Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of estrogen receptor α polymorphisms with susceptibility to chronic hepatitis B virus infection

Several studies have demonstrated that estrogen receptor α (ESR1) participates in the pathogenesis of persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. To examine whether polymorphisms at the ESR1 gene locus are associated with persistent HBV infection, we resequenced ESR1 genomic region for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 27 unrelated Chinese. Two haplotype‐tagged SNPs (htSNP), T29C and A252966G, were selected for genotyping in 1,277 persistent HBV‐infected cases, 748 spontaneously recovered controls, and 293 nuclear families using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP) analysis. We observed that the subjects bearing ESR1 29T/T genotype had an increased susceptibility to persistent HBV infection compared to those bearing at least one 29C allele (odds ratio 1.41; 95% CI, 1.17‐1.71, P < .001). Consistent with the results of population‐based association study, a significantly greater than expected transmission of the 29T allele (56.4%) from heterozygous parents to offspring with persistent HBV infection was observed (χ2 = 4.60, P = .033) using the transmission‐disequilibrium test (TDT) in 293 nuclear families. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) mapping analysis indicated that the T29C polymorphism contained within a LD block located from promoter region to intron 3 of ESR1, suggesting that the strong association detected with T29C in ESR1 originated from ESR1 itself. In conclusion, our results suggest that the genetic variation at the ESR1 locus influences susceptibility to persistent HBV infection in a Chinese population. (HEPATOLOGY 2004;40:318–326.)
Kinetics of first-cutting regrowth of alfalfa plants and nitrogenase activity in a controlled environment with and without added nitrate

Seedlings of Medicago sativa L. cv. Algonquin were grown in vermiculite and nodulated by Rhizobium meliloti strain 102F70 at two lower levels of N, until flowering when the tops were cut off to leave about 10% shoot stubble. Residual shoot dry matter immediately resumed first-order growth and maintained it throughout regrowth to second flowering. The rate constants of shoot regrowth were 34% lower (at 15 mM NO3−), 25% lower (at 1.5 mM NO3− symbiotically), or 220% higher (at zero NO3− symbiotically) than the values for 1 to 4-week-old seedlings, which indicated a radical change in physiology. Root dry matter resumed exponential growth after a 7-day recession and its recovery and yields were independent of N nutrition. The most pronounced minima occurred in the acetylene-reducing activity of nitrogenase, the kinetics of which paralleled root dry matter except that its redevelopment stopped after two-thirds of the regrowth time. The rate coefficient for the redevelopment of nitrogenase activity equalled that.
Direct and semi-direct radiative forcing of biomass-burning aerosols over the southeast Atlantic (SEA) and its sensitivity to absorbing properties: a regional climate modeling study

Abstract. Simulations are performed for the period 2000–2015 by two different regional climate models, ALADIN and RegCM, to quantify the direct and semi-direct radiative effects of biomass-burning aerosols (BBAs) in the southeast Atlantic (SEA) region. Different simulations have been performed using strongly absorbing BBAs in accordance with recent in situ observations over the SEA. For the July–August–September (JAS) season, the single scattering albedo (SSA) and total aerosol optical depth (AOD) simulated by the ALADIN and RegCM models are consistent with the MACv2 climatology and MERRA-2 and CAMS-RA reanalyses near the biomass-burning emission sources. However, the above-cloud AOD is slightly underestimated compared to satellite (MODIS and POLDER) data during the transport over the SEA. The direct radiative effect exerted at the continental and oceanic surfaces by BBAs is significant in both models and the radiative effects at the top of the atmosphere indicate a remarkable regional contrast over SEA (in all-sky conditions), with a cooling (warming) north (south) of 10 ∘S, which is in agreement with the recent MACv2 climatology. In addition, the two models indicate that BBAs are responsible for an important shortwave radiative heating of ∼0.5–1 K per day over SEA during JAS with maxima between 2 and 4 km a.m.s.l. (above mean sea level). At these altitudes, BBAs increase air temperature by ∼0.2–0.5 K, with the highest values being co-located with low stratocumulus clouds. Vertical changes in air temperature limit the subsidence of air mass over SEA, creating a cyclonic anomaly. The opposite effect is simulated over the continent due to the increase in lower troposphere stability. The BBA semi-direct effect on the lower troposphere circulation is found to be consistent between the two models. Changes in the cloud fraction are moderate in response to the presence of smoke, and the models differ over the Gulf of Guinea. Finally, the results indicate an important sensitivity of the direct and semi-direct effects to the absorbing properties of BBAs. Over the stratocumulus (Sc) region, DRE varies from +0.94 W m−2 (scattering BBAs) to +3.93 W m−2 (most absorbing BBAs).
Kentleşme ve Ekonomik Büyümenin Çevresel Bozulmaya Etkisi: Türkiye Örneği

