Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Value of Landscape Amenities: Contrasting Feature Proximity and View.

DUDLEY II, THOMAS EDWARD. The Value of Landscape Amenities: Contrasting Feature Proximity and View. (Under the direction of Roger von Haefen). Policy makers, home owners, and land developers are all interested in how home buyers value vegetation and other landscape amenities around homes. Forward-looking environmental policy makers look to maximize public welfare in the face of increasing population concentration by strategic preservation of parks and recreational areas. Homeowners, looking to sell, try to maximize home value by modifying their homes and lots, while developers, building new subdivisions, strive to create desirable landscapes. To efficiently accomplish these goals, all three groups need to understand buyer preferences for home landscapes. This thesis uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) simulations to quantify views from homes and then incorporates these vegetation and other landscape variables into a hedonic model to provide willingness to pay estimates to interested groups. Methods are devised that address several shortcomings of previous studies and create more robust view variables. These vegetation view variables are contrasted with the more common proximity based variables. The results suggest that improved view simulations can yield view variables that are as effective, or slightly more effective, than more common proximity measures. © Copyright 2012 by Thomas Edward Dudley II All Rights Reserved The Value of Landscape Amenities: Contrasting Feature Proximity and View by Thomas Edward Dudley II A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts
Migration rate limitations on climate change‐induced range shifts in Cape Proteaceae

Modelling of climate change‐induced species range shifts has generally addressed migration limitations inadequately, often assuming ‘null’ migration or instantaneous ‘full’ migration extremes. We describe methods for incorporating simple migration rate assumptions into multispecies modelling, using the Proteaceae of the Cape Floristic Region. Even with optimistic migration assumptions, range loss projections more closely approximate null migration than full migration assumptions. Full migration results were positively skewed by few species with large range increases, an overestimate eliminated by dispersal‐limited migration rate assumptions. Wind‐ and ant/rodent‐dispersed species responded differently to climate change. Initially larger ranges of wind‐dispersed species were more strongly reduced by climate change, despite far greater assumed dispersal distances — we suggest that these well‐dispersed species populate more marginal areas of potential range, causing lower resilience to climatic changes at range margins. Overall, range loss rate slowed with advancing climate change, possibly because species ranges contracted into core areas most resilient to climate change. Thus, a consideration of simple dynamics of range change (rather than single step, present–future comparisons of range) provide new insights relevant for conservation strategies, in particular, and for guiding monitoring efforts to detect and gauge the impacts of climate change on natural populations.
Presence of rare variation of double extensor medii proprius muscle on the dorsum of the hand

Introduction: The finding of accessory muscles or tendons in the hand is significant from point of view of hand surgeons as well as evolution. These accessory muscles must be kept in mind while performing hand surgeries. Their existence might also be an indicator of direction of evolution of hand. Materials and Methods: During routine dissection by Medical Students, an adult male cadaver preserved in 10% formalin showed presence of 2 variant muscles which were dissected meticulously. Results: Two extensor medii proprius(EMP) muscles were observed on the dorsum of the right hand. One of the muscles had a well developed belly while the other had a very small belly and was mostly tendinous. The muscles were seen taking origin from the carpals and lower end of radius and were inserted into dorsal digital expansion for the middle finger. Both the muscles were supplied by branches from posterior interosseous nerve.
Working Papers / Documents de travail

In this paper we modify a standard quality ladder model by assuming that R&D is driven by outsider firms and the winners of the race sell licenses over their patents, instead of entering directly the intermediate good sector. As a reward they get the aggregate profit of the industry. Moreover, in the intermediate good sector firms compete à la Cournot and it is assumed that there are spillovers represented by strategic complementarities on costs. We prove that there exists an interval of values of the spillover parameter such that the relationship between competition and growth is an inverted-U-shape.
Lect2 deficiency is characterised by altered cytokine levels and promotion of intestinal tumourigenesis

Leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin 2 (Lect2) is a chemokine-like chemotactic factor that has been identified as a downstream target of the Wnt signalling pathway. Whilst the primary function of Lect2 is thought to be in modulating the inflammatory process, it has recently been implicated as a potential inhibitor of the Wnt pathway. Deregulation of the Wnt pathway, often due to loss of the negative regulator APC, is found in ~80% of colorectal cancer (CRC). Here we have used the ApcMin/+Lect2−/− mouse model to characterise the role of Lect2 in Wnt-driven intestinal tumourigenesis. Histopathological, immunohistochemical, PCR and flow cytometry analysis were employed to identify the role of Lect2 in the intestine. The ApcMin/+Lect2−/− mice had a reduced mean survival and a significantly increased number of adenomas in the small intestine with increased severity. Analysis of Lect2 loss indicated it had no effect on the Wnt pathway in the intestine but significant differences were observed in circulating inflammatory markers, CD4+ T cells, and T cell lineage-specification factors. In summary, in the murine intestine loss of Lect2 promotes the initiation and progression of Wnt-driven colorectal cancer. This protection is performed independently of the Wnt signalling pathway and is associated with an altered inflammatory environment during Wnt-driven tumorigenesis.
The Crabtree Effect: A Regulatory System in Yeast

SUMMARY: When Saccharomyces cerevisiae is growing exponentially on glucose or fructose as carbon plus energy source, and in the presence of air, the glucose degradation proceeds mainly via aerobic fermentation. When the yeast is growing on mannose or galactose, degradation proceeds simultaneously via respiration and fermentation. This situation results from a repression of the of the respiratory enzymes synthesis by high fermentation rates. This regulatory system, called the “Crabtree effect”, consists actually of a repression of an energy source (respiration) by another energy source (fermentation). Various yeast strains were tested; the regulatory system was present in about 50% of them.
Vocational Education and Employment over the Life Cycle

Vocationally educated individuals often find employment sooner after school than those with a general educational qualification. A recent study has argued that the higher employment probability associated with a vocational qualification reverses in later life. The main explanation is that although having (occupation-)specific skills is an advantage when entering the labor market, specific skills also make the vocationally educated less flexible. This life cycle effect is hypothesized to be especially strong in countries where the vocational system provides highly occupation-specific skills. We test these two hypotheses on cross-national data from PIAAC 2012. Using logistic regressions with country fixed effects, we find that individuals with a vocational qualification have a higher employment probability than those with a general qualification at the start of their career, but this pattern reverses in later life. In contrast to earlier findings, we do not find that this effect varies systematically across countries with different vocational educational systems.
Discovery of twin kHz quasi-periodic oscillations in the low-mass X-ray binary XTE J1701−407

We report the discovery of kHz quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in three Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observations of the low-mass X-ray binary XTE J1701−407. In one of the observations we detect a kHz QPO with a characteristic frequency of 1153 ± 5 Hz, while in the other two observations we detect twin QPOs at characteristic frequencies of 740 ± 5, 1112 ± 17 Hz and 740 ± 11, 1098 ± 5 Hz. All detections happen when XTE J1701−407 was in its high-intensity soft state, and their single-trial significance is in the 3.1-7. 5σ range. The frequency difference in the centroid frequencies of the twin kHz QPOs (385 ± 13 Hz) is one of the largest seen till date. The 3-30 keV fractional rms amplitude of the upper kHz QPO varies between ∼18 and ∼30 per cent. XTE J1701−407, with a persistent luminosity close to 1 per cent of the Eddington limit, is among the small group of low-luminosity kHz QPO sources and has the highest rms for the upper kHz QPO detected in any source. The X-ray spectral and variability characteristics of this source indicate its atoll source nature.
Implementing a Virtual Presentation Program in ESL Classrooms

 Abstract—One of the skills that graduates today need to acquire is being able to present their ideas in front of an audience. However, it is becoming extremely challenging for today's educators to monitor individual students' presentation skills and for students to adequately practice their presentation skills in front of their classmates due to increasing class sizes, time, and logistical constraints. This problem, however, can be partially overcome by using technology such as the Virtual-i Presenter program (ViP), which enables students to record and practice oral presentations using Power point and a web cam. This technology was introduced in a presentations skills class for English as a Second Language (ESL) students. This pilot study aimed to provide an insight on how undergraduates' presentation skills can be honed via the use of new technologies in the language learning process. Using ViP technology, students were able to recreate the reality of presentations and practice their presentations multiple times during their self- learning time, without impacting on normal class time. Lecturers were then able to evaluate individual presentations as class time was no longer a constraint and provide feedback to improve future delivery. Students were surveyed using questionnaires to help determine their views on improvements in delivery and confidence, language, content and organization, non verbal communication, and the ViP program itself. Results from the survey indicated positive outcome from students and lecturers using this program. The ability of practice presentations multiple times seemed to help improve fluency, presentation content, and confidence. However, language skills such as intonation and pronunciation could not be improved while practicing and could only be identified after feedback was obtained from lecturers.
geometric morphometrics comparative analysis of the neandertal humeri ( epiphyses ‐ fused ) from the

1 ‐ Group of Paleoanthropology MNCN‐CSIC, Department of Paleobiology; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales‐CSIC. Calle José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain. 2 ‐ Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), Àrea de Prehistòria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Zona Educacional 4 ‐ Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007 Tarragona, Spain. Unidad Asociada al CSIC. 3 ‐ Museo Anatómico, departamento de Anatomía Humana, Universidad de Valladolid, Calle Ramón y Cajal 7, 47005 Valladolid, Spain. 4 ‐ Área de Prehistoria, Department of History; Universidad de Oviedo. Calle Teniente Alfonso Martínez s/n, 33011 Oviedo, Spain.
Evolutionary conserved structures as indicators of medical risks: increased incidence of cervical ribs after ovarian hyperstimulation in mice

The presence of a rib on the seventh cervical vertebra (a cervical rib) represents one of the most common intraspecific variations of the number of cervical vertebrae in mammals. Cervical ribs are highly associated with stillbirths, congenital abnormalities and embryonal tumours. These associations indicate strong stabilising selection against such a change to the highly conserved number of cervical vertebrae in humans. We propose, therefore, that the presence of variation for this highly conserved trait can be used as an indicator of medical risks. We have tested for prolonged effects of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation treatments (OHS) in mice by analysing the frequency of cervical ribs in the offspring of females that had received OHS treatment. We found that OHS treatment in mice had several significant effects on the offspring after adjusting for multiple pregnancy: these included an increase in cervical rib incidence, gestational period and nest size, and a decrease in birth weight and ossification, indicating growth retardation. The high incidence of cervical ribs in the OHS group compared to the control group (39.5% vs. 4.7%) indicates that the OHS treatment affects embryogenesis during a period that is highly sensitive to disturbance, the early organogenesis stage (phylotypic stage). This implies that in mice OHS treatment of the mother has a prolonged effect and continues during early pregnancy.
The 222Rn activity concentration, external radiation dose and air ion production rates in a boreal forest in Finland between March 2000 and June 2006

We measured the 222 Rn content of the air by continuously collecting particle-bound daughter nuclides 214 Pb and 214 Bi onto glass-fibre filters and counting their beta particle emissions with Geiger-Muller tubes. A scintillation gamma spectrometer system measured external radiation, which main components are gamma and cosmic radiation. Our purpose was to detect long-term, seasonal and diurnal variations in 222 Rn activity concentration and external radiation dose rate in a Finnish boreal forest during the years 2000-2006. The long-term variations in activity concentration and dose rate were small, whereas the annual variations were more pronounced. In late summer and autumn, the diurnal cycle of 222 Rn activity concentration was strongest, whereas the diurnal cycle of external radiation dose rate was practically non-existing throughout the year. We utilised the 222 Rn and external radiation measurements also when calculating air ion production rate in the lower boundary layer. Based on our results, the total ion production rate varied in the range 4.2-17.6 ion pairs cm -3 s -1 . The fraction of 222 Rn contribution in the ion production varied in the range 0-0.43, with average fraction 0.11 ± 0.07. These results indicate that ion production was typically dominated by the external radiation on our measurement site.
Urinary Cortisol Levels in Japanese Shorthorn Cattle before and after the Start of a Grazing Season

We conducted two experiments to assess the effect of transfer from housing to grazing on stress hormone secretion in cattle using urine samples. In a preliminary experiment, urine samples were collected following an adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) challenge, and cortisol levels in urine were compared with the levels in plasma. In a second experiment, urinary cortisol was measured before and after the start of a grazing season in 6 Japanese Shorthorn cows, all of which had experienced grazing before. In experiment 1, urinary cortisol showed a pattern of changes similar to that of plasma with a 0.5-h temporal lag time, and the peak levels were 4 to 10 times higher than the basal levels. In experiment 2, the urinary cortisol levels in cows did not change after the cows were let out to pasture, with no decreases in body weight. This study suggests that the transfer from housing to grazing did not affect physiological responses to cause high excretion of urinary cortisol in grazing-experienced cattle using a non-invasive sampling method.
Sudden short‐term increase in mortality of vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) due to leopard predation in Amboseli National Park, Kenya

A substantial increase in mortality, due mainly to predation, occurred during 1987 in a population of vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) studied from 1977 to 1989 in Amboseli National Park, Kenya. It has been shown that vervets moving into new and unfamiliar habitats are more at risk from predation. However, this does not entirely explain the increase in predation in 1987 because predation decreased after 1987 while movement into new areas continued. An increase in leopard alarm calls relative to previous years in four of five groups, and an association between disappearances and leopard alarm calls given by vervets in the same four groups, suggest that leopards, a main predator of vervets, accounted for the increase in mortality. The vervets' increased vulnerability to leopard predation in 1987 did not appear to be related either directly or indirectly to continued habitat deterioration because 1) mortality rates after 1987 decreased to pre‐1987 levels and 2) the vervets' behavior did not appear to change to make them more vulnerable than in previous years. The increased vulnerability appeared to be due in part to an increase in the presence of leopards. However, it is unclear why predator presence temporarily increased.
Income Redistribution and Public Good Provision: An Experiment

We experimentally investigate the impact of income redistribution on voluntary contributions by groups of four subjects. We compare equalizing and unequalizing redistribution. Our data are consistent with the neutrality theorem: Redistribution does not affect the amount of voluntarily provided public good at the group level. However, at the individual level, subjects tend to underadjust with respect to the Nash prediction. We also observe an insignificant adjustment asymmetry between the poor and the rich: Subjects who become poorer adjust their contribution by a larger absolute amount than subjects who become richer. Finally, poor subjects tend to overcontribute significantly more than rich subjects.
GALAXY CLUSTERS IN THE LINE OF SIGHT TO BACKGROUND QUASARS. III. MULTI-OBJECT SPECTROSCOPY

