Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pattern of species richness along an altitudinal gradient on Gaoligong Mountains, Southwest China

Patterns of species richness along altitudinal gradients have become a focus of ecological research. We explored the patterns of seed plants richness along an altitudinal gradient on Gaoligong Mountains, Southwest China. Information on seed plants and their distribution ranges was collected from Flora of Gaoligong Mountains, and the DEM (Digital Elevation Model) was derived from a topographical map of this region. Using these datasets, altitudinal patterns of richness and species density of all seed plant species and plants of three different life forms (trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants), as well as their relationship with topographic parameters were studied. The results are summarized as follows: (1) the species richness increased rapidly first and then decreased with increasing elevation, peaking at the altitudes of between 1500 m and 2000 m; (2) similar to the altitudinal pattern of species richness, species, genus and family densities (number of taxa per unit area) also showed a humped pattern along the altitudinal gradient. Species density reached a maximum between 1500 m and 2000 m, with an average of 1653 m, while genus and family densities peaked between 900-1500 m, with an average of 1089 m,and (3) energy and moisture represented by elevation, as well as hard boundaries of species distribution were possible factors determining the patterns of species richness and density.
Comparison between Quaternary Glaciations in China and the Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS):An Improved Schema

In the past two decades,dating techniques,including cosmogenic radionuclide (CRN) or terrestrial in situ cosmogenic nuclides (TCN),optically stimulated luminescence (OSL),electron spin resonance (ESR),which can potentially and directly determine the ages of glacial landforms and sediments have been refined and widely applied.These techniques in combination with other dating methods,such as lichenometry,14 C and thermoluminescence (TL) dating,have promoted further understanding of Quaternary glaciations in China,and some new progress has been achieved.For example,abundant dating data,which are consistent with the stratigraphy and geomorphology have been determined;glacial sequences constrained by numerical ages in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and bordering mountains have been obtained;the coupling relationship between the uplift of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and the glacier evolution in Quaternary has been identified.An improved comparative schema between Quaternary glaciations and marine oxygen isotope stage (MIS) has been proposed on the basis of the available data.The improved comparative schema includes 15 special stages and sub-stages during the last 1 million years.Information,such as time (ka),MIS,Chinese glaciations are accessible.The authors expect more comments and suggestions on the improved schema.
Integrating Active Learning into Paleontology Classes

The educational benefits of replacing in-class lectures with hands-on activities are clear. Such active learning is a natural fit for paleontology, which can provide opportunities for examining fossils, analyzing data and writing. Additionally, there are a number of topics in the field that are exciting to geology majors and non-majors alike: very few can resist the lure of dinosaurs, huge meteor impacts, vicious Cretaceous sharks or a giant Pleistocene land mammal. However, it can seem difficult to introduce these techniques into a large general education class full of non-majors: paleontological specimens provide a natural starting point for hands-on classroom activities, but in a large class it is not always practical or possible to provide enough fossil material for all students. Here I will briefly introduce different types of active learning approaches, and then explain how I have applied these to a large introductory paleontology class for non-majors.
Community structure of marine ultraphytoplankton in Xiamen waters using photosynthetic pigments

Photosynthetic pigments were measured by RP-HPLC in seawaters samples of Xiamen in winter(December, 2002), and the diagnostic pigment data were converted into chlorophyll a biomass to assess the community structure both in total and ultra-size phytoplankton. The result showed that chlorophyte was dominant group in ultra-phytoplankton community, while diatoms was prevaided in total phytoplankton community. The biomass of ultra-phytoplankton only occupied about 1.5% to 11% biomass of all phytoplankton(indicated by Chlorophyll a), however, the ultra-size phytoplankton contributed a large proportion of biomass in chlorophyte and prymnesiaphyceae. Both dinophyceae and cyanobacteria were not detected in ultraphytoplankton community. Community structure of ultraphytoplankton was simple in eutrophic aquicultral waters, while complicated in Jiulong River estuary. 
A spatial autocorrelation analysis of land use change in Pearl River Delta

