Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential human impact on the survival of genetically distinct avian lineages

Summary At the present time the earth is facing an anthropogenic (human-caused) mass extinction event that may eventually rival previous mass extinction events caused by drastic changes i n the physical environment; however, the impact of this event on the earth's biotic diversity remains difficult to predict. Patterns of extinction and endangerment in birds, one of the best known taxonomically among major groups of organisms, showed that the distribution of human impact has been non-uniform relative to phylogenetic relationships. Fifteen major avian lineages differed over 35-fold with respect to the frequency of historical extinction and over threefold with respect to frequency of current threat; and overall rates of both extinction and threat were significantly higher in non-passerine orders than in passerines. Moreover, among both passerines and non-passerines, the rate of historic extinction has been significantly higher for species in monotypic genera than for other species; and in passerines, the rate of current threat is significantly higher for species in monotypic genera than for other species. Thus, the anthropogenic extinction and threat to avian species has specifically targeted species that are phylogenetically and thus, presumably genetically, unique.
Estimation of "caatinga" woody biomass using allometric equations and vegetation index.

The present study aimed to investigate the relation between the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and estimated biomass (t.ha-1) using allometric equations in an area of caatinga vegetation. The goal was to develop a linear regression model for estimating woody biomass of caatinga vegetation based on remote sensing techniques. NDVI data was obtained from the scene 217/66 LANDSAT 5 TM sensor, while in situ biomass was estimated in twenty 10 x 20 m plots. For this, each plot was georeferenced and all living woody plants with a diameter at breast height (DBH) equal to or greater than 3 cm were identified and had their height and DBH measured and their biomass estimated from allometric equations. Average plant density was 780 ind.ha-1 ranging from 150 to 1900 ind.ha-1. The species Mimosa tenuiflora showed higher importance value index, and greater biomass, 10.11 t.ha-1. NDVI values ranged between 0.4161 and 0.7067 and were positively correlated with the estimated woody biomass values, which ranged from 5.93 to 60.74 t.ha-1, with Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.84 and p <0.01. The linear regression between NDVI and estimated woody biomass showed a coefficient of determination R2 = 0.70 and standard deviation of 8.43 t.h-1. The prediction error for woody biomass estimation, obtained by the method of cross-validation was equal to 31%, considered suitable for a nondestructive estimation method.
Direct Measurement of CD41 and CD81 T-Cell Responses to CMV in HIV-1-Infected Subjects

*Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, P.O. Box 419100, San Francisco, California 94141-9100; †Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, The Rockefeller University, 455 First Avenue, New York, New York, 10016; ‡MRC Human Immunology Unit, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom; §Vaccine Research Center, National Institutes of Health, 40 Convent Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892; and Departments of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143
Effect of Gender on Factors Affecting Excreta Dry Matter Content of Broiler Chickens

SUMMARY The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the factors affecting water intake in modern genetic lines of broilers that might contribute to problems of wet litter. A total of 128 Ross 308 one-day-old chicks (equal numbers of males and females) were fed commercial grower and finisher rations ad libitum from 10 to 39 d of age, containing 0.2% Ti2O3 as an inert marker. Birds were housed in groups of 4 in metabolism cages. Body weight and feed consumption were recorded weekly from d 10, and water intake was recorded daily. Excreta from each cage were collected daily and, at the end of each week, the DM content of a sample of pooled excreta from each cage was measured. The results showed that male broilers consumed more water (P < 0.001) and produced excreta that had a lower mean DM content (P < 0.05) compared with females. Males grew significantly faster (P < 0.05) compared with females. There was a significant correlation between feed intake, and hence the intake of N and the major minerals, and water intake (r = 0.623, P = 0.001). Despite a higher apparent retention of DM, CP, and feed efficiency in favor of males, variation among cages was high, and differences between gender were not statistically significant. Water intake tended to be correlated to mean live weight gain of the cage (r = 0.301, P = 0.06), and when live weight gain was used as a covariate in the analysis, the gender difference in water intake was no longer significant. In conclusion, it appears that the higher water intake and lower excreta DM content for males is related to their higher feed and water intake. Mineral excretion was similar for males and females; however, males retained significantly more P compared with females. Male broilers had greater tibia bone size and strength parameters, which indicate higher bone mineral deposition compared with females.
Human Health Effects of Genetically Modified (GM) Plants: Risk and Perception

