Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Geometric Probing

We consider problems in geometric probing, the algorithmic study of determining a geometric structure or some aspect of that structure from the results of a mathematical or physical measuring device. A variety of problems from robotics, medical instrumentation, mathematical optimization, integral and computational geometry, graph theory, and other areas fit into this paradigm. Finger probes return the first point of intersection between a directed line l and an object P. Chapter 2 presents results on finger probing convex polygons. We consider related problems in higher dimensions and with different classes of objects. Hyperplane probes return the first hyperplane moving perpendicular to itself which is tangent to P. Chapter 3 discusses the duality relationship between finger and hyperplane probes. We establish the connection between hyperplane probes and certain algorithmic problems and consider the related silhouette and supporting line probe models. X-ray probes return the length of intersection between P and l. Chapter 4 surveys the field of tomography and presents results for x-ray probes, which was inspired by it. We give linear bounds on determination and verification with x-ray probes in two and higher dimensions. Half-space probes return the volume of intersection between a half-space h and P. Chapter 5 presents our linear determination and verification results for two dimensions and discussed the difficulties of determination in higher dimensions. Chapter 6 considers the power of infinite collections of these probes. We discuss Hammer's x-ray problem, presenting new proofs for convex polygons. Also, we discuss the combinatorial geometry problem of k-projections, which arises from aggregate probing. Finally, we consider other aggregate problems such as probing in rounds. Chapter 7 extends probing to an object which is not usually considered geometric. Cut-set probes return the size of a cut-set of a graph. We present surprising results using these to reconstruct and thus represent graphs. Each chapter concludes with relevant open problems.
Do Patent Pools Encourage Innovation? Evidence from the Nineteenth-Century Sewing Machine Industry

Members of a patent pool agree to use a set of patents as if they were jointly owned by all members and license them as a package to other firms. This article uses the example of the first patent pool in U.S. history, the Sewing Machine Combination (1856–1877) to perform the first empirical test of the effects of a patent pool on innovation. Contrary to theoretical predictions, the sewing machine pool appears to have discouraged patenting and innovation, in particular for the members of the pool. Data on stitches per minute, an objectively quantifiable measure of innovation, confirm these findings.
Life Cycle Assessment in Industry and Business: Adoption Patterns, Applications and Implications

1 Introduction. - 2 Framework and theoretical background. - 3 Application of LCA in general. - 4 A "static" perspective on LCA applications - Survey results. - 5 The dynamics of LCA adoption and integration in the firm - The results of the case-studies. - 6 The relationship between business and policy: expectations and implications. - 7 Conclusions and recommendations. - References. - Abbreviations.
Absorption, accumulation and export of macronutrients in sweet corn cultivated under field conditions.

O milho doce e uma hortalica voltada para o processamento industrial, e ainda pouco difundido para o consumo in natura no Brasil, talvez pelo restrito numero de cultivares adaptadas ao clima tropical. Os estudos sobre as praticas de manejo mais adequadas, incluindo a dinâmica de absorcao de nutrientes pela cultura, ainda sao inexistentes. Portanto, neste trabalho, objetivou-se determinar a absorcao, o acumulo e a exportacao de nutrientes no milho doce cultivado em condicoes de campo. Utilizou-se o hibrido simples Tropical, em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, sendo o experimento constituido por nove epocas de coleta (9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72 e 81 dias apos a emergencia) com quatro repeticoes. As plantas amostradas em cada epoca (tratamento) foram cortadas no nivel do solo para avaliacao da parte aerea e divididas em planta e espigas, que foram utilizadas para a determinacao da absorcao de nutrientes pela parte vegetativa e sua redistribuicao para a espiga. Foram calculadas as taxas de absorcao diaria dos macronutrientes, bem como as porcentagens de acumulo de nitrogenio, fosforo, potassio, calcio, magnesio e enxofre. O padrao de acumulo de macronutrientes seguiu o acumulo de materia seca pelas plantas. A ordem decrescente de acumulo de macronutrientes na parte aerea foi: K > N > Mg > P > Ca > S. Para a maioria dos nutrientes, o intervalo de maxima absorcao foi de 18 a 27 dias apos a emergencia.
Preoperative Neoadjuvant Hormonal Therapy and Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Stage 3B and 4 Breast Cancer Patients in Dharmais Hospital-National Cancer Center, Indonesia: A Cohort Study

