Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Large-scale spatial patterns in estuaries : estuarine macrobenthic communities in the Schelde estuary , NW Europe

Few macrobenthic studies have dealt simultaneously with the two major gradients in estuarine benthic habitats: the salinity gradient along the estuary (longitudinal) and the gradients from high intertidal to deep subtidal sites (vertical gradient). In this broad-scale study, a large data set (3112 samples) of the Schelde estuary allowed a thorough analysis of these gradients, and to relate macrobenthic species distributions and community structure to salinity, depth, current velocities and sediment characteristics. Univariate analyses clearly revealed distinct gradients in diversity, abundance, and biomass along the vertical and longitudinal gradients. In general, highest diversity and biomass were observed in the intertidal, polyhaline zone and decreased with decreasing salinity. Abundance did not show clear trends and varied between spring and autumn. In all regions, very low values for all measures were observed in the subtidal depth strata. Abundance in all regions was dominated by both surface deposit feeders and sub-surface deposit feeders. In contrast, the biomass of the different feeding guilds showed clear gradients in the intertidal zone. Suspension feeders dominated in the polyhaline zone and showed a significant decrease with decreasing salinity. Surface deposit feeders and sub-surface deposit feeders showed significantly higher biomass values in the polyhaline zone as compared with the mesohaline zone. Omnivores showed an opposite trend. Multivariate analyses showed a strong relationship between the macrobenthic assemblages and the predominant environmental gradients in the Schelde estuary. The most important environmental factor was depth, which reflected also the hydrodynamic conditions (current velocities). A second gradient was related to salinity and confirms the observations from the univariate analyses. Additionally, sediment characteristics (mud content) explained a significant part of the macrobenthic community structure not yet explained by the two other main gradients. The different assemblages are further described in terms of indicator species and abiotic characteristics. The results showed that at a large, estuarine scale a considerable fraction of the variation in abundance and biomass of the benthic macrofauna correlated very well with environmental factors (depth, salinity, tidal current velocity, sediment composition). 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
A multi-scale analysis of drug transport and response for a multi-phase tumour model†

In this article, we consider the spatial homogenisation of a multi-phase model for avascular tumour growth and response to chemotherapeutic treatment. The key contribution of this work is the derivation of a system of homogenised partial differential equations describing macroscopic tumour growth, coupled to transport of drug and nutrient, that explicitly incorporates details of the structure and dynamics of the tumour at the microscale. In order to derive these equations, we employ an asymptotic homogenisation of a microscopic description under the assumption of strong interphase drag, periodic microstructure, and strong separation of scales. The resulting macroscale model comprises a Darcy flow coupled to a system of reaction–advection partial differential equations. The coupled growth, response, and transport dynamics on the tissue scale are investigated via numerical experiments for simple academic test cases of microstructural information and tissue geometry, in which we observe drug- and nutrient-regulated growth and response consistent with the anticipated dynamics of the macroscale system.
Synthesis of Half-Titanocenes Containing Anionic N-Heterocyclic Carbenes That Contain a Weakly Coordinating Borate Moiety, Cp′TiX2(WCA-NHC), and Their Use as Catalysts for Ethylene (Co)polymerization

Synthesis and structural analysis of half-titanocenes containing anionic N-heterocyclic carbenes with a weakly coordinating borate [B(C6F5)3] moiety (WCA-NHC) of the type, [Cp′TiX2(WCA-NHC)] [Cp′ = C5H5, tBuC5H4; X = Cl, Me; NHC = 1,3-bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)imidazolin-2-ylidene], have been explored. The Ti–C bond distances between titanium and the N-heterocyclic carbene carbon atoms [Ti–CNHC = 2.214(3)–2.246(3) A] are longer than the Ti–methyl bond distances in the dimethyl complexes [2.063(5)–2.122(9) A]; the WCA-NHC ligand coordinates to titanium as a conventional N-heterocyclic carbene ligand. [(tBuC5H4)TiCl2(WCA-NHC)] exhibited high catalytic activity (e.g., 4590 kg-PE/mol-Ti·h) for ethylene polymerization in the presence of AliBu3–[Ph3C][B(C6F5)4] cocatalyst, and the complex demonstrated high catalytic activity with efficient 1-hexene incorporation for the ethylene/1-hexene copolymerization in the presence of MAO cocatalyst.
Title Adolescent maturation of dopamine D 1 and D 2 receptor function and interactions in rodents Permalink

Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by heightened vulnerability to illicit drug use and the onset of neuropsychiatric disorders. These clinical phenomena likely share common neurobiological substrates, as mesocorticolimbic dopamine systems actively mature during this period. Whereas prior studies have examined age-dependent changes in dopamine receptor binding, there have been fewer functional analyses. The aim of the present study was therefore to determine whether the functional consequences of D1 and D2-like activation are age-dependent. Adolescent and adult rats were given direct D1 and D2 agonists, alone and in combination. Locomotor and stereotypic behaviors were measured, and brains were collected for analysis of mRNA expression for the immediate early genes (IEGs), cfos and arc. Adolescents showed enhanced D2-like receptor control of locomotor and repetitive behaviors, which transitioned to dominant D1-like mechanisms in adulthood. When low doses of agonists were co-administered, adults showed supra-additive behavioral responses to D1/D2 combinations, whereas adolescents did not, which may suggest age differences in D1/D2 synergy. D1/D2-stimulated IEG expression was particularly prominent in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Given the BNST’s function as an integrator of corticostriatal, hippocampal, and stress-related circuitry, and the importance of neural network dynamics in producing behavior, an exploratory functional network analysis of regional IEG expression was performed. This data-driven analysis demonstrated similar developmental trajectories as those described in humans and suggested that dopaminergic drugs alter forebrain coordinated gene expression age dependently. D1/ D2 recruitment of stress nuclei into functional networks was associated with low behavioral output in adolescents. Network analysis presents a novel tool to assess pharmacological action, and highlights critical developmental changes in functional neural circuitry. Immature D1/D2 interactions in adolescents may underlie their unique responses to drugs of abuse and vulnerability to psychopathology. These data highlight the need for age-specific pharmacotherapy design and clinical application in adolescence. PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone. 0146966 January 19, 2016 1 / 21 a11111
In vitro Antioxidant Activities of Aqueous and Ethanol Extracts of Mangifera indica Leaf, Stem-Bark and Root-Bark

Introduction: Mangifera indica is a rampant Nigerian plant with history of application in traditional medicine for the treatment of degenerative diseases by indigenous Nigerians. Methods: The leaf, stem-bark and root-bark of M. indica were screened for phytoconstituents. The dried powdered plant parts were extracted using aqueous and ethanol solvents. The antioxidant activity of the concentrated extracts was determined using the ferric reducing anti-oxidant power (FRAP), 2, 2’-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and thiobarbi-turic acid reactive substance (TBARS) assay methods. Result: The results obtained were analysed statistically by one – way analysis of variance with level of statistical significance taken as p<0.05. In FRAP assay, leaf and stem-bark aqueous extracts showed the highest antioxidant activity with values 92.75 ± 0.48% and 94.49 ± 0.48% respectively while the root-bark ethanol extract (68.67 ± 1.49%) showed the highest activity. In DPPH assay, the leaf, stem-bark and root-bark ethanol extracts showed the best percentage DPPH scavenging activity with values 79.09 ± 0.42%, 59.86 ± 0.32% and 80.70 ± 0.42% respectively. In TBARS assay, the leaf and root-bark aqueous extracts showed the best activities with values 97.75 ± 0.56% and 99.48 ± 0.33% and the stem-bark ethanol extract (99.62 ± 0.26%). Conclusion: The study shows that both the aqueous and ethanol extracts of M. indica could be useful to combat free radical mediated diseases.
Exploring the Variability of the Flat-spectrum Radio Source 1633+382. II. Physical Properties

