Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determination of the cultural landscape values of Lake Suğla in Turkey

Cultural landscape is a set of values consisting of all the formations, activities, local traditions and customs shaped in due to course as a result of the mutual interaction of the human and the environment. The aim of this study was to determine the cultural landscape values of Lake Sugla (Konya,Turkey) and its surrounding areas, which are rich in cultural values, and to develop a future management approach. In the study, in order to determine the cultural characteristics of the area, a method based on inventory work and the quantification of the data was used. In the study, in view of the assessment of the information forms applied to 34 settlements and expert opinions during the field studies, cultural values of the area were determined by twelve criteria. All the settlements were examined in terms of each criterion and given points. As a result of this assessment,
A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF LOWER AND MIDDLE CRETACEOUS SOURCE ROCKS IN KUWAIT

Large volumes of oil and gas are present in the Arabian-Iranian Basin; however, most petroleum-geological investigations here have concentrated on reservoirs and traps, and there have been few efforts to study potential source rocks. This paper evaluates possible source rocks within the Lower to Middle Cretaceous interval in Kuwait, which is one of the main oil and gas-producing countries in this region.
Dendrochonological Potential of Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii): A Case Study in the Black Rock Forest, New York

Abstract The deciduous forests of northeastern United States are currently experiencing an invasion of the exotic plant species Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii). This recent and rapid invasion leads to rising concern about its potential threats to native species as well as natural ecosystems, demanding a better understanding of its invasion mechanisms and potential responses to climate change. Unfortunately, few studies have been conducted to understand the influence of climate on the growth of B. thunbergii, largely because of the absence of long-term growth records. In this study we demonstrate growth rings of B. thunbergii are annually resolved and crossdatable. The first ring-width chronology of B. thunbergii was therefore developed using samples collected from the Black Rock Forest (BRF), New York. Climate-growth relationship analysis indicates the growth of B. thunbergii in the BRF is positively correlated with precipitation in prior October, current February and May–August, but is negatively correlated with current March precipitation. The growth of B. thunbergii is also negatively correlated with temperatures in prior winter (November–January) and current summer (June–July), but is positively correlated with current spring temperature (March–May). These dendrochronological results on B. thunbergii, together with further physiological studies, will improve our understanding on how the growth of this invasive species is affected by local climate dynamics, as well as the long-term invasion potential that is tied to its responses to climate change.
An attempt to enhance solubility and availability of phosphorus from phosphate rocks through incorporation of organics in Western Kenya

Soil fertility depletion has been identified as the most significant constraint to increased agricultural productivity in Western Kenya. Many years of continuous cultivation without nutrient returns have resulted in the depletion of native soil fertility and subsequent decline in productivity. Soils are widely deficient in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Phosphate rocks (PRs), though generally insoluble, are thought to have improved solubility and hence increased P availability when incorporated into soils with organic materials. However, the quality and quantity of organic materials influence PRs solubility. An experiment was conducted between March 2004 and January 2005 at Nyabeda, Siaya district western Kenya in which two east African PRs, Minjingu (MPR) and Busumbu (BPR) were compared. Both were applied at a rate of 60 kg P/ha each and a similar rate was used for a standard P source of Triplesuperphosphate (TSP) for comparison. N was applied at 75 kg / ha. Four local organic materials were tested and incorporated into soils at the rates of 1 and 2 t/ha each. Control with no P or N and farmers‘ manure treatment were also included. Planting was done using staggered two rows of maize and two legume (soybeans) rows spacing (MBILI intercropping system). Soil sampling was done monthly for the determination of available P and pH to assess P release (solubility) from PRs. The data collected analyses were done using SPSS 12.0 for Windows. Economic analyses related to use of materials were also done. There were significant differences (p3 0.05) in the treatments on maize yields. The control was the lowest yielder ( 3 t/ha). BPR was not significantly different from farmers manure although they were both positively different from the control. MPR with organics showed comparable yield results, as there were no significant differences between it and TSP on yield. Lantana camara and pyrethrum industrial waste were the most promising organic materials and further trials should be done, particularly on unreactive BPR. It is recommended that studies be done in other areas with similar soil conditions and chemical studies to identify the organic acids in these materials and their specific roles in the PR solubilization.
Detrital zircon ages from the islands of Inousses and Psara, Aegean Sea, Greece: constraints on depositional age and provenance