Background: There are no data of efficacy comparison between primary systemic therapy in stage 3B and 4 breast cancer patients in Indonesia. This study compared long term outcomes of breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant hormonal therapy (NAHT) and those treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT)Methods: This was a cohort study conducted from 2011 to 2017. A total of 122 patients with stage 3B and 4 breast cancer received NAHT (n = 62) or NACT (n = 60) within a 6 cycles for NACT and 6 months for NAHT were included. Patients were excluded if they had a mastectomy before treatment, were pregnant, had been given hormonal therapy or chemotherapy before, had a contra-indication of chemotherapy, had a contra-indication of salpingo-oophorectomy bilateral for premenopausal patients, and declined to enter this study. The primary outcome of this study was overall survival. The outcomes were analysed using Kaplan-Meier for survival analysis and cox proportional hazard regression to estimate the hazard ratio.Results: There was a statistically significant difference in overall survival (p = 0.038). Median overall survival for NAHT patients was 1265 days and for NACT patients was 654 days. The hazard ratio showed NACT patients had a higher risk than NAHT patients (1.7 95% CI 1.03 – 2.9). Pathological complete response rate was higher in the NACT group than in the NAHT group (3.3% vs. 0%). Conclusions: Neoadjuvant hormonal therapy was superior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in term of overall survival.
Opinion Dynamics with Varying Susceptibility to Persuasion via Non-Convex Local Search

A long line of work in social psychology has studied variations in people's susceptibility to persuasion -- the extent to which they are willing to modify their opinions on a topic. This body of literature suggests an interesting perspective on theoretical models of opinion formation by interacting parties in a network: in addition to considering interventions that directly modify people's intrinsic opinions, it is also natural to consider interventions that modify people's susceptibility to persuasion. In this work, motivated by this fact we propose a new framework for social influence. Specifically, we adopt a popular model for social opinion dynamics, where each agent has some fixed innate opinion, and a resistance that measures the importance it places on its innate opinion; agents influence one another's opinions through an iterative process. Under non-trivial conditions, this iterative process converges to some equilibrium opinion vector. For the unbudgeted variant of the problem, the goal is to select the resistance of each agent (from some given range) such that the sum of the equilibrium opinions is minimized. We prove that the objective function is in general non-convex. Hence, formulating the problem as a convex program as in an early version of this work (Abebe et al., KDD'18) might have potential correctness issues. We instead analyze the structure of the objective function, and show that any local optimum is also a global optimum, which is somehow surprising as the objective function might not be convex. Furthermore, we combine the iterative process and the local search paradigm to design very efficient algorithms that can solve the unbudgeted variant of the problem optimally on large-scale graphs containing millions of nodes. Finally, we propose and evaluate experimentally a family of heuristics for the budgeted variation of the problem.
Larvae of Proceratophrys melanopogon (Amphibia: Anura), with Emphasis on Internal Oral Morphology and Comparisons with P. cururu and P. moratoi

Abstract: We provide novel data on the biology of Proceratophrys melanopogon and describe its larval external morphology and internal oral features on the basis of specimens from the Serra do Mar, southeastern Brazil. We also review the larval internal oral features of the genus, including descriptions and comparisons with P. cururu and P. moratoi. The external morphology of tadpoles of P. melanopogon is very similar to that of closely related species. The internal oral features are very conserved in this genus, with the majority of species having lingual papillae unusually bifurcated, four infralabial papillae, and a transverse ridge on the prenarial arena. Our results also provide data for phylogenetic studies on the genus Proceratophrys.
Comparative phylogeography of northwest African Natrix maura (Serpentes: Colubridae) inferred from mtDNA sequences

ABSTRACT While the comparative phylogeography of European fauna is relatively well understood, with Pleistocene climatic oscillations leading to ‘southern refugia’ for many species, the equivalent pattern has not been determined for North Africa. In this context variation within North African populations of the riverine snake Natrix maura were assessed using mitochondrial DNA sequences. Recent literature regarding North African phylogeographic studies of reptiles was compiled, and several surprising patterns emerged. The most interesting was the extensive movement of species across the Strait of Gibraltar during the Pleistocene. Another is the general pattern of deep genetic divergences between Tunisian and Moroccan populations, often at a level implying the existence of cryptic species. Natrix maura has three distinct lineages in North Africa, however, it apparently did not cross the Strait of Gibraltar during the Pleistocene, but probably did so during the Messinian salinity crisis.
Integrated Grazing and Prescribed Fire Restoration Strategies in a Mesquite Savanna: I. Vegetation Responses

