Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estimating Survival and Life-Stage Transitions in the Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) using Multistate Mark—Recapture Models

ABSTRACT. Accurate estimates of demographic rates are fundamental to understanding population dynamics and can provide insights into the ecology and conservation of a species. We used multistate mark—recapture models to estimate apparent annual survival, encounter probability, and life-stage transitions in Laysan Albatrosses (Phoebastria immutabilis) at Kaena Point, Hawaii, from 2003 to 2010. Four-state models of prebreeders, breeders, failed breeders, and skipped breeders overestimated survival by 1–3% and underestimated skipped breeding by 5–6%, but five-state models that included a state for unobserved skipped breeders performed better. Survival did not vary among years and was highest in prebreeders (mean ± SE = 0.996 ± 0.010) and lower in successful breeders (0.932 ± 0.023) than in failed breeders (0.963 ± 0.018), suggesting a cost to reproduction. Survival was similar in males and females among prebreeders, breeders, and failed breeders, but survival of males was lower among skipped breeders. Encounter probability was related to monitoring effort; more frequent visits and use of field-readable auxiliary bands and remote cameras resulted in higher encounter rates. With sufficient effort, all skipped breeders were observed at the colony even though they did not breed. Recruitment averaged 24% in females and 21% in males and varied among years. Breeding frequency averaged 0.807 ± 0.028 and varied among years. Successful breeders were more likely than failed breeders to skip the next breeding season. Estimates of all demographic rates except recruitment were similar to estimates for Laysan Albatrosses from Midway in the 1960s despite differences in methodology. This information can help measure population dynamics, breeding population sizes, population trends, and efficacy of conservation actions.
“Christianity is not just about religion”: Religious and National Identities in a Northern English town

Nationality and religion have become the focus of public debates about ethnic integration in Britain, but what do such identities actually mean to people of the largely secular ethnic majority? In this study, 15 people in a small English town were interviewed about their use of religious and national labels such as ‘Christian’ and ‘English’. Collective identities were expressed mainly through individual values and experiences, indicating a sense of belonging to a group, but little consensus about what is shared between its members. Most participants used terms for religious, ethnic, regional and national groups interchangeably to describe their traditions and morals. In contrast, those few who had a strong personal religious identity distinguished sharply between the religious and national, individual and collective aspects of their identities. These participants stressed the importance of religiosity for their personal identity, whilst emphasising the secular and multicultural character of Britain as a country.
Synoptic Wave Perturbations and Convective Systems over Equatorial Africa

Abstract Spectral analysis of the outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) time series over equatorial Africa reveals large oscillations of the convection with periods of between 3 and 6 days. In March and April, when the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) migrates northward and crosses equatorial Africa, this periodic behavior is most pronounced with a marked peak at 5–6 days. Robust horizontal and vertical patterns, consistent with a convectively coupled Kelvin wave, can be extracted by a simple composite technique based only on the phase of the convective oscillations over equatorial Africa. The composite reveals differences between continental and adjacent oceanic regions. Over the continent, the stronger oscillation of the convection is associated with larger temperature and moisture anomalies near the surface, suggesting an influence of diabatic processes on the amplitude of the perturbations. Some convective events over equatorial Africa are triggered by waves propagating eastward over the equatorial A.
Innovation, standardization, and imitation in the product cycle model

We develop a product cycle that is much more akin to Vernon's original vision of the product cycle, in which standardization of production techniques is required for the international transfer of technology to the developing South. We show that, since stronger intellectual property rights (IPR) encourages standardization and thus technology transfer, it can enhance the long-run innovation rate in the developed North. This is because less production remains in the North, which leaves more resources in the North for R&D activity. Specifically, we show the possibility of an inverted-U relationship between IPR and innovation (and resulting economic growth). Our result suggests that a balanced approach (not too strong and not too weak) is required to enhance economic growth in the world economy.
THE DOUBLE‐AXE: A CONTEXTUAL APPROACH TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF A CRETAN SYMBOL IN THE NEOPALATIAL PERIOD

