Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mortality induced by drifting longline hooks and branchlines in loggerhead sea turtles, estimated through observation in captivity

1. Drifting longlines are considered a major threat to endangered sea turtle populations worldwide. However, for a number of reasons, the mortality rate of captured turtles is not known with any certainty. 2. Information on 409 loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), collected during the day-to-day activities of a turtle rescue centre in Lampedusa island, central Mediterranean, in the period 2001–2005 has been analysed. 3. Observations indicate that: (i) drifting longlines are a major cause of mortality for sea turtles in the area; (ii) in addition to the hook, the piece of line attached to it (branchline) can easily cause death if it is long enough and well-anchored; (iii) hooks and branchlines cause death in the short and long term, respectively; (iv) a turtle with a hook in the lower oesophagus/stomach has a very low chance of surviving the combined effect of hook and branchline; (v) the mortality of turtles with a hook in the mouth or higher oesophagus is probably important, though less than that of turtles with a hook in the lower oesophagus/stomach; (vi) in the study fishery, the average mortality of a turtle caught by a drifting longline is probably much higher than 30%. 4. Without specific investigations on the mortality of turtles with hooks in the mouth or higher oeasophagus, which are usually removed, the mortality induced by drifting longlines will remain unknown, preventing a full understanding of the effect on population growth and the real effectiveness of conservation measures such as use of different hooks and fishing depths, and proposals for adequate fishery management measures. 5. The number of turtles captured by drifting longlines should be drastically reduced, and because of the above uncertainty and the socio-economic importance of the fishery sector, an ecosystem-based management scheme should be promoted that is not limited to addressing only the turtle issue. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Parsec-Scale Accretion Disk in NGC 3393

We present a Very Long Baseline Interferometry image of the water maser emission in the nuclear region of NGC 3393. The maser emission has a linear distribution oriented at a position angle of ~–34°, perpendicular to both the kiloparsec-scale radio jet and the axis of the narrow-line region. The position-velocity diagram displays a red-blue asymmetry about the systemic velocity and the estimated dynamical center, and is thus consistent with rotation. Assuming Keplerian rotation in an edge-on disk, we obtain an enclosed mass of (3.1 ± 0.2) × 107 M☉ within 0.36 ± 0.02 pc (1.48 ± 0.06 mas), which corresponds to a mean mass density of ~108.2 M☉ pc−3. We also report the measurement with the Green Bank Telescope of a velocity drift, a manifestation of centripetal acceleration within the disk, of 5 ± 1 km s−1 yr−1 in the ~3880 km s−1 maser feature, which is most likely located along the line of sight to the dynamical center of the system. From the acceleration of this feature, we estimate a disk radius of 0.17 ± 0.02 pc, which is smaller than the inner disk radius (0.36 ± 0.02 pc) of emission that occurs along the midline (i.e., the line of nodes). The emission along the line of sight to the dynamical center evidently occurs much closer to the center than the emission from the disk midline, contrary to the situation in the archetypal maser systems NGC 4258 and NGC 1068. The outer radius of the disk as traced by the masers along the midline is about 1.5 pc.
Size and Surface Charge Dependent Impregnation of Nanoparticles in Soft- and Hardwood

Recent progress in wood preservative research has led to the use of insoluble copper carbonate in the form of nano- to micron-sized particles in combination with known triazole fungicides to combat fungal decay and thus decrease physical material properties. Evidently, particle-based agents could lead to issues regarding impregnation of a micro-structured material like wood. In this study, we analyzed these limitations via silicon dioxide particles in impregnation experiments of pine and beech wood. In our experiments, we showed that limitations already existed prior to assumed particle size thresholds of 400–600 nm. In pine wood, 70 nm sized particles were efficiently impregnated, in contrast to 170 nm particles. Further we showed that surface functionalized silica nanoparticles have a major impact on the impregnation efficiency. Silica surfaces bearing amino groups were shown to have strong interactions with the wood cell surface, whereas pentyl chains on the SiO2 surfaces tended to lower the particle–wood interaction. The acquired results illustrate an important extension of the currently limited knowledge of nanoparticles and wood impregnation and contribute to future improvements in the field of particle-based wood preservatives.
Segmentation, Classification, and Determinants of In-Store Shopping Activity and Travel Behaviour in the Digitalisation Era: The Context of a Developing Country

