESS THAN 1 CM2 TO ALMOST 1 M2. LIVING LEAVES PER PLANT INCREASED WITH PRECIPITATION, PEAKING AT 199 LEAVES IN MARCH 2005, AND NO LIVING LEAVES WERE FOUND AFTER 103 DAYS WITHOUT RAIN. THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS PREVALENT AT CENTRO ECOLOGICO ARE VERY FAVORABLE FOR C. CILIARIS, WHOSE ESTABLISHMENT WAS APPARENTLY TRIGGERED BY A MAJOR DISTURBANCE CAUSED BY THE DEVELOPMENT OF HOUSING PROJECTS.
Measuring the Quality of Education and Health Services: The Use of Perception Data from Indonesia

Satisfaction surveys offer a potentially convenient and cost-effective means for measuring the quality of services. However, concerns about subjectivity and selection bias impede greater use of satisfaction data. This paper analyzes satisfaction data about health and educational services from the 2006 second round of the Governance and Decentralization Survey in Indonesia to assess whether satisfaction data can serve as reliable indicators of quality, despite dubiously high levels of reported satisfaction. The authors use an expectation disconfirmation model that posits that a users satisfaction with a facility improves with the (positive) difference between the actual quality of the facility and the households expected standard for quality, which is influenced by its socioeconomic characteristics. The findings show that, after taking into account the expectations of households, reported satisfaction does vary significantly with objective indicators of quality. The analysis also checks for possible selection bias affecting the results by using a two-stage selection model. The model yields policy-relevant insights into the aspects of service delivery that most affect satisfaction, highlights differences across rich and poor districts, and shows that once the role of expectations has been factored in, the variation in user satisfaction can be highly informative for policymakers and researchers alike.
MoS2 functionalization for ultra-thin atomic layer deposited dielectrics

The effect of room temperature ultraviolet-ozone (UV-O3) exposure of MoS2 on the uniformity of subsequent atomic layer deposition of Al2O3 is investigated. It is found that a UV-O3 pre-treatment removes adsorbed carbon contamination from the MoS2 surface and also functionalizes the MoS2 surface through the formation of a weak sulfur-oxygen bond without any evidence of molybdenum-sulfur bond disruption. This is supported by first principles density functional theory calculations which show that oxygen bonded to a surface sulfur atom while the sulfur is simultaneously back-bonded to three molybdenum atoms is a thermodynamically favorable configuration. The adsorbed oxygen increases the reactivity of MoS2 surface and provides nucleation sites for atomic layer deposition of Al2O3. The enhanced nucleation is found to be dependent on the thin film deposition temperature.
Influence of three spice powders on the survival and histopathology of Oreochromis mossambicus before and after Streptococcus iniae infection

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of thyme, rosemary and fenugreek powders on disease resistance and histopathological changes in intestine and liver tissues of Oreochromis mossambicus before and after exposure to Streptococcus iniae. Four isonitrogenic (37% crude protein) and isolipidic (10% crude lipid) diets were formulated containing 0% (control) or 1.0% thyme (Thymus vulgaris), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), or fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum). Fish were stocked at 20 fish (0.51±0.01 g), each, in twelve 21-L plastic tanks, fed for 60 days, and then infected with S. iniae. At the end of the challenge experiment the survival rates in the thyme, rosemary and fenugreek supplemented diets and unsupplemented control diet were 83.3%, 81.7%, 81.7% and 48.3%, respectively. The present study suggested the protective potential of thyme, rosemary and fenugreek in alleviating the intestinal and hepatic damage that can occur after infection with S. iniae. It was concluded that 1.0% thyme, rosemary or fenugreek can enhance disease resistance of O. mossambicus, suggesting that thyme, rosemary or fenugreek may be an alternative to antibiotics in controlling streptococcal disease in tilapia culture.
Chondrule and metal grain size sorting from jet flows

Abstract— We examine the size sorting of chondrules and metal grains within the context of the jet flow model for chondrule/CAI formation. In this model, chondrules, CAIs, AOAs, metal grains, and related components of meteorites are assumed to have formed in the outflow region of the innermost regions of the solar nebula and then were ejected, via the agency of a bipolar jet flow, to outer regions of the nebula. We wish to see if size sorting of chondrules and metal grains is a natural consequence of this model. To assist in this task, we used a multiprocessor system to undertake Monte Carlo simulations of the early solar nebula. The paths of a statistically significant number of chondrules and metal grains were analyzed as they were ejected from the outflow and travelled over or into the solar nebula. For statistical reasons, only distances ≤3 AU from the Sun were examined.
Mortality and mechanical damage of seedlings in different size fragments of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

