Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Conservation and monitoring of invertebrates in terrestrial protected areas

Invertebrates constitute a substantial proportion of terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity and are critical to ecosystem function. However, their inclusion in biodiversity monitoring and conservation planning and management has lagged behind better-known, more widely appreciated taxa. Significant progress in invertebrate surveys, systematics and bioindication, both globally and locally, means that their use in biodiversity monitoring and conservation is becoming increasingly feasible. Here we outline challenges and solutions to the integration of invertebrates into biodiversity management objectives and monitoring in protected areas in South Africa. We show that such integration is relevant and possible, and assess the relative suitability of seven key taxa in this context. Finally, we outline a series of recommendations for mainstreaming invertebrates in conservation planning, surveys and monitoring in and around protected areas. Conservation implications: Invertebrates constitute a substantial and functionally significant component of terrestrial biodiversity and are valuable indicators of environmental condition. Although consideration of invertebrates has historically been neglected in conservation planning and management, substantial progress with surveys, systematics and bioindication means that it is now both feasible and advisable to incorporate them into protected area monitoring activities.
Advanced radar-interpretation of InSAR time series for mapping and characterization of geological processes

Abstract. We present a new post-processing methodology for the analysis of InSAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry) multi-temporal measures, based on the temporal under-sampling of displacement time series, the identification of potential changes occurring during the monitoring period and, eventually, the classification of different deformation behaviours. The potentials of this approach for the analysis of geological processes were tested on the case study of Naro (Italy), specifically selected due to its geological setting and related ground instability of unknown causes that occurred in February 2005. The time series analysis of past (ERS1/2 descending data; 1992–2000) and current (RADARSAT-1 ascending data; 2003–2007) ground movements highlighted significant displacement rates (up to 6 mm yr−1) in 2003–2007, followed by a post-event stabilization. The deformational behaviours of instable areas involved in the 2005 event were also detected, clarifying typology and kinematics of ground instability. The urban sectors affected and unaffected by the event were finally mapped, consequently re-defining and enlarging the influenced area previously detected by field observations. Through the integration of InSAR data and conventional field surveys (i.e. geological, geomorphologic and geostructural campaigns), the causes of instability were finally attributed to tectonics.
GEOGRAPHIC REGION WITH META-ANALYSIS TO MAP THE POTENTIAL ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THREE GENETIC POLYMORPHISMS AND CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a complex trait influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Geographic isolation and natural selection present fundamental forces to diversify genetic backgrounds during human evolution and migration. In this study, we attempted to assess whether human geographic isolation affects the genetic predisposition of CAD. Methods: We first included 21 genetic association studies of the methyl enetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene polymorphism C677T and CAD from 16 geographic regions consisting of 9,008 participants and performed a meta-ana lysis based on the distributions of these studies. Results: It was found that the positive signals for the association of C677T with CAD were mainly enriched in the regions of northern Afri ca (pooled OR=1.73, 95% CI=1.45–2.06, Z=3.17, P<0.0001) and India (pooled OR=1.61, 95% CI=1.30– 2.00, Z=4.38, P<0.0001). To validate the potential geographic effects on the genetic polymorphism of CAD, we then carried out two additional metaanalyses involving 30 and 13 studies on genetic associations of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) and APOA5 gene T1131C polymorphisms for CAD consisting of 22,190 and 12,322 participants, respectively. We found that the associations of T1131C with CAD were concentrated in East Asia (pooled OR=1.35, 95% CI=1.22–1.49, Z=6.00, P<10–5), whereas the associations of I/D polymorphism with CAD were clustering in Europe and America (pooled OR=1.20, 95% Kratak sadr`aj
Evaluation of TAZ and PKM2 expression in gastric signet ring cell carcinoma

Background: Gastric cancer is the fourth most common cancer and the second cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Signet ring cell carcinoma SRCC is a histologic subtype characterized by poor differentiation, strong invasive tendency and poor prognosis. Transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) is known to bind to a variety of transcription factors to control cell differentiation and organ development. PKM2 (M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase) was identified as a driver of aerobic glycolysis, leading to cell growth and tumor development. Materials and methods: This study was carried out on 46 gastric SRCC cases received as paraffin blocks and as fresh specimens. Results: The immunohistochemical expression of TAZ was positive in the cytoplasm and nuclei of 38 out of 46 (82.6%) gastric SRCC samples. PKM2 expression was also investigated in all 46 gastric SRCC cases. PKM2 expression was positive in 40 (87%) out of 46 cases. PKM2 expression was positive in gastric SRCC compared to negative adjacent normal gastric glands from the same patients. Conclusions: These results show that TAZ and PKM2 might be considered as targets for the treatment of gastric SRCC in the future. [Aliaa Atef and Mohammed Alrashidy. Evaluation of TAZ and PKM2 expression in gastric signet ring cell carcinoma. Cancer Biology 2016;6(3):42-49]. ISSN: 2150-1041 (print); ISSN: 2150-105X (online). http://www.cancerbio. net. 6. doi:10.7537/marscbj060316.06.
Social Psychological Skill and Its Correlates