Bu calismada 1960-2014 doneminde, Turkiye’de ekonomik buyume ve kentlesmenin cevresel bozulma uzerine etkileri ele alinmistir. Bunu yaparken ARDL Sinir Testi ve ECM’ye dayali Granger Nedensellik testi kullanilmistir. Elde edilen sonuclara gore Turkiye’de bu donem icinde kentlesme hem kisa donemde hem de uzun donemde CO2 emisyonunu artirmaktadir. Bununla birlikte ekonomik buyumenin ilk donemlerinde cevresel bozulma artarken, belli bir seviyeden sonraki buyume cevresel bozulma uzerinde azaltici bir etkiye sahiptir. Bu durum Turkiye’de Cevresel Kuznet Egrisinin varligini dogrulamaktadir. Elde edilen sonuclar Ekolojik Modernlesme, Kentsel Gecis ve Kompakt Şehir teorileri dikkate alinarak degerlendirilmektedir. Buna gore soz konusu donem icinde Turkiye’de Kompakt Şehir teorisinin sartlarinin ampirik olarak kanitlanmadigi gorulurken, Kentsel Gecis teorilerinde yer alan cevresel sorunlarin yer aldigina isaret edilmektedir. Kentlesmenin cevresel bozulmaya neden olan yonleri dikkate alinarak politika onerileri getirilmektedir. Bu baglamda oncelikle hanehalki bilinclendirilmeli, planli ve organize kentlesme stratejisi ortaya konmalidir. Cevre dostu mallarin uretimi ve tuketimi tesvik edilmeli, gerektiginde subvanse edilmelidir. Ozellikle olcek ekonomilerinden faydalanilacak bicimde ulasim hizmetleri saglanmalidir.
Relationship between Herbage Intake and Sward Structure of Grazed Temperate Grasses

Temperate grasses differ in sward structure, which may infl uence herbage intake of grazing cattle. We compared herbage intake of meadow fescue [Schedonorus pratensis (Huds.) P. Beauv. ], orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), quackgrass [Elymus repens (L.) Gould], and reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) grazed by dairy heifers, and determined its relationship with sward structure. Grasses were grazed at vegetative stage for 24 h over 5-d periods in the spring, summer, and fall of 2 yr. Forage dry matter (DM) allowance was a minimum of two times expected daily intake (11 kg animal −1 d −1 ). Sward characteristics were measured before grazing (height, mass, vertical distribution of leaf and stem bulk density and nutritive value). Herbage DM intake was estimated daily (pregraze minus postgraze herbage mass). Despite species differences in pregraze sward height (range of 29–49 cm across seasons), herbage mass (range of 1480–2540 kg DM ha −1 ), and neutral detergent fi ber (NDF) digestibility (range of 713–843 g kg −1 NDF), no differences in leaf bulk density and herbage intake were found among grasses during four of six grazing seasons. Herbage intake differences during two seasons were related to either sward leaf bulk density (r = 0.79) or stem bulk density (r = −0.84), and the associated changes in leaf and stem mass of the canopy layers grazed by cattle, indicating that these sward characteristics were the primary determinants of grazed herbage intake in vegetative meadow fescue, orchardgrass, quackgrass, and reed canarygrass.
Confirmation and Validation of Smart Tourism Technology Attributes: the case study of City of Tshwane

