Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Major drivers of invasion risks throughout the world

In this paper, we investigate how climate, land use, habitat characteristics, and socioeconomic activities contribute to predict the current potential distributions of the “100 among the world's worst invasive alien species”. We calculated the predictive power of each of the 41 variables for the 95 species including a large number of plants, vertebrates and invertebrates. We then calibrated the species distribution models with a set of appropriate variables for each invasive alien species to predict the potential distribution of these species and identify the major regions of origin of the invasive alien species. We found that climate variables were primarily predictors of the distribution of the global invaders studied. In addition, the habitat characteristics were also important predictors following by the socioeconomic variables such as the nearest distance to airports, seaports and human population density. We show that the potential areas at the highest risk of invasions from these species are located in Western Europe, Eastern United States, Central America, the eastern coast of Australia, and some Indonesian islands. We argue that these potential hotspots of invasions should be monitored in priority to prevent new invasions from these species. This study provides evidence of the importance of considering both habitat characteristics, socioeconomic and climate change factors for the current and future predictions of biological invasions.
American Women Childhood Soy Intake and Breast Cancer Risk in Asian

Introduction: Historically, breast cancer incidence has been substantially higher in the United States than in Asia. When Asian women migrate to the United States, their breast cancer risk increases over several generations and approaches that for U.S. Whites. Thus, modifiable factors, such as diet, may be responsible. Methods: In this population-based case-control study of breast cancer among women of Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino descent, ages 20 to 55 years, and living in San Francisco-Oakland (California), Los Angeles (California) and Oahu (Hawaii), we interviewed 597 cases (70% of those eligible) and 966 controls (75%) about adolescent and adult diet and cultural practices. For subjects with mothers living in the United States (39% of participants), we interviewed mothers of 99 cases (43% of eligible) and 156 controls (40%) about the daughter’s childhood exposures. Seventy-three percent of study participants were premenopausal at diagnosis. Results: Comparing highest with lowest tertiles, the multivariate relative risks (95% confidence interval) for childhood, adolescent, and adult soy intake were 0.40 (0.18-0.83; P trend = 0.03), 0.80 (0.59-1.08; P trend = 0.12), and 0.76 (0.56-1.02; P trend = 0.04), respectively. Inverse associations with childhood intake were noted in all three races, all three study sites, and women born in Asia and the United States. Adjustment for measures of westernization attenuated the associations with adolescent and adult soy intake but did not affect the inverse relationship with childhood soy intake. Discussion: Soy intake during childhood, adolescence, and adult life was associated with decreased breast cancer risk, with the strongest, most consistent effect for childhood intake. Soy may be a hormonally related, early-life exposure that influences breast cancer incidence. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(4):1050–9)
Metastatic cutaneous and subcutaneous lesions: Analysis of cases diagnosed on fine needle aspiration cytology

Background: Cutaneous and subcutaneous metastasis from an underlying primary, indicates a dismal outcome for patients. It is appropriate to use fine needle aspiration cytology as a minimally invasive method for diagnosis. This study emphasises the role of fine needle aspiration cytology in diagnosing metastatic skin nodules. Materials and methods: This was a retrospective study in which the record of all patients subjected to fine needle aspiration cytology from April 2008 – Nov 2010 in the Department of Pathology, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, were reviewed. Of 5,927 patients, 19 cases diagnosed as metastatic skin lesions were included in the study. Results: Out of 19 patients with metastatic skin nodules, 9 patients had metastasis simultaneously with the primary and 8 cases were previously diagnosed. All metastases were from internal solid organ tumours with male to female ratio of 1.7:1. Lung carcinoma was the most common to metastasis in both sexes which included adenocarcinoma (5 cases) and squamous cell carcinoma (6 cases). Common sites for cutaneous/subcutaneous metastasis were the chest wall (9 cases) followed by abdomen (4 cases) and scalp (3 cases). Conclusion: Fine needle aspiration cytology can diagnose a variety of skin lesions which may be supportive in diagnosing a metastasis in cases with known primaries or it may offer a clue to underlying malignancy in unsuspected cases. Keywords: Fine needle aspiration; Cutaneous metastases DOI: 10.3126/jpn.v1i1. 4449 Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2011) Vol.1, 37-40
Estimates of global dew collection potential on artificial surfaces

The global potential for collecting usable water from dew on an artificial collector sheet was investigated by utilizing 34 years of meteorological reanalysis data as input to a dew formation model. Continental dew formation was found to be frequent and common, but daily yields were mostly below 0.1 mm. Nevertheless, some water-stressed areas such as parts of the coastal regions of northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula show potential for large-scale dew harvesting, as the yearly yield may reach up to 100 L m −2 for a commonly used polyethylene foil. Statistically significant trends were found in the data, indicating overall changes in dew yields of between ±10% over the investigated time period.
Multivariate calibration and moisture control in yerba mate by near infrared spectroscopy