In six studies (N = 1,143), we investigated social psychological skill – lay individuals’ skill at predicting social psychological phenomena (e.g., social loafing, attribution effects). Studies 1 and 2 demonstrated reliable individual differences in social psychological skill. In Studies 2, 3, and 4, attributes associated with decreased cognitive and motivational bias – cognitive ability, cognitive curiosity, and melancholy and introversion – predicted social psychological skill. Studies 4 and 5 confirmed that social psychological skill is distinct from other skills (e.g., test-taking skills, intuitive physics), and relates directly to reduced motivational bias (i.e., self-deception). In Study 6, social psychological skill related to appreciating the situational causes of another individual’s behavior – reduced fundamental attribution error. Theoretical and applied implications are considered.
Organizing principles for marine microbial consortia

Abstract Microbiologists commonly speak of microbial communities, but the degree to which assemblies of microbesare governed by the rules of classical community ecology is unclear. Specifically, microbes are much more easi-ly dispersed, and have much faster growth rates, than macroscopic organisms, potentially changing the relativeimportance of various forces in community assembly. In the well-mixed, liquid environment of the pelagicocean, these differences are likely to be most pronounced (and most easily studied). Here we develop a frame-work for understanding community assembly in marine microbial populations. We begin by constructing a sim-ple neutral model that predicts what consortia should look like if they are randomly assembled. From there, weconsider what rates determine whether consortia will persist long enough to form a “climax” community. Withthese possibilities representing “extremes,” we explore possible intermediate successional stages driven by lot-tery competition for space and/or local co-evolution toward cooperative exclusion of other species. We furtherdiscuss what empirically measurable traits we would expect to exist under these four different scenarios and sug-gest experiments to distinguish between these possibilities.
Political Regimes and Foreign Intervention

We present a theory of endogenous political regimes that emphasizes foreign direct investment as a motive for foreign governments to either induce regime transitions or promote regime consolidations. We characterize different forms of foreign intervention and identify the conditions under which they occur. We highlight new channels through which economic factors affect political regime choices. Foreign intervention is most likely to originate from countries where the government has a substantial pro-investor bias and to be directed at destinations where FDI is highly profitable and where income inequality is high. Foreign-sponsored coups d'etat are more likely to be directed at democratic governments of poor countries. In destinations where FDI is highly profitable but the domestic elite is weak, foreign intervention tends to be aimed at stabilizing dictatorships. We relate the analysis to evidence on foreign intervention from around the world.
Convexity in hierarchically hyperbolic spaces

Hierarchically hyperbolic spaces (HHSs) are a large class of spaces that provide a unified framework for studying the mapping class group, right-angled Artin and Coxeter groups, and many 3--manifold groups. We investigate strongly quasiconvex subsets in this class and characterize them in terms of their contracting properties, relative divergence, the coarse median structure, and the hierarchical structure itself. Along the way, we obtain new tools to study HHSs, including two new equivalent definitions of hierarchical quasiconvexity and a version of the bounded geodesic image property for strongly quasconvex subsets. Utilizing our characterization, we prove that the hyperbolically embedded subgroups of hierarchically hyperbolic groups are precisely those which are almost malnormal and strongly quasiconvex, producing a new result in the case of the mapping class group. We also apply our characterization to study strongly quasiconvex subsets in several specific examples of HHSs. We show that while many commonly studied HHSs have the property that that every strongly quasiconvex subset is either hyperbolic or coarsely covers the entire space, right-angled Coxeter groups exhibit a wide variety of strongly quasiconvex subsets.
Verruca Vulgaris among SchoolChildren From Semi-Rural Areas Of Eskisehir : A Community-Based Study

The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of verruca vulgaris and associated factors and stress level among school children that live in semi-rural areas of Eskisehir. This cross-sectional study was conducted on high school and elementary school students from semi-rural areas of Eskisehir (Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Medical Faculty, Public Health Department Education and Research Areas) between 1 February-31 March 2016. Fitzpatrick Scale was used to evaluate the skin type. Perceived Stress Scale was used for the measurement of the stress level of students. The prevalence of verruca vulgaris was 4.9% (n=156) among the students. In our study, having a physician diagnosed skin disease except verruca vulgaris, having a medical history of verruca vulgaris in people who live together, having a medical history of verruca vulgaris before, having the habit of entering pool were found to be significant risk factors for verruca vulgaris (for each; p <0.05). There is no relationship between skin type and frequency of verruca vulgaris (p> 0.05). In the study group, there is no significance in terms of stress level between who have verruca vulgaris and who have not. Verruca vulgaris is an important health issue among adolescents and children. We recommend introducing educational activities about verruca vulgaris that draw attention to its risk factors. Further studies are needed to investigate the causal link between verruca vulgaris and stress level.
Epoxy composites filled with high surface area-carbon fillers: Optimization of electromagnetic shielding, electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties

A comprehensive analysis of electrical, electromagnetic (EM), mechanical, and thermal properties of epoxy resin composites filled with 0.25–2.0 wt. % of carbon additives characterized by high surface area, both nano-sized, like carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon black (CBH), and micro-sized exfoliated graphite (EG), was performed. We found that the physical properties of both CNTs- and CBH-based epoxy resin composites increased all together with filler content and even more clearly for CBH than for CNTs. In the case of EG-based composites, good correlation between properties and filler amount was observed for concentrations below 1.5 wt. %. We conclude that CBH and, to a lower extent, EG could replace expensive CNTs for producing effective EM materials in microwave and low-frequency ranges, which are, in addition, mechanically and thermally stable.
VIA and Challenges of a Single Visit Approach in Malawi

C l i n M e d International Library Citation: Lee H, Makin MS, Mtengezo JT, Malata A (2015) VIA and Challenges of a Single Visit Approach in Malawi. Obstet Gynecol Cases Rev 2:065 Received: September 11, 2015: Accepted: October 28, 2015: Published: October 30, 2015 Copyright: © 2015 Lee H. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Lee et al. Obstet Gynecol cases Rev 2015, 2:7
Contributions to the theory of set valued functions and set valued measures

Measurable multifunctions and multimeasures with values in a Banach space are studied. We start by proving a variation of the known Dunford theorem for weak compactness in L1 ( X). With a similar technique we prove that the range of certain vector valued integrals that appear in applications is w-compact and convex. Also we obtain Dunford-Pettis type theorems for sequences of integrably bounded multifunctions. Some pointwise w-compactness theorems are also obtained for certain families of measurable multifunctions. Then we prove a representation theorem for additive, set valued operators defined on L1(X). Finally, in the last section, a detailed study of transition multimeasures is conducted and several representation theorems are proved.
Growth performances of juvenile sole Solea solea under environmental constraints of embayed nursery areas

Tidal embayments in the Bay of Biscay (France) host nursery grounds where common sole, Solea solea, is the most abundant flatfish species. This study aimed to appraise the way those habitats function as nurseries through juvenile sole's responses in somatic growth and condition (Fulton's K) during their first year of occupancy. Field data, two yearly trawling series, taken monthly, were compared with a 6-month-long mesocosm experiment involving reared fish of the same wild origin. Growth rates were compared with predicted maximum growth according to an experimen- tally established model in relation to temperature. In the field, 0-group sole total length (TL) averaged 130 mm from September onwards in 1999 and 2000. Mean growth rates were 0.7-0.9 mm day −1 in summer and 0.1 mm day −1 in autumn, when the model predicted 1.4 and 0.9 mm day −1 , respectively. In the mesocosm, the growth rates were 0.9 and 0.4 mm day −1 for the same seasons and for stocking densities (300 fish 1000 m −2 ) about 10 times higher than usu- ally recorded in the field. Wild sole remained in medium condition (K ca. 1 g cm −3 ) during the entire growing season, whereas they attained a higher K after being released into the mesocosm (1.2-1.3 g cm −3 ). During the mesocosm exper- iment, growth was shown to be primarily temperature-controlled: fish reached 150-160 mm (TL) in November. From this investigation, it can be concluded that sole's responses in condition and growth are altered over the whole growing season on nursery grounds. The situation is exacerbated in autumn when the sum of abiotic constraints increases as the competitive biomass does. This indicates impairment of the nursery functioning which, in the context of fish habitat conservation, emphasises the particular vulnerability of embayments to the addition of any further constraint.
Population change in the regional centres and internal periphery of the regions in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus over the period of 1990-2000s

Abstract The paper looks into the dynamics of the population size of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus after the census of 1989. Regions and cities of these countries were the focus of the research (territorial units level NUTS-3). The analysis addresses the question to what degree the remoteness from the regional centre, i.e. the position in the core-periphery system, influences the dynamics of the population size of the territorial units of the given level. For the analytical purposes the distinction has been made between the regional centres including adjacent suburban areas and internal regional periphery comprising districts and cities. The main indicator employed was the distance between the periphery areas and regional centres. The results of the analysis show that in spite of the depopulation of all three countries and severe transformational crisis, there was a steady growth of the population size in the regional centres, while the periphery areas of the regions continued to lose the population. The mentioned differences are primarily determined by migration flows, since the fertility rates are below the replacement level in all the countries’ territories. Population tends to concentrate in the regional centres, which means urbanisation has not been completed yet. While similar patterns of population decline are observed in the periphery areas of Ukraine and Belarus, in Russia the depopulation rates are negatively influenced by the factor of remoteness of a periphery area from the regional centre. All three countries experienced rural population decline everywhere but suburban areas of the regional centres.
UHI Research Database pdf download summary Linking environmental variables with regional-scale variability in ecological structure and standing stock of carbon within UK kelp forests