The flat-spectrum radio quasar 1633+382 (4C 38.41) showed a significant increase of its radio flux density during the period 2012 March–2015 August, which correlates with γ-ray flaring activity. Multi-frequency simultaneous very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations were conducted as part of the interferometric monitoring of gamma-ray bright active galactic nuclei (iMOGABA) program and supplemented with additional radio monitoring observations with the OVRO 40 m telescope, the Boston University VLBI program, and the Submillimeter Array. The epochs of the maxima for the two largest γ-ray flares coincide with the ejection of two respective new VLBI components. Analysis of the spectral energy distribution indicates a higher turnover frequency after the flaring events. The evolution of the flare in the turnover frequency-turnover flux density plane probes the adiabatic losses in agreement with the shock-in-jet model. The derived synchrotron self-absorption magnetic fields, of the order of 0.1 mG, do not seem to change dramatically during the flares, and are much weaker, by a factor 104, than the estimated equipartition magnetic fields, indicating that the source of the flare may be associated with a particle-dominated emitting region.
Effective simulation methods for polyelectrolytes in low dielectric solvents

Simulations of polyelectrolytes in low dielectric solvents converge slowly. This can be circumvented by using clothed global moves or parallel expanded techniques. In clothed moves the counterions are moved with the polyelectrolyte backbone and are not left behind when a substantial part of the chain is moved. For moderately charged systems the speed-up has been shown to be by a factor of up to 3. We show how, for systems with strong electrostatic interactions, much larger efficiency gains in the simulation process, by a factor of over 400, can be obtained. In our parallel expanded algorithm, a number of conventional Monte--Carlo simulations are carried out in parallel, with only the dielectric constant being different. By allowing the different simulations to communicate and exchange conformations, trapped configurations in the low dielectric simulations may escape via the higher dielectric simulations. We show how this method scales linearly up to 8 processors for highly charged polyelectrolytes.
Delivery of Common Lizards (Zootoca (Lacerta) vivipara) to nests of Eurasian Kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) determined by solar height and ambient temperature

Recent development in video monitoring has allowed collecting of data on prey deliveries at raptor nests, and this offers an opportunity to relate prey selection to short-term changes in environmental factors on a scale of hours. Whereas raptors may specialize on ectothermic prey at southern latitudes, only some generalist raptors may include such prey in their diet at northern latitudes. In particular, at northern latitudes the activity pattern of ectothermic reptiles is strongly dependent on the prevailing weather conditions. To test whether this dependence affects the exposure of reptiles to raptors, we used video recording of prey deliveries at nests of the Eurasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus L., 1758) at 61°N in Norway, where the Common Lizard (Zootoca (Lacerta) vivipara (Jacquin, 1787)) is the only lizard available to kestrels. The probability that a prey item delivered at a kestrel nest was a lizard increased towards midday and also increased independently with increasing ambient temperature, which.
Growth and Volatility

Growth and volatility correlate negatively across countries, but positively across sectors. Analytically, whether or not sectoral growth and volatility are correlated positively is irrelevant in the aggregate. Cross-country estimates identify the detrimental effects of macroeconomic volatility on growth, but they cannot be used to dismiss theories implying a positive growth-volatility coefficient, which appear to hold in sectoral data. In particular, volatile sectors command high investment rates, as they would in a mean-variance framework.
Are Bullet Riders at Risk of Noise Induced Hearing Impairment

High intensity of noise generated by bullet can cause noise induced hearing loss among regular bullet riders. There is no literature till date investigated noise induced hearing loss among bullet riders. The present study aimed to investigate self-assessment of noise induced hearing impairment among bullet riders. The present study recruit 80 bullet drivers (young adults and middle aged) riding bullet regularly from 5 to 8 years. There were 15 questions related to selfassessment of hearing quality, annoyance evaluation, noise-related attitude, and knowledge adopted from similar studies. The outcome of present questionnaire-based study showed that bullet riders are at risk of noise induced hearing loss. The current study also revealed annoyance among bullet riders and lack of awareness about hearing protection devices.
Abrupt global events in the Earth's history: a physics perspective