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as those organisms in which the genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally. The technology used allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another, and also between non-related species. Such methods are used to create genetically modified (GM) plants, which are then used to grow GM food crops. The GM crops currently on the market are mainly aimed at an increased level of crop protection through the introduction of resistance against plant diseases caused by insects or viruses, or through increased tolerance toward herbicides. Taking into account that different GMOs include different genes inserted in different ways, the WHO indicates that individual foods and their safety should be assessed in a case-by-case basis, and that it is not possible to make general statements on the safety of all GM foods (WHO 2002). During the 1990s, and especially at the end of that decade, there was much concern about the safety of GM foods. Despite increasing adoption and numerous beneficial promises, there is still a great deal of concern about the potential undesirable impacts of GM crops on the environment, health, and economics. In the mass media, the debate about GM foods has been notable, and the scientific journals have not been an exception. Prestigious international journals such as Science, British Medical Journal, Lancet, and Nature among others have contributed to this broad debate, which was especially vigorous in 1999, particularly as a result of the stir caused by Dr. Arpad Pusztai’s premature release of information to the popular media (before publication in the scientific press) about adverse effects in rats that ate GM potatoes (Ewen and Pusztai 1999). In the year 2000 decade, the concern about the health risks of the transgenic foods continued being notable. Approximately 15 years have passed after the introduction of genetic modifications in food, and new GM products are currently added to the existing list of foodstuffs. However, 10 years ago I already noticed that there was not sufficient published information concerning safety of GM foods in general, and GM crops/plants, in particular. Specifically, the lack of published toxicological studies on adverse health effects was evident (Domingo 2000; Domingo-Roig and GómezArnaiz 2000). Six years after our initial review was published, we carried out a new and wide revision of the scientific literature on the potential adverse health/toxic effects of GM/transgenic plants (Domingo 2007). Probably, one of the most important
Evaluation of the Impact of an Educational Intervention Focused on Adolescent Vaping Among Rural Middle School Students

Evaluation of the Impact of an Educational Intervention Focused on Adolescent Vaping Among Rural Middle School Students Holly Fain Fitzwater According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), sixty deaths due to the use of electronic cigarettes or other vaping products have been reported to date. Vaping has become viewed as a safe alternative to traditional cigarette smoking, particularly in the adolescent population. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends education by primary care clinicians to prevent initiation of tobacco products among adolescents. In order to combat this health disparity in America’s youth, intervention by the nursing profession is necessary. An educational session and interactive game were implemented by a school-based family nurse practitioner in order to change the knowledge and attitudes of students regarding vaping in a rural West Virginia middle school. Data analysis revealed a statistically significant 15.8% decrease in adolescents who believe vaping is safer than smoking following intervention by the nurse practitioner. Results also determined a statistically significant 27.9% increase in students’ knowledge following the educational session and interactive game. Ongoing education by healthcare professionals is necessary to decrease the morbidity and mortality related to adolescent vaping. EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF AN EDUCATIONAL iii This project is dedicated to my late grandfather, Harold Fain. EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF AN EDUCATIONAL iv Acknowledgments First and foremost, I praise my Savior, Jesus Christ. I humbly thank Him for blessing me with perseverance and strength to achieve this milestone in my education. I also thank Him for blessing me with wonderful family, friends, faculty members, and colleagues. My husband, Chris – Thank you for the sacrifices that you made for me to continue my education and reach my goal. On the days that I wanted to give up, you pushed me. You always had faith in me, even in the moments when I didn’t have faith in myself. I could not have accomplished this without you. We finally did it! I love you. My parents, sister, and Aunt Martha – Words cannot express how grateful I am to have had you in my cheering section. Thank you for listening to years of complaints, anxieties, and fears. Each one of you have contributed to my success in some way. I love you all and I am so thankful for each one of you. Dr. Teresa Ritchie – Thank you for the countless hours that you dedicated to my project. I am grateful to have had you as my Faculty of Record. I truly appreciate the time and support that you have dedicated to my education and nursing career. Capstone Committee Members – Thank you for the time and efforts that you contributed to my project. I feel very fortunate to have worked with each one of you and look forward to future collaborations. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF AN EDUCATIONAL v
Regression discontinuity evidence from the EU’s tax haven listing process