This work describes the development of a multivariate model based on near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIR) and partial least squares regression for the prediction of the moisture content in yerba mate samples. The multivariate model based on derivatized and multiplicative sign correction (MSC) spectral signals (4000-8500 cm -1 ) was elaborated with 3 latent variables, allowing the fast evaluation of the moisture content with average prediction errors of about 2.5%. The minimal manipulation of the samples permits a high analytical speed that facilitates the implementation of quality control operations.
Chemical Composition and Antibacterial Activity of Bergamot Peel Oil from Supercritical CO2 and Compressed Propane Extraction

Essential oils are widely used as flavors and fragrances in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, especially the bergamot peel oil due to the high polyphenols content, compared to other citrus species. Two types of polyphenols present in bergamot peel oil, brutieridin and melitidin, are directly related to cholesterol biosynthesis inhibition in a similar way as the statins. In this context, this work reports the extraction yields of bergamot peel oil obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide and compressed propane, together with the antimicrobial activity. The experiments were conducted at 55°C and 350 bar (density 0.881kg/m3) for carbon dioxide and at 55 °C and 40 bar (density 0.441 kg/m3) for propane. Regarding the antimicrobial activity, the minimum inhibitory concentrations of bergamot oil were effective for the gram-positive bacteria growth inhibition, Staphylococcus aureus at 31.25 µg. mL-1 of bergamot oil, while 500 µg. mL-1 of oil extract was necessary to afford gram-negative bacterium (Escherichia coli) inhibition.
Lawful or Fair? How Cops and Laypeople Perceive Good Policing

Legal authorities and the public live in two separate worlds. One world is suffused with law, and the other world is suffused with people’s lived experiences that support their evaluations of fairness. When legal authorities consider whether police policies and practices are desirable, a framework regarding the lawfulness of the relevant policies and practices dominates the conversation. Police departments, their policies, and police officers’ actions are viewed as right or wrong with reference to constitutional standards, as interpreted by prosecutors, judges, and other legal actors. In contrast, we argue that the public is generally insensitive to the question of whether police officers act consistently with constitutional standards. Instead, the public evaluates the propriety of police actions primarily by assessing whether police officers exercise their authority with “procedural fairness. ” We rely on the results of an innovative nationwide experimental survey involving respondents from representative American cities, in which each respondent completes a questionnaire and then watches and reacts to three videos of police–citizen interactions. We argue that the actual lawfulness of police action has at best a minor influence on public evaluations of appropriate police behavior. Public judgments about whether police officers should be disciplined for misconduct are largely shaped by people’s procedural justice evaluations.
New modeling of X-ray diffraction by disordered lamellar structures, such as phyllosilicates

Abstract The “classical” modeling of powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of lamellar structures, such as phyllosilicates, assumes that the samples are composed of “crystals” having various thickness and well-defined translations between layers. This model is able to describe the high-angle domain of XRD patterns but sometimes fails in the low-angle region. The new model proposed here considers the samples to be composed of “particles” that have larger sizes than crystals and contain defects such as cracks, inner-porosity, bent layers, edge dislocations, etc. These defects induce variations in the d-spacings, introduced in the calculation by distributions of the d-spacings. For phyllosilicates, this model is consistent not only with XRD, but also with small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) observations.
User-centered design through learner-centered instruction

This article initially demonstrates the parallels between the learner-centered approach in education and the user-centered approach in design disciplines. Afterward, a course on human factors that applies learner-centered methods to teach user-centered design is introduced. The focus is on three tasks to identify the application of theoretical and methodological approach. The major instructional methods utilized in the tasks are role enactment, project-based learning, case-based learning and reflection. These tasks develop students' knowledge, attitude and skills reflecting on their selves, their social and physical environment. Finally, the results of the study on students' evaluations of the course and their learning are presented. The study findings indicate that the course has been successful in its learning objectives. Multiple methods of learner-centered instruction complement lecture sessions and one-another to enhance student learning of user-centered design in different levels of cognitive and affective domains.
The influence of floodplain morphology and river works on spatial patterns of overbank deposition

