Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tree Roots in Agroforestry: Evaluating Biomass and Distribution with Ground Penetrating Radar

The root systems of five tree species (Populus deltoides × nigra clone DN-177, Juglans nigra, Quercus rubra, Picea abies, and Thuja occidentalis) are described following non-intrusive imaging using ground penetrating radar (GPR). This research aimed to 1) assess the utility of GPR for in situ root studies and 2) employ GPR to estimate tree root biomass and distribution in an agroforestry system in southern Ontario, Canada. The mean coarse root biomass estimated from GPR analysis was 54.1 ± 8.7 kg tree (± S.E.; n=12), within 1 % of the mean coarse root biomass measured from matched excavations. The vertical distribution of detected roots varied among species, with T. occidentalis and P. abies roots concentrated in the top 20 cm and J. nigra and Q. rubra roots distinctly deeper. I evaluate these root systems based on their C storage potential and complementary root stratification with adjacent crops.
Executive remuneration, financial crisis and 'say on pay' rule

Among the alternatives to reduce agency conflict, executive remuneration has commonly been perceived as the best possible solution. Financial meltdown is commonly attributed to the large portion of remuneration rewarded to the executives. As a response, ‘say on pay’ rule, introduced in 2011which provides shareholders right to vote for or against executives remuneration package. Proponents of this new rule argue that reforms will fortify the association between the shareholders and the executives of the board, will ensure that board members execute fiduciary duty placed upon them. However, the critics think this new rule will be unsuccessful in monitor directors’ remuneration, and contemplate it to be backward-looking rather than forward-looking. Despite the importance of these issues, contextual analyses of executives’ remuneration and company performance in the Australian context are still limited. This paper, using sample from top 200 Australian listed companies, aims to study the relationship between executive remuneration and companies’ performance during the financial crisis in 20062009. Methodology of this research is based on two approaches: firstly, we investigate the pay-for-performance relationship during the global financial crisis; secondly, identify cause and effects relationships through lead and lag analysis. Overall, this research concludes that Australia’s reward system is quite effective and reflects market based performance, specially in respect to Earnings per Share and Dividend Yield. Therefore, the introduction of ‘say on pay’ rule is appropriate in Australian context.
Impaired Ipsilateral Upper Extremity Dexterity and Its Relationship with Disability in Post-Stroke Right Hemiparesis

Background: The objectives of this study were to compare manual dexterity (gross and fine) and coordination performance of the ipsilateral upper extremity of the right hemisphere stroke patients with the same side of a healthy group, and to determine the relationship of ipsilateral upper extremity dexterity and disability. Methods: In a non-randomized analytical study, 30 individuals with a unilateral first-ever stroke from outpatient rehabilitation clinics and 30 age and sex-matched adults without history of neurological disorders were enrolled. Purdue Pegboard, Box and Block, and Finger to Nose tests were used to measure dexterity (fine and gross) and coordination performance of the stroke group compared with the same hand of the healthy group. The Barthel index was also used to assess disability or dependency of stroke patients in basic activities of daily living. Results: Results showed that stroke individuals with involvement of ipsilateral
Medications for Anxiety: A Drug utilization study in Psychiatry Inpatients from a Tertiary Care Centre of Western Nepal

