Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Palynological records from northwest African marine sediments: A general outline of the interpretation of the pollen signal

Pollen analysis of over 100 modern surface-sediment samples from the Atlantic off northwest Africa (between 35° and 4° N) has improved the understanding of the relation between modern pollen source areas, modern pollen transport and the modern distribution patterns of the pollen concerned in the marine sediments. Aeolian pollen transport is dom inant in this region and the distribution patterns reflect the modern average atmospheric circulation. Palaeoisopollen maps of the time slices of 9 ka BP and 18 ka BP monitor the atmospheric circulation during the last glacial-interglacial transition, providing evidence for the latitudinal position of the northeast trade winds and the African Easterly Jet, and the average northernmost and southernmost position of the intertropical convergence zone. In this way the number of major variables in time-series (continuous pollen records) was reduced to one; this has made it possible to interpret these records in terms of vegetational change, climatic humidity and changes in the intensity of the northeast trade winds.
Spatial density‐dependent parasitism and specificity in the robber fly Mallophora ruficauda (Diptera: Asilidae)

The density-dependence in parasitism by the robber fly Mallophora ruficauda (Diptera: Asilidae) on scarab beetle larvae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) populations was studied in the present research. Mallophora ruficauda is a pestiferous species common in the open grasslands of the Pampas region of South America. Adults are predators of insects and larvae are solitary parasitoids of third instar larvae of several species of scarab beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). In contrast with most studied host-parasitoid interactions, host searching by M. ruficauda is carried out by both larvae and adults.Typically, robber fly females lay eggs on tall grasses from where larvae drop to the ground, and attack hosts which are buried in the soil.We carried out our study at two spatial scales close to 14 apiaries located in the provinces of Buenos Aires and Entre Rios (Argentina). We found that parasitism is density-independent at the larger spatial scale and inversely density-dependent at the smaller one.We also found that M. ruficauda selects Cyclocephala signaticollis among several scarab beetle species. Specificity is observed both at large and small spatial scales. We discuss the implications of both host specificity and host searching behaviour on the observed parasitism patterns.
The relation between worker numbers and the production of males and queens in the bumble bee Bombus perplexus

The first-brood worker populations of 18 artificially fed colonies of Bombus perplexus were adjusted to two, four, or eight and allowed to treble with the emergence of the second brood. The timing of male production was independent of the number of workers present and independent of the time of colony initiation. Consequently the duration of the premale period was correlated with the earliness of colony initiation. The first queens emerged after a mean delay of 3.2 days after the first males, this delay being shorter if more workers were present. The rate of pollen consumption per unit larval area was lower with only two workers present than when there were four or eight, but no association was found between the time of initiation of queen production and high ratios of worker numbers to larval area.
Effects of contrasting habitats on population parameters and diet of Apodemus sylvaticus (Rodentia) in south-western Iceland

Abstract Population parameters, body mass and diet of Apodemus sylvaticus were compared in two nearby study sites in south-western Iceland: open grassland and mixed woodland. Live trapping was conducted at approximately 5 week intervals from September 2004 to October 2005. In addition, mice were caught in snap-traps every month to estimate food composition from stomach contents. Estimated population density was up to 10 times higher in the woodland than in grassland but seasonal dynamics were the same, with peak density in autumn and low density in spring. Apparent monthly survival varied greatly throughout the winter in the grassland, ranging from 39% to 78%, but was stable at around 60% in the woodland. Mice fed predominantly on seeds in all seasons, with an exception during the spring when arthropod larvae were the most common food type. Food varied more by seasons than by habitats, but evidently mice from the woodland were less likely to feed on green material and showed more seasonal fluctuations in seed consumption. During mid-winter, woodland mice of both sexes were heavier than mice in the grassland. To some extent, the observed differences in density, survival, weight and diet could be reflecting differences in habitat quality in the two contrasting habitat types.
Immediate Outcomes of Aortic Valve Neocuspidization with Glutaraldehyde-treated Autologous Pericardium: a Multicenter Study

