Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Elucidating the Macro- and Micro-evolutionary Relationships of the Federally Listed Endangered Species Agalinis acuta (Orobanchaceae)

Title of Document: ELUCIDATING THE MACROAND MICROEVOLUTIONARY RELATIONSHIPS OF THE FEDERALLY LISTED ENDANGERED SPECIES AGALINIS ACUTA (OROBANCHACEAE). James Beaton Pettengill, Ph.D. 2010 Directed By: Associate Professor, Dr. Maile C. Neel, Department of Plant Sciences and Landscape Architecture and Department of Entomology Agalinis acuta (Orobanchaceae) is a federally listed endangered plant species native to the mid-Atlantic and northeastern coastal plains of the United States. Due to morphological ambiguity and molecular similarity between A. acuta and Agalinis tenella and Agalinis decemloba a conservation priority is to determine whether A. acuta represents an evolutionarily distinct entity worthy of protection under the Endangered Species Act. To resolve this question, a phylogenetic study was first conducted based on seven chloroplast DNA loci and the nuclear DNA locus ITS from 79 individuals representing 29 Agalinis species. A study evaluating the utility of those cpDNA loci and three analytical techniques for the purpose of DNA barcoding was also conducted. The phylogenetic study indicated that A. acuta was perhaps evolutionarily indistinct from A. decemloba and A. tenella. Based on the results of subsequent analyses of 21 microsatellite loci and morphological data evaluated under myriad species concepts, A. acuta, A. decemloba, and A. tenella best represent a single species with two subspecies; the former two putative species would constitute a subspecies called A. decemloba ssp. decemloba and A. tenella would be A. decemloba ssp. tenella. With evolutionary distinct entities described, a phylogeographic study was conducted to determine the extent to which historical processes rather than contemporaneous events can explain extant patterns of genetic and phenotypic diversity within A. decemloba. The dispersal of a few individuals out of southern refugial populations likely represents the process through which northern populations were established; however, recent anthropogenic effects that disproportionately affected northern populations may have also contributed to extant patterns of diversity. Neutral or adaptive explanations for phenotypic variation among populations are also investigated. The conservation implications of population genetic analyses were assessed for members of A. decemloba ssp. decemloba. Despite the evidence that this taxon is selfcompatible, the high levels of inbreeding and low levels of heterozygosity are of such a magnitude in certain populations that genetic factors may be negatively impacting fitness. Because of the small effective population sizes and degree of isolation, all populations should be managed to reduce the risk of extinction associated with demographic and environmental stochasticity. ELUCIDATING THE MACROAND MICRO-EVOLUTIONARY RELATIONSHIPS OF THE FEDERALLY LISTED ENDANGERED SPECIES AGALINIS ACUTA (OROBANCHACEAE)
The Willingness of Residents in Obstetrics and Gynecology to Provide Legal Abortion Services According to their Opinion on how Liberalization of the Abortion Law would affect Abortion Rates

One of the main obstacles to obtaining access to legal abortion is the unwillingness of physicians, particularly obstetricians and gynecologists, to provide such services [46]. If we want to facilitate access to safe legal abortion care, we should find ways of improving physicians’ attitudes by ensuring that they understand that it is our ethical duty to provide legal abortion to every woman requesting termination who complies with the conditions imposed by the law. One factor possibly associated with reluctance to provide care is the concept that facilitating access to legal abortion contributes towards increasing the abortion rate. As most people would prefer to see a decrease rather than an increase in the number of abortions, that concept may lead to unwillingness to provide care.
Effects of pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with mild-to-moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Bottom of an iceberg.