The influence of digital technologies in the current era has substantially affected the way individuals engage with in-store shopping activities and travels. To prepare a transport policy with sustainable orientations, it is important to investigate factors that determine in-store activity-travel patterns. In particular, knowledge about how in-store activities and travels interact with other forms of activities and travels should be updated, since the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) may be substantial to create new patterns of activity and travel. It is believed that shopping travel and activity behaviours may indicate the increase or decrease of physical travels, which is crucial for carbon emission measures in transportation sector. While numerous studies about this issue have been recently carried out based on the context of developed countries, little is known for the context of developing countries. To offer a better understanding of the nature of in-store shopping travels and activities in the digitalisation era, a household survey was conducted in Bandung, Indonesia. This survey tends to acquire data from respondents as a representation of developing countries on their shopping behaviour, travel characteristics, and spatial attributes that represent the conditions of their built environment. The results from the survey show that individuals in a developing country are still having interest in in-store grocery shopping even though their daily life has a close connection with digital life. The results of the analysis show that grocery shoppers in a developing country simultaneously consider shopping activity, other activities, modes of transport, and shopping expenses. This manifests in the form of trip-chaining activities and affects decisions on the modes of transport used. The results indicate a significant portion of trip frequency for in-store shopping travel with motorised modes. Since motorised modes are the main contribution for carbon emission production in transportation sector, the results of this study are critical for developing transport demand measures and setting relevant policy schemes to improve the sustainability of transportation system, especially for the context of developing countries.
Metric deformation and boundary value problems in 2D

A new analytical formulation is prescribed to solve the Helmholtz equation in 2D with arbitrary boundary. A suitable diffeomorphism is used to annul the asymmetries in the boundary by mapping it into an equivalent circle. This results in a modification of the metric in the interior of the region and manifests itself in the appearance of new source terms in the original homogeneous equation. The modified equation is then solved perturbatively. At each order the general solution is written in a closed form irrespective of boundary conditions. This method allows one to retain the simple form of the boundary condition at the cost of complicating the original equation. When compared with numerical results the formulation is seen to work reasonably well even for boundaries with large deviations from a circle. The Fourier representation of the boundary ensures the convergence of the perturbation series.
Automobile Fine-Grained Detection Algorithm Based on Multi-Improved YOLOv3 in Smart Streetlights

Upgrading ordinary streetlights to smart streetlights to help monitor traffic flow is a low-cost and pragmatic option for cities. Fine-grained classification of vehicles in the sight of smart streetlights is essential for intelligent transportation and smart cities. In order to improve the classification accuracy of distant cars, we propose a reformed YOLOv3 (You Only Look Once, version 3) algorithm to realize the detection of various types of automobiles, such as SUVs, sedans, taxis, commercial vehicles, small commercial vehicles, vans, buses, trucks and pickup trucks. Based on the dataset UA-DETRAC-LITE, manually labeled data is added to improve the data balance. First, data optimization for the vehicle target is performed to improve the generalization ability and position regression loss function of the model. The experimental results show that, within the range of 67 m, and through scale optimization (i.e., by introducing multi-scale training and anchor clustering), the classification accuracies of trucks and pickup trucks are raised by 26.98% and 16.54%, respectively, and the overall accuracy is increased by 8%. Secondly, label smoothing and mixup optimization is also performed to improve the generalization ability of the model. Compared with the original YOLO algorithm, the accuracy of the proposed algorithm is improved by 16.01%. By combining the optimization of the position regression loss function of GIOU (Generalized Intersection Over Union), the overall system accuracy can reach 92.7%, which improves the performance by 21.28% compared with the original YOLOv3 algorithm.
The Near-infrared CO Absorption Band as a Probe to the Innermost Part of an AGN-obscuring Material