Objective To determine the feasibility of aortic valve neocuspidization (AVNeo) with glutaraldehyde-treated autologous pericardium. Methods One hundred and seventy (170) AVNeo (84 males/86 females) were performed from January 2017 through March 2019 in three centers. All the records were prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed. Results Most of the patients were older than 60 years and over 95% were operated for aortic stenosis. Preoperatively, pressure gradients were 69.9±21.3 mmHg for patients with aortic stenosis, and the surgical annular diameter was 21.0±2.0 mm for all patients. Effective orifice area (EOA) and indexed EOA (iEOA) averaged 0.7±0.3 cm2 and 0.4±0.2 cm2/m2 for patients with aortic stenosis before surgery, respectively. There was no conversion to prosthetic aortic valve replacement. Eight patients needed reoperation for bleeding, but no patient needed reoperation due to early infective endocarditis. There were five in-hospital deaths due to noncardiac cause. Compared to preoperative echocardiographic measurements, postoperative peak pressure gradient decreased significantly (-58.7±1.7 mmHg; P<0.001) and reached 11.2±5.6 mmHg, and mean pressure gradient also decreased significantly (-36.8±1.1 mmHg; P<0.001) and reached 6.0±3.5 mmHg. Accordingly, EOA and iEOA increased significantly 2.0 cm2 and 1.0 cm2/m2 (both P<0.001) to reach 2.7±0.6 cm2 and 1.4±0.3 cm2/m2 after surgery, respectively, with minimal significant aortic regurgitation (0.6% > mild). Conclusion AVNeo is feasible and reproducible with good clinical results. Hemodynamically, AVNeo produces immediate postoperative low-pressure gradients, large EOA, and minimal regurgitation of the aortic valve. Further studies are necessary to evaluate mid- and long-term evolution.
Foreign Exchange Interventions Under a One-Sided Target Zone Regime and the Swiss Franc

From September 2011 to January 2015, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) implemented a minimum exchange rate regime (i.e. a one-sided target zone) vis-a-vis the euro to fight deflationary pressures in the aftermath of the Great Financial Crisis. During this period of unconventional monetary policy, the SNB faced mounting criticism from the media and the public on the sizable balance sheet risks that it was incurring. Motivated by this episode, I present a structural model embedded within the target zone framework developed by Krugman (1991) that allows monetary authorities to determine ex-ante the maximum size of foreign exchange market interventions that are expected to be necessary to implement and maintain a one-sided target zone. An empirical application of the proposed model to the aforementioned episode reveals that it is well suited to explain the actual size of these interventions and that, in January 2015, the SNB's euro purchases might indeed have been large without the abandonment of the minimum exchange rate regime, which is consistent with the official statements of the SNB in the aftermath of that episode.
Comparing F-Formations Between Humans and On-Screen Agents

With an increasing number of artificial agents operating in the real-world, understanding the formation of conversational groups, or F-formations, around them can provide critical information for interactions. In this paper, we report on an experiment involving conversational groups of up to seven people. By capturing their positions and orientations, we compare participant F-formations when interacting with a moderator that is either physically present or shown on a screen. We observe differences in group formation based on the moderator embodiment, but also find that people's positions can be predicted as a function of the number of people in the group and the moderator's position.
Building Savings, Ownership, and Financial Well-Being: First- and Third-Year Assets for Independence Program Randomized Evaluation Findings in Context

Building savings is key for individuals and families to protect and improve their financial well-being. Even small amounts of savings can increase financial security; households with a savings cushion of only $250 to $749 are less likely to be evicted, miss a housing or utility payment, or receive public benefits after an income shock (McKernan et al. 2016). 1 And savings can help families build additional wealth, making it possible for them to invest in assets such as a home or small business. Many families with low incomes, however, lack savings or good opportunities to save, leaving them financially vulnerable and with limited ability to invest in their futures. To address this disadvantage, a range of policies and programs, including incentivized savings and assetbuilding programs, seek to support savings, reduce hardship, and build assets for families with low incomes.
Healthcare-Associated Infections in a Cardiac Surgery Service in Brazil