24 Kelp forests represent some of the most productive and diverse habitats on Earth. 25 Understanding drivers of ecological pattern at large spatial scales is critical for effective 26 management and conservation of marine habitats. We surveyed kelp forests dominated by 27 Laminaria hyperborea (Gunnerus) Foslie 1884 across 9° latitude and >1000 km of coastline 28 and measured a number of physical parameters at multiple scales to link ecological structure 29 and standing stock of carbon with environmental variables. Kelp density, biomass, 30 morphology and age were highly variable between exposed and sheltered sites within 31 regions, highlighting the importance of wave exposure in structuring L. hyperborea 32 populations. At the regional-scale, wave-exposed kelp canopies in the cooler regions (the 33 north and west of Scotland) were greater in biomass, height and age than in warmer regions 34 (southwest Wales and England). The range and maximal values of standing stock of carbon 35 contained within kelp forests was greater than in historical studies, suggesting that this 36 ecosystem property may have been previously undervalued. As light availability and 37 temperature are important drivers of kelp forest biomass, effective management of coastal 38 human activities is necessary to maintain ecosystem functioning, while increased 39 temperatures related to anthropogenic climate change may impact the structure of kelp forests 40 and the ecosystem services they provide. 41 Key-words: blue carbon, coastal management, Laminaria hyperborea, macroalgae, marine 42 ecosystems, primary productivity, subtidal rocky habitats, temperate reefs 43
Hypnosis and the Law

The traditional view of the hypnotized person as someone in a state of automatism, possessed of transcendent powers, is still popular among the general public. This has obvious implications for legal issues concerning possible coercion through hypnosis and the use of hypnosis for interviewing witnesses. However, it is now the opinion of most researchers that hypnosis does not induce a state of automatism, and caution should be exercised when employing hypnotic procedures to facilitate memory. It is concluded that better progress will be made in countering public misconceptions about hypnosis, and in benefiting from research on the applications of hypnotic interviewing procedures, if more effort is made to use concepts and terminology that relate hypnotic phenomena to everyday behavior and experience.
DISTRIBUTION CHARACTERISTICS , BIOACCUMULATION , AND SOURCES OF MERCURY IN RICE AT NANSI LAKE AREA , SHANDONG PROVINCE , CHINA

Mercury (Hg) concentration in rice plant in Nansi Lake area, and rice growing environment was evaluated to elucidate the distribution characteristics, bioaccumulation, and sources of Hg. Results showed Hg distribution in rice followed the order: leaf > root > hull > bran > stem > brown rice > polished rice. Rice bran contained higher Hg concentration than in polished rice (P < 0.05). Bioaccumulation factors for Hg in rice ranged from 0.013 to 3.34, and 17.24% of root, 3.44% of the hull, 6.89% of the bran, 55.17% of the leaf exceeded 1. Principal components analysis indicated among these four growing factors (paddy soil, irrigation, atmospheric deposition and fertilizer), Hg concentrations in fertilizer played the most important role. Hg in atmospheric deposition could serve as the main controlling factor of rice leaf, Hg in paddy soils was the main factor of rice bran, root and stem, whereas, Hg in fertilizer was the main controlling factors of polished rice. Moreover, rice genotype had a certain effect on Hg accumulation of rice. The quality of polished rice in Nansi Lake area was safe, however, bran-made production consumption should be paid attention.
Study of Extensor Hallucis Longus Muscle in Adult Human Cadavers of Punjab

Abstract The present paper is for the interest for the disciples of surgery, orthopedics and sports medicine. The aim is to study the variations in insertion of extensor hallucis longus muscle encountered during dissection, to analyze the anatomical basis of clinical or applied entities related to them and to correlate them with the available literature. This study was undertaken in 60 lower limbs in 30 adult cadavers in which extensor hallucis longus muscle was dissected in each limb. The variations encountered were recorded and analyzed. Three cases (6 limbs) had a variation of double tendons at its insertion site. Frequent variations seen in the musculature of the leg as regards their mode of origin and insertion indicate that they have not yet reached their final stage of evolution. Foot ankle surgeons thus should be aware of various extensor hallucis longus tendons and their potential use in problematic cases. The clinical significance of this variation is that the accessory tendons can be used in cases of tendon rupture, the repair of main tendon, to increase and sustain the power of dorsiflexion and in hallux varus deformity. Knowledge of these variations will help the surgeons to avoid post operative complications and get better results in transposition, neurotisations and fasciotomies and creating fasciocutaneous flap operations.