Abstract Floodplain topography and related hydraulic patterns of overbank flow constitute a major control on the amounts and patterns of sediment deposition on floodplains. We studied the differences in sediment deposition at two scales along two river branches of the lower River Rhine in the Netherlands: the Waal and IJssel River. Human alterations like levelling and embankment construction have severely impacted the floodplains along the Waal River branch (average discharge: 1500 m3·s‒1), whereas the relatively wide floodplains along the IJssel River (average discharge: 250 m3·s‒1) still exhibit their characteristic ridge-and-swale topography and natural levees. We found that, in general, the amounts of sediment deposited sediment decreases with increasing distance to the sediment source. Clay and organic matter content generally increase with decreasing floodplain elevation. These trends are, however, far less pronounced in the Waal River floodplains than in the IJssel River floodplains. Sediment deposited on the IJssel River floodplains also contains significantly more sand than the sediment deposited on the Waal River floodplains, probably because of the absence of minor embankments along the IJssel River and its higher sinuosity. Furthermore, during inundation the individual Waal River floodplains receive more sediment per unit area than the IJssel River floodplains. At the scale of the river branch, however, the conveyance losses in the Waal River are less than in the IJssel River, because of the larger surface area of the floodplains along the IJssel River relative to its water and sediment discharge during flood events. This discrepancy stresses that both the individual floodplain sections and the total river branch should be taken into account when studying the role of overbank deposition as part of a river’s sediment budget.
In vitro methane emission from Indian dry roughages in relation to chemical composition

Dry roughages, viz. wheat straw (WS), rice straw (RS), barley straw (BS), oat straw (OS), gram straw (GS), lentil straw (LS), sorghum stover (SST), pearl millet stover (PMST), maize stover (MST) and dry mixed grass (DG) fed to livestock were characterized for carbohydrate and protein fractions, energy, in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and in vitro methane (CH4) emission in buffalo inoculums with the objective to rank dry roughages for CH4 emission, and to correlate their nutritional constituents with CH4 production. Crude protein (CP) was more (P < 0.05) in LS, whereas MST had higher (P < 0.05) CP than SST and PMST. Protein fraction A (PA) (%CP) was higher in SST and BS, whereas protein fraction C (PC) (%CP) was highest (P < 0.05) in RS and lowest in LS. Carbohydrate fraction C (CC) (%DM) was higher (P < 0.05) in GS, LS and DG, and lowest in MST. Carbohydrate fraction A (CA) (%DM) was higher (P < 0.05) in GS and LS (17.51 and 20.54) and lowest in WS and RS (2.99 and 2.04). Gross energy (GE) of roughages ranged between 16.89 and 18.67 kJ g. CH4 production (ml g) was higher (P < 0.05) from LS, BS and MST at 12, 24 and 48 h of incubation. CH4 production (g kg DDM (digestible dry matter)) varied (P < 0.05) from 27.46 in MST to 47.37 in WS. CH4% of GE was higher (P < 0.05) from LS and BS, and lowest from SST and MST. NDF, ADF, cellulose and lignin were negatively associated, whereas OM, ether extract (EE) and GE were positively associated with CH4. Acid detergent insoluble protein (ADIP), protein fraction B3 (PB3) and PC were negatively associated with CH4 production. Non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) and CA were positively correlated with CH4 (r = 0.40* and r = 0.43**). It is concluded that CH4 production (g kg DDM) was higher from WS followed by LS, BS, OS, GS, PMST, RS, DG, MST and SST respectively. Energy, ADIP, PC, NSC and CA are the chemical constituents that significantly affect CH4 production from dry roughages.
Color assessment of granitic rocks and implications for their ornamental utilization

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the factors affecting the assessment of granite color, such as grain size and texture, and to propose a methodology for this task which would reduce the margin of error associated with this procedure. For this purpose, an evaluation was carried out on the color of several granites with different textures used in the dimensional stone industry to highlight the importance of the sample area, the number of measurements per sample and the aperture of the equipment. A colorimeter was used to measure the granite color according to the CIE-L*a*b* and CIE-L*C*abhab systems, in both large slabs and small samples selected in a processing plant of ornamental granites. Granite color characteristics from large slabs had to be obtained with at least 60 shots due to the variation between different slabs. Therefore, several samples are needed for granite characterization. The color of gray granites does not vary significantly. Nevertheless, the more weathered granites show significant differences which are more evident in the b*-parameter, or the yellow–blue component, which allow the use of the colorimeter for quality control. By doing so significant differences among the rock pieces used in a single building can be avoided. There were no significant differences found in the color parameters from distinct apertures. However, due to the heterogeneity of the granite the color is evaluated better with larger apertures. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 2012
Using Universal Dependencies in cross-linguistic complexity research