Objectives The study aimed to determine the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) and their sites in a cardiac surgery service, as well as to determine if gender and age were risk factors for infection and to quantify mortality and increase in the hospital length of stay (LOS) due to HAI. Methods Medical records of patients who underwent cardiac surgery from January 2012 to January 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Data on age, gender, mortality, occurrence of HAI during hospitalization, and LOS were collected. Continuous variables were analyzed using Student's t-test, while categorical variables were compared using Fisher's exact test or chi-square test. Results Among the 195 patients available, the HAI rate in our service was 22.6%, with female gender being a risk factor for infections (odds ratio [OR]=2.23; P=0.015). Age was also a significant risk factor for infections, with a difference in the mean age between the group with and without infection (P=0.02). The occurrence of an infectious process increased the LOS in 14 days (P<0.001) and resulted in higher mortality rates (P=0.112). A patient who has HAI was approximately 19 times more likely to remain hospitalized for more than nine days (P<0.001). Conclusion Age and gender were risk factors for the development of HAI and the occurrence of an infectious process during hospitalization significantly increases the LOS. These findings may guide future actions aimed at reducing the impact of HAI on the health system.
Supplemental effects of feed additives on the utilization of cassava plant meal by broiler chicken

One hundred and fifty 7-day old (hybro strain) broiler chicks were randomly distributed into five dietary treatments in a completely randomized design. Diet 1 which served as the control had 25% CPM, while diets 2, 3, 4 and 5 had the same composition as diet 1 but with the inclusion of feed additives, bakers’ yeast, enzyme (hemicell), antibiotics (oxytetracycline) and palm oil respectively. CPM was a combination of unpeeled tuber + tender leaves and tender stems mixed in the ratio of 2.5:1 of unpeeled tuber to leaves plus tender stems and the study lasted for 8 weeks. There was an increase in weight gain (p<0.05) and better feed to gain ratio (p<0.05) with the inclusion of feed additives to CPM based diets with bakers yeast (diet 2) eliciting the best response. Dressed and carcass weight was highest (p<0.05) on Diet 3 with the additive diets having a better value (p<0.05) than the control group. It was concluded that the use of feed additives in CPM based diets had a beneficial effect on its utilization by broiler chicken in terms of performance and carcass evaluation.
Longer days in spring than in autumn accelerate migration speed of passerine birds

Above- and belowground herbivores promote plant diversity when selectively feeding on dominant plant species, but little is known about their combined effects. Using a model system, we show that neutral effects of an aboveground herbivore and positive effects of a belowground herbivore on plant diversity became profoundly negative when adding these herbivores in combination. The non-additive effects were explained by differences in plant preference between the aboveground- and the belowground herbivores and their consequences for indirect interactions among plant species. Simultaneous exposure to aboveground- and belowground herbivores led to plant communities being dominated by a few highly abundant species. As above- and belowground invertebrate herbivores generally differ in their mobility and local distribution patterns, our results strongly suggest that abovegroundbelowground interactions contribute to local spatial heterogeneity of diversity patterns within plant communities. [KEYWORDS: Abovebelowground interactions ; indirect effects ; insect herbivores ; nematodes ; plant diversity]
The Role of Organizational Culture in the Relationship of Personality and Organization Commitment on Employee Performance

The main objective of this study is to examine the role of organizational culture as a mediating variable in the relationship between personality and organizational commitment on employee performance in North Aceh Health Office, Indonesia. There were 130 respondents who participated in this study and the data was analyzed using statistical software: SEM-AMOS. The findings of the data analysis show that personality and organizational commitment have a significant and positive relationship on organizational culture and employee performance. Organizational culture partially mediates the relationship of personality and organizational commitment on employee performance. The results of this study recommend that employees be required to improve self-awareness of work, service-friendly work and aggressiveness to work as an ongoing practice to improve employee performance.
TRUST IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE – EFFECTS OF EXPLANATIONS AND CLASSIFICATION ERRORS VERTRAUEN IN KÜNSTLICHE INTELLIGENZ – EFFEKTE VON ERKLÄRUNGEN UND KLASSIFIKATIONSFEHLERN

Artificial Intelligence has attracted broad attention since deep learning has overtaken the field of machine learning. Being black boxes, such systems face one critical issue: can the user trust the system? This thesis proposes that explanations play a vital role in the trust formation and, more importantly, for shaping appropriate trust. On different levels of automation, 132 participants interacted with a decision support system which was systematically varied in a 2 (explanation, no explanation) x 2 (error, no error) between-subject design. Both manipulations revealed a significant effect on Jian et al.’s trust scale (2000), which consisted of a two-factor structure. Moreover, reliance is examined based on a hybrid lens model (Seong & Bisantz, 2002). Evidence suggests that explanations enhance the performance of the user indicating more appropriate trust. Conclusively, the relevance to strive for comprehensible Machine Learning approaches is emphasized.
Land Use and Land Cover Change Within and Around the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem, Tanzania

Land use and land cover (LULC) changes can pose profound impacts on wildlife habitats, abundance and distribution and on human-dominated landscapes. We investigated LULC changes in the Greater Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania, for a period of 41 years from 1975 to 2015. Specifically, we mapped LULC types for 1975, 1995 and 2015 and assessed the corresponding changes during 1975-1995, 1995-2015 and 1975-2015. We used the random forest classification algorithm to classify Multispectral Scanner (MSS), Thematic Mapper (TM), Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (+ETM) and Operational Land Imager (OLI) into eight main classes. We obtained accuracies of 88.4%, 90.6% and 93.4% with Kappa Indices of Agreement (KIA) of 0.86, 0.87 and 0.91 for 1975, 1995 and 2015, respectively. Grassland, shrubland and woodland were the major LULC types throughout 1975-2015 with percentage coverages of 50.6%, 23.7% and 20.9% for 1975; 54.2%, 23.5% and 15.9% for 1995; and 57.0%, 23.8% and 8.9% for 2015, respectively. Overall, woodland cover (-11.1%) was converted to most of the other cover types during 1975-2015. The loss of woodland cover is due to increasing human population size, agriculture, settlements and policy changes fires and elephant browsing. Effective conservation policies and regulation of socio-economic activities in the ecosystem and its buffer area are essential to ameliorate declining vegetation cover, especially along the protected areas boundaries.
Sex change and sequential hermaphroditism in Tegillarca granosa (Bivalvia: Arcidae)

This study aimed to confirm sex change in Tegillarca granosa to determine whether this species is a sequential hermaphrodite. Samples of bivalves were divided into two groups, namely, a 1+ year class (14 months) and a 2+ year class (26 months), for analysis. At the beginning of the study, 44.3% of T. granosa were female, and after one year, this increased to 53.9% in the same population. The increase of females in the population was greater in the 1+ year class (12.3%), when compared with the 2+ year class (6.5%). Overall, a sex change ratio of 15.1% (n = 104/688) was recorded for T. granosa. The sex change ratio of the 1+ year class (17.8%) was higher than that of the 2+ year class (12.1%), and displayed the tendency of being higher in the males (21.2%), than the females (6.2%). The results of this study indicate that T. granosa is a sequential hermaphrodite.
Influence of habitat differences brought about by environmental changes on the densities of adults and eggs of Pomacea canaliculata.

水田,水路,河川において,スクミリンゴガイ密度とその卵塊密度を調査し,それらと環境要因の評価として用いた水深,流速,化学的酸素要求量,貝の捕食者相との相関関係を調べた。 平均貝密度は各棲息地間でそれぞれ水田3. 72±1.31,水路2. 12±0.90,河川3. 20±1. 85頭/m2であったが,有意な差は検出されなかった。 卵密度は1. 84±0.40,0.72±0.24,0.39±0. 19個/m2であり,棲息地問での差は有意であった。 この貝の生存に影響を及ぼす環境要因として,水深(負の相関,40cm以深での生存の困難)及び流速(50cm/sec以上での生存の困難),COD(正の相関)が示された。 高いCOD値は水質の劣化を示すものであり,貝の密度は水質の劣化により高められることが示唆された。 捕食者相については,その影響は明確ではなかった。
Controllable In-Situ Growth of Silver Nanoparticles on Filter Paper for Flexible and Highly Sensitive SERS Sensors for Malachite Green Residue Detection