Summary The Double-Axe has always been considered as one of the most important religious symbols in Minoan Crete. This paper reassesses the significance of the Double-Axe and puts forward a new interpretation for it. It recognizes the great potential for change in symbolic meanings during the Bronze Age and seeks to understand the Double-Axe in as narrow a period as is realistically possible by filtering out evidence from other periods. Central to the argument is the principle that the meaning of symbols is contextually dependent. It builds, therefore, a new interpretation of the Double-Axe on the basis of as wide a range of contextual associations as possible, both within iconographic sources and in the wider material record. From these contextual associations, it suggests that in the Neopalatial period the Double-Axe was a symbol primarily associated with a social group which exercised power in the economic, military and religious realms and that it became a solely religious symbol only later.
Effect of Irrigation Frequency and Potassium Source on the Productivity, Quality and Storability of Garlic

3 Abstract: Two field experiments were conducted during the winter season of 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 at the experimental farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Tanta University, Egypt. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of irrigation frequency (irrigation once every 10, 24 15, 20 or 25 days intervals) and potassium source (K SO or KCl) on water application, water distribution, water use efficiency using furrow irrigation system, productivity and storability of garlic (clone sids-40). Results showed that irrigation once every 15 days followed by irrigation every 20 days were superior to other treatments and they significantly increased water application, water distribution and water use efficiency. They also enhanced the vegetative growth characteristics, bulbs 24 yield and its components including volatile oil and garlic storability. Likewise, application of K SO fertilizer was more effective than KCl to improve the vegetative growth characters as well as yield 24 quality and storability. This study verified that irrigation once every 15 or 20 days and using K SO fertilizer as a source of potassium enhance the productivity, quality and storability of garlic.
Growth performance of Indian minor carp Labeo bata fed varying inclusions of fermented fish-offal and mulberry leaf meal based-diets

Fermented mixtures containing fish-offal meal (FOM) and mulberry leaf meal (MLM) were used as protein supplement to partially replace fish meal (FM) in the formulation of diets for the Indian minor carp Labeo bata. The diets included a reference diet (20 % FM), three diets of fermented mixture of FOM and MLM (T2–T4) replacing 50 to 75 % of FM. Formulation of diet with 30 % FOM, 24 % MLM and 5 % FM, thereby replacing 75 % of FM, appeared to be the best diet in terms of growth of the L. bata fingerlings. It was concluded that effectiveness of fermented FOM in replacing FM could be substantially increased by limited inclusion of MLM in the formulation of diet of minor carp.
Private Power, Public Law: The Globalization of Intellectual Property Rights

Susan K. Sell's book shows how power in international politics is increasingly exercised by private interests rather than governments. In 1994 the WTO adopted the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), which dictated to states how they should regulate the protection of intellectual property. This book argues that TRIPS resulted from lobbying by twelve powerful CEOs of multinational corporations who wished to mould international law to protect their markets. This book examines the politics leading up to TRIPS, the first seven years of its implementation, and the political backlash against TRIPS in the face of the HIV/AIDS crisis. Focusing on global capitalism, ideas, and economic coercion, this work explains the politics behind TRIPS and the controversies created in its wake. It is a fascinating study of the influence of private interests in government decision-making, and in the shaping of the global economy.
Impacts of Open Placer Gold Mining on Aquatic Communities in Rivers of the Khentii Mountains, North-East Mongolia

Since the political change and due to high market prices for gold the mining sector has considerably grown in Mongolia and has become one of the most important economical sectors. With increasing mining activities the mining related environmental problems also increased, especially those, which are caused by open placer gold mining. Placer gold deposits are located in the alluvial sediments of river fl oodplains and the exploitation of these deposits often induces severe impacts to river ecosystem and its different components. In this paper we describe the effects of open placer gold mining on diatoms, benthic invertebrates and fi sh in four rivers in the north-east of Mongolia. Our fi ndings are based on a comparative analysis of these biocoenotic groups in pristine and mining affected river sections, taking into account also abiotic habitat characteristics. Our analyses revealed that placer gold mining causes multiple stressors acting on different trophic levels. The biocoenotic groups under investigation reacted differently against stressors, and we indentifi ed a wide range of direct and indirect effects. These fi ndings are new for Mongolia and are essential to defi ne adapted and successful strategies for an ecologically based management and monitoring of open placer gold mining pressures and ecological impacts.
On the structural changes in the Brewer-Dobson circulation after 2000

Abstract. In this paper we present evidence that the observed increase in tropical upwelling after the year 2000 may be attributed to a change in the Brewer-Dobson circulation pattern. For this purpose, we use the concept of transit times derived from residual circulation trajectories and different in-situ measurements of ozone and nitrous dioxide. Observations from the Canadian midlatitude ozone profile record, probability density functions of in-situ N 2 O observations and a shift of the N 2 O-O 3 correlation slopes, taken together, indicate that the increased upwelling in the tropics after the year 2000 appears to have triggered an intensification of tracer transport from the tropics into the extratropics in the lower stratosphere below about 500 K. This finding is corroborated by the fact that transit times along the shallow branch of the residual circulation into the LMS have decreased for the same time period (1993–2003). On a longer time scale (1979–2009), the transit time of the shallow residual circulation branch show a steady decrease of about −1 month/decade over the last 30 yr, while the transit times of the deep branch remain unchanged. This highlights that changes in the upwelling across the tropical tropopause are not sufficient as an indicator for changes in the entire Brewer-Dobson circulation.
GeoGebra in financial education

In this paper, the authors discuss the use of GeoGebra in the teaching of financial issues in basic and secondary schools and in teacher preparation courses. By means of example, the authors illustrate the use of GeoGebra as a vehicle for explaining present-day financial issues while providing students with skills necessary to make well-informed monetary decisions. The dynamic features of GeoGebra encourage experimentation and deep conceptual understanding of the mathematics underpinning various financial formulas.
Characterization of damped linear dynamical systems in free motion

It is well known that the free motion of a single-degree-of-freedom damped linear dynamical system can be characterized as overdamped, underdamped, or critically damped. Using the methodology of phase synchronization, which transforms any system of linear second-order differential equations into independent second-order equations, this characterization of free motion is generalized to multi-degree-of-freedom damped linear systems. A real scalar function, termed the viscous damping function, is introduced as an extension of the classical damping ratio. It is demonstrated that the free motion of a multi-degree-of-freedom system is characterized by its viscous damping function, and sometimes the characterization may be conducted with ease by examining the extrema of the viscous damping function.
Growth performance and immune response of silver striped catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus (Sauvage, 1878) fed with Lapsi Choerospondias axillaris (Roxburgh, 1832) during intensive aquaculture

Background: Lapsi (Choerospondias axillaris) is a medicinal plant native to Nepal; its fruit is widely used for the treatment of various diseases in various countries like Mongolia, China, Vietnam, etc. Hypothesis: The lapsi fruit is rich in high level of antioxidant compounds which may be useful for fish health. Objectives: Four hundred fingerlings @ 7.27 ± 03 g were procured, acclimatized and 360 fingerlings from the stock were distributed randomly at the rate of 15 fishes per tank into 24 plastic tanks (30 inch x 24 inch x 18 inch) equally. Eight (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7 and T8 ) purified experimental diets containing 40% crude protein were prepared using different doses of lapsi extracts (LE) and lapsi powder (LP) as 0, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 mg kg LE and then 100 and 200 mg kg LP in T7 and T8 respectively along with other usual ingredients. Proximate analysis, weight gain%, specific growth rate (SGR) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) was studied. Various enzymes like SGOT, SGPT, ALP, NBT, SOD and Catalase were studied from the blood, liver and gills of experimental fishes to understand the immune response. Results: It has been concluded that T4 diet fed fish i.e. 400 mg kg LE will be better for fish farmers for better growth and better fish immunity. Discussion: Medicinal herbs have strong antibacterial effects of active compounds known to and play an important role in preventing bacterial infections. Conclusions: Lapsi Choerospondias axillaris may be useful for the aqua-farmers for better aquaculture productions and it may enhance the socioeconomic status of the country. Acknowledgement: Expressing sincere thanks to Dr. W. S. Lakra, Former Vice Chancellor of ICARCIFE, and Mumbai for provided lab facilities. Fellowship provided by Tribhuvan University, Nepal, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and Indian Science Academy INSA-Delhi are gratefully acknowledged.
Contributions and Limitations of Empirical Research on Independence and Impartiality in International Investment Arbitration

The use of investment treaty arbitration to decide public law raises concerns about judicial independence and impartiality. These concerns arise from the absence of institutional safeguards of independence that are otherwise present in public law adjudication at the domestic or international level. In this article, opportunities to use empirical methods to study possible bias in investment arbitration are surveyed. The discussion includes a brief consideration of qualitative methods and a critique of two quantitative studies on outcomes in investment arbitration. The discussion then turns to the methodology of an ongoing project involving legal content analysis of decisions by investment treaty tribunals. The main conclusion reached in the paper is that empirical research can make important contributions to scholarly understanding of investment arbitration. On the other hand, empirical research has important limitations in its ability to demonstrate the presence or absence of actual bias, even at a systemic level, thus reinforcing the need for institutional safeguards.
Understanding the Role of Runx2 in a Breast Cancer Progression Cell Model