We performed a systematic analysis of the 4.67 μm CO ro-vibrational absorption band toward nearby active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and analyzed the absorption profiles of 10 nearby galaxies collected from the AKARI and Spitzer spectroscopic observations that show the CO absorption feature by fitting a plane-parallel local thermal equilibrium gas model. We found that CO gas is warm (200–500 K) and has a large column density ( ). The heating of the gas is not explicable by either UV heating or shock heating because these processes cannot represent the large column densities of the warm gas. Instead, X-ray photons from the nuclei, which can produce large columns of warm gas with up to , are the most convincing power source. The hydrogen column density estimated from the CO band is smaller than that inferred from X-ray observations. These results indicate that the region probed by the near-infrared CO absorption is in the vicinity of the nuclei and is located outside the X-ray emitting region. Furthermore, the covering factors of nearly unity required by the observed deep absorption profiles suggest that the probed region is close to the continuum source, which can be designated as the inner rim of the obscuring material around the AGN.
Novel Analytical Microbial Fuel Cell Design for Rapid in Situ Optimisation of Dilution Rate and Substrate Supply Rate, by Flow, Volume Control and Anode Placement

A new analytical design of continuously-fed microbial fuel cell was built in triplicate in order to investigate relations and effects of various operating parameters such as flow rate and substrate supply rate, in terms of power output and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency. This novel design enables the microbial fuel cell (MFC) systems to be easily adjusted in situ by changing anode distance to the membrane or anodic volume without the necessity of building many trial-and-error prototypes for each condition. A maximum power output of 20.7 ± 1.9 µW was obtained with an optimal reactor configuration; 2 mM acetate concentration in the feedstock coupled with a flow rate of 77 mL h−1, an anodic volume of 10 mL and an anode electrode surface area of 70 cm2 (2.9 cm2 projected area), using a 1 cm anode distance from the membrane. COD removal almost showed the reverse pattern with power generation, which suggests trade-off correlation between these two parameters, in this particular example. This novel design may be most conveniently employed for generating empirical data for testing and creating new MFC designs with appropriate practical and theoretical modelling.
SOIL ATTRIBUTES THREE YEARS AFTER MAKING RIDGES AND OR DRAINS FOR PLANTING GRAPEVINE ROOTSTOCK

Os atributos do solo estao relacionados com o desenvolvimento e a producao das culturas, tanto anuais como perenes. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo determinar os atributos quimicos e fisicos do solo tres anos apos a aplicacao de sistemas de manejo para implantacao de porta-enxertos de videira, em um Nitossolo Vermelho com textura muito argilosa. Os sistemas de manejo consistiram na confeccao ou nao de camalhoes e/ou de drenos antes da implantacao das mudas de porta-enxertos Dog Ridge. Os atributos quimicos (pH em agua e teores de materia orgânica e de macronutrientes) foram determinados em amostras coletadas na linha da cultura, nas camadas de 0-0,1; 0,1-0,2; 0,2-0,3 e 0,3-0,4 m de profundidade. Os atributos fisicos do solo (teor de argila, densidade, porosidade, resistencia a penetracao e estabilidade dos agregados) foram determinados em amostras coletadas com estrutura preservada nas camadas de 0,025-0,075; 0,125-0,175; 0,225-0,275 e 0,325-0,375 m de profundidade. Tambem foram determinadas a massa seca de raizes do portaenxerto nas camadas de 0-0,2 e 0,2-0,4 m de profundidade e suas correlacoes com os atributos do solo. A confeccao de camalhoes alterou significativamente a maioria dos atributos quimicos do solo e proporcionou maior uniformidade nos valores em profundidade, criando condicoes mais favoraveis ao crescimento radicular nas camadas mais profundas. Os atributos fisicos foram menos afetados do que os quimicos pela confeccao de camalhoes ou drenos, e nao foram observados valores restritivos ao crescimento radicular nas camadas amostradas apos quatro anos da aplicacao dos sistemas de manejo do solo. A confeccao de drenos alterou menos os atributos quimicos e fisicos do solo do que a confeccao de camalhoes.
Optimization of Chelex 100 resin-based extraction of genomic DNA from dried blood spots