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has resulted in the proliferation of the word ‘smart’. The continued use and adoption of smart tourism technologies by tourists is creating a new form of tourist consumption behaviour that is influenced by smart tourism technologies. The notion of smart cities has also emerged. The city of Tshwane has been making strides to become a world class African smart city and such offers the city of Tshwane an opportunity to position itself as a smart tourism destination. Prior to such positioning, it is critical that a research aimed at investigating digital behaviour of tourists visiting the city be conducted. The objective of the current study was to identify and validate the attributes (factors) of the smart tourism technologies that influence a tourist’s destination choice. The study was quantitative in nature. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire with 29 seven-point Likert-scale items. A total of 208 questionnaires were collected. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to reduce and validate the factors (Attributes). The study identified seven smart tourism technology attributes that influence destination choice, such factors should therefore be considered when designing smart tourism tools aimed to supporting tourist decision making.
A Spatial-Temporal Attention-Based Method and a New Dataset for Remote Sensing Image Change Detection

Remote sensing image change detection (CD) is done to identify desired significant changes between bitemporal images. Given two co-registered images taken at different times, the illumination variations and misregistration errors overwhelm the real object changes. Exploring the relationships among different spatial–temporal pixels may improve the performances of CD methods. In our work, we propose a novel Siamese-based spatial–temporal attention neural network. In contrast to previous methods that separately encode the bitemporal images without referring to any useful spatial–temporal dependency, we design a CD self-attention mechanism to model the spatial–temporal relationships. We integrate a new CD self-attention module in the procedure of feature extraction. Our self-attention module calculates the attention weights between any two pixels at different times and positions and uses them to generate more discriminative features. Considering that the object may have different scales, we partition the image into multi-scale subregions and introduce the self-attention in each subregion. In this way, we could capture spatial–temporal dependencies at various scales, thereby generating better representations to accommodate objects of various sizes. We also introduce a CD dataset LEVIR-CD, which is two orders of magnitude larger than other public datasets of this field. LEVIR-CD consists of a large set of bitemporal Google Earth images, with 637 image pairs (1024 × 1024) and over 31 k independently labeled change instances. Our proposed attention module improves the F1-score of our baseline model from 83.9 to 87.3 with acceptable computational overhead. Experimental results on a public remote sensing image CD dataset show our method outperforms several other state-of-the-art methods.
Thidiazuron‐induced somatic embryogenesis in intact seedlings of peanut (Arachis hypogaea): Endogenous growth regulator levels and significance of cotyledons

The regulatory role of thidiazuron (TDZ) and explant factors in imparting somatic embryogenic potential was assessed in relation to endogenous growth regulator levels in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L. cv. Tango). TDZ induced somatic embryogenesis over a range of concentrations (0.5 to 10 μM. Culture of seedlings for just 2 days on TDZ-supplemented medium was sufficient to induce somatic embryogenesis. Seedling age and retention or removal of cotyledons during culture influenced morphogenic potential significantly. The younger the seedlings, the better was the embryogenic response to TDZ treatment. The embryogenic potential of seedlings was limited for explants with no cotyledons and they did not respond to increasing levels of TDZ. In contrast, retention of at least one or both the cotyledons resulted in increased response to TDZ. Endogenous levels of cytokinins, auxins and abscisic acid were influenced by TDZ treatment, while TDZ itself was detected only in the cotyledons. The cytokinin N 6 -(2-iso-pentenyl)adenine (2iP) fluctuated on a 10-day cycle in the cotyledons ; TDZ treatment suppressed this change and caused an overall decrease in the pool of available 2iP in the tissue. It appeared that TDZ induced somatic embryogenesis in peanut by influencing endogenous levels of both auxin and cytokinins.
Hotshots, Hotspots, and Female Preference in the Organization of Lek Mating Systems

