Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Soil compaction and arbuscular mycorrhizae affect seedling growth of three grasses

Soil compaction is a limitation to establishment of native forest species on reclaimed surfacemined lands in Appalachia. Previously, non-native forage species such as tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus(Schreb.) Dumort. , nom. cons. ) have been planted because they easily established on reclaimed mine soil. There is now interest in establishing robust native prairie species to enhance biodiversity and provide greater potential for root activity in the compacted soil. We conducted a 10-week glasshouse study comparing growth of “Pete” eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloidesL.), “Bison” big bluestem (Andropogon gerardiiVitman), and “Jesup MaxQ” tall fescue at soil bulk densities (BD) of 1.0, 1.3, and 1.5 g·cm-3. We also examined effects of arbuscular-mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on plant growthin relation to compaction. Sources of AMF were a reclaimed surface coal mine soil and a native tallgrass prairie soil. Shoot and root biomass of tall fescue and big bluestem were reduced at 1.5 BD while eastern gamagrass growth was not affected. Growth ofbig bluestem and eastern gamagrass was greaterwith AMF than without, butsimilar between AMF sources. Tall fescue growthwas not enhanced by AMF. Overall, tall fescue biomass was 3 times greater than eastern gamagrass and 6 times greater than big bluestem when comparing only AMF-colonized grasses. Eastern gamagrass and big bluestem are both slower to establish than tall fescue. Eastern gamagrass appears to be more tolerant of compaction, while big bluestem appears somewhat less tolerant.
The Efficacy of Colour Doppler Ultrasound in Differentiating Malignant and Nonmalignant Head and Neck Lymph Node Enlargement

Cervical lymphadenopathy is a common presenting symptom for a variety of disorders. Differentiation of malignant and non- malignant lymphadenopathy has important clinical and therapeutic implications. The purpose of our study was to assess the efficacy of colour Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) in differentiating malignant and non-malignant cervical lymphadenopathy. 30 patients with clinical evidence of Head and Neck lymph node enlargement 15 patients with clinically suspected malignant/metastatic head and neck lymph node enlargement and 15 patients with clinically suspected reactive/non-malignant head and neck lymph node enlargement] were evaluated with ultrasound and the largest or most prominent node was subjected to CDUS examination. CDUS was performed for 30 out of 126 head and neck lymph nodes. Histopathological/Cytological confirmations were obtained by fine needle aspiration cytology or excisional biopsy. To assess the efficacy of CDUS, a comparison between clinical features, CDUS features and cytological/histological features of the lymph nodes was done. The results thus obtained were statistically analyzed. Clinical examination identified 99 lymph nodes in 30 patients. Ultrasonogram additionally detected 27 lymph nodes. The statistically significant ‘p’ value (p 0.5, loss of echogenic hilum, sharp border and hypoechogenicity. Correlation of vascular pattern of CDUS with pathological diagnosis showed that peripheral and mixed flow pattern for malignant nodes were highly significant with ‘p’ value of 0.000 (p < 0.01). The sensitivity and specificity was 93% and 93%, respectively. The hilar vascular pattern if taken as a criteria for identification of non-malignant nodes then the specificity was 100% and the sensitivity was 46.6%. Thus nodal vascular pattern can be used to differentiate malignant and nonmalignant lymph node enlargement. The presence of avascular flow pattern needs further evaluation. CDUS examination along with clinical examination and grey scale sonography can obviate the need for biopsy/FNAC of lymph nodes.
Duration of the rehabilitation period and familiarity with the prey affect the predatory behaviour of captive wild kestrels (Falco tinnunculus)

Abstract A sample of 24 wild kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) was tested in captive conditions in order to study their predatory behaviour after a rehabilitation period from injuries. The birds, divided into two groups according to duration of captivity, were tested on three consecutive days with three types of prey: a live mouse, a dead mouse, and a chicken carcass. The results showed a significant interaction between groups and prey with regard to the movements on the perch after the prey's appearance and the exploratory flights above it. The dead mouse constantly elicited more movements in the kestrel, particularly in birds in captivity for less time. The duration between capture and ingestion of the prey in the live mouse tests was longer than in those with a dead prey. The live mouse was bill pecked several times, particularly on the head. Thus, kestrels still maintain a good predatory ability even after prolonged captivity, and they soon become used to the unnatural food provided. The implications from .
Association of Long-term Child Growth and Developmental Outcomes With Metformin vs Insulin Treatment for Gestational Diabetes

Importance Metformin is an emerging option for treating gestational diabetes (GDM). However, because metformin crosses the placenta, patients and clinicians are concerned with its long-term effect on child health. Objective To estimate the association of treating GDM with metformin vs insulin with child growth and development. Design, Setting, and Participants Population-based cohort study of New Zealand women treated with metformin or insulin for GDM from 2005 to 2012 and their children. This study linked national health care data to create a cohort of mothers and their children, including data from maternity care, pharmaceutical dispensing, hospitalizations, demographic records, and the B4 School Check (B4SC) preschool health assessment. Women treated pharmacologically with metformin or insulin during pregnancy were included. We excluded pregnancies with evidence of diabetes and deliveries prior to 2013. Liveborn infants were linked to their B4SC results. Data were analyzed between January 2017 and May 2018. Exposures Pharmacologic treatment for GDM with metformin or insulin, measured using pharmaceutical claims data. Main Outcomes and Measures Child growth (weight and height) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) scores for behavioral development. All outcomes were derived from the B4SC screening program. Linear and log-binomial regression with inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to estimate the association of child growth and psychosocial outcomes with metformin vs insulin treatment for GDM. Results In both treatment groups, the mean (SD) maternal age was 32 (5) years. A large proportion of mothers who were treated with insulin identified as New Zealand European (867 [44.9%]) while 576 mothers who were treated with metformin (28.9%) identified as New Zealand European. Approximately one-third of mothers who were treated with metformin (n = 639) identified as Asian. We identified 3928 pregnancies treated with metformin (n = 1996) or insulin (n = 1932). After adjustment, we observed no meaningful difference in weight for height z scores between children exposed to metformin compared with insulin (mean difference, –0.10; 95% CI, −0.20 to 0.01). Risk of being 85th percentile or greater for weight for height was similar between treatment groups (adjusted risk ratio, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.83-1.02). Mean SDQ scores were not meaningfully different between the treatment groups, Children of metformin-treated mothers were not significantly more likely to have parent-reported SDQ scores of 14 or more (adjusted risk ratio, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.88-1.46) than those of insulin-treated mothers. Conclusions and Relevance Our study compares long-term outcomes among school-aged children following maternal use of metformin vs insulin treatment for GDM. Children of metformin-treated mothers were indistinguishable on growth and developmental assessments from those of insulin-treated mothers. These results will help inform future GDM treatment guidelines.
Fatty acid composition of Arctic and Antarctic macroalgae: indicator of phylogenetic and trophic relationships

The fatty acid composition of 6 Arctic and 14 Antarctic macroalgae species (Rhodo- phyta, Phaeophyta and Chlorophyta) from Kongsfjorden (west Spitsbergen, Arctic) and King George Island (Antarctic Peninsula) was investigated. The macroalgae were cultivated in nutrient-enriched seawater at low temperatures (0 to 5°C) and light conditions similar to natural irradiance. The most abundant fatty acids in the Arctic and Antarctic Rhodophyta were generally 20:5(n-3) and 16:0. The Arctic Palmaria palmata and the Antarctic Audouinella purpurea were characterised by very high proportions of 20:5(n-3) (67.3 and 60.3%, respectively). Other important fatty acids were 16:1(n-7) and 20:4(n-6). Two species were dominated by 20:4(n-6) (Phycodrys rubens, 35.3% and Delesseria lancifolia, 31.1%). In Ptilota gunneri and Rhodymenia subantarctica, 16:1(n-7) accounted for 39.9 and 32.7%, respectively. In the Phaeophyta, the major polyunsaturated fatty acids were 18:4(n-3), 20:5(n-3) and 20:4(n-6) followed by 18:3(n-3) and 18:2(n-6). The principal saturated fatty acid was 16:0. A high percentage of the uncommon monounsaturated fatty acid 16:1(n-5) (11.1%) was found in Desmarestia muelleri sporophytes. Their gametophytes exhibited only traces of this component, but instead had double the amount of 18:2(n-6) and 18:3(n-3). The Arctic chlorophyte Prasiola crispa and the Antarctic Lambia antarctica had fatty acid compositions dominated by the polyunsaturated fatty acids 18:3(n-3) and 18:2(n-6). In L. antarctica, 18:1(n-7) was present at higher levels than 18:2(n- 6). The clear differences in fatty acid compositions of these 3 taxa are probably due to their different evolutionary position. The high proportions of 20:5(n-3) in the Rhodophyta reflect a 'marine'-like character and hence the phylogenetically oldest lineage. The Chlorophyta comprise the most 'mod- ern' group and this is supported by primarily C18 unsaturated fatty acids typical of the vegetative tissue of higher plants. The fatty acid composition of the Phaeophyta support their intermediate posi- tion. The clear differences between the macroalgal taxa, and also variations between species, make fatty acids a potential tracer for studies of food-web interactions.
Ambient Air Quality in Dhaka Bangladesh over Two Decades: Impacts of Policy on Air Quality

ABSTRACT Samples of the fine and coarse fractions of airborne particulate matter (PM) were collected using a ‘Gent’ stacked filter unit in a semi-residential area of Dhaka, Bangladesh from December 1996 through September 2015. The site is located at the Atomic Energy Centre, Dhaka University Campus that is a relatively low traffic area. Many policies have been implemented during this period to clean the air of Dhaka. Among them, bans on leaded-gasoline and two-stroke engines were implemented, and a policy regarding green technology for brick burning is in progress. To observe the effects of the policy implementations, analyses were performed on this long-term (December 1996 to September 2015) data set of PM10, PM2.5, black carbon (BC), and lead (Pb). Annual average concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, BC, and Pb were computed. These long-term data show that the air quality of Dhaka has been stable over the past decade even though economic activity and the number of sources including passenger cars and brick kilns, are increasing.
ON THE APPROXIMATION THEOREM OF WONG-ZAKAI TYPE FOR THE LASOTA OPERATOR

We consider in this paper a stochastic evolution equation with Professor A. Lasota's operator as the infinitesimal generator of a strongly continuous semigroup of transformations and with Hammerstein operator connected with a noise being the Wiener process. We show that such evolution equation satisfies the Wong-Zakai type approximation theorem. The idea of the definition of the Lasota operator has the origin in the mathematical model of the creation and differentiation of cells in biology and medicine.
Daily earthquake forecasts during the May-June 2012 Emilia earthquake sequence (northern Italy)

On May 20, 2012, at 02:03 UTC, a magnitude Ml 5.9 earthquake hit part of the Po Plain area (latitude, 44.89 ˚N; longitude, 11.23 ˚E) close to the village of Finale-Emilia in the Emilia-Romagna region (northern Italy). This caused a number of human losses and significant economic damage to buildings, and to local farms and industry. This earthquake was preceded by an increase in the seismicity the day before, with the largest shock of Ml 4.1 at 23:13 UTC (latitude, 44.90 ˚N; longitude, 11.26 ˚E). It was then followed by six other Ml 5.0 or greater events in the following weeks. The largest of these six earthquakes occurred on May 29, 2012, at 07:00 UTC (Ml 5.8), and was located 12 km southwest of the May 20, 2012, main event (latitude, 44.85 ˚N; longitude, 11.09 ˚E), resulting in the collapse of many buildings that had already been weakened, a greater number of victims, and most of the economic damage (see Figure 1). This sequence took place in one of the Italian regions that is considered to be at small-to-moderate seismic hazard [Gruppo di Lavoro MPS 2004]. Earthquakes of the M6 class have occurred in the past in this zone [Gruppo di Lavoro CPTI 2004], but with a much smaller time frequency with respect to the most seismically hazardous parts of Italy. […]
Molecular tendrils feeding star formation in the Eye of the Medusa - The Medusa merger in high resolution 12CO 2–1 maps

Studying molecular gas properties in merging galaxies gives us important clues to the onset and evolution of interaction-triggered starbursts. NGC 4194 (the Medusa merger) is particularly interesting to study, since its FIR-to-CO luminosity ratio rivals that of ultraluminous galaxies (ULIRGs), despite its lower luminosity compared to ULIRGs, which indicates a high star formation efficiency (SFE) that is relative to even most spirals and ULIRGs. We study the molecular medium at an angular resolution of 0.65 �� × 0.52 �� (∼120 × 98 pc) through our observations of 12 CO 2−1 emission using the Submillimeter Array (SMA). We compare our 12 CO 2−1 maps with the optical Hubble Space Telescope and high angular resolution radio continuum images to study the relationship between molecular gas and the other components of the starburst region. The molecular gas is tracing the complicated dust lane structure of NGC 4194 with the brightest emission being located in an off-nuclear ring-like structure with ∼320 pc radius, the Eye of the Medusa. The bulk CO emission of the ring is found south of the kinematical center of NGC 4194. The northern tip of the ring is associated with the galaxy nucleus, where the radio continuum has its peak. Large velocity widths associated with the radio nucleus support the notion of NGC 4194 hosting an active galactic nucleus. A prominent, secondary emission maximum in the radio continuum is located inside the molecular ring. This suggests that the morphology of the ring is partially influenced by massive supernova explosions. From the combined evidence, we propose that the Eye of the Medusa contains a shell of swept up material where we identify a number of giant –
A COMPARATIVE INTERNATIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF ACCOUNTING STANDARDS ON FUNDAMENTAL ACCOUNTING VARIABLES: THE USA VERSUS LATIN AMERICA

This article examines the comparability between Latin American Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and US by studying 314 of the 20-F Forms reported by Latin American companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange during the period 1997-2001. The influence of US accounting in Latin America is evident in several areas. Nevertheless, the Latin American accounting model addresses special issues, such as inflation accounting, in a manner different from that of the US The purpose of this research is to identify the impact of the international accounting differences on the fundamental accounting variables and to assess the frequency and materiality of these differences in four Latin American countries, namely Argentine, Brazil, Chile and Mexico. The results indicate that the gap between Latin American GAAP and US GAAP has not narrowed during the period.
The Use of Health Transition Item in Health Inequalities Research: Annual Health Perception Variation Value (AHVV)

Purpose: The introduction of the “Annual Health Perception Variation Value (AHVV)” that is developed by using Health Transition Item. Methods: The sample size of this representative study is 3397 (38.6% male) with a mean age of 35.7 ± 22.5 years. The AHVV is developed by means of selfevaluated Health Transition Item of the SF-36 scale. AHVV is calculated for each of the 5 years age groups. The percentages of the positive responses are summed up and then subtracted from the sum of the percentages of the negative responses such as: AHVV= [(Much Better % + Somewhat Better %)] – [(Somewhat Worse % + Worse %)]. Fort he sake of making comparison with AHVV, “Current Self Rated Health Value (SRHV) is also derived from a SRH question, calculated by a similar methodology. Results: Regardless of having any chronic illness, both SRHV and AHVV worsen as a person gets older and gets poorer. AHVV is affected by age (s=0.36) more that that of SRHV (s=0.08) whereas SRHV variance can be better explained by income level (s =0.18) than AHVV (s =0.05) in the multiple linear regression analyses. A significant linear trend in the mean AHV was observed by SRH categories. Conclusion: AHVV can be regarded as a new population level parametric summary health transition index which can be used in health inequality research
Unstash the Cash! Corporate Governance Reform in Japan

Japan’s high corporate savings might be holding back growth, by preventing a more efficient use of resources. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been the main contributors to high corporate cash balances, but more recently larger companies have also increased cash holdings. This paper focuses on the causes and consequences of the current corporate behavior and suggests options for reform. In particular, Japan’s weak corporate governance – as measured by available indexes – might be contributing to high cash holdings. An empirical analysis on a panel of Japanese firms confirms that improving corporate governance would help unlock corporate savings. The main policy implication of the analysis carried out in this paper is that a more ambitious and comprehensive corporate governance reform should be a key component of Japan’s growth strategy. Such a reform would help remove some of the bottlenecks of the legal and corporate governance framework
Determination of particulate matter vertical columns using satellite observations