The timeline of the Earth's history reveals quasi-periodicity of the geological record over the last 542 Myr, on timescales close, in the order of magnitude, to 1 Myr. What is the origin of this quasi-periodicity? What is the nature of the global events that define the boundaries of the geological time scale? I propose that a single mechanism is responsible for all three types of such events: mass extinctions, geomagnetic polarity reversals, and sea-level fluctuations. The mechanism is fast, and involves a significant energy release. The mechanism is unlikely to have astronomical causes, both because of the energies involved and because it acts quasi-periodically. It must then be sought within the Earth itself. And it must be capable of reversing the Earth's magnetic field. The last requirement makes it incompatible with the consensus model of the origin of the geomagnetic field—the hydromagnetic dynamo operating in the Earth's fluid core. In the second part of the paper, I show that a vast amount of seemingly unconnected geophysical and geological data can be understood in a unified way if the source of the Earth's main magnetic field is a ∼200 km thick lithosphere, repeatedly magnetized as a result of methane-driven oceanic eruptions, which produce ocean flow capable of dynamo action. The eruptions are driven by the interplay of buoyancy forces and exsolution of dissolved gas, which accumulates in the oceanic water masses prone to stagnation and anoxia. Polarity reversals, mass extinctions and sequence boundaries are consequences of these eruptions. Unlike the consensus model of geomagnetism, this scenario is consistent with the paleomagnetic data showing that ‘directional changes during a reversal can be astonishingly fast, possibly occurring as a nearly instantaneous jump from one inclined dipolar state to another in the opposite hemisphere’.
Reduction of area and influence of the deposit layer in the first stage of a full-scale French system of vertical flow constructed wetlands in a tropical area.

Utilization of the French system of vertical wetlands for treating raw sewage keeps increasing, but there is still limited consolidated information on their long term use in tropical countries. Under these conditions, there are indications that surface area requirements can decrease, whilst still keeping a satisfactory performance. However, variations in the operational mode and the role of the surface organic deposit layer under warm climatic conditions have not been fully investigated. The goal of this work was to evaluate the performance of a system comprised of only the first stage of the French system, with a further reduction of 1/3 of the area (utilization of only two units in parallel, instead of three) in terms of organic matter removal and nitrogen conversion, with one unit with a deposit layer accumulated over 9 years of operation, and the other unit without sludge layer, under Brazilian tropical conditions. The system was originally designed according to Cemagref/Irstea recommendations for the first-stage of the French system for the treatment of raw sewage generated by an equivalent population of 100 inhabitants. However, it was later on changed, and operated with only two units, using only 0.6 m2·pe-1. Feeding and resting periods were of 7 days each. In order to evaluate the influence of the sludge layer, the top sludge from one of the units was removed, and the performance of both units was compared by the Mann-Whitney test. The database comprises the wetland performance values in terms of dissolved oxygen (DO), redox potential (Eh), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), NH4+-N and NO3+-N, covering a monitoring period of 15 months. The effluent DO concentrations were significantly lower in the unit with top sludge, but still sufficiently high in both units. Although there were some variations between both units, effluent concentrations of the major pollutants were not significantly different in the units with and without sludge, and removal efficiencies based on mean values were considered good, given the reduced area of the system: BOD (80% and 79%), TSS (85% and 82%), TKN (60% and 63%) for the units with and without sludge, respectively. Under Brazilian climatic conditions, with the reduced area and employing longer feeding cycles (7 days), the sludge accumulation rate (less than 1 cm·year-1) was lower compared to the French mean values.
Digital Image Steganography Using Bit Flipping