In late 2016, the EU Commission began a detailed review of over 80 non-European jurisdictions to determine how compliant they were with international standards around tax transparency, fair taxation and adherence to the OECD’s Base Erosion Profit Shifting (BEPS) minimum standards. The EU subsequently published both a ‘grey’ and ‘black’ list of jurisdictions to promote their cooperation with these standards. I investigate the impact that this process has had on several measures of international tax governance by employing a regression discontinuity design derived from the unique process the EU used to select jurisdictions for review. I find that although jurisdictions selected into review were substantially more likely to be grey or blacklisted, detectable improvements in tax governance are largely limited to (i) increases in transparency around the presence and removal of harmful tax regimes and (ii) increases in the effective implementation of exchange-of-information (EOIR) agreements. However, countries selected into the EU process were significantly more likely to join the Inclusive Framework, a forum dedicated to implementing the BEPS minimum standards and deliberating over changes to international tax rules. Backof-the-envelope estimates suggest that the Inclusive Framework is roughly 15% larger thanks to the EU review process, although its composition in terms of representation by developing countries or jurisdictions traditionally thought of as tax havens remains roughly the same. ∗Email: mcollin@brookings.edu. I would like to thank Carol Graham, Homi Kharas, Jan Loeprick and Marijn Verhoeven for helpful comments on this draft. All errors are my own. This publication was made possible by the David M. Rubenstein fellowship at the Brookings Institution. Brookings recognizes that the value it provides is in its absolute commitment to quality, independence, and impact. Activities supported by its donors reflect this commitment and the analysis and recommendations are not determined or influenced by any donation. This work initially began at the World Bank’s Global Tax team while I was an Economist there, and would not have been possible with that team’s support. †The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit organization devoted to independent research and policy solutions. Its mission is to conduct high-quality, independent research and, based on that research, to provide innovative, practical recommendations for policymakers and the public. The conclusions and recommendations of any Brookings publication are solely those of its author(s), and do not reflect the views of the Institution, its management, or its other scholars.
Taxonomic studies on the Chlorarachniophyta. II. Generic delimitation of the chlorarachniophytes and description of Gymnochlora stellata gen. et sp. nov. and Lotharella gen. nov.

A new chlorarachniophytan alga, Gymnochlora stellata Ishida et Y. Hara gen. et sp. nov., has been isolated from Anae Island in Guam. It is a green, star‐shaped, unicellular, amoeboid organism with several filopodia that do not form a reticulopodial network. Neither zoospores nor walled coccoid cells have been observed throughout the life cycle. The chloroplast ultrastructure is similar to those of described species; however, the pyrenoid matrix, which is invaded by many tubular structures originating from the inner membrane of the chloroplast envelope, is unique. A classification system is proposed for the Chlorarachniophyta. In this system, the ultrastructural features of the pyrenoid and the location of the nucleomorph in the periplastidial compartment are used as generic criteria, while the morphological features of the vegetative cells and life cycle patterns are used for species criteria. The described species, except for Cryptochlora perforans Calderon‐Saenz et Schnetter, are also reassessed under the new system, and consequent nomenclatural requirements for the genus Chlorarachnion are dealt with in this paper. The taxonomic rank of a previously described species, Chlorarachnion globosum Ishida et Y. Hara, is elevated and Lotharella globosa (Ishida et Y. Hara) Ishida et Y. Hara gen. nov. et comb. nov. is proposed.
Coding-Sequence Determinants of Gene Expression in Escherichia coli