Background Anxiety is the most widespread psychiatric disorder and generalized anxiety disorder is the most common disease seen in the primary care setting. Currently there are a number of anxiolytic drugs commercially available in the market for treatment of these disorders such as Benzodiazepines like Diazepam, Chlordiazepoxide, Alprazolam, Betablockers like Propranolol and H1 Antihistaminics like Hydroxyzine. Some of the newer anxiolytics like Buspirone in Azapirone group is marketed as better anxiolytic drug than the traditional drugs. Buspirone is promoted as a better drug for anxiety, as it does not cause any sedation, tolerance or physical dependence. A need for study further increases as there is no sufficient data on utilization pattern of anxiolytics on Nepalese population. This is the first study done in the utilization pattern of anxiolytic drugs in inpatient in Nepal. Methods This is an observational study undertaken between 1 st October 2009 and 31 st March 2010 at the Psychiatric inpatient Department of Manipal Teaching Hospital. The prescribing pattern of Anxiolytic drugs was measured. Out of a total of 240 cases who were admitted to psychiatry inpatient ward, 38 cases have received Anxiolytic drugs. Those who were critically ill with anxiety were included in the study. Results Out of 240 cases who were admitted to psychiatry inpatient, 130 were male patients (54.2%), 95% CI [47.9,60.5] and the rest were female patients (45.8%), CI [39.5,52.1] . In 38 cases of anxiety, the age of the patient 40 years 10.5%. Anxiety was more common in females 71.1% than in males 28.9%. 68.4% of the patients were unemployed whereas only 31.6% of the patients were employed. 78.9% of the drugs were prescribed by trade name. Among the anxiolytics, the commonest drug prescribed was Alprazolam (50%), followed by Clonazepam (31.6%), Chlordiazepoxide (15.8%) and Lorazepam (2.6%). Conclusion Utilization patterns of drugs for anxiolytics were according to treatment guidelines and suggested a trend towards the use of shorter acting Benzodiazepines such as Alprazolam. Continuous and prolonged use of longer acting Benzodiazepines has resulted in dependence and may have withdrawal symptoms when the dosage of these drugs is reduced or treatment is stopped. http://dx.doi. org/10.3126/nje.v1i4. 5753 Nepal Journal of Epidemiology 2011;1(4):119-125
Managerial Agency Costs of Socialistic Internal Capital Markets: Empirical Evidence from China

This study provides empirical evidence of managerial agency costs in socialistic internal capital markets. Listed Chinese companies are required to disclose the amount of resources that are reallocated to other firms of the parent company, which provides us with a direct measure of the socialistic subsidization of weak member firms by strong member firms within a business group. We hypothesize that in strong member firms, managerial compensation is less sensitive to firm performance because cross-subsidization makes it difficult for group CEOs to hold the managers in strong firms accountable for their own firms’ performance, and also increases the noise in performance measures. We also hypothesize that socialistic cross-subsidization results in an increase in managerial agency costs of strong member firms due to the low pay-performance sensitivity and low incentive to work hard. We document empirical results that are consistent with these two predictions.
MILK PROFILE TESTA TWO-YEAR EXPERIENCE

For detection of most frequent bovine diseases that adversely affect production, bulk milk samples offer several advantages over blood analysis, including ease of use and cost-effectivness. The results oJ the analysis of collective milk sample enable the nutritional and health status determination of the herd. Discussions with producers, further analyses of husbandry measures, clinical examination of animals, blood and milk samples ensure an effective health and productive management of the herd. Our findings are based on the evaluation of 1547 weekly bulk milk samples. Milk samples from four districts in Slovenia were collected weekly on 30 farms through 1993 (n= 12) I 1994 (n= 18) and analyzed for fat, protein, lactose, urea, sodium, potassium. acetone concentrations and somatic cell count. A coefficient between fat/protein and protein/urea was also calculated. The model of multiple analyses of variance revealed that the results of milk analyses were statistically significantly (P<0,05) influenced particularly by the year of the investigation, farm, season (winter/summer ration) and to a lesser extent (P>0,05) by the health status of the udder (SCC x I 000/ml) and ketolactia. The results of the milk profile test are useful for producers as we ll as all specialists involved in dairy industry, with emphasis on eco nomics and cost reduction of production.
Nutritional disorders in rice due to infestation by Heterodera oryzicola and Meloidogyne graminicola.

SUMMARY Infestation of rice by Heterodera o yzicola and Mebidogyne grantinicola caused reduction in nitrogen, phosphorus, iron, and reducing sugars in shoots and roots. Total sugars, protein, IAA, cytokinin and thiamine were reduced in the cyst nematode infested plants and phenols were reduced with root-hot nematode infested plants. Phenols decreased in shoots and increased in roots due to cyst nematode, while the rootknot nematode caused similar changes in potassium, manganese and magnesium. There was an increase in calcium, sodium, soluble amino-acids, ABA and starch in both shoots and roots of the cyst nematode infested plants and of total sugars, protein, DNA and RNA with the root-knot nematode infested plants. Infestation by both the nematodes caused nutritional disorders limiting the uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus and chlorosis of leaves.
Adolescents HIV risk perception and sexual behaviour in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria

Previous studies on the association between HIV risk perception and sexual behaviour limited classification of risk perception to low and high, and their findings are largely mixed. This study seeks to contribute to knowledge on this association through the inclusion of the reasons why respondents indicate certain risk perceptions in the analysis. Data were generated through a survey conducted among adolescent boys and girls in Lagos Metropolis between December, 2009 and February, 2010. Bivariate and multivariate analyses reveal that at least 70% of both girls and boys perceived that they were at low risk of HIV. Majority of those who perceived they were at high risk of the infection were found more likely to be sexually active and involved in risky sexual behaviours such as multiple sexual partnerships. Higher proportion of boys indicated involvement in virtually all the risky sexual behaviours irrespective of their risk perception and reasons. Interventions should focus on other channels of behaviour change towards curbing HIV among adolescents instead of campaigns to raise the level of risk perception among young people.
On Accelerated Methods in Optimization

In convex optimization, there is an {\em acceleration} phenomenon in which we can boost the convergence rate of certain gradient-based algorithms. We can observe this phenomenon in Nesterov's accelerated gradient descent, accelerated mirror descent, and accelerated cubic-regularized Newton's method, among others. In this paper, we show that the family of higher-order gradient methods in discrete time (generalizing gradient descent) corresponds to a family of first-order rescaled gradient flows in continuous time. On the other hand, the family of {\em accelerated} higher-order gradient methods (generalizing accelerated mirror descent) corresponds to a family of second-order differential equations in continuous time, each of which is the Euler-Lagrange equation of a family of Lagrangian functionals. We also study the exponential variant of the Nesterov Lagrangian, which corresponds to a generalization of Nesterov's restart scheme and achieves a linear rate of convergence in discrete time. Finally, we show that the family of Lagrangians is closed under time dilation (an orbit under the action of speeding up time), which demonstrates the universality of this Lagrangian view of acceleration in optimization.
DAMD 1797-1-7169 TITLE : The Identification of Genes Mediating Chemosensitivity in Human Mammary Cells

The MDM2 protein regulates the functional activity of the p53 tumor suppressor through direct physical association. Signals that control MDM2 expression are poorly understood but are likely to play an important role in the regulation of p53 activity. We show here that the half-life of MDM2 protein is shorter in proliferating than in quiescent peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We also demonstrate that MDM2 protein halflife is extended in some, but not all, p53 mutant human leukemic cell lines. In at least one of these p53 mutant lines, increased MDM2 protein stability is associated with higher amounts of MDM2 protein. Moreover, we demonstrate that MDM2 protein accumulates to a much greater extent in proteasome inhibitor-treated cells containing unstable MDM2 than in cells possessing stable MDM2. These results demonstrate that MDM2 expression is regulated by events that control the stability of the protein and suggest that the normal regulation of MDM2 turnover can be altered in tumor cell lines.
Fishes of the Tristan da Cunha Group and Gough Island, South Atlantic Ocean