Abstract Dried blood spots (DBS) are widely utilized as part of universal newborn screening and as a means of transporting samples from field sites. We use DBS from African field sites to assess for rare maternal-fetal cell exchange during pregnancy known as microchimerism. We aimed to develop a protocol to maximize the quantity of high-quality genomic DNA (gDNA) extracted from DBS. The total gDNA yield obtained from control DBS utilizing a Qiagen-based protocol and a Chelex® 100 resin-based protocol was first compared. Variations of the Chelex® protocol were subsequently tested to develop an optimized protocol. The gDNA was quantified by qPCR targeting the human beta-globin gene. DNA yield for a given experimental condition was normalized to a Chelex® control performed on the same day, and the total yields were compared using a Student’s t-test. The control Chelex® protocol yielded 590% more DNA than the QIAamp® DNA Blood Mini Kit . The absolute efficiency of the control Chelex® protocol was 54%, compared to an absolute efficiency of 9% for the QIAamp® DNA Blood Mini Kit. Modification of the Chelex® protocol to include a second heat precipitation from the same DBS increased the gDNA yield by 29% (P < 0.001). Our optimized protocol including this modification increased the absolute efficiency of extraction to 68%. The gDNA extracted using the Chelex® protocol was stable through repeated freeze–thaw cycles. In a mock microchimerism experiment, rare donor alleles at a frequency of 10 in 100 000 could be identified in gDNA from DBS extracted using the optimized Chelex® protocol. Our findings may be of significance for a diverse range of applications that utilize DBS and require high-quality DNA, including newborn screening programs, pathogen and drug resistance screening from remote field sites, forensics, and rare allele detection.
Impact of Wind Veer and the Coriolis Force for an Idealized Farm to Farm Interaction Case

The impact of the Coriolis force on the long distance wake behind wind farms is investigated using Large Eddy Simulations (LES) combined with a Forced Boundary Layer (FBL) technique. When using the FBL technique any mean wind shear and turbulent fluctuations can be added with body forces. The wind shear can also include the mean wind veer due to the Coriolis force. The variation of the Coriolis force due to local deviations from the mean profile, e.g., from wakes, is not taken into account in the FBL. This can be corrected for with an extra source term in the equations, hereon defined as the Coriolis correction. For a row of 4 turbines it is shown that the inclusion of the wind veer turns the wake to the right, while including the Coriolis correction turns it to the left. When including both wind veer and Coriolis correction the impact of wind veer dominates. For an idealized farm to farm interaction case, two farms of 4 ∗ 4 turbines with 6 km in between, it can be seen that when including wind veer and the Coriolis correction a approximately 3% increase in the relative production for a full wake direction can be seen and only a slightly smaller increase can be seen when including only wind veer. The results indicate that FBL can be used for studies of long distance wakes without including a Coriolis correction but efforts need to be taken to use a wind shear with a correct mean wind veer.
Beyond Inclusion: Survivor-Leader Voice in Anti-Human Trafficking Organizations

ABSTRACT Anti-human trafficking efforts have increased recently but have been largely ineffective at eradicating the crime. Scholars identify collaborative approaches and increased inclusion of survivor voices as ways to improve anti-trafficking efforts. Though human trafficking research is growing, few studies explore the perspectives of survivors or examine survivor-authored writing. To address this gap, I conduct a qualitative analysis of survivor-authored and informed literature (N = 9) which offers survivor perspectives on the inclusion of survivor-leader voice in anti-trafficking efforts. I take a communicative approach, viewing discourse as central to how organizations are created and sustained, and draw from intersectional feminist perspectives including the concept of voice and its tensions. Analysis finds authors frame survivor inclusion as guidance for working with survivor professionals. I explore four key themes that can inform more equitable, ethical, and meaningful inclusion of survivors in organizational processes: planning for tensions and paradoxes when working with survivors, valuing the expertise of survivors, engaging survivors in trauma-informed ways, and designing processes and mechanisms for meaningful survivor input. Centering the expertise of survivors can help to reframe structures of power and authority within anti-trafficking organizations, and inform more effective policies and interventions.
A Smart City IoT Integrity-First Communication Protocol via an Ethereum Blockchain Light Client