We present Gemini/GMOS-S multi-object spectroscopy of 31 galaxy cluster candidates at redshifts between 0.2 and 1.0 and centered on QSO sight lines taken from López et al. The targets were selected based on the presence of an intervening Mg ii absorption system at a similar redshift to that of a galaxy cluster candidate lying at a projected distance <2 Mpc from the QSO sight line (a “photometric hit”). The absorption systems span rest-frame equivalent widths between 0.015 and 2.028 Å. Our aim was three-fold: (1) to identify the absorbing galaxies and determine their impact parameters, (2) to confirm the galaxy cluster candidates in the vicinity of each quasar sightline, and (3) to determine whether the absorbing galaxies reside in galaxy clusters. In this way, we are able to characterize the absorption systems associated with cluster members. Our main findings are as follows. (1) We identified 10 out of 24 absorbing galaxies with redshifts between 0.2509 ⩽ zgal ⩽ 1.0955, up to an impact parameter of kpc and a maximum velocity difference of 280 km s−1. (2) We spectroscopically confirmed 20 out of 31 cluster/group candidates, with most of the confirmed clusters/groups at z < 0.7. This relatively low efficiency results from the fact that we centered our observations on the QSO location, and thus occasionally some of the cluster centers were outside the instrument field of view. (3) Following from the results above, we spectroscopically confirmed of 10 out of 14 photometric hits within ∼650 km s−1 from galaxy clusters/groups, in addition to two new ones related to galaxy group environments. These numbers imply efficiencies of 71% in finding such systems with MOS spectroscopy. This is a remarkable result since we defined a photometric hit as those cluster–absorber pairs having a redshift difference Δz = 0.1. The general population of our confirmed absorbing galaxies have luminosities and mean rest-frame colors (Rc − z′) typical of Scd galaxies. From this sample, absorbing cluster galaxies hosting weak absorbers are consistent with lower star formation activity than the rest, which produce strong absorption and agree with typical Mg ii absorbing galaxies found in the literature. Our spectroscopic confirmations lend support to the selection of photometric hits made in López et al.
Poroelastic response of mid‐ocean ridge hydrothermal systems to ocean tidal loading: Implications for shallow permeability structure

We use the time delay between tidal loading and exit‐fluid temperature response for hydrothermal vents to model the poroelastic behavior and shallow upflow zone (SUZ) effective permeability structure of three mid‐ocean ridge (MOR) sites with different spreading rates. Hydrothermal vents at Lucky Strike field exhibit relatively small phase lags corresponding to high SUZ effective permeabilities of ≥ ~10−10 m2, with variations that we interpret as resulting from differences in the extrusive layer thickness. By contrast, vents at East Pacific Rise site exhibit relatively large phase lags corresponding to low SUZ effective permeabilities of ≤ ~10−13 m2. Vents at Main Endeavour field exhibit both high and low phase lags, suggestive of a transitional behavior. Our results demonstrate that tidal forcing perturbs hydrothermal flow across the global MOR system, even in places where the tidal amplitude is very low, and that the flow response can be used to constrain variations in SUZ permeability structure beneath individual vent fields.
Effect of concrete surface treatment on adhesion in repair systems

Existing concrete surfaces need to be roughened to a profile necessary to achieve mechanical interlocking with any repair material. In this study, different surface treatments (e.g. grinding, sandblasting, shotblasting, hand- and mechanical milling) were performed and the quality of the preparation established on the basis of three main parameters: surface geometry, superficial concrete microcracking and adhesion. Surface geometry was characterised on the basis of the measurement of surface profile—profilometry—and the analysis of statistical and amplitude parameters calculated from the waviness (lower frequencies) and the roughness (higher frequencies) profiles of the surface. Investigations were also performed to assess the quality of the superficial zone of concrete and cracks were systematically observed in relation to surface treatment where both scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy were used for analysis. Finally, a repair mortar, with or without bond coat, was applied to the concrete s.
Catalytic Pyrolysis of Biomass with Fe/La/SBA-15 Catalyst using TGA–FTIR Analysis

Biomass pyrolysis or gasification can convert low-energy density biomass into a high-energy density gaseous fuel. In this paper, pyrolysis of pine sawdust with and without the addition of a catalyst was investigated using a thermogravimetric analyzer coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TGA-FTIR). The effects of modified SBA-15 catalysts on the formation characteristics of CO, CO2, and CH4 were studied. The two prepared catalysts, La/SBA-15 and Fe/La/SBA-15, retained the hexagonal order of the SBA-15 material and showed high thermal stability in the temperature range of the TGA-FTIR experiments. The results showed that the pyrolysis behavior of biomass is remarkably improved in the presence of La/SBA-15 and Fe/La/SBA-15 catalysts. The modified SBA-15 materials favored thermal cracking of macromolecular substances, resulting in an apparent decrease in the tar and coke fraction, an increase in the yield of light gases, and much higher gas production. Meanwhile, a significant increase in CH4 led to a much higher energy density gaseous product.