Andrew, T.G. , T. Hecht, P.C. Heemstra and J.R. E. Lutjeharms. 1995. Fishes of the Tristan da Cunha Group and Gough Island, South Atlantic Ocean. Ichthyological Bulletin o f the J.L. B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology No. 63, 41 pages. Recent collections of fishes from the South Atlantic islands of the Tristan da Cunha Group (Tristan, Inaccessible and Nightingale) and Gough Island have produced 25 new records. Fifty one species are known to occur in the near-shore waters of the islands (46 of these are documented by specimens and another 5 species are probable). A diagnosis, synonymy and in most cases, an illustration, are provided for each species. For certain species, brief notes on biology, relative abundance and seasonal distribution are included. The neritic ichthyofauna of the Subtropical Convergence (STC) region is characterized, and the importance of this frontal zone as a barrier to dispersal of species in the Southern Ocean is evaluated. Analysis of the zoogeographic affinities of the Tristan/Gough fish fauna resulted in a redefinition of the West Wind Drift Islands Province (WWDI), comprising the Tristan Group and Gough in the South Atlantic and St. Paul and Amsterdam Islands in the southern Indian Ocean. Verna Seamount (west of Cape Town) and Walters Shoal (south of Madagascar) are excluded from the WWDI Province, as the affinities of their poorly-known fish faunas appear to be more with South Africa and the tropical Indian Ocean respectively.
Literature study / state of the art : mould and moisture safety in constructions

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SEDIMENT PERMEABILITY AT THE NANKAI ACCRETIONARY PRISM , SITE 808 1

Coring at ODP Site 808 successfully recovered a sequence of accreted and subducted sediments from the toe of the Nankai convergent margin. Detailed physical properties measurements revealed a systematic downhole consolidation trend, punctuated by two main offsets: a thrust fault at 365 mbsf and a décollement near 950 mbsf. Sediment dewatering during the accretion and subduction processes are strongly influenced by the permeability of the sediments. Results of over 60 permeability measurements made on subsamples of Site 808 cores reveal coefficients of permeability ranging from I0" to I0" cm/s (10 to I0" m) in horizontal and vertical directions. The generally low permeability of sediments at the depth of the décollement must influence the stress-strain behavior of this major structural horizon.
Mediterranean temporary ponds in Southern Portugal: key faunal groups as management tools?

Temporary ponds, in spite of being protected by the Habitats Directive (92/43/CEE), are presently disappearing at a fast rate. Urgent management measures are thus required, but which parameters should be used to establish management procedures? Since most large branchiopod species (LBS) inhabit exclusively temporary lentic ecosystems, and an important number of amphibian species (AS) also use those habitats for reproduction, they could be used as key faunal groups to assess the value of Mediterranean Temporary Ponds for conservation purposes. In particular, 11 taxa deserve special conservation concern and their habitats special management decisions (LBS: Branchipus schaefferi, Streptocephalus torvicornis, Tanymastix sp, Maghrebestheria maroccana, Cyzicus grubei and Triops mauritanicus; AS: Pelodytes sp and P. ibericus, Bufo calamita, Hyla meridionalis and Triturus marmoratus pygmaeus). Furthermore, each of them have different ecological requirements (total area, depth, hydroperiod length…). The aim of this work is to propose the use of (i) life cycles of referred LBS with no protection status, and (ii) reproduction periods (pairing, fertilization and larval development) of AS with protection status, as management tools for conservation purposes.
Work-readiness skills in the Fasset Sector

The objective of the study was to determine the work -readiness skills that are regarded as important by employers and graduates in the Fasset Sector of South Africa. A cross-sectional survey design was used to achieve this objective. Two convenience samples, namely 24 employers and 333 graduates, completed the Work Readiness Skills Scale. This scale was validated as a one-factor model with an alpha coeffcient of 0.88. Oral and written communication, self-discipline, time management, interpersonal skills and teamwork, problem-solving skills and positive work ethic were rated as important skills for securing employment in this sector by employers and graduates alike. In addition, employers valued numeracy skills and motivation, whereas graduates regarded confidence and leadership skills as important. The results have implications for the curriculum design of the Fasset Work Readiness Programme presented to graduates in this industry.
Role of exogenous chemokines as immunotherapeutic tool against visceral leishmaniasis.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), caused by the protozoan parasite, Leishmania donovani, is associated with immunological dysfunctions. Recent observations in humans and mice suggest a rapid change in chemokine expression, pointing towards their possible involvement in the disease process. Chemokines form an integral part of the host defense against pathogens and the release of chemokines is regarded as a crucial step in cellular recruitment thereby facilitatiting the initiation and maintenance of inflammatory responses that is required for counteracting the microbial invaders. Here in this review, we have highlighted the importance of the exogenous CC and CXC chemokines as potential immunotherapeutic tools to counteract Leishmania induced pathogenesis.
Recipe-technological aspects of improving the properties of non-autoclaved aerated concrete