Abstract. A new technique to retrieve the particulate matter vertical columns from spaceborne observations is described. The method is based on the measurements of the spectral aerosol optical thickness (AOT). The spectral slope of the derived aerosol optical thickness is used to infer the size of particles, which is needed (along with the absolute value of AOT) to determine corresponding vertical columns. The technique is applied to the case of a cloudless atmosphere over Germany and results are compared with ground-based observations. Several assumptions are made in the retrieval process such as the prescribed phase function, single scattering albedo, the refractive index of aerosol, and the half-width of the size distribution.
The Impact of an In-service Professional Development Course on Writing Teacher Attitudes and Pedagogy

In education, it is commonly believed that the quality of teachers' learning experiences directly affects the quality of their students' learning experiences. Specifically, teachers' continuing learning may bring about positive effects on student learning. For the past ten years or so, research has emphasized the effects of professional development courses on teachers in hard science disciplines. Little attention has been paid to study the influences of those courses on teachers in the 'soft' sciences, such as English language, especially in the area of teaching of writing. Against this background, I undertook a study to investigate how an in-service professional development course influences the teaching attitudes of writing teachers who enrolled on the course and their teaching practice. I argue that the professional development course empowered the teachers with skills useful for the teaching of writing. I also argue that the course positively changed the attitudes of the teachers towards their practice in the teaching of writing. It is suggested that teachers need to engage in continuing professional development to improve the quality of their teaching.
The Impact of Prior Season Vaccination on Subsequent Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness (VE) to Prevent Influenza-Related Hospitalizations over Four Influenza Seasons in Canada.

Background Recent studies have demonstrated the possibility of negative associations between prior influenza vaccines and subsequent influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE), depending on season and strain. We investigated this association over 4 consecutive influenza seasons (2011/2012-2014/2015) in Canada. Methods Using a matched test-negative design, laboratory-confirmed influenza cases and matched test-negative controls admitted to hospitals were enrolled. Patients were stratified into four groups according to influenza vaccine history (not vaccinated current and prior season [referent], vaccinated prior season only, vaccinated current season only, and vaccinated both current and prior season). Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate VE; prior vaccine impact was assessed each season for overall effect and effect stratified by age (<65y, ≥65y) and type/subtype (A/H1N1, A/H3N2, influenza B). ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01517191. Results Overall, mainly non-significant associations between prior influenza vaccine and subsequent VE were observed. Trends of non-significant decreased VE among patients repeatedly vaccinated in both the prior and current season relative to the current season only were observed in the A/H3N2 dominant seasons of 2012/2013 and 2014/2015. Conversely, in 2011/2012, during which B viruses circulated, and in 2013/2014, when A/H1N1 circulated, being vaccinated in both seasons tended to result in a high VE in the current season against the dominant circulating subtype. Conclusions Prior vaccine impact on subsequent VE among Canadian inpatients was mainly non-significant. Even in circumstances where we observed a trend of negative impact, being repeatedly vaccinated was still more effective than not receiving the current season's vaccine. These findings favour continuation of annual influenza vaccination recommendations, particularly in older adults.
The effects of stage of lactation, parity and calving season on somaticcell counts in Anatolian Water Buffaloes

The present research was conducted to determine the effects of parity, calving season and stage of lactation on the somatic cell count (SCC) in Anatolian water buffaloes reared different herd conditions. In total, 2,736 SCC readings from 456 Anatolian water buffaloes were analyzed. Data were evaluated by the stage of lactation (early, mid, and late), calving season, and parity with the SPSS package program. Significant effects of calving season, parity, and stage of lactation on SCC were observed (P<0.05). The average SCC was 90,701±6,372 cells/ml. The results indicated that the SCC of buffaloes were in accordance with, even considerably lower than, the limits indicated in the related regulations of the Turkish Food Codex and those of the European Union Commission. Further studies are necessary to investigate the development of the appropriate threshold values under the conditions of Turkey.