Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Systematics and distribution of the land snail Pene (Pulmonata: Enidae) in Israel

Formerly considered a subgenus of Buliminus, Pene is here, for reasons given, considered as a separate genus. Four species (syriacus, sidoniensis, galilaea and auriculata) inhabit Israel. A new subspecies, syriacus ramimensis, is described from north-east Galilee. Northwards, towards the borderline with s. syriacus, the ratio mouth height/mouth diameter of s. ramimensis becomes first gradually larger, then reverses abruptly. The northernmost s. ramimensis sample is in a peculiar intermediate position suggesting that it represents a syriacus-ramimensis hybrid population which has reached stabilization. Distribution borders are usually correlated with rain or substratum. The sidoniensis/galilaea borderline is unusual in that it crosses an area of nearly uniform climate, substratum and vegetation. Along it sidoneinsis and galilaea are found within centimetres of each other, suggesting that the borderline is here determined by interspecific competition rather than by physical factors.
A survey on village chicken production in Kerala state of India

The present study was conducted to document the rearing practices of village chicken production in the Northern midlands, agro-ecological zone comprising Kannur and Kozhikode districts of Kerala state, India. Data was generated from 65 and 63 chicken farming families of Kozhikode and Kannur districts respectively. The system of chicken rearing is extensive, with the provision of shelter only during the night. The birds are being managed mostly by women (89.06%). The decision on the sale of birds and eggs is made by women and the proceeds of sales go directly to them. It was found that as many as 43.75% of the chicken farmers in these areas have no other animal husbandry activities. The average flock size is 5.62 birds. Natural incubation using locally available materials as a nest box and sand as the nesting material is the common practice. The average number of eggs set under the broody hen for hatching is 10.41. Chicken coops are placed at an average distance of 5.45m from the house and elevated 0.39 m from the ground. The average floor area of the coops is 0.757 m2 and the night shelter provided per bird is 830.39 cm2. The walls and floor of the coops are made of wood and the roof with tiles or thatch in most of cases. Rice grain is commonly fed as supplementary feed with mostly no specific timing in feeding. Farmers depend on an array of herbs rather than chemotherapeutic agents and vaccines for the treatment and control of diseases. Most of the surplus males (59.38%) are discarded before one year of age, whereas females are less commonly culled (21.87%). The average culling age of males and females was 11.05 and 36.64 months, respectively. It was discovered that as high as 52.15% of the eggs and 59.38% of the cockerels produced are consumed in the home. When sold they attract at least a two-fold higher price compared to birds of industrial origin.
Competitive interactions between the mountain pine beetle and the pine engraver in lodgepole pine

The pine engraver (PE), Ipspini (Say), often coexists with the mountain pine beetle (MPB), Dendroctonusponderosae Hopk. , in lodgepole pine, Pinuscontorta var. latifolia Engelm. The PE colonizes the upper bole, while the MPB infests the lower bole. We investigated the hypothesis that interspecific interactions between the PE and the MPB within trees can adversely affect MPB progeny production or survival. In lodgepole pine bark attacked by both species, PE and MPB emergence holes had a strong negative interrelationship, suggesting that high numbers of one species resulted in lower numbers of the other. In the laboratory, attacks by PEs on lodgepole pine logs resulted in significantly decreased numbers of MPB progeny, particularly when MPBs and PEs were allowed to attack logs simultaneously. Reductions in MPB progeny were 92.8 and 96.2% when the ratios of attacking beetles were 100 PE: 50 MPB per square metre and 200 PE: 50 MPB per square metre, respectively, compared with that in control logs with 50 MPB p.
The Efficiency of Public Health and Medical Care Systems in EU Countries: Dynamic Network Data Envelopment Analysis