The paper dwells upon non-autoclaved aerated concrete technology issues relating to the effect of various composition and technological factors on the aerated-concrete non-autoclave products. It presents the results of experiments carried out to study the effect of three factors: the order in which components are added to the AC mixture; the efficiency of adding a complex sodium additive to the mixture; the effect of adding the structuring additive, the ‘off-cut’. Comparative analysis of physico-mechanical test results revealed that adding the structuring additive increases the compression strength of aerated concrete while also making it denser.
Somatic kineties or paroral membrane : which came first in ciliate evolution ?

The ciliate species which lack a distinctive oral ciliature are considered to represent an ancestral state in ciliate evolution. Consequently, the somatic kineties composed of kinetids (kinetosomes plus cilia and associated fibrillar systems) are thought to be the ancestral ciliature. Results on stomatogenesis in 'gymnostomial ciliates' have shown that these ciliates probably have evolved from ancestors already equipped with an oral ciliature. Thus instead of the somatic, the oral ciliature may be regarded as ancestral. Based on these ideas a hypothesis on the evolution of the ciliate kinetome (assembly of all kinetids covering the body of a given ciliate) is presented. The first step in the evolution of the kinetome was the formation of a paroral membrane, a compound ciliary organelle lying along the right side of the oral area which historically but falsely is termed membrane. It was composed of kinetosomal dyads (dikinetids), derived from the ldnetid of a dinoflagellate-like ancestor. From the beginning the paroral membrane was responsible for locomotion, ingestion and for the formation of a cytopharyngeal tube which the first ciliate probably had inherit~ed from its flagellate ancestor. In the second step a first somatic kinety was formed from the right row of kinetosomes of the paroral membrane as a result of a longitudinal splitting of the paroral membrane and a subsequent migration of the forming kinety to the right into the somatic cortex. To increase the number of somatic kineties this process was repeated until the kinety produced first reached the left border of the oral area. By this step the locomotive and the nutritional functions were differentiated between somatic and oral structures. In a third step the adoral organelles were formed from somatic kinetids left of the oral area. The primitive type of stomatogenesis was a buecokinetal one derived from the mode the flagellate ancestor used to distribute its replicated kinetosomes to the offspring cells Couccokinetal means that at least parts of the oral anlage for the l~sterior offspring cell has its origin in the parental oral apparatus). This hypothesis, based on comparative studies on ciliate morphogenesis, is corroborated by molecular data from other laboratories.
Preferences that Matter: Inequality, Redistribution and Voting

While a significant literature in political economy has recently focused on the relationship between inequality and redistribution preferences, it is unclear that these preferences have any influence over political behavior. In this paper we argue that redistribution preferences are indeed a most significant determinant of voting. We will show that voting for the Democratic Party by the rich is highly dependent on state inequality levels. The rich in more unequal states are more supportive of redistribution than the rich in more equal states. We contend that it is precisely these redistribution preferences that make them more likely to vote for the Democratic Party. Our analysis goes beyond previous research by explicitly studying this preference mechanism in a potential-outcomes framework. We disentangle the direct and indirect effects of inequality to obtain estimates of inequality’s effect on voting through preferences. †University of Oxford, david.rueda@politics.ox. ac.uk ‡University of Mannheim, mail@daniel-stegmueller.com