Synonymous mutations do not alter the encoded protein, but they can influence gene expression. To investigate how, we engineered a synthetic library of 154 genes that varied randomly at synonymous sites, but all encoded the same green fluorescent protein (GFP). When expressed in Escherichia coli, GFP protein levels varied 250-fold across the library. GFP messenger RNA (mRNA) levels, mRNA degradation patterns, and bacterial growth rates also varied, but codon bias did not correlate with gene expression. Rather, the stability of mRNA folding near the ribosomal binding site explained more than half the variation in protein levels. In our analysis, mRNA folding and associated rates of translation initiation play a predominant role in shaping expression levels of individual genes, whereas codon bias influences global translation efficiency and cellular fitness.
Effects of electrical conductivity (EC) of the nutrient solution on growth, yield and quality of lettuce under vertical hydroponic systems

This experiment was carried out in a greenhouse at the Faculty of Agronomy, Hue University, Viet Nam. The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of the EC concentration levels on growth, yield and quality of lettuce under vertical hydroponic system. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. Five treatments consist of the EC levels (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 mS/cm). The Rapid Red lettuce cultivars was used for testing. Two weeks after germination, the seedlings were transplanted under the vertical hydroponic systems. The pH was maintained at 6.0 6.5 for the entire the growing period. It can be concluded that the ability to grow, yield and quality of lettuce grown in vertical hydroponic systems were significantly affected by nutrient solution concentrations (EC). Yield was significantly (P≤0.01) affected by EC levels. The EC at 2.5 mS/cm produced maximum yield (27.5 t/ha), but not significant difference with 2.0 mS/cm. For quality, the highest vitamin C and chlorophyll content were obtained at the 1.5 mS/cm of the EC level in the present study. The lettuce grown in EC at 2.5 mS/cm considered to be the best productivity under vertical hydroponic systems .
Dynamic Competition in Negotiated Price Markets

In many credit markets, prices are negotiated repeatedly. The final mortgage rate, for example, is rarely the posted price, but something that borrowers and lenders have bargained over. If borrowers are not satisfied with the rates their lenders propose, they need to search for and negotiate better offers. Borrowers often find it costly and inconvenient to switch lenders. The search and switching costs give incumbent lenders a clear advantage, allowing them to charge relatively high prices. Repeated interactions between borrowers and lenders create the possibility of dynamic pricing: lenders compete aggressively with low prices to attract new borrowers and then raise their prices once borrowers have made a commitment. We find such pricing patterns in the Canadian mortgage market, as most borrowers in Canada renegotiate their mortgage every five years. In this paper we develop a framework for studying this type of dynamic competition in similar negotiated-price markets. Our paper suggests that although search costs unambiguously hurt consumers, switching costs are not necessarily harmful. Consumers pay higher rates when they renew, but they reap the benefits of aggressive pricing when the loan begins.
SELF AFFIRMATIVE DISCOURSE ON FEAR APPEALS AS A STRATEGY FOR EFFECTIVE ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGNS IN NIGERIA