Abstract U–Pb LA–SF–ICP–MS analyses of detrital zircons from a metalitharenite on Inousses Island, Greece, gave major age groups of 310–350, 450–500, 550–700, 900–1050 and 1880–2040 Ma and minor peaks between 2600 and 2800 Ma. The youngest concordant zircon grains of 310–330 Ma indicate the maximum age of deposition to be Late Carboniferous, rather than Ordovician, as had been earlier assumed. The lack of zircon ages between 1.1 and 1.8 Ga, coupled with the occurrence of c. 2-Ga-old zircons, imply a northern Gondwana-derived source. Detrital zircons from a garnet–mica schist on Psara Island yielded a major age group of c. 295–325 Ma and only minor Early Palaeozoic and Late Neoproterozoic ages. The youngest grains around 270 Ma indicate the maximum age of deposition to be Late Permian. The Early Palaeozoic ages support a source from terranes at the southern margin of Laurussia during the Late Palaeozoic and hence clarify the palaeotectonic position of units from the eastern Aegean Sea within the Palaeotethyan realm.
Satellite versus ground-based estimates of burned area: A comparison between MODIS based burned area and fire agency reports over North America in 2007

North American wildfire management teams routinely assess burned area on site during firefighting campaigns; meanwhile, satellite observations provide systematic and global burned-area data. Here we compare satellite and ground-based daily burned area for wildfire events for selected large fires across North America in 2007 on daily timescales. In a sample of 26 fires across North America, we found the Global Fire Emissions Database Version 4 (GFED4) estimated about 80% of the burned area logged in ground-based Incident Status Summary (ICS-209) over 8-day analysis windows. Linear regression analysis found a slope between GFED and ICS-209 of 0.67 (with R = 0.96). The agreement between these data sets was found to degrade at short timescales (from R = 0.81 for 4-day to R = 0.55 for 2-day). Furthermore, during large burning days (> 3000 ha) GFED4 typically estimates half of the burned area logged in the ICS-209 estimates.
Guidelines for environmental infection control in health-care facilities. Recommendations of CDC and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC).

The health-care facility environment is rarely implicated in disease transmission, except among patients who are immunocompromised. Nonetheless, inadvertent exposures to environmental pathogens (e.g., Aspergillus spp. and Legionella spp.) or airborne pathogens (e.g., Mycobacterium tuberculosis and varicella-zoster virus) can result in adverse patient outcomes and cause illness among health-care workers. Environmental infection-control strategies and engineering controls can effectively prevent these infections. The incidence of health-care--associated infections and pseudo-outbreaks can be minimized by 1) appropriate use of cleaners and disinfectants; 2) appropriate maintenance of medical equipment (e.g., automated endoscope reprocessors or hydrotherapy equipment); 3) adherence to water-quality standards for hemodialysis, and to ventilation standards for specialized care environments (e.g., airborne infection isolation rooms, protective environments, or operating rooms); and 4) prompt management of water intrusion into the facility. Routine environmental sampling is not usually advised, except for water quality determinations in hemodialysis settings and other situations where sampling is directed by epidemiologic principles, and results can be applied directly to infection-control decisions. This report reviews previous guidelines and strategies for preventing environment-associated infections in health-care facilities and offers recommendations. These include 1) evidence-based recommendations supported by studies; 2) requirements of federal agencies (e.g., Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and U.S. Department of Justice); 3) guidelines and standards from building and equipment professional organizations (e.g., American Institute of Architects, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, and American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers); 4) recommendations derived from scientific theory or rationale; and 5) experienced opinions based upon infection-control and engineering practices. The report also suggests a series of performance measurements as a means to evaluate infection-control efforts.
Spatial and temporal variability of precipitation over the Mediterranean Basin based on 32‐year satellite Global Precipitation Climatology Project data. Part‐II: inter‐annual variability and trends

Monthly mean satellite data from the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCPv2) are used to examine the year‐by‐year variability of precipitation over the Mediterranean Basin and its changes over the period 1979–2010. The results show that the mean annual precipitation averaged over the study area has slightly increased from 1979 to 2010 by 1.28 mm or by 0.2% (trend not statistically significant at the 95% confidence level). Nevertheless, examining the trends at a local scale, spatial and temporal patterns are revealed, with opposite trends in adjacent areas and increasing precipitation in summer and autumn against almost unchanged or decreasing precipitation in winter and spring, respectively. Inter‐decadal changes of precipitation are detected, with precipitation decreasing in the 1980s, then increasing through the late 1990s and finally declining in the 2000s before levelling off since 2007. These changes are significantly anti‐correlated (R = −0.57, up to −0.66 in winter) with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, thus confirming the critical role of this large‐scale teleconnection for the regional precipitation over the basin.
Afﬁnity Selection in Germinal Centers: Cautionary Tales and New Opportunities

: Our current quantitative knowledge of the kinetics of antibody-mediated immunity is partly based on idealized experiments throughout the last decades. However, new experimental techniques often render contradictory quantitative outcomes that shake previously uncontroversial assumptions. This has been the case in the field of T-cell receptors, where recent techniques for measuring the 2-dimensional rate constants of T-cell receptor–ligand interactions exposed results contradictory to those obtained with techniques measuring 3-dimensional interactions. Recently, we have developed a mathematical framework to rationalize those discrepancies, focusing on the proper fine-grained description of the underlying kinetic steps involved in the immune synapse. In this perspective article, we apply this approach to unveil potential blind spots in the case of B-cell receptors (BCR) and to rethink the interactions between B cells and follicular dendritic cells (FDC) during the germinal center (GC) reaction. Also, we elaborate on the concept of “catch bonds” and on the recent observations that B-cell synapses retract and pull antigen generating a “retracting force”, and propose some testable predictions that can lead to future research.
STRATEGI KERJA SAMA ANTAR PUSAT DAN DAERAH DALAM PEMBERDAYAAN MASYARAKAT KAWASAN TIMUR INDONESIA (KTI)

Penelitian dilakukan di lima propinsi KTI yaitu Kalimantan Barat, Kalimantan Selatan, Sulawesi Utara, Nusa Tenggara Barat, dan Papua. Tujuan penelitian adalah untuk mensinerjikan kebijakan, strategi, program dan kegiatan departemen/lembaga antar pusat dan daerah, serta mengoptimalkan sarana dan prasarana yang ada agar tercapai efisiensi dan efektivitas dalam rangka pemberdayaan masyarakat. Metode penelitian berbentuk survai, dengan jenis penelitian deskriptif dan verifikatif. Data terdiri dari data primer dan data sekunder. Sumber data primer adalah responden yang ditentukan secara purposive sampling. Pengumpulan data primer dilakukan melalui wawancara mendalam menggunakan kuisioner. Setiap propinsi diambil responden sebanyak 12 orang dari kalangan individu masyarakat dan 18 orang pimpinan/staf kelembagaan formal dan non formal. Data sekunder diperoleh dari laporan, hasil penelitian dan pustaka lain yang berkaitan dengan program pemberdayaan masyarakat. Analisis data yang dilakukan terdiri dari : (a) Analisis peran, (b) Analisis prosedur manajemen, (c) Analisis sistem, dan (d) Analisis SWOT. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa dalam rangka pemberdayaan masyarakat KTI, perlu strategi optimalisasi kerja sama pusat dan daerah melalui strategi pengembangan kelembagaan pemberdayaan masyarakat di daerah, strategi tahapan pemberdayaan masyarakat yang benar dan utuh, strategi perencanaan partisipatif program pemberdayaan masyarakat, strategi organisasi dan koordinasi program pemberdayaan masyarakat, strategi pengendalian program secara transparan dan menyeluruh, strategi monitoring dan evaluasi partisipatif. Kata kunci : Kerja sama, pusat dan daerah, pemberdayaan masyarakat, kawasan timur Indonesia
University of Birmingham When long-range zero-lag synchronization is feasible in cortical networks

Many studies have reported long-range synchronization of neuronal activity between brain areas, in particular in the beta and gamma bands with frequencies in the range of 14–30 and 40–80 Hz, respectively. Several studies have reported synchrony with zero phase lag, which is remarkable considering the synaptic and conduction delays inherent in the connections between distant brain areas. This result has led to many speculations about the possible functional role of zero-lag synchrony, such as for neuronal communication, attention, memory, and feature binding. However, recent studies using recordings of single-unit activity and local ﬁeld potentials report that neuronal synchronization may occur with non-zero phase lags.This raises the questions whether zero-lag synchrony can occur in the brain and, if so, under which conditions. We used analytical methods and computer simulations to investigate which connectivity between neuronal populations allows or prohibits zero-lag synchrony. We did so for a model where two oscillators interact via a relay oscillator. Analytical results and computer simulations were obtained for both type I Mirollo–Strogatz neurons and type II Hodgkin–Huxley neurons. We have investigated the dynamics of the model for various types of synaptic coupling and importantly considered the potential impact of Spike-Timing Dependent Plasticity (STDP) and its learning window. We conﬁrm previous results that zero-lag synchrony can be achieved in this conﬁguration. This is much easier to achieve with Hodgkin–Huxley neurons, which have a biphasic phase response curve, than for type I neurons. STDP facilitates zero-lag synchrony as it adjusts the synaptic strengths such that zero-lag synchrony is feasible for a much larger range of parameters than without STDP.
TAXAS DE DECOMPOSIÇÃO DE RESÍDUOS DE ESPÉCIES DE COBERTURA EM LATOSSOLO VERMELHO DISTROFÉRRICO

The experiment was conducted at Embrapa Arroz e Feijao, Santo Antonio de Goias, Goias State, Brazil, on a dystrophic Oxisol under no-tillage system. The following species were used: Brachiaria, Brachiaria/corn consortium, pigeon pea, millet, guineagrass, sorghum, and Stylozanthes. The phytomass was cut, left on the soil and samples were collected, placed in nylon bags (litter bags), and periodically weighted to assess mass losses and decomposition rates, until 150 days after cutting. The relative losses of the residues, referred from the initial time to 150 days of decomposition, were in decreasing order: i) grasses – sorghum (80%) > guineagrass (64%) > millet (58%) > single Brachiaria (56%) and Brachiaria consortium (48%); and ii) leguminous – Stylozanthes (72%) > pigeon pea (65%). When the relative losses were projected to 360 days, the following order was found: i) grasses – sorghum and Brachiaria consortium (86%) > guineagrass (69%) > millet (65%) > single Brachiaria (62%); and ii) leguminous – Stylozanthes (83%) > pigeon pea (79%). KEY-WORDS: Tropical grasses; tropical leguminous; no-till; cerrados.
Proto-Aztecan Vowels and Pochutec: An Alternative Analysis

Pochutec, the quite divergent dialect of Nahuatl (Aztec) which Boas (1913; 1917) described from his work in Pochutla, Oaxaca, but which is now extinct, has caused much discussion regarding both how Proto-Aztecan should be reconstructed and what the subgrouping of the dialects should be. Campbell and Langacker in 1978 published hypotheses concerning the implications that the correspondences of the Pochutec vowels with other Nahuatl dialects have for both these questions. I wish to point out why I think that their analysis is incorrect on certain points. The basis for my position comes from the reconstruction of Proto-Aztecan morphology. Campbell and Langacker (1978) argue that a fifth vowel *i must be reconstructed for Proto-Aztecan on the basis of the Pochutec correspondences with the Classical, Tetelcingo, Zacapoaxtla, and Pipil dialects. Their correspondence sets and the reconstructed vowels they set up for them are shown in table 1. I basically agree with Campbell and Langacker on all their reconstructions except that of *i for the o/i correspondences. They state: ". is it [the o/i set] really distinct from the previous set or can both be derived from *i(i)? The answer hinges on whether or not we can find reasonable conditioning environments that determine when *i(i) is reflected in Po as i and when it is reflected as o" (Campbell and Langacker 1978:89). After discussion of various possibilities, they conclude that Po i corresponds to both *i and *ii, but that the o/i set reflects a different vowel: "The answer to the first question is that no plausible conditioning factor(s) can be isolated, hence Proto-Aztecan vowels distinct from *i(i) must be reconstructed to represent the fourth set with Po o" (1978:90).
PEDIATRIC AND CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE Original Studies Transcatheter Closure of Perimembranous Ventricular Septal Defects Using the Amplatzer Membranous VSD Occluder: Immediate and Midterm Results of an International Registry

Objective: To report the immediate and midterm results of transcatheter closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defect (PmVSD) using the Amplatzer membranous VSD occluder (AMVSD). Methods: Between April 2002 and August 2004, 100 patients underwent an attempt of percutaneous device closure of PmVSD using the AMVSD in 24 international centers. The median age was 9.0 years (0.7–58 years) and the median weight was 27.5 kg (7–121 kg). Results: A device was successfully deployed in 93/100 (93%) patients. Reasons for procedural failure were an increased gradient across the left ventricle outflow tract in one patient, aortic regurgitation in 2 patients, and inability to securely position the device in 4 patients. The median VSD size by TEE was 7.0 mm (1.5–13 mm), median device size 10 mm (4–16 mm) and median fluoroscopy time 22.1 min (8.9–96.0 min). Weight below 10 kg (P = 0.0392), inlet extension of the VSD (P = 0.0139) and aortic cusp prolapse into the VSD (P = 0.0084) were significantly associated with a lower procedural success. Patients have been followed up for a median of 182 days (1–763 days). There were no procedure-related deaths. Complications were encountered in 29/100 (29%) patients, including rhythm or conduction anomalies in 13 patients (two with complete heart block requiring permanent pacemaker implantation), new or increased aortic (9 patients) or tricuspid (9 patients) regurgitation, most of which were classified as trivial or mild. Patients with a weight below 10 kg had a significantly higher incidence of adverse events than patients with a weight above 10 kg (58.3% versus 25.0%, P = 0.0285). Immediately after device release complete closure of the defect was present in 54/93 (58.1%) patients, increasing to 46/55 (83.6%) patients at 6-months follow-up (P = 0.0012). Left ventricle end-diastolic diameter decreased from a median of 44 mm prior to device closure to a median of 39 mm at 6-months postprocedure (P = 0.0015). Conclusion: Closure of PmVSDs using the AMVSD occluder is safe and effective. However, longer follow-up period is warranted prior to the wide spread use of this device. ' 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.