Runx2 is a transcription factor required for bone formation and osteoblastic differentiation during normal development and is implicated in metastatic disease during breast cancer progression. Runx2 is highly expressed in many metastatic breast cancers and breast cancer cell lines Knockdown of Runx2 in various breast cancer cell lines restores epithelial characteristics and reduces proliferation, migration, and invasion. However, the role of Runx2 in breast cancer progression from early to late stages is not well understood. The MCF10A derived breast cancer progression model provides the opportunity to study the role of Runx2 in a series of cell lines that progress from nearly normal, with low Runx2 levels, to highly metastatic and aggressive, with much higher Runx2 levels. To address if removal of Runx2 affects gene expression and what pathways it may influence, specifically focused on breast cancer progression, we knocked down Runx2 using an shRNA lentivirus. Depletion of Runx2 inhibits the expression of mesenchymal markers including N-cadherin, Fibronectin, and Vimentin. Despite this finding, functional characteristics including proliferation, migration, and invasion were minimally affected. Possible reasons for the difference in results compared to other cell systems are discussed. As an alternative approach, we have generated stable, inducible cell lines using CRISPRi dCas9-KRAB to target Runx2 and in the future will investigate the effects of Runx2 knockdown in these cells.
Satellite Monitoring of Small-scale Farming Systems in Subang, Indonesia

Rice fields in Java, Indonesia have been in tremendous threat due to land policy weaknesses. In order to ensure food supply, satellite-based monitoring scheme has been chosen to accommodate quick data acquisition for agriculture planning. Nonetheless, detailed rice field map is lacking and it should be taken in consideration. WorldView-2 has the highest ground resolution to date, which is suitable to construct new rice distribution map in Indonesia. This paper shows that panchromatic data of the sensor have capability in identification of fragmented rice fields and clearly showed galengans . Red edge and Coastal bands introduced by WorldView-2 were found substantial to rice growth discrimination. In addition, various rice growth periods were detectable which helped to create of rice status map at appropriate accuracy.
Next generation satellite RGB dust imagery leads to op-erational changes at NWS Alburquerque

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration/Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center has been providing unique, multispectral red-green-blue (RGB) composite imagery to operational forecasters since 2004. More recently, SPoRT has used the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites “best practices” standards for RGB composites to transition a wide array of imagery for multiple uses. A “Dust” RGB product has been made available for evaluation at the National Weather Service (NWS) in Albuquerque, New Mexico (ABQ), since 2012. Several cases have occurred where forecasters were able to isolate dust plume locations for mesoscale and synoptic events during daytime and nighttime conditions. This type of imagery is a large change from the single channel imagery typically used by operational forecast staff and, therefore, can be a challenge to interpret. This paper focuses on the integration of such new imagery into operational use as well as the benefits assessed by NWS ABQ over several documented events. The primary benefits include improvements in short-term forecasts of ceiling conditions for the aviation community as well as improved decision support services and communication to the general public regarding blowing dust.
An experimental design applied to vineyards for identifying spatially and temporally variable crop parameters

Harvesting uniform batches of grapes is required to optimize must quality as one prerequisite for premium wine production. The definition of sub-units of vineyards based on within-field variation allows unitbased vineyard management during cultivation and harvest. Essential for such vineyard management is the definition of sub-units that correspond with uniform batches of quality parameters of the fruit (e.g. berry residual sugar, anthocyanin content) at harvest time or with physiological parameters measuring the vine during berry development until ripeness. The definition requires geo-referenced sampling and parameter analysis, usually in combination with interpolation and kriging methods employed to describe spatial vineyard variation. In an attempt to develop an assay for within-variation in vineyards physiological parameters assessed through chlorophyll fluorescence measurements and leaf temperature were assessed at bloom, veraison and post veraison in a randomized block design in two vineyards of Lower Austria. A statistical model based on a repeated measurement ANOVA was developed and showed suitability for the detection and monitoring of vineyard variability throughout the vegetation period based on the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm), the maximum leaf temperature (maxT leaf ) and malic acid. These parameters allow the prospective classification of sub-units according to the vine’s vitality and may be adopted for scientific experimentation and for practical viticulture.