Our paper analyses the technical efficiency and the change in the efficiency of the healthcare systems in 23 European Union (EU) countries between 2008 and 2016 based on the data published by OECD. We apply Dynamic Network Data Envelopment Analysis (DNDEA) to assess the efficiency of the medical care system and public health system, together with overall healthcare system efficiency. The findings suggest that the efficiency of public health systems in 2016 were higher than the efficiency of medical care systems in the same year only in Denmark. In the case of France, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom, the medical systems were more efficient. The model marked Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Sweden as efficient in terms of the medical care system as well as the public health system in 2016.
EcologyDevelopment of Dwarf Mistletoe (Arceuthobium) Infections on Western Hemlock, Shore Pine, and Western Larch

Newly dispersed seeds, established infections, and individually tagged shoots of hemlock dwarf mistletoe on western hemlock and shore pine, and established infections and individual shoots of larch mistletoe on western larch were examined periodically for up to 7 years, Infections on hemlock first appeared as swellings, some of which were visible during the first year after seed dispersal. Aerial shoots appeared in the second year. By the end of the third year most infections exhibited both swellings and aerial shoots. On all three hosts, mature mistletoe fruit were produced occasionally in the fourth year but generally not until the fifth year. Most female aerial shoots bore at least one crop of flowers during their existence, however, only half produced mature fruit. Aerial shoots varied in their life span from less than 1 year up to 7 years. The average was 2 to 3 years. One female shoot on larch bore five successive crops of flowers. The fastest longitudinal growth of mistletoe endophytic system occur.
MII: A Novel Text Classification Model Combining Deep Active Learning with BERT

Active learning has been widely utilized to reduce the labeling cost of supervised learning. By selecting specific instances to train the model, the performance of the model was improved within limited steps. However, rare work paid attention to the effectiveness of active learning on it. In this paper, we proposed a deep active learning model with bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT) for text classification. BERT takes advantage of the self-attention mechanism to integrate contextual information, which is beneficial to accelerate the convergence of training. As for the process of active learning, we design an instance selection strategy based on posterior probabilities Margin, Intra-correlation and Inter-correlation (MII). Selected instances are characterized by small margin, low intra-cohesion and high inter-cohesion. We conduct extensive experiments and analytics with our methods. The effect of learner is compared while the effect of sampling strategy and text classification is assessed from three real datasets. The results show that our method outperforms the baselines in terms of accuracy.
Monothalamous foraminiferans and gromiids (Protista) from western Svalbard: A preliminary survey

Abstract Monothalamous foraminifera were abundant in sediment samples from fjords and offshore areas around western Svalbard (water depth range 26–2472 m). The >500 µm fractions of samples from the inner parts of fjords yielded numerous delicate “allogromiids” (organic-walled) “saccamminids” and “psammosphaerids” (agglutinated), including species assigned to Cylindrogullmia, Gloiogullmia, Nemogullmia and Toxisarcon. Larger, more robust, tubular agglutinated species were abundant in the outer reaches of Tempelfjord, Isfjord and Van Meijenfjord (Hyperammina subnodosa, Hippocrepinella crassa), on the current-influenced upper slope off Isfjord (Pelosina variabilis, Rhabdammina abyssorum), and the deeper part of the continental slope off Isfjord (e.g. Hyperammina crassatina). Oval and sausage-shaped organisms resembling gromiids (probably relatives of the foraminifera) were sometimes abundant in the fjords. Finer size fractions (63–500 µm) of fjord samples yielded a rich variety of monothalamous species. Among the allogromiids, Micrometula sp. was widely distributed, while Tinogullmia sp. and an undescribed species were restricted to single stations in Kongsfjord and Van Meijenfjord, respectively. Saccamminids common in the finer fractions included Conqueria spp. , Psammophaga sp. , and undescribed species with silvery, white and brownish tests. Many of the smaller allogromiids and saccamminids in our Svalbard samples resemble species found in the Gullmarfjord on the Swedish west coast.
Quantitative Analysis of Cystic Lung Diseases by Use of Paired Inspiratory and Expiratory CT: Estimation of the Extent of Cyst-Airway Communication and Evaluation of Diagnostic Utility.

Purpose To establish a method for quantitatively estimating the extent of the communication between the cyst and the airway in cystic lung diseases (CLDs) and evaluate its diagnostic utility in differentiating among CLDs. Materials and Methods Seventy-one patients (mean age, 49.9 years; age range, 25-79 years) with CLDs who underwent paired inspiratory and expiratory CT between July 2015 and July 2018 were enrolled in this prospective study. Participants were divided into three groups based on their diagnosis: Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome (BHDS) group (15 participants), lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) group (43 participants), and other diseases (OT) group (13 participants). Total lung volume (TLV) and low-attenuation area volume (LAAV) were calculated at inspiration and expiration. The collapsibility of the LAAV was determined as the expiration-to-inspiration (E/I) ratio of LAAV (E/I ratio LAAV). The cyst-airway communicating index (CACI), the ratio of the LAAV change between inspiration and expiration to the TLV change between inspiration and expiration, was also determined. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic utility for differentiating diseases. Results The E/I ratio LAAV was significantly higher in the BHDS group (0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.61, 0.78) than in the LAM (0.33; 95% CI: 0.28, 0.38) (P < .001) and the OT (0.51; 95% CI: 0.38, 0.64) (P = .038) groups. The CACI was significantly lower in the BHDS group (0.89; 95% CI: 0.61, 1.17) than in the LAM (1.89; 95% CI: 1.76, 2.0) (P < .001) and the OT (1.539; 95% CI: 1.21, 1.86) (P = .003) groups. There was no significant difference in the area under the ROC curve of the CACI (0.881; 95% CI: 0.7749, 0.987) and the E/I ratio LAAV (0.877; 95% CI: 0.791, 0.963) for differentiating BHDS from other diseases. Conclusion Quantitative analysis using paired inspiratory and expiratory CT for estimating the extent of cyst-airway communication in CLDs is useful when distinguishing BHDS from other diseases.Supplemental material is available for this article. © RSNA, 2020See also the commentary by Chung in this issue.
A comparison of woody browse selection by hand-raised, boma-adapted and wild black rhinoceros, Diceros bicornis, L. in Matusadona National Park, Zimbabwe

Differences in woody browse selection between hand-raised (and subsequently released), boma-adapted and wild black rhinoceros, Diceros bicornis, L. were studied in Matusadona National Park between December 1999 and July 2000. Boma-adapted rhinoceros were animals that were subjected to hand-raising and were kept in bomas (enclosures) over night. The feeding behaviour was different between the three rhinoceros groups. All rhinoceros groups utilised and selected for a few browse species in common, at different preference levels in the same habitat types according to season. Wild rhinoceroses browsed most in Colophospermum-Terminalia-Combretum woodland in the wet season and in thicket in the dry season. Hand-raised rhinoceroses browsed most in Colophospermum-Terminalia-Combretum woodland and boma-adated rhinos in thickets in both the wet and the early dry seasons. Hand-raised and bomaadapted rhinos changed their habitats less for browse selection than wild rhinos. This can be ascribed to a relative restriction of home range in the hand-raised group and a herding effect for the boma-adapted animals. These situations might have accounted for differences in seasonal browse selection by the rhinoceros groups.
BIOLOGIA COMPARADA DE Mepraia spinolai EN CONDICIONES DE LABORATORIO Y TERRENO:: CINCO AÑOS DE ESTUDIO

En Chile se han descrito dos especies de Triatominos: Triatoma infestans y Mepraia spinolai. De estas, la primera es la mas estudiada por su importancia en el ciclo domestico de la enfermedad de Chagas en Chile y America. De la segunda en cambio, se conoce poco de su biologia e importancia epidemiologica. En este articulo, resumimos los aspectos mas relevantes de cinco anos de estudio en laboratorio y terreno de los triatominos chilenos, con enfasis en aspectos ecologicos, conductuales y epidemiologicos de M. spinolai. En nuestra experiencia ambas especies demuestran similitudes en sus dinamicas poblacionales, distribucion geografica y preferencias de temperatura en laboratorio. Las principales diferencias son de preferencia alimentaria y de tipo conductual, especialmente en el tiempo de picada que es mas corto en M. spinolai y la latencia de evacuacion que es muy larga en esta especie, lo cual explica en parte su bajo impacto epidemiologico
Extending integrated pest management to the golden apple snail: examining a community centre approach in northeast Thailand