Objectives This study aims to compare the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in patients with mild-to-moderate and severe-to-very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Patients and methods Between January 2005 and December 2010, a total of 76 patients with mild-to-moderate (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease [GOLD] Stages I+II, n=33, mean age 66.0±8.6 years) and severe-to-very severe (GOLD Stages III+IV, n=43, mean age 63.5±8.8 years) COPD completed an eight-week outpatient PR program. Incremental and endurance shuttle walk tests (ISWT, ESWT), St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were assessed before and after PR. Changes after the intervention were compared between two groups. Results There were significant improvements in the ISWT and median 60 m [(-150)-(400)] in mild-to-moderate group and 70 m [(0)-(270)] in severe-to-very severe group (both, p<0.001). The ESWT time improved in both groups, 122s [(-279)-(665)] (p=0.002) and 61s [(-180)- (878)] (p<0.001), respectively. Significant effects were observed in all domains of the SGRQ except the impact score in mild-to-moderate patients. There were significant improvements in all domains except the symptoms score in severe-to-very severe patients. Using the CRQ, a significant improvement was shown in all domains of CRQ except the dyspnea score of mild-to-moderate patients. Anxiety and depression scores decreased after PR in both groups (p<0.05). According to changes in outcomes, there was no difference in any parameters between two groups. Conclusion This study demonstrates that patients with mild-to-moderate COPD benefit from PR comparably to patients with severe-to- very-severe COPD. Although patients with mild-to-moderate COPD are not usually symptomatic, our findings suggest that they should be included in PR.
Proof complexity of modal resolution systems

In this thesis we initiate the study of the proof complexity of modal resolution systems. To our knowledge there is no previous work on the proof complexity of such systems. This is in sharp contrast to the situation for propositional logic where resolution is the most studied proof system, in part due to its close links with satisfiability solving. We focus primarily on the proof complexity of two recently proposed modal resolution systems of Nalon, Hustadt and Dixon, one of which forms the basis of an existing modal theorem prover. We begin by showing that not only are these two proof systems equivalent in terms of their proof complexity, they are also equivalent to a number of natural refinements. We further compare the proof complexity of these systems with an older, more complicated modal resolution system of Enjalbert and Farinas del Cerro, showing that this older system p-simulates the more streamlined calculi. We then investigate lower bound techniques for modal resolution. Here we see that whilst some propositional lower bound techniques (i.e. feasible interpolation) can be lifted to the modal setting with only minor modifications, other propositional techniques (i.e. size-width) fail completely. We further develop a new lower bound technique for modal resolution using Prover-Delayer games. This technique can be used to establish "genuine" modal lower bounds (i.e lower bounds on the number of modal inferences) for the size of tree-like modal resolution proofs. We apply this technique to a new family of modal formulas, called the modal pigeonhole principle to demonstrate that these formulas require exponential size modal resolution proofs. Finally we compare the proof complexity of tree-like modal resolution systems with that of modal Frege systems, using our modal pigeonhole principle to obtain a "genuinely" modal separation between them.
Quality of life after cataract surgery – subjective assessment of patients

Abstract Aim. The aim of the study was to assess the subjective quality of life of patients after cataract surgery. Material and methods. The study included 101 patients of the Non-Public Health Care Center “VISUS” in Bychawa - One Day Surgery Department after a cataract surgery. They were women and men aged 26 to 92 years. About 86% of respondents were also diagnosed with other comorbidities. For the purpose of the study, a tool was constructed based on the WHOQOL-Bref questionnaire in the Polish adaptation, correlated with the personal questionnaire. Results. The analysis of the studies showed that over 52% of the patients after cataract surgery considered the overall assessment of their quality of life as good. Among them, 39% were satisfied with their health. The worst assessed was the psychological field, preferably social and environmental. Women rated their quality of life and health slightly better. There is a strong correlation between the decline in quality of life with age and the number of comorbidities. Conclusions. The quality of life decreases with age. Most of the patients who have undergone cataract surgery are satisfied with the quality of life. Cataract surgery improves the quality of life of patients.
The ontogeny, palaeobiology and systematic palaeontology of some lower liassic Belemnitida

The Belemnite Marls of the Dorset coast constitute the jamesoni and ibex Zones of that area. This study is essentially a revision of the total belemnite fauna of these beds, with a preliminary appraisal of the belemnites from the overlying basal Green Ammonite Beds (davoei Zone). Twelve morphospecies are described which are defined by their rostral ontogeny and other morphometric data. Probable sexual dimorphism into relatively stout and slender rostra is demonstrated for Four species (Belemnites longissimus Miller, B. charmouthensis Mayer, B. imus (Lang) and B. cricki (Lissajous)). It is recognised that, at different localities and horizons, single species may be represented by assemblages that vary with respect to age and sex of individuals, and it is concluded that such belemnite assemblages are at least partly due to local population structures analagous to those that are found in modern cephalopods. Early ontogeny, rostral form and function, epirostra and surface ornamentation are briefly discussed with reference to the species described.
Relationships between the hydrodynamics and changes in copepod structure on the Algerian coast.