By synthetically modeling and analyzing geographic phenomena of land use and land cover change(LUCC) in space and time,the inherent law inside the spatial-temporal evolution of LUCC can be explored.This kind of spatial-temporal analysis provides a scientific basis for rational/optimal use of land,which enables a sustainable development of a region.Based on the land use data from 1990 to 2005,this paper carefully analyzed the spatial-temporal pattern of LUCC in Pearl River Delta.Several spatial autocorrelation analyses were implemented,i.e.,global spatial autocorrelation analysis,and univariate/bivariate local spatial correlation analysis.Results showed that the global spatial autocorrelation of LUCC in the study area was weak,and the global land use was random.However,univariate/bivariate local spatial correlation analysis showed differences among different sub-regions and among different periods,which reveal an imbalance of regional development.This paper also shows that spatial autocorrelation analysis is a useful method for analyzing and modeling LUCC.
A Cost-Effective Resonant Switched-Capacitor DC-DC Boost Converter – Experimental Results and Feasibility Model

Abstract This paper presents the results of experimental research of a resonant switched capacitor voltage multiplier in a cost-effective topology (CESCVM) with a limited number of active switches. In the charging mode of the switched capacitors, the converter utilizes only one active switch and a required number of diodes. Therefore, the cost of the converter is decreased as compared with that of a classical SCVM converter, owing to a lower number of switches and gate driver circuits, as well as a smaller PCB area. Moreover, the CESCVM has simpler control circuits and higher reliability. This paper presents the original experimental results of the operation of the CESCVM converter. A concept of the bootstrap supply of gate drivers of the flying switches is also examined.
Spatiotemporal patterns and driving factors of grassland fire on Mongolian Plateau

By using GIS spatial analysis method and L3JRC remote sensing data,the spatiotemporal patterns of grassland fire on the Mongolian Plateau in 2000-2007 were examined,and the difference in the grassland fire activities between Inner Mongolia and Mongolia was compared.The effects of vegetation,climate,and human disturbance on the grassland fire were also analyzed.There existed significant difference(P0.001) in the burned area ratio among three vegetation types,and decreased in the order of meadow steppetypical steppe desert steppe.The grasslands in Mongolia had significantly higher burned area ratio than those in Inner Mongolia(P0.001),and the fire frequency had the same pattern with the burned area ratio.The fire activity differed significantly among years.The burned area ratio was negatively correlated with the annual precipitation in meadow steppe(r2=-0.54,P0.05) and typical steppe(r2=-0.61,P0.05). Fire activity also showed monthly variation,occurring mostly in spring and autumn when the weather was dry and windy.It was found that Inner Mongolia had much higher human population and livestock density but lower burned area ratio than Mongolia,suggesting that human disturbance,overgrazing in particular,was the major factor inducing the different patterns of grassland fire between Inner Mongolia and Mongolia.
REVIEW OF CARBONIFEROUS—PERMIAN CONODONT BIOSTRATIGRAPHY IN NORTH CHINA

r After the restudy of the Carboniferous—Permian conodonts in North China, the Carboniferous—Permian conodont sequence of North China can be summarized in the descending order: the Sweetognathus whitei, S. inornatus, Streptognathodus barskovi, S. isolatus, S. elegantulus S.oppletus, Idiognathodus magnificus Neognathodus roundyi, Idiognathodus delicatus Neognathodus bothrops, Idiognathoidesi corrugatus I. sinuatus, Declinognathodus noduliferus, Gnathodus bilineatus bollandensis and G. bilineatus bilineatus zones or assemblage zones. The distribution in North China of these conodonts and their correlation with other areas are discussed also in this paper.
Kenaf Research and Development in Malaysia