Although research has been carried out on effective ways of managing the golden apple snail (GAS), little research has examined how to best extend these practices to farmers. This paper offers recommendations for successful extension strategies of GAS management, based on an investigation of a community centre in northeast Thailand. Data from 107 interviews with farmers, government officers and shop owners were analyzed statistically in order to measure effects of the centre on farmers' pest management practices. Relative to the control group, farmers in the centre achieved similar rice yields using less chemical pesticides and more non-chemical control methods. These management practices were successfully passed on to non-members in the same village. In addition, the control group relied significantly more on agrochemical shops for pest management knowledge, resulting in higher chemical use. These findings suggest that Thai community centres are successful extension programmes. Thus, the government might focus more on targeting farmers via the private sector.
A Meta-Analysis of Relations Between Achievement and Self-Concept

According to the internal/external frame of reference model, academic achievement has a strong impact on people’s self-concept, both within and between subjects. We conducted a series of meta-analyses of k = 505 data sets containing the six bivariate correlations between achievement and self-concept in two subjects. Negative paths from achievement to noncorresponding self-concept, indicating dimensional comparison effects, were strongest when the subjects were dissimilar with regard to the math-verbal continuum, reduced but still significantly negative when both subjects belonged to the verbal domain, and near-zero when both subjects belonged to the math/science domain. Additionally, we found stronger positive paths from achievements to corresponding self-concepts, indicating social comparison effects, and stronger dimensional comparison effects for grades than for standardized test scores, and for older rather than younger students. We extend dimensional comparison theory by discussing these results with particular regard to the nonexistence of assimilation effects, the effects of subject similarity on dimensional comparison effects, and other moderators of dimensional comparison effects.
Juvenile population dynamics of Oreochromis mossambicus in an intermittently open estuary at the limit of its natural distribution

ABSTRACT Juvenile Oreochromis mossambicus in the 25 ha, temperate, intermittently open, East Kleinemonde Estuary in the Eastern Cape, South Africa (33°32′S, 27°03′E), showed a seasonal shift in distribution, occupying all areas of the estuary in summer and, subsequently, being limited to the upper reaches in winter. The young of the year in the littoral zone were rapidly depleted and resultant estimates of the instantaneous rate of total mortality (Z) ranged from 5.4/yr to 6.9/yr. High annual rates of juvenile mortality and small adult populations imply that stock recovery after a reduction in adult population numbers, through activities such as fishing, may be slow. This work adds to the knowledge base of O. mossambicus ecology and population dynamics in temperate estuaries at the limit of its natural distribution
The cost of saving babies: How economists justify policies

Abstract The relationship between economic ideas and public policy is a growing area of sociological inquiry. This paper examines a unique case of economic influence on policy: use of cost-effectiveness analysis in assessing the expansion of newborn screening programmes. Unlike other forms of influence in which economic ideas precede the creation of new policies and are used to aid policy-making, in this case, economics is used to justify newborn screening expansion post-hoc. We describe cost-effectiveness analysis as a technology of economic justification, and we examine how its assembly, standardization and application is the result of compromises made by researchers navigating the tension between standardized guidelines and unreliable data sources.
Formation of highly oxygenated organic molecules from chlorine-atom-initiated oxidation of alpha-pinene