We assessed the mechanical damage caused by litterfall and vertebrates to seedlings and saplings at the edge and in the interior of three small (14, 20, 29 ha) and one large (9400 ha) fragments of the Atlantic Forest, Sao Paulo, Brazil. We monitored mechanical damage (e.g. litterfall, vertebrate and human damage) of artificial seedlings, and mortality rates for natural seedlings for 1 year at 3 month intervals. Mechanical damage to artificial seedlings was mainly caused by litterfall (68.1%). Damage to artificial seedlings was approximately two times higher in the smaller fragments than in the large fragment, but the mortality of natural seedlings was not related to fragment size. Mechanical damage and mortality did not differ between edge and interior plots. Although it occurred only occasionally (3.78% of total damage) human impact (trampling) seems to be the most important single cause of seedling mortality. Resumen: Evaluamos el dano mecanico causado por la hojarasca y los vertebrados a plantulas e individuos juveniles en el borde y el interior de tres fragmentos pequenos (14, 20, 29 ha) y uno grande (9400 ha) de Bosque Atlantico, Sao Paulo, Brasil. Monitoreamos el dano mecanico (e.g. caida de hojarasca, dano por vertebrados y por humanos) de plantulas artificiales, asi como las tasas de mortalidad para plantulas naturales, cada tres meses durante un ano. El dano mecanico en las plantulas artificiales fue causado principalmente por la hojarasca (68.1%). El dano en las plantulas artificiales fue aproximadamente dos veces mayor en los fragmentos pequenos que en el grande, pero la mortalidad de plantulas naturales no se relaciono con el tamano del fragmento. El dano mecanico y la mortalidad no difirieron entre las parcelas del borde y las del interior. Aunque se presento solo de forma ocasional, (3.78% del dano total), el impacto humano (pisoteo) parece ser la causa mas importante de mortalidad. Resumo: Acessamos os danos mecânicos causados por serapilheira e vertebrados a plântulas e jovens na borda e interior de tres fragmentos pequenos (14, 20 e 29 ha) e um grande (9400 ha) de Mata Atlântica em Sao Paulo, Brasil. Nos monitoramos danos mecânicos (e.g. serapilheira, vertebrados e danos humanos) em plântulas artificiais e taxa de mortalidade em plântulas naturais por um ano com intervalo de tres meses. Dano mecânico em plântulas artificiais foi causado principalmente por serapilheira (68,1%). Dano nas plântulas artificiais foi aproximadamente duas vezes maior nos fragmentos pequenos do que no fragmento grande, mas a mortalidade das plântulas naturais nao foi relacionada com o tamanho do fragmento. Dano mecânico e mortalidade nao diferiram entre as parcelas da borda e interior. Apesar de ter ocorrido apenas ocasionalmente (3,78% do total de dano), o impacto humano (pisoteio) parece ser a causa mais importante de mortalidade de plântulas.
Effects of intra-row spacing on plant growth and yield of onion varieties (Allium cepa L.) at Aksum, Northern Ethiopia

Lack of improved varieties and production practices have been the major bottlenecks of onion production and productivity in Tigray, particularly at Aksum area. Since there have been no recommended intra-row spacing, farmers used to practice non-uniform plant spacing. Thus, a field experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of intra-row spacing, variety and their interactions on growth and yield of onion, thereby to recommend the optimum practices to farmers in the study area. The study was conducted between August 2010 and April 2011 at Aksum area (L/maichew district). Three different intra-row spacings (5, 7.5 and 10 cm) were evaluated using four varieties of onion (‘Adama’ Red, ‘Bombay’ Red, ‘Melkam’ and ‘Nasik’ Red) laid out in randomized complete block design replicated four times. Data on growth and yield parameters were recorded and subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results indicated that intra-row spacing of 10 cm was superior in plant height, leaf number per plant, leaf biomass yield, leaf dry matter content and percentage of bolters. Highest total bulb yield was recorded at the closest intra-row spacing (5 cm) followed by 7.5 cm. ‘Melkam’ variety was the highest yielder, while ‘Adama’ Red was the lowest yielder. Average bulb weight increased with increasing intra row spacing. ‘Melkam’ variety followed by ‘Bombay’ Red variety was superior in average bulb weight. ‘Adama’ Red recorded the highest unmarketable yield.
Effects of Feeding Patterns and Sexes on Growth Rate, Carcass Trait and Grade in Korean Native Cattle