Fear appeals confront people in a rather hard and often shocking way with the negative consequences of risky behaviour with the expectation of changing undesirable behaviour; fear appeal is one of the strategies that can be used in behaviour change communication. Thus, this study was designed to discuss fear appeal as a strategy for effective road safety campaigns in Nigeria. Anchored on agenda setting theory and elaboration likelihood theory of behaviour change, the researchers discussed fear appeals and effective road safety campaigns. It was discovered that effective use of fear appeals in road safety campaigns have the tendency to put fear in the minds of drivers and making them to drive carefully. Thus, the researchers concluded that fear appeals have a crucial role to play in road safety campaigns because such appeals can go a long way in creating fear in the minds of drivers who drive recklessly. Thus, there is the need for the use of fear appeals in road safety campaigns. There is need for the campaign planners to use enough graphics and give explicit reasons for behaviour moderation to be effective; this is because people tend to accept a change in behaviour or of attitude if they know what could be gained or lost.
Effect of Local Temperature and Pressure on the Photon Beam Outputs from Linear Accelerator

Daily quality control (QC) is mandatory in radiotherapy so that tumor dose delivery should be within ±3% of the prescribed dose. However, daily variation of Local temperature and pressure are reported to affect machine outputs, hence the need for daily quality audit. Three years (January 2011 December 2013) daily records of 6 and 15 MV photon output from Elekta precise machine using standard set up procedure with quality control tools were extracted. Corresponding bunker temperature and pressure were also retrieved and reviewed. SPSS Software package was used to determine ranges, means and standard deviations of all the factors. The photon outputs for the two energies were also plotted against temperature and pressure. The most frequently observed photon outputs over the study period were 0.975 cGy ∕ MU for 6 MV and 0.800 cGy/MU for 15 MV with ±2.5% and ±3.1% deviation from the reference values of 1.00 and 0.826 cGy/MU respectively. Temperature and pressure showed inverse correlation with p-value < 0.01. The magnitude of photon outputs for 6 and 15 MV attained peak values of 1.000 and 0.900 cGy ∕ MU respectively at the lowest bunker temperature of 24.05oC, but dropped to 0.870 and 0.800 cGy ∕ MU as bunker temperature raised to 30.02oC. The bunker pressure showed a linear relationship with photon output, as bunker pressure raises from 972.3 to 981.7 hpa their corresponding outputs also rises from 0.870 to 1.000 cGy ∕ MU for 6 MV and 0.8000 to 0.8900 cGy/MU for 15 MV respectively. Daily variation of bunker temperature and pressure influenced photon outputs from LINAC, despite the use of dose checker with sealed ionization chamber. However, daily quality control should be maintained to ensure safety in dosimetry.
EFFECTS OF VEGETATION, INTERSPECIFIC COMPETITION, AND BROOD PARASITISM ON GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER (VERMIVORA CHRYSOPTERA) NESTING SUCCESS

Abstract The recent decline of Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) correlates with the loss of suitable nesting habitat, range expansion by Blue-winged Warblers (V. pinus), and eastward expansion of Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater). Multivariate statistics were used to examine effects of those factors on Golden-winged Warbler reproduction in north central New York. Herb and shrub cover were positively correlated with clutch size. Blue-winged Warbler proximity was negatively correlated with Golden-winged Warbler clutch size. Tree cover and perhaps herb cover, after adjusting for brood size, correlated with a reduced number of Golden-winged Warbler fledglings. Herbaceous cover correlated with a greater number of cowbird eggs in Golden-winged Warbler nests. Cowbird parasitism correlated with a reduction in the number of Golden-winged Warbler eggs incubated and proportion of incubated eggs that hatched. However, cowbird parasitism, after adjusting for brood size, did not significantly affect nestling success rate. Cowbirds parasitized 30% of Golden-winged Warbler nests, which reduced the number of Golden-winged Warblers fledged by ∼17%. Average herb and tree cover values were 69 and 22 in Golden-winged Warbler territories and 60 and 23 in Blue-winged Warbler territories, respectively, with herb cover significantly greater for Golden-winged Warblers. Territories in the earliest stages of succession used by Golden-winged Warblers supported larger clutches and a reduction in the strong, negative effect of Blue-winged Warbler proximity and an increase in the negative effect correlated with cowbirds, if cowbirds were locally abundant.