Abstract. Highly oxygenated organic molecules (HOMs) from atmospheric oxidation of alpha-pinene can irreversibly condense to particles and contribute to secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. Recently, the formation of nitryl chloride (ClNO2) from heterogeneous reactions, followed by its subsequent photolysis, is suggested to be an important source of chlorine atoms in many parts of the atmosphere. However, the oxidation of monoterpenes such as alpha-pinene by chlorine atoms has received very little attention, and the ability of this reaction to form HOMs is completely unstudied. Here, chamber experiments were conducted with alpha-pinene and chlorine under low- and high-nitrogen-oxide (NOx, NOx=NO+NO2) conditions. A nitrate-based CI-APi-ToF (chemical ionization–atmospheric pressure interface–time of flight) mass spectrometer was used to measure HOM products. Clear distributions of monomers with 9–10 carbon atoms and dimers with 18–20 carbon atoms were observed under low-NOx conditions. With increased concentration of NOx within the chamber, the formation of dimers was suppressed due to the reactions of peroxy radicals with NO. We estimated the HOM yields from chlorine-initiated oxidation of alpha-pinene under low-NOx conditions to be around 1.8 %, though with a substantial uncertainty range (0.8 %–4 %) due to lack of suitable calibration methods. Corresponding yields at high NOx could not be determined because of concurrent ozonolysis reactions. Our study demonstrates that also the oxidation of alpha-pinene by chlorine atoms and yield low-volatility organic compounds.
Sero-prevalence of unvaccinated adolescent girls susceptible to rubella virus infection seen in a tertiary care hospital of Patna, Bihar, India

Congenital rubella syndrome is characterized by microcephaly, cataract, pigmented retinopathy, microphthalmia, sensorineural deafness, cardiac anomalies predominantly patent ductus arteriosus and pulmonary artery stenosis, intellectual disability, low birthweight, thrombocytopenic purpura, jaundice and hepatosplenomegaly. The United States documented the elimination of endemic rubella and CRS in 2004 and this was sustained through 2011. However, rubella continues to be endemic in many parts of the world.
Incongruous encounters: the problem of accessing accessible spaces for people with dwarfism

Abstract The recognition of disability as a social construct has aided in providing better access to the built environment for disabled people, through the implementation of accessible spaces. However, access to them is not straightforward for disabled people who do not match stereotypical representations of disability. Drawing on empirical data collected from semi structured interviews and photo elicitation exercises, conducted with people with dwarfism living in the UK, this paper shows how they are often challenged or denied access to accessible spaces, creating a hierarchy of impairments. Building on the notion of ‘statuarized spaces’ the paper demonstrates how access to accessible spaces is influenced by their representation, which differs from representations of dwarfism, leading to incongruous encounters. These incongruous encounters affect the spatial practices of people with dwarfism. A more varied representation of disability is required in order to provide people with dwarfism straightforward access to accessible spaces. Points of interest The ideas explored in this paper are based upon research carried out with people with dwarfism living in the UK. Shows how people with dwarfism are told off or challenged by other people when they want to access to accessible spaces. The paper shows some of the ways people with dwarfism gain access to accessible spaces. The paper argues for a broader representation of disability in order for people with dwarfism to be recognised as disabled.
On the design of control charts with guaranteed conditional performance under estimated parameters

When designing control charts the in‐control parameters are unknown, so the control limits have to be estimated using a Phase I reference sample. To evaluate the in‐control performance of control charts in the monitoring phase (Phase II), two performance indicators are most commonly used: the average run length (ARL) or the false alarm rate (FAR). However, these quantities will vary across practitioners due to the use of different reference samples in Phase I. This variation is small only for very large amounts of Phase I data, even when the actual distribution of the data is known. In practice, we do not know the distribution of the data, and it has to be estimated, along with its parameters. This means that we have to deal with model error when parametric models are used and stochastic error because we have to estimate the parameters. With these issues in mind, choices have to be made in order to control the performance of control charts. In this paper, we discuss some results with respect to the in‐control guaranteed conditional performance of control charts with estimated parameters for parametric and nonparametric methods. We focus on Shewhart, exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA), and cumulative sum (CUSUM) control charts for monitoring the mean when parameters are estimated.