Abstract This study evaluated the efficacy of prescribed fire applied within landscape-scale rotational grazing treatments to reduce mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa Torr.) encroachment and restore herbaceous productivity and cover. One-herd, multiple-paddock rotational grazing was used to accumulate herbaceous fine fuel for fires via prefire deferment and to provide periodic postfire deferment for grass recovery. Treatments were an unburned continuous-grazed control, a four-paddock-1 herd system with fire (4:1F), and an eight-paddock-1 herd system with fire (8:1F), with two replicates per treatment (1 294–2 130 ha per replicate). The management plan was to burn 25% of each system (one paddock in the 4:1F; two paddocks in the 8:1F treatments) and defer grazing during all or portions of the 9 mo (May to January) prior to burning. Deferral was “internalized” by grazing on the remaining 75% of each treatment without reducing stocking rate determined for the entire system. Mesquite cover increased on clay-loam soils from 22% to 40% in unburned paddocks over 7 yr (1995–2001). This increase, coupled with extended drought, reduced fine fuel amounts for fire and limited the number and intensity of fires that were applied. It was possible to burn one paddock in the 8:1F treatment (12.5% of total area), but not in the 4:1F treatment (25% of total area) during drought. Fires reduced mesquite and cactus (Opuntia spp.) cover by 25–79% and 24–56%, respectively, but cover of these species increased to prefire levels within 6 yr. All fires reduced (P ≤ 0.05) total herbaceous biomass for 1 yr postfire. The 8:1F treatment increased (P ≤ 0.05) grass biomass on loamy-bottom soils and reduced (P ≤ 0.05) bare ground on clay-loam and loamy-bottom soils in unburned paddocks compared to the unburned continuously grazed control. The 8:1F treatment, through internalized grazing deferment, facilitated the application of fire to reduce woody cover during extended drought without degrading the herbaceous understory.
The Early Cambrian Phytoplankton Radiation: Acritarch Evidence from the Lükati Formation, Estonia

Early Cambrian acritarchs from the Lükati Formation of Estonia are described, based on new material, and their biological affinities reviewed. The phenotypical variants and the inferred function of their vesicles are indicative for recognising zygotic/resting cysts and vegetative cells. They represent the Chlorophytes in the class Prasinophyceae, which reproduce asexually (forming resting phycoma cysts), and Chlorophyceae, which reproduce sexually (zygotic cysts). Some species had a complex life cycle, with alternating vegetative and reproductive generations that differed morphologically. Based on acritarch records from the Baltica palaeocontinent, of which the Lükati Formation assemblage is a part, and the global PhytoPal Taxonomic Database (PhytoPal Project, Leverhulme Trust, Leicester University, 2003–2006), the early Cambrian diversification of phytoplankton is reviewed. The initial Cambrian diversification, and a recovery after the end-Ediacaran extinction, was rapid and exhibited a stepwise pattern of radiation episodes covering short intervals equivalent to biochrons lasting a few million years, estimated from the numerical ages of the strata containing them and the current time scale of the early Cambrian. However, the first appearance datum (FAD) of new species within the biozones/biochrons appears in a succession rather than at one stratigraphical level, indicating true biological speciations. The only genera surviving from the Proterozoic Eon are Leiosphaeridia, Tasmanites, Pterospermella and Pterospermopsimorpha; these are Lazarus genera radiating new species in the early Cambrian. All other Cambrian genera and species are new, morphologically innovative, and much smaller.
Purification and characterization of a novel protease from Bacillus strain SAL1