The objectives of this study were to examine growth performance and meat quality by three different feeding patterns in Korean native cattle (KNC). In each of 3 years, fifteen KNC were randomly assigned in a (3 feeding management)x(3 sex) factorial design experiment; thus, in total, there were 5 animals in each of the 9 treatments. The three feeding management treatments were long-term (24 month) restriction feeding (LTFR), long-term restriction feeding-hormone implant (LTFR-tH), and short-term (18 month) non-restriction feeding (STFNR). Three sexes were bull, steer, and heifer. Concentrate diet was fed restriction-feeding method based on body weight in LTFR and LTFR-tH. However, the diet was fed ad libitum in STFNR. Hormonal implantation was made three times with M-PO for bulls and with F-TO for heifers at 18, 20, 22 month of age in LTFR-tH. Animal were purchased from the local cattle market and managed in two local farms and at the university research unit. Animals were slaughtered at 24 months for long-term trial and at 18 month for short-term trial. The growth rate was the highest in bulls and the lowest in heifers. However, the differences were diminished in F-TO implanted heifers. The average daily gain was high in STFNR due to ad libitum feeding. The carcass grade was similar among the treatments on percentage bases. Hormonal implants improved significantly the meat quality grade in all sexes. Castration increased body fat content and improved meat quality grade by intramuscular fat deposition. In conclusion, long-term feeding and hormone treatment increased meat quality grade more than short-term feeding. However, ADG was higher in the short-term trial although feedefficiency was lower.
Profiles of dairy cow farmers’ marketing strategies in the county of cornwall in the UK

This study aims to profile the marketing strategies that dairy cow farmers follow in the County of Cornwall in the United Kingdom based on their distribution channel selection, farm and personal characteristics. The data were collected through a postal survey to 306 dairy cow farmers in Cornwall. Three marketing strategies were identified: (a) the opportunist strategy, (b) the return focus strategy and (c) the market orientation strategy. The main observed difference between the strategies is that the vast majority of the farmers who adopt the opportunist or the market orientation strategy allocate the greatest part of their farm land to their dairy cow enterprise and do not lease any milk quota from other farmers, whilst the majority of the farmers who follow the opportunist or the return focus strategy do not lease any milk quota to other farmers. Moreover, in market-oriented farms, average financial performance (compared to the performance of other dairy farmers operating in their region) was observed, while the financial performance of the return-focused farmers was not below average.
Magnetic field formation in the Milky Way like disc galaxies of the Auriga project

The magnetic fields observed in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies appear to be in equipartition with the turbulent, thermal and cosmic ray energy densities, and hence are expected to be dynamically important. However, the origin of these strong magnetic fields is still unclear, and most previous attempts to simulate galaxy formation from cosmological initial conditions have ignored them altogether. Here, we analyse the magnetic fields predicted by the simulations of the Auriga Project, a set of 30 high-resolution cosmological zoom simulations of Milky Way like galaxies, carried out with a moving-mesh magnetohydrodynamics code and a detailed galaxy formation physics model. We find that the magnetic fields grow exponentially at early times owing to a small-scale dynamo with an e-folding time of roughly 100 Myr in the centre of haloes until saturation occurs around z = 2–3, when the magnetic energy density reaches about 10 per cent of the turbulent energy density with a typical strength of 10--50μG 10--50μG . In the galactic centres, the ratio between magnetic and turbulent energies remains nearly constant until z = 0. At larger radii, differential rotation in the discs leads to linear amplification that typically saturates around z = 0.5–0. The final radial and vertical variations of the magnetic field strength can be well described by two joint exponential profiles, and are in good agreement with observational constraints. Overall, the magnetic fields have only little effect on the global evolution of the galaxies as it takes too long to reach equipartition. We also demonstrate that our results are well converged with numerical resolution.
La polizia penitenziaria tra sovrafollamento carcerario e burnout: il dibattito interno

Nel presente articolo viene affrontato il problema della gestione operativa e professionale della Polizia Penitenziaria alla luce della situazione precaria del sistema carcerario italiano odierno. Vengono analizzati alcuni fattori quali il sovraffollamento carcerario, con una disamina dei dati piu recenti; la carenza di organico penitenziario che costringe gli operatori ad adottare strategie temporanee; le patologie organizzative di un sistema chiuso nei confronti della societa ed il burnout individuale ed organizzativo, con particolare attenzione alla problematica del suicidio all'interno del corpo della Polizia Penitenziaria. L'articolo si conclude con la ricerca di articoli presenti nella rivista elettronica ufficiale della Polizia Penitenziaria “Le Due Citta”, in merito alle problematiche enunciate, dei quali e stata effettuata un'analisi qualitativa al fine di comprendere il dibattito istituzionale interno all'Amministrazione sulle problematiche del sovraffollamento, del burnout e del suicidio. L’auteur aborde le probleme de la gestion operationnelle et professionnelle de la Police Penitentiaire italienne sur la base de la precarite actuelle du systeme carceral italien. Il analyse certains facteurs comme la surpopulation carcerale (examen de donnees recentes) ; la penurie de personnel ; les pathologies en matiere d’organisation d’un systeme ferme ; l’epuisement professionnel individuel et organisationnel, en accordant une attention particuliere aux cas de suicide parmi les policiers penitentiaires. En conclusion, l’auteur examine quelques articles parus dans la revue electronique officielle de la Police Penitentiaire Italienne (« Le Due Citta » - « Les deux cites ») afin de comprendre le debat institutionnel sur les problemes de surpopulation, d’epuisement professionnel et de suicide dans l’administration penitentiaire. This article tackles the problem of operational and professional management of Italian Prison Police Corps starting from the present precarious situation of the Italian prison system. It analyses some factors such as prison overcrowding (with an examination of recent data); the shortage of prison staff; the organisational pathologies of a closed system; the individual and organisational burnout, paying particular attention to the issue of suicide within the Prison Police corps. The article ends with a review of some articles published in the official electronic journal of the Italian Prison Police (“Le Due Citta” – “The Two Cities") in order to understand the institutional debate over the problems of overcrowding, burnout, and suicide within the penitentiary administration.
Metastatic Brain Tumors