We critically review the female-preference and hotspot models, the two most widely accepted recent explanations of lek organization. On the basis of what we believe are the inadequacies of these models-too great a reliance on the presumed acuity of female discrimination, the assumption that females have full freedom of choice within the lek, and insufficient recognition of the importance of male-male interactions-we develop an alternative set of hypotheses, which we call the hotshot model, to explain the development and maintenance of lek behavior. Our model attributes strong male mating skew to the interaction between (1) simplified and conservative mating rules of females and (2) social dominance among males. We demonstrate the importance of male-male dominance relationships in lek and non-lek court mating systems. We then argue that a strong mating skew among males forces novice males entering a population to adopt a long-term mating strategy that involves delayed breeding (floating) and subordinate lek behavior. The structure of leks is created by a complex of malemale interactions, with conflict between hotshots (who attempt to control lek mating) and subordinates, who may benefit from disrupting lek activities. Explanations for the number of males in an arena and inter-arena distances are based on modifications of the hotspot and female-preference models. We suggest specific field tests to help distinguish which hypothesis best models the behavioral interactions that produce lek mating.
Natural Hybrid between the Frogs Crinia pseudinsignifera and Crinia subinsignifera (Myobatrachidae) from Southwestern Australia Defined by Allozyme Phenotype and Call

Abstract Advertisement calls of the West Australian frogs Crinia pseudinsignifera and Crinia subinsignifera are distinct. I report a natural hybrid between C. subinsignifera and C. pseudinsignifera based on initial detection of an intermediate call and confirmed by allozyme data. I discuss patterns of hybridization among C. subinsignifera, C. pseudinsignifera, and Crinia insignifera.
COCCOLITH PRODUCTION AND DETACHMENT BY EMILIANIA HUXLEYI (PRYMNESIOPHYCEAE) 1

Laboratory experiments were performed with the prymnesiophyte Emiliania huxleyi (Lohm.) Hay and Mohler, strain 88E, to quantify calcification per cell, coccolith detachment, and effects of coccolith production on optical scattering of individual cells. 14C incorporation into attached and detached coccoliths was measured using a bulk filtration technique. 14C‐labeled cells also were sorted using a flow cytometer and analyzed for carbon incorporation into attached coccoliths. The difference between the bulk and flow cytometer analyses provided a 14C‐based estimate of the rate of production of detached coccoliths. Coccolith production and detachment were separated in time in batch cultures, with most detachment happening well after calcification had stopped. Accumulation of coccoliths was maximum at the end of logarithmic growth with 50–80 coccoliths per cell (three to five complete layers of coccoliths around the cells). Net accretion rates of coccoliths were on the order of 7 coccoliths· cell−1·d−1 while net detachment rates were as high as 15 coccoliths· cell−1·d−1 for stationary phase cells. Equal numbers of coccoliths were attached and detached early in logarithmic growth, and as cells aged, the numbers of detached coccoliths exceeded the attached ones by a factor of 6. Our results demonstrate pronounced charges of forward angle light scatter and 90° light scatter of cells as they grow logarithmically and enter stationary phase. Counts of loose coccoliths in batch cultures are consistent with the detachment of coccoliths in layers rather than individual coccoliths.
Restoration of Images With High-Density Impulsive Noise Based on Sparse Approximation and Ant-Colony Optimization

In this work, we propose an image denoising approach, specifically for “salt-and-pepper noise,” based on the optimized sparse approximation for restoring images contaminated by high-density impulse noise. The proposed method first uses the inverse-distance weighting-based prediction to estimate noise-recovered pixels. It then utilizes DCT-based sparse approximation to further refine the denoised results with the ant colony optimization. Experiments on an image benchmark dataset demonstrate that the proposed method yields better results compared to the state-of-the-art image noise removal methods.
Evaluation of the Apparent Ileal Digestibility (AID) of Protein and Amino Acids in Nursery Diets by In vitro and In vivo Methods