The purification and characterization of alkaline protease from a Bacillus strain SAL1, isolated from tannery waste have been reported in this paper. This protease was purified to homogeneity by the combination of ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE sephacryl ion exchange and phenyl sepharose hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The protease was purified up to 11.18 fold and had a specific activity of 4250 PU/mg. The enzyme was a monomeric protease with a relative molecular mass of 27 kDa by SDS-PAGE. Proteolytic activity of the enzyme was detected by gelatin zymography, which gave a very clear protease activity zone on gel. Molecular mass of the purified protease was also determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-off light- mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) that corresponded to the mass determined by SDS-PAGE. The enzyme exhibited its optimal activity at 60°C and at pH 9. The enzyme was stable in the pH range of 7.0 – 10.0 and was able to maintain its stability at 50°C for 1 h.
Palaeogenetics of western French sturgeons spotlights the relationships between Acipenser sturio and Acipenser oxyrinchus

The Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus, was long considered an American species, but recent discoveries based on analyses of archaeological remains proved its presence in the Baltic Sea and in France. This came as a surprise, as the European sturgeon, Acipenser sturio, was thought to be the only sturgeon species present on the European Atlantic coast. It was hypothesized that migrants from North America founded the Baltic population of Atlantic sturgeons around 1200 years ago.
Water status and leaf elongation of C3- and C4 grasses of Flooding Pampa grassland

Abstract Question: Do warm season (i.e. mainly C4) grass species exhibit a higher water status than winter-growing competitors, (mainly C3 plants) and is this part of their competition ability? Location: Flooding Pampa grassland at Balcarce, eastern Argentina. Methods: Predawn leaf water potential was measured in five species: (1) three cool-season species: Festuca arundinacea, Lolium multiflorum and Stipa neesiana, and (2) two warm-season species: Sporobolus indicus and Paspalum dilatatum, throughout a summer season. The sensitivity of leaf growth to low water status was investigated in a greenhouse experiment where plants were grown in pots at three levels of water deficit. Results: The field study revealed strong differences of water status between the five species likely indicating large contrasts in soil water availability, irrespective of their photosynthetic metabolism. By contrast, the response of leaf elongation rate to predawn water potential was similar in all species studied. Species to which water was less available did not compensate with a lesser sensitivity to water status. Conclusion: Competition for water may play an important and specific role within natural semi-grasslands of these regions, independently of the metabolic pathway of grasses. Abbreviations: LER = Leaf elongation rate; FC = Field capacity; MWD = Moderate water deficit; SWD = Severe water deficit; ψD = Predawn leaf water potential Nomenclature: Cabrera (1953).
Growing Up Policed in the Age of Aggressive Policing Policies

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Brett G. Stoudt is an Assistant Professor with a joint appointment in the Psychology Department and the Gender Studies Program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Michelle Fine is a Professor of Psychology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Madeline Fox is a Doctoral student in Social-Personality Psychology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. This article was written in connection with the following members of our research collective: Niara Calliste, Darius Francis, Candace Greene, Una Osato, Jaquana Pearson, Maybelline Santos, and Jessica Wise. The Polling for Justice project was made possible thanks to the Surdna Foundation, Overbrook Foundation, Hazen Foundation, Glass Foundation, Schott Foundation, the ADCO Foundation, Urban Youth Collaborative, the Public Science Project, and the Youth Studies Research Fund at the CUNY Graduate Center.
Nematode assemblages of some insular and continental lizard hosts of the genus Mabuya Fitzinger (Reptilia, Scincidae) along the eastern Brazilian coast

Nematode assemblages associated to three species of lizards of the genus Mabuya Fitzinger, 1826 [M. agilis (Raddi, 1823), M. caissara Reboucas-spieker, 1974 and M. macrorhyncha Hoge, 1946] from three mainland sites and three island sites along the eastern Brazilian coast were analyzed. A total of six nematode species were recorded, with total nematode richness varying from one to four and overall nematode prevalences varying from 6.7% to 90.5% among host populations. Number of nematode species per host individual (including all hosts, infected and uninfected) varied among host populations from 0.07 to 1.05, but most infected lizards in all six host populations harbored a single nematode species. Both insular and continental populations of Mabuya spp. exhibited generally poor nematode assemblages, and no clear tendency for insular host populations to have more depauperate nematode faunas and/or lower infection rates compared to mainland ones (or vice versa) was evident on the basis of the present data.
Elevated Hemoglobin and Hematocrit are Associated with the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease

Citation / Atıf: Fajar JK, Sari DI, Rohman MS. Elevated Hemoglobin and Hematocrit are Associated with the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease. Bakırköy Tıp Dergisi 2019;15:364-71. https://doi.org/10.4274/BTDMJB.20170911073646 Address for Correspondence / Yazışma Adresi: Jonny Karunia Fajar, Syiah Kuala University Faculty of Medicine, Medical Research Unit, Banda Aceh; Aisyiyah Hospital, Clinic of Emergency, Malang, Indonesia Phone / Telefon: +6281235522287 E-mail / E-posta: gembyok@gmail.com ORCID-ID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0309-5813 Received / Geliş tarihi: 11.09. 2017 | Accepted / Kabul tarihi: 18.11. 2017 ÖZ Amaç: Hemoglobin ve hematokrit testleri rutin olarak uygulanmaktadır. Bununla birlikte, koroner kalp hastalığı (KKH) olan hastaların değerlendirilmesinde sıklıkla göz ardı edilmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı KKH hastaları ve sağlıklı bireyler arasında hemoglobin ve hematokrit seviyelerinin karşılaştırılmasıdır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Ocak-Haziran 2016 süresince, Endonezya Malang’da Aisyiyah Hastanesi’nde retrospektif bir çalışma yürütüldü. Cinsiyet, yaş, tanı, hematokrit ve hemoglobin seviyesi gibi bilgiler tıbbi kayıtlardan toplandı. Veriler, çoklu lojistik regresyon testi kullanılarak analiz edildi. Bulgular: KKH’si olan 133 hastanın ve 50 kontrolün hematokrit ve hemoglobin seviyeleri karşılaştırıldı. Bulgularımız, yükselmiş hemoglobin [odds oranı (OR) %95 güven aralığı (GA)=20,80 (2,65-163,02), p=0,004] ve hematokritin [OR %95 GA=2,17 (1,11-4,25), p=0,024] KKH riski ile ilişkili olduğunu göstermiştir. Sonuç: Hemoglobin ve hematokrit, KKH riski ile ilişkilidir. Anahtar kelimeler: Koroner kalp hastalığı, hemoglobin, hematokrit Objective: Hemoglobin and hematocrit tests are routinely performed. However, they are often ignored for evaluation of coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. The aim of this study is to compare hemoglobin and hematocrit levels between CHD patients and healthy individuals. Materials and Methods: During January to June 2016, a retrospective was conducted in Aisyiyah Hospital, Malang, Indonesia. The following information was extracted from medical record, i.e.: gender, age, diagnosis, level of hematocrit, and hemoglobin. We analyzed the data using multiple logistic regression test. Results: We compared level of hematocrit and hemoglobin of 133 CHD patients and 50 controls. Our results showed that elevated hemoglobin [odds ratio (OR) 95% confidence interval (CI)=20.80 (2.65-163.02), p=0.004] and hematocrit [OR 95% CI=2.17 (1.11-4.25), p=0.024] were associated with the risk of CHD. Conclusion: Hemoglobin and hematocrit are associated with the risk of CHD.
Prevalence and awareness of osteopenia in perimenopausal women in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Background: Osteopenia is considered as precursor of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a major public health problem associated with substantial morbidity and socio-economic burden worldwide. Osteopenia occurs more frequently in most menopausal women. Early detection of the same can be beneficial to control prevalence of osteoporosis and also to reduce the fracture rates.Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study using DEXA (Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) was conducted on 80 women. A self-structured questionnaire was used to evaluate the level of awareness among the study subjects. The data was analyzed using statistical tests such as Chi-Square test for association. The level of significance was set at 5%. Results: The prevalence of osteopenia in the studied population was 63.75%. The mean age was recorded to be 40.35 years. The mean age of women with menopause in this study is 50.62 years. Out of the 51(63.75%) women diagnosed with osteopenia, 5.9% were underweight, 33.3% were normal and 49% were obese. Of the diseased, 37.3% experienced adequate amount sunlight exposure required while 62.7% did not. Out of the 80 women interviewed 43.75% were aware about osteopenia, its causes and complications; which 56.25% were unaware about the same.Conclusions: Women were screened for osteopenia with the help of DEXA scan according to the (World Health Organization) WHO, T-Score criteria-which may go undiagnosed otherwise and may experience the risk and complications of osteoporosis.