In this work, a series of highly flexible and sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates were fabricated by the in-situ growth of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on polydopamine (PDA) templated filter papers (FPs), based on mussel-inspired surface chemistry. The obtained FP@PDA@AgNPs strips exhibited high sensitivity and reproducibility with Rhodamine 6G (R6G) probe molecules, with a calculated detection limit of approximately 10−10 M. More critically, these FP@PDA@AgNPs strips could be used as outstanding flexible SERS sensors to quickly collect and detect malachite green (MG) residues on fish scales, crab shells and shrimp skins by a swabbing extraction method. The detection limits for MG residues were calculated to be approximately as low as 0.04635 pg/cm2, 0.06952 pg/cm2 and 0.09270 pg/cm2, respectively. This facile and efficient strategy could to be utilized as a universal approach to fabricating a variety of flexible, cheap and portable SERS sensors for surface contamination analysis, and has great potential in the environmental scientific analysis and food safety monitoring fields.
Simultaneous Alcohol and Marijuana Use: A Brief Measure of Motives.

OBJECTIVE Increasing numbers of substance users report simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use such that their effects overlap. More research is needed to understand what motivates this behavior, especially to inform interventions that address SAM use. A 26-item measure of SAM motives was designed and tested in previous research. The purpose of the current study was to validate that measure and create a briefer version of it. METHOD Using two waves of data from a multi-site sample of college students (n = 1,014), exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to develop a brief 11-item SAM Motives Measure (B-SMM). Negative binomial regression analyses were conducted to assess the reliability and validity of both the original and brief measures. RESULTS The brief measure contains four subscales (conformity, positive effects, calm/coping, and social) that match the empirically supported motivational model of substance use. Internal consistency of the subscales ranged from . 77 to . 87. Most subscales significantly predicted frequency and consequences of SAM use both concurrently and prospectively. CONCLUSIONS The psychometrically sound measure developed in this study facilitates the examination of SAM motives in clinical settings with time-constrained patient contact and can be valuable for research involving frequent and repeated measures of substance use behaviors.
A Novel Method to Identify Autoantibodies against Putative Target Proteins in Serum from beta-Thalassemia Major: A Pilot Study

Abnormal immune reactivity in patients with beta-thalassemia (beta-thal) major can be associated with poor prognosis. Immunome protein-array analysis represents a powerful approach to identify novel biomarkers. The Sengenics Immunome Protein Array platform was used for high-throughput quantification of autoantibodies in 12 serum samples collected from nine beta-thal major patients and three non-thalassemia controls, which were run together with two pooled normal sera (Sengenics Internal QC samples). To obtain more accurate and reliable results, the evaluation of the biological relevance of the shortlisted biomarkers was analyzed using an Open Target Platform online database. Elevated autoantibodies directed against 23 autoantigens on the immunome array were identified and analyzed using a penetrance fold change-based bioinformatics method. Understanding the autoantibody profile of beta-thal major patients would help to further understand the pathogenesis of the disease. The identified autoantigens may serve as potential biomarkers for the prognosis of beta-thal major.
Parasites of free‐ranging Cayo Santiago macaques after 46 years of isolation

Three hundred and thirty seven Macaca mulatta from a population that had been isolated on a small island off the coast of Puerto Rico for 46 years were examined for parasites. Anatrichosoma cynamolgi (26%), Strongyloides fuelleborni (54%); Trichuris trichiura (23%); and Balantidium coli (2%) were detected. Toxoplasma antibodies were found in 10% of the sera examined. Milk was examined for Stronglyloides, and blood was examined for microfilariae and protozoa, but no parasites were found in these specimens. The animals in this colony harbored intestinal parasites but were in excellent physical condition, with a high reproductive rate and a low mortality rate. It is concluded that the presence of intestinal and tissue parasites has little measurable effect on the overall health of rhesus in this free‐ranging environment.