The objective was to evaluate in vitro prediction of ileal digestibility of protein and amino acids (AA) for current nursery pig diets (n = 10) by using pepsin and pancreatin incubations. To compare in vivo ileal digestibility, forty nursery pigs (4 pigs per diet) with an initial BW of kg were surgically equipped with T-cannula in the distal ileum. In all cases, the values of in vitro digestibility were higher than those of in vivo digestibility (p value was 0.76. With regard to AA, high relationships were observed in Ile, Thr, and Gly (0.85, 0.83, and 0.89, respectively). Also, there was a lower relationship for Arg, Met, Ala, Asp, Glu, Pro, Ser, and Tyr with values of 0.56, 0.54, 0.40, 0.54, 0.45, 0.24, 0.49, and 0.35, respectively between in vitro and in vivo digestibility. The EAA relationship ( = 0.71) was generally higher than that of NEAA ( = 0.50) numerically. In conclusion, there were strong linear relationships between in vivo and in vitro ileal digestibility (CP, Ile, Thr, and Gly). In vitro prediction of ileal digestibility (CP, Ile, Thr, and Gly) seems to have significant potential for practical application.
Sipunculan Fauna in the Fethiye-Gφηek Specially Protected Area (Turkey, Eastern Mediterranean)

This study deals with sipunculan species collected from 0 to 31 m depths at 83 stations in the Fethiye-Gocek Specially Protected Area (Turkey). A total of 7 species and 1397 individuals belonging to four families were encountered. Among the species, Nephasoma (Nephasoma) rimicola is new to the eastern Mediterranean fauna and 5 species are new to the marine fauna of the southern coast of Turkey. Phascolosoma (Phascolosoma) stephensoni has the highest dominance and frequency index values in the area. Aspidosiphon (Aspidosiphon) elegans and Apionsoma (Apionsoma) misakianum are alien species. Of the biotopes examined, Posidonia oceanica was characterized by the highest number of species (6 species). In the present study, brief descriptions of the species, and their distributional and ecological characteristics are given and discussed.
Pteridophyte diversity and species composition in four Amazonian rain forests

Abstract. Local variation in individual density, species composition, species richness and species diversity of terrestrial pteridophytes were studied at four sites in the tropical lowland rain forest of western Amazonia. 15 568 pteridophyte individuals representing 40 species were recorded in four plots. The variability among subplots within the same plot was considerable in all the characteristics measured (number of individuals, number of species, species diversity); the square 1-ha plot was more homogeneous in these respects than any of the three 5 m by 1300 m transects. Species richness was affected by the density of individuals both within and among plots. Density of individuals was not affected by topographical position within any of the plots, whereas in some of the plots both species richness and species diversity were. Clustering and ordination analyses showed that floristically similar subplots could be found in different plots: although there was a tendency for subplots from the same plot to be floristically similar and therefore to group together, many recognized groups included subplots from two or more plots. Both within and among plots, the floristic differences corresponded to topographic position and were probably related to soil drainage. This was also evident in that the abundance patterns of many species followed the topography.
Covid-19: accelerating recovery

ABSTRACT Covid-19 infections and related illness and death are rightly at the forefront of our minds. It is critical that we consider how to reduce infections, treat those who are ill and protect health systems. We must, however, also consider how the pandemic is affecting the families of those infected, and how interventions to prevent the spread of the virus come with large negative economic and social consequences. We must begin to identify the ways in which we can soften these blows and recover from the negative consequences over the medium and long-term. We highlight here the importance of moving away the tendency to search for interventions to improve one outcome at a time. It will be essential, particularly in highly resource constrained settings, to look for accelerators, interventions which improve multiple outcomes simultaneously. We discuss how this will be especially important for groups who are at particular risk at this time, including of long-term negative outcomes. These include very young children, adolescents and those who have limited capacity to benefit from narrow interventions given critical needs in multiple domains. Searching for accelerators requires that we take a step back and look to identify common causes of negative outcomes and consider how we might address them. For many countries, recovery from this epidemic will be highly constrained by the limited availability of financial resources. Wise investments will be especially important at this time.
Encrypted polynomial control based on tailored two‐party computation

Encrypted control enables confidential controller evaluations in cloud‐based or networked control systems. Roughly speaking, an encrypted controller is a modified control algorithms that is capable of computing encrypted control actions based on encrypted system states. Encrypted control has been realized using different tools from cryptography such as homomorphic encryption, secret sharing, and multiparty computation. However, the vast majority of existing encrypted controllers is linear or makes intensive use of encrypted linear operations. In this article, we present a novel and flexible method for the encrypted implementation of arbitrary polynomial controllers. Technically, our approach builds on tailored two‐party computation combined with secret sharing and additively homomorphic encryption.