Abstract This article proposes bit flipping method to conceal secret data in the original image. Here a block consists of 2 pixels and thereby flipping one or two LSBs of the pixels to hide secret information in it. It exists in two variants. Variant-1 and Variant-2 both use 7th and 8th bit of a pixel to conceal the secret data. Variant-1 hides 3 bits per a pair of pixels and the Variant-2 hides 4 bits per a pair of pixels. Our proposed method notably raises the capacity as well as bits per pixel that can be hidden in the image compared to existing bit flipping method. The image steganographic parameters such as, Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR), hiding capacity, and the Quality Index (Q.I) of the proposed techniques has been compared with the results of the existing bit flipping technique and some of the state of art article.
EFFECTS OF LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE ON GENERALIST AND SPECIALIST INSECT HERBIVORES

EFFECTS OF LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE ON GENERALIST AND SPECIALIST INSECT HERBIVORES by Bradley John Schroeder The density responses of insect herbivores to shifts in habitat area may depend on the degree of host-plant specialization and the composition of the matrix. I conducted a study in an experimental field comprised of plots of red clover (Trifolium pratense) that differed in size, fragmentation, and surrounding matrix. Densities of three insect herbivores were measured within the plots during two field seasons. All three species showed positive density-area relationships. The two generalist species, the meadow spittlebug (Philaenus spumarius) and the Agallian leafhopper (Agallia constricta), attained higher densities in red clover surrounded by orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata). The specialist species, the clover leafhopper (Ceratagallia agricola), attained higher densities in red clover surrounded by bare ground. The results of this study suggest that both patch area and matrix habitat strongly affect the densities of insect herbivores, and species responses largely depend upon host-plant specialization and the availability of secondary host plants. EFFECTS OF LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE ON GENERALIST AND SPECIALIST
Biosorption of copper by spent yeast immobilized in sodium alginate beads.

Spent yeast from the brewing industry was immobilized with sodium alginate and used in a study on biosorption of Cu(II). Kinetic models were developed using pseudo-first and -second order equations and tested for the sorption of Cu(II). The results showed that the sorption of Cu(II) onto immobilized spent yeast in sodium alginate beads could be described by a pseudo-second order model, which had high correlation coefficients (r 2 ). The rate constant (k2) and the initial sorption rate (h) were calculated. The values of the rate constants were found to decrease from 0.208 to 0.037 g/mg min with an increase in the initial concentration of Cu(II) from 20 to 80 ppm. The initial sorption rate increased from 0.014 to 0.037 mg/g min as the initial concentration of Cu(II) was varied from 20 to 80 ppm. The observed dependence of the sorption rate on the initial concentration of Cu(II) indicated that the removal of Cu(II) was more rapid when the initial concentration of the solution was high.
Financial Literacy of New Job Entrants

In today’s competitive environment there is a pervasive need to develop a financial foundation as an essential life skill for students to ease their entry into professional life from their present comfort zone. Financial literacy will help improve their critical personal choices of lifestyle, cash flow and investment portfolios. The purpose of this study is to explore the perception of new job entrants on the importance of financial awareness and their present knowledge of financial investments and various instruments in the market. Further, it conducts an empirical investigation into the differences on the above on the basis of key variables such as gender, educational background and geographical regions. It is expected that the findings would provide a reflection of the gaps between the present financial knowledge of students and the practical wisdom they will need to make sound judgements. The results will throw light on the areas that demand attention to achieve the required financial base in graduating students.
Modal Decomposition of TTV: Inferring Planet Masses and Eccentricities

Transit timing variations (TTVs) are a powerful tool for characterizing the properties of transiting exoplanets. However, inferring planet properties from the observed timing variations is a challenging task, which is usually addressed by extensive numerical searches. We propose a new, computationally inexpensive method for inverting TTV signals in a planetary system of two transiting planets. To the lowest order in planetary masses and eccentricities, TTVs can be expressed as a linear combination of three functions, which we call the TTV modes. These functions depend only on the planets’ linear ephemerides, and can be either constructed analytically, or by performing three orbital integrations of the three-body system. Given a TTV signal, the underlying physical parameters are found by decomposing the data as a sum of the TTV modes. We demonstrate the use of this method by inferring the mass and eccentricity of six Kepler planets that were previously characterized in other studies. Finally we discuss the implications and future prospects of our new method.