Kenaf has been considered as a versatile crop with multipurpose and continuable utilization in the World. In this paper, kenaf research, developing status and future plan of work in Malaysia were introduced. The contents include variety selection, cultivation, pest and disease management, storage, production process, utilization and economic analysis for the purposes of kenaf as a raw material of animal feed, fiber reinforced plastic composites, pulp and paper in Malaysia. It is useful for promoting the kenaf research, development and utilization in China.
Effect on hand kinematics when using assistive devices during activities of daily living

Assistive devices (ADs) are products intended to overcome the difficulties produced by the reduction in mobility and grip strength entailed by ageing and different pathologies. Nevertheless, there is little information about the effect that the use of these devices produces on hand kinematics. Thus, the aim of this work is to quantify this effect through the comparison of kinematic parameters (mean posture, ROM, median velocity and peak velocity) while performing activities of daily living (ADL) using normal products and ADs. Twelve healthy right-handed subjects performed 11 ADL with normal products and with 17 ADs wearing an instrumented glove on their right hand, 16 joint angles being recorded. ADs significantly affected hand kinematics, although the joints affected differed according to the AD. Furthermore, some pattern effects were identified depending on the characteristics of the handle of the ADs, namely, handle thickening, addition of a handle to products that initially did not have one, extension of existing handles or addition of handles to apply higher torques. An overview of the effects of these design characteristics on hand kinematics is presented as a basis for the selection of the most suitable AD depending on the patient’s impairments.
Implementing and assessing a service to demonstrate public impact of faculty research in news and policy sources

Background As the need to demonstrate research impact increases, faculty are looking for new ways to show funders, departments, and institutions that their work is making a difference. While traditional metrics such as citation counts can tell one part of this story, these metrics are focused on the academic sphere and often miss the wide-ranging public impact that research can have in areas such as the news or policy documents. Case Presentation This case report describes how one library piloted and established the Policy & News Media Impact Service, where librarians generate reports for faculty members of the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center that tracks citations of their research in governmental and organizational policies as well as local, national, and international news media. Workflows of, resources used in, and faculty feedback on the service are described. Conclusions This Policy & News Media Impact Service pilot was successful and resulted in the establishment of a permanent service that is available to all departments in the Academic Health Center. Faculty feedback indicated that the service was valuable in demonstrating the public impact of their research.
Communication tools and sources of education and information: a national survey of rural and remote nurses

Objective This study examined accessibility of communication tools in the workplace, use of education to update nursing knowledge, and use of information to make specific decisions in practice among registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) in rural and remote communities in Canada. Methods Data were analyzed from the cross-sectional survey, “Nursing Practice in Rural and Remote Canada II,” of regulated nurses practicing in all provinces and territories of Canada. Data were collected from April 2014 to August 2015. Results The survey was completed by 3,822 of 9,622 nurses (40% response), and the present analysis was conducted with a subsample of 2,827 nurses. High-speed Internet was the most accessible communication tool, and nurses used “online/electronic education” more often than “in-person education” to update their nursing knowledge. Internet searches were used more often than several other online/electronic sources to inform decision making. Compared to LPNs, RNs reported greater workplace access to most communication tools and greater use of online/electronic education as well as information sources in online/electronic and print formats. Compared to nurses in community-based health care and hospital settings, nurses in long-term care settings reported lower access to most communication tools, lower use of online/electronic and in-person education, and lower use of online/electronic information. Conclusions Access to continuing education and up-to-date information is important for effective patient care. This study points to a need for further research on the continuing education and information needs of rural and remote RNs and LPNs, and on their capacity to incorporate and apply new knowledge in practice.
In situ analysis of Her2 DNA and RNA in retinoblastoma and adjacent retina