We evaluate corpus-based measures of linguistic complexity obtained using Universal Dependencies (UD) treebanks. We propose a method of estimating robustness of the complexity values obtained using a given measure and a given treebank. The results indicate that measures of syntactic complexity might be on average less robust than those of morphological complexity. We also estimate the validity of complexity measures by comparing the results for very similar languages and checking for unexpected differences. We show that some of those differences that arise can be diminished by using parallel treebanks and, more importantly from the practical point of view, by harmonizing the language-specific solutions in the UD annotation.
THE IMPACT OF MOTIVATION, EMPOWERMENT, AND SKILL‐ENHANCING PRACTICES ON AGGREGATE VOLUNTARY TURNOVER: THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF COLLECTIVE AFFECTIVE COMMITMENT

This study advances research on macro human resource management by examining collective commitment as a mediator of motivation, empowerment, and skill-enhancing practices and aggregate voluntary turnover. Findings from 20 top HR managers and 1,748 employees in 93 different job groups suggest collective affective commitment independently mediates the negative relationships between motivation and empowermentenhancing practices and aggregate voluntary turnover. Human resource practices functioning to enhance the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the workforce are positively associated with voluntary turnover but are not mediated by collective affective commitment. Functionally, this paper resolves the divergent thinking of 4 streams of research regarding HR practices, collective commitment and aggregate turnover. The implications for macro-HRM theory and practice are discussed.
Biogeographical distributionand ecological rangesof benthic cyanobacteria inEastAntarctic lakes

cyanobacteria inEastAntarctic lakes Arnaud Taton, Stana Grubisic, Pierre Balthasart, Dominic A. Hodgson, Johanna Laybourn-Parry & Annick Wilmotte Laboratoire d’Algologie, de Mycologie et de Systématique Expérimentale, Institut de Botanique B22, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgique; Centre d’ingénierie des protéines, Institut de Chimie B6, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgique; British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge UK; and Institute of Environment, Physical Sciences and Applied Mathematics, University of Keele, Keele, UK
Partitioning of evapotranspiration through oxygen isotopic measurements of water pools and fluxes in a temperate grassland

Stable isotopic measurements of water provide a promising tool for partitioning of ecosystem evapotranspiration (ET). This approach, however, is still facing some challenges due to the uncertainties in estimating the isotopic compositions of ET and its components. In this study, a tunable diode laser analyzer was deployed for in situ measurements of the oxygen isotopic compositions of water vapor. Using these measurements together with samples of water in plant and soil pools, we partitioned ET via estimating the oxygen isotopic compositions of ET (δET) and that of its two components, i.e., plant transpiration (δT) and soil water evaporation (δE). A new δT model was developed in this study, which illustrated consistent estimations with the traditional model. Most of the variables and parameters in the new model can be measured directly with high accuracy, making its potential to be used at other sites high. Our results indicate that the ratio of plant transpiration to evapotranspiration (T/ET) illustrates a “U” shape diurnal pattern. Mean T/ET at 0630–1830 during the sampling days was 83%. Soil depth of 15 cm is a reasonable depth for soil water sampling for estimating δE at this site. We also investigated the uncertainties in estimating these three terms and their effects on partitioning. Overall, in terms of partitioning, the uncertainties are relatively small from δT and δE but quite large from δET. Quantifying and improving the precision of δET should be a priority in future endeavors of ET partitioning via the stable isotopic approach.
Novel Multi-Functional Dental Cement for Enamel Remineralization and Anti-Cariogenic Bacteria Activity

Objective: This experimental study evaluated the release of fluoride and several minerals related to remineralization from a novel functional cement, apatite ionomer cement (AIC), and its anti-bacterial properties compared with glass ionomer cement (GIC) and surface pre-reacted glass-ionomer filler containing composite resin (giomer). Materials and methods: Conventional GIC (Fuji III, GC Co., Tokyo, Japan) was used as the control and fundamental materials. In the AIC powder, 28% wt of GIC powder was replaced with spherical-shaped hydroxyapatite powder. The giomer, BeautiSealant (Shofu Co., Kyoto, Japan), was used as a positive control. Each specimen was immersed in deionized water and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (for Al, Si, P, Ca and Sr) and a fluoride-selective electrode. Antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans was evaluated using the adenosine-5’triphosphate luminescence method. Results: Concentrations of released ions from AIC specimens were significantly higher than those from GIC and giomer specimens, except for Sr. Regarding antibacterial activity, luminescence intensity of the AIC group (27.2 ± 12.6 RLU) was significantly lower than that of the giomer group (787.4 ± 176.1 RLU). Conclusion: It was concluded that AIC could be a most suitable material for pit and fissure sealant for enamel remineralization and anti-cariogenic and -bacterial activity.