We investigated the role of the Algerian Current on the structure of the copepod community during June 1990 that covered an area between 1°E and 5°E. In this area, 2 oligotrophic systems of different origins (one related to the Atlantic flow, and the other related to typical Mediterranean waters) and a frontal system were identified. Environmental differences among the 3 zones were related to changes in sea surface salinity, density, and phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll (Chl)-a concentrations). Three main copepod assemblages were revealed to be distributed along well-defined environmental gradients characterized by the distribution of physical variables and Chl-a. The 1st group was located in the frontal zone where the highest Chl-a concentration was observed at the subsurface (＞1.5mg/m^3). This assemblage showed an important increase of herbivorous species (Paracalanus parvus, Clausocalanus arcuicornis, C. furcatus, Mesocalanus tenuicornis, and Eucalanus elongatus) which were numerically 4 times more abundant (＞90%) than in modified Atlantic water (MAW) and offshore surface Mediterranean water (SMW) systems (＜30% and 35%, respectively). The 2nd group occupied the inshore MAW system, and was characterized by a typical neritic fauna (Acartia clausi, Euterpina acutifrons, Oithona nana, and Temora stylifera). The 3rd group was composed of several species (Scolecithricella dentata, S. vittata, Oncaea media, Oncaea sp., Microstella rosea, Oithona helgolandica, Corycaeus ovalis, C. brehmi, Corycaeus sp., Spinocalanus longicornis, Scolecithrix danae, and Clausocalanus spp.) and was related to the largest region among the sampled stations. In the deeper layer (200-500m), 3 groups of copepods showing different distribution patterns were identified using a principal components analysis. No significant relationship between the pattern of each group and the measured environmental variables was identified in this study. However the small number of studies of copepods in this area makes our contribution useful for further global biogeographical studies in the western Mediterranean Sea.
Mobile Phones Will Not Eliminate Digital and Social Divides: How Variation in Internet Activities Mediates the Relationship Between Type of Internet Access and Local Social Capital in Detroit

This study examines the relationship between mode of Internet access, variety of online activities, and the potential for the Internet to contribute to local social capital in distressed, urban communities. Based on a sample of 525 telephone surveys in Detroit, findings show that breadth of access predicts participation in a larger variety of online activities, which is associated with higher levels of local social capital. Neither public Internet access, home broadband, nor Internet access through a mobile phone data plan alone affords participation in a full range of social capital-enhancing activities. The findings highlight the potential problems of initiatives that assume equivalent social outcomes through nonequivalent modes of access, such as providing Internet access through mobile phones in place of home broadband. Efforts to enhance a city’s social infrastructure by providing Internet access are best served when individuals have multiple points of access available.
Recursive Projection-Aggregation Decoding of Reed-Muller Codes

We propose a new class of efficient decoding algorithms for Reed-Muller (RM) codes over binary-input memoryless channels. The algorithms are based on projecting the code on its cosets, recursively decoding the projected codes (which are lower-order RM codes), and aggregating the reconstructions (e.g., using majority votes). We further provide extensions of the algorithms using list-decoding. We run our algorithm for AWGN channels and Binary Symmetric Channels at the short code length (≤ 1024) regime for a wide range of code rates. Simulation results show that in both low code rate and high code rate regimes, the new algorithm outperforms the widely used decoder for polar codes (SCL+CRC) with the same parameters. The performance of the new algorithm for RM codes in those regimes is in fact close to that of the maximal likelihood decoder. Finally, the new decoder naturally allows for parallel implementations.
VIBRATION RESPONSE OF A FOOTBRIDGE DUE TO PEDESTRIANS' MOVEMENTS