Retinoblastoma (RB) is an ocular tumor of early childhood. Current treatments attempt to preserve visual function, but may spare chemoresistant tumor cells. One potential therapeutic target for RB is HER2, (ERBB2), expressed in RB in truncated form. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that Her2 DNA and RNA are expressed in RB tumors and adjacent retina. We examined 24 human RB tumors as well as normal-appearing adjacent retinal tissues for Her2 DNA and RNA expression by in situ hybridization. We also examined 28 RB tumors for HER2 protein immunoreactivity. 21/22 RB tumors expressed Her2 DNA and 14/19 tumors expressed Her2 RNA. In 17 paired cases, there were three cases in which Her2 DNA was detected, but not RNA. We also saw Her2 RNA signal in six instances of “normal” adjacent retinal tissue. Heterogeneous HER2 protein expression in specific tumor regions also was confirmed by quantitative HER2 immunohistochemistry. In summary, Her2 DNA and RNA are expressed in many RB tumors, and in some adjacent ocular tissues, with hetereogenous protein expression throughout. These results may provide important insights regarding RB tumor progression, and drug targeting approaches designed to spare the eye, preserve vision and improve quality of life for RB patients.
Tangible User Interfaces to Ease the Learning Process of Visually-Impaired Children

People with visual impairment face significant challenges during their learning process, especially children in the early stages of this process. Different assistive technologies have been developed in last decades to support people with visual impairment when interacting with computers. This kind of technologies assume certain skills and level of maturity in the users. Nevertheless, there is a lack of technologies for children, specifically designed to support their personal development especially in the earliest stages. In this paper we propose a novel system based on Tangible User Interfaces aiming at providing children with visual impairment a new way of learning basic concepts. The system implements an audio-based game through which children are guided and motivated with different activities designed to learn basic concepts by identifying objects physically available that children must grasp with their hands to interact with the system. We have also performed a preliminary evaluation of the system with real users obtaining positive results.
Utilization of Pectinase Cocktail and High Hydrostatic Pressure for the Production of Aged Black Garlic Juice with Improved Nutritional Value

In comparison with raw garlic, aged black garlic has been shown to display multiple pharmacological activities. We recently reported that pretreatment of pectinase cocktail with high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) before the process of aging garlic juice improves its antidiabetic activity and increases S-allylcysteine (SAC) content. Thus, this study was designed to investigate the influence of pectinase cocktail with HHP on the quality of aged black garlic juice formation and to identify the optimal manufacturing conditions. In the pretreatment step, garlic juice is heated at 55°C for 24 h. The contents of SAC and total polyphenols were increased with treatment of pectinase cocktail; this increase was greater under HHP processing. In contrast, the total flavonoid content was decreased in all pretreatment conditions. Garlic juice pretreated with pectinase cocktail and HHP had a significantly higher content of SAC in the early phase of aging than raw garlic juice, and the SAC was increased over time in both treatment groups. The total polyphenol content of garlic juice was significantly higher in the pretreatment group during the aging period, and the antioxidant activity of garlic juice showed a positive correlation with polyphenol content. Interestingly, HHP increased the enzymatic activity of the pectinase cocktail.
Biomass and carbon storage of Rhus typhina in hilly area of Taihang Mountain

In order to comprehensively understand the service function of Rhus typhina(an exotic species),the biomass and carbon storage of eleven-year-old R.typhina community in bare land and desolate sloping field in the hilly area of Taihang Mountain were investigated.The results were as follows: The exponential equations of biomass of different components about the basal diameter and tree height were established,and the regression coefficient reached more than 0.92,which achieved significantly positive levels.It was calculated that the biomass of R.typhina community in bare land and desolate sloping field were 13.395 4 t·hm-2 and 29.106 4 t·hm-2 respectively,and higher than that of native shrub in this area.The average carbon content of R.typhina was 44.56% and the vegetation carbon stock in these two kinds of R.typhina community were 5.915 5 t·hm-2 and 12.975 1 t·hm-2 respectively.In addition,the top soil(0～20 cm) carbon stock in barren sloping field was 2.172 2 kg·m-2 and the total carbon stock of eleven-year-old R.typhina community achieved at 34.697 1 t·hm-2,so it was obvious that R.typhina was superior to native shrub in the aspects of material production and carbon sequestration ability.
Optimizing Postprandial Glucose Management in Adults With Insulin-Requiring Diabetes: Report and Recommendations

Abstract Faster-acting insulins, new noninsulin drug classes, more flexible insulin-delivery systems, and improved continuous glucose monitoring devices offer unprecedented opportunities to improve postprandial glucose (PPG) management and overall care for adults with insulin-treated diabetes. These developments led the Endocrine Society to convene a working panel of diabetes experts in December 2018 to assess the current state of PPG management, identify innovative ways to improve self-management and quality of life, and align best practices to current and emerging treatment and monitoring options. Drawing on current research and collective clinical experience, we considered the following issues for the ∼200 million adults worldwide with type 1 and insulin-requiring type 2 diabetes: (i) the role of PPG management in reducing the risk of diabetes complications; (ii) barriers preventing effective PPG management; (iii) strategies to reduce PPG excursions and improve patient quality of life; and (iv) education and clinical tools to support endocrinologists in improving PPG management. We concluded that managing PPG to minimize or prevent diabetes-related complications will require elucidating fundamental questions about optimal ways to quantify and clinically assess the metabolic dysregulation and consequences of the abnormal postprandial state in diabetes and recommend research strategies to address these questions. We also identified practical strategies and tools that are already available to reduce barriers to effective PPG management, optimize use of new and emerging clinical tools, and improve patient self-management and quality of life.
Endemism and diversity of small mammals along two neighboring Bornean mountains

Mountains offer replicated units with large biotic and abiotic gradients in a reduced spatial scale. This transforms them into well-suited scenarios to evaluate biogeographic theories. Mountain biogeography is a hot topic of research and many theories have been proposed to describe the changes in biodiversity with elevation. Geometric constraints, which predict the highest diversity to occur in mid-elevations, have been a focal part of this discussion. Despite this, there is no general theory to explain these patterns, probably because of the interaction among different predictors with the local effects of historical factors. We characterize the diversity of small non-volant mammals across the elevational gradient on Mount (Mt.) Kinabalu (4,095 m) and Mt. Tambuyukon (2,579 m), two neighboring mountains in Borneo, Malaysia. We documented a decrease in species richness with elevation which deviates from expectations of the geometric constraints and suggests that spatial factors (e.g., larger diversity in larger areas) are important. The lowland small mammal community was replaced in higher elevations (from above ~1,900 m) with montane communities consisting mainly of high elevation Borneo endemics. The positive correlation we find between elevation and endemism is concordant with a hypothesis that predicts higher endemism with topographical isolation. This supports lineage history and geographic history could be important drivers of species diversity in this region.
Phenolic Content Analysis of Aloe vera Gel and Evaluation of the Effect of Aloe Gel Supplementation on Oxidative Stress and Fibrosis in Isoprenaline-Administered Cardiac Damage in Rats

We evaluated the cardioprotective effect of Aloe vera gel isoprenaline (ISO)-administered myocardial infarction in rats. ISO administration increased lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress in rats, which were ameliorated by A. vera gel supplementation. Our study also revealed that creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) activities were increased in ISO-administered rats, while the activities of cellular antioxidants, such as superoxide dismutase and catalase, and glutathione concentration were decreased. A. vera gel lowered CK-MB enzyme activities and the glutathione concentration in ISO-administered rats, and increased antioxidant activities. Histopathological examination also revealed increases in thickness of the left ventricle myocardium, increases in mononuclear cell infiltrations, increased degeneration of focal areas of the endocardium, and increased fibrous tissue deposition in the heart of ISO-administered rats; whereas, A. vera prevented infiltration of inflammatory cells and reduced left ventricular fibrosis. In conclusion, we show that A. vera supplementation protects against development of cardiac inflammation, fibrosis, and oxidative stress in ISO-administered rats.