Smart city IoT is responsible for communicating system-critical data about urban infrastructure that keeps our modern cities functioning. Today, IoT devices lack communication protocols with data integrity as a priority. Without data integrity, smart city infrastructure is at risk of actuating urban environments on compromised data. Attackers can use this IoT communication flaw to wage cyber-physical attacks on Smart Cities. We designed and developed an integrity-first communication protocol for IoT that is distributed and scalable based on the Ethereum blockchain. Our light client ensures data communication integrity for systems that require it most. Keywords— IoT Security, Blockchain, Smart Cities, Communication Integrity, Ethereum, IoT Communication Protocol
Structural basis for substrate recognition and processive cleavage mechanisms of the trimeric exonuclease

Nucleases play important roles in nucleic acid processes, such as replication, repair and recombination. Recently, we identified a novel single-strand specific 3′-5′ exonuclease, PfuExo I, from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus, which may be involved in the Thermococcales-specific DNA repair system. PfuExo I forms a trimer and cleaves single-stranded DNA at every two nucleotides. Here, we report the structural basis for the cleavage mechanism of this novel exonuclease family. A structural analysis of PhoExo I, the homologous enzyme from P. horikoshii OT3, showed that PhoExo I utilizes an RNase H-like active site and possesses a 3′-OH recognition site ∼9 Å away from the active site, which enables cleavage at every two nucleotides. Analyses of the heterotrimeric and monomeric PhoExo I activities showed that trimerization is indispensable for its processive cleavage mechanism, but only one active site of the trimer is required.
The Contributions of Physiologic Birth and Cesarean Delivery to Attachment and Social Skills of 6-Year-Old Children

The aim of the current study is to investigate the contributions of physiologic birth and cesarean delivery to attachment and social skills of 6-year-old children. A causal-comparative research design was employed. The study was conducted during the Fall of 2017 and Spring of 2018 in 2 low SES state preschools randomly-selected in Bagcilar District, in Istanbul. The sample of the study is made up of a total of 50 children (23 girls and 27 boys). 20 of the children were normally delivered whereas 30 of them were cesarean born. Incomplete Stories with a Doll Family (ISDF) and Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) were used for the data collection. A t-test and One-Way ANOVA were employed for the data analysis. The results showed that that attachment levels and social skills of 5- and 6 year-old children differed significantly by types of child delivery favoring normally born children.
On the Unexpected Consequences of Perspective Taking: Influence of Spatial Perspective Rotation on Infra-humanization

This research examined spatial perspective taking and its effect on the perception of other people’s emotionality. Adopting the perspective of another person is considered an important factor enhancing interpersonal and intergroup relations. However, it requires conscious effort and reflection. Therefore, the aim was to determine whether rotating spatial perspective places demands on cognitive resources, thereby affecting automatic perception of other people’s emotionality. Inspired by previous research, the authors developed the software used in this study. Participants were prompted to move objects on a bookshelf according to the directions of a person standing either on the opposite side of the bookshelf or next to them, on the same side. Using an infra-humanization scale, participants rated their own emotions and those of the person whose perspective they assumed. The results confirmed the hypotheses. Firstly, the need for perspective rotation resulted in decreased performance of the task (lower accuracy and longer time to complete). Secondly, perspective rotation conditions amplified the effect of infra-humanization, i.e., the partner was seen by the participant as less capable of experiencing uniquely human emotions. We can infer that the change of spatial perspective consumed cognitive resources, thereby promoting a simplified and automatic mode of perception.