The past two decades have seen a large increase in treatment options, resulting in longer life expectancy and better quality of life to a point where metastatic lesions are no longer the ma‐ jor cause of mortality in this patient group. This has made decision making on treatment mo‐ dality more complex. Evidence for local aggressive control through surgery and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) [3–5] has resulted in a paradigm shift since the mid 1990’s when whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) was the mainstay of treatment. Now, treatment of metastat‐ ic tumors includes a full spectrum of medical providers including neurosurgeons, medical on‐ cologists, radiation oncologists, neurologists, and neuro-oncologists. This Chapter will focus on the contemporary management of metastatic brain tumors using surgery, radiosurgery, conventional radiation therapy, chemotherapy, steroids, anti-epileptics, and emerging modal‐ ities. Given the myriad of treatment options and the multiple providers utilizing them, the substantiation for these treatments are vital for the clinician to make an evidence-based deci‐ sion. The information in this chapter will not only serve to guide the clinician in treatment options, but also to focus the researcher on areas that need further investigation.
Treatment of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome with Prone Positioning

Prone positioning was first proposed in the 1970s as a method to improve gas exchange in the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Subsequent observations of dramatic improvement in oxygenation with simple patient rotation motivated the next several decades of research. This work elucidated the physiology mechanisms underlying changes in gas exchange and respiratory mechanics with prone ventilation. However, translating physiological improvements into a clinical benefit has proven challenging; several contemporary trials showed no major clinical benefits with proning. By optimizing patient selection and treatment protocols, the most recent Proning Severe ARDS Patients (PROSEVA) trial demonstrated a significant mortality benefit with prone ventilation. This trial, and subsequent meta-analyses, support the role of prone positioning as an effective therapy to reduce mortality in severe ARDS, particularly when applied early with other lung-protective strategies. This review discusses the physiological principles, clinical evidence, and practical application of prone ventilation in ARDS. management with high-tidal volumes, the inclusion of patients without or with only mild ARDS, a small “dose” of time spent proned, arbitrary criteria for cessation of proning, and enrollment of patients late in their disease course. Trial designs evolved further over time. Mancebo’s 2006 trial had potential advantages over previously published trials: patients had more severe lung injury, were enrolled early in their course, and received higher doses of proning compared to earlier trials. 7 Unfortunately, slow enrollment led to early study termination with just 142 patients. The authors reported a non-significant trend towards improved survival with proning, and post-hoc analysis demonstrated considerable benefit for severely ill patients. Next, in 2009, Taccone et al. used a similar design to Mancebo, and reached enrollment goals. 11 Again, no significant decrease in mortality was noted with proning, although this trial too likely was underpowered and showed a trend towards improved survival with proning.
Quantitative Study of Monetary Liquidity Impact on Inflation in China

 Science and Technology Development Plan Project of Beijing Education Commission (No.KM201310009013). Abstract In order to measure the monetary liquidity quantitative impact on inflation in China, this paper will measure monetary liquidity from the liquidity of money supply and the currency circulation speed, by using Eviews 6.0 software to establish the regression analysis model, do the cointegration analysis, and establish the VAR and ECM model. The result shows that the liquidity of money supply increases with the consumer price index; and the circulation speed of money and consumer price index react to the liquidity of money supply together. Index Terms Monetary liquidity, Econometrics model, Inflation CLC: F830.53
Initial Human Colonization of the Americas: An Overview of the Issues and the Evidence

Ever since José de Acosta's prescient speculation, in 1590, that Native Americans were descended from “savage hunters” who had followed game animals across a land bridge from northeastern Asia into northwestern America (Acosta 1604), most serious scholars have assumed that this was the migration route. The main point of dispute has been the date when the ancestral Asians made the crossing. After many nineteenth-century claims of the discovery of stone tools or bones of “early man” failed to withstand scientific scrutiny, a conservative reaction set in, embodied by the hyper-skeptical Aleš Hrdlička of the Smithsonian Institution. Hrdlička dismissed all claims of a human presence in the Americas prior to about 5000 years ago.