Failure of footbridges in England and France due to excessive vibrations from marching soldiers in the nineteenth century resulted in many fatalities and injuries. The unexpected lateral vibrations of the Millennium Bridge over the Thames River in London was a watershed event as large number of research studies were conducted on this subject following this incidence. However, there are still a number of issues related to vibration serviceability of footbridges that require further studies. Among these are: the amplification of structural response when a group of pedestrians cross a footbridge as compared to a single individual (group effects). This is important as footbridge vibrations are usually computed when subjected to one pedestrian’s crossing and are magnified to estimate those generated by a group of people. Therefore, it is important to conduct vibration testing of footbridges to better define the group effects. This paper presents an experimental study of a footbridge susceptible to vibrations due to human movements. With the help of a group of volunteers, the group effects were computed as a function of the group size. It was found that the results were not completely consistent with those in the literature. Conclusions are made based on the results of the data analysis.
Optimal Training Design for MIMO Amplify-and-Forward Two-Way Relay Systems in the Presence of Interference

In this paper, we study the optimal training design for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) amplify-and-forward (AF) two-way relay systems in the presence of interference. In order to address the interference issue while accurately estimating the channels, we minimize the total transmit power consumed by two source nodes and a relay subject to the constraint on mean square error (MSE) of the channel estimation, which is a nonconvex problem. To solve this challenging problem, we first derive the optimal structure of the training signals, and then, we convert the original problem into a tractable convex form, from which the optimal training scheme is designed efficiently. We further consider a practical special case, for which the optimal training scheme is designed with a lower complexity and the useful insights into the optimal training design are obtained. Also, to reduce the computational complexity of the optimal training design, we propose an asymptotically optimal training scheme in the high signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) regime with a low complexity. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed schemes significantly outperform the existing schemes.
The design and analysis of real-world cryptographic protocols

Designing cryptographic protocols for use in the real world is a challenging task, requiring a fine balance between practicality and security. Ad hoc constructions are often catastrophically broken, and even well-studied protocols regularly do not stand up to the test of time. We look at some of the ways cryptographic protocols are designed and analysed, applying these techniques to a variety of real-word scenarios. Our first scenario considers password storage, introducing a new primitive called a verifiable, partially oblivious PRF. We analyse the suitability of this primitive to the application in question, provide formal security proofs, and evaluate an example instantiation. The second scenario introduces a new security model to better understand the domain of key rotation for authenticated encryption. This is an area highly relevant to modern practices of storing data encrypted in the cloud. By introducing this new security model, we show that existing solutions fall short of achieving any meaningful security properties, and suggest some simple fixes. Finally, we implement and prove a new construction which meets our strongest definition, and analyse its practicality. Finally, to contrast with the computational approach in previous chapters, we additionally consider symbolic approaches to security analysis, using the formal verification tool Tamarin to prove security properties of the latest draft of the TLS 1.3 specification. Our results show formal method complement other approaches nicely, and provide a new perspective.
Paracetamol, NSAIDS and opioid analgesics for chronic low back pain: a network meta-analysis

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To answer the clinical question: ‘what analgesic medicine shall I prescribe this patient with chronic low back pain to reduce their pain? ’. The objectives are to determine the analgesic effects, safety, effect on function, and relative rank according to analgesic effect, safety and effect on function of a single course of opioid analgesics, NSAIDs or paracetamol or combinations of these medicines.
The distribution and diversity of whales and dolphins (Cetacea) in the southern North Sea: 1970-2005

Between 1970 and 2005 sightings data of cetaceans in the southern North Sea were collected as part of the Marine Mammal Database of the Dutch Seabird Group. The data include incidental sightings and reports as well as results from systematic surveys and seawatching data. They are therefore difficult to correct for fluctuations in observer effort. The material was evaluated firstly to see which species occur in Dutch waters and, secondly, to see if any spatial and temporal trends in abundance can be observed. In this study the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) is excluded from the analysis, except in the discussion, where the results are put into context with data about strandings and overall abundance. The status of the 17 different species that have been recorded in the southern North Sea between 1970 and 2005 was evaluated based on the frequency of occurrence of sightings (dead and alive) in the last 36 years. Two species were listed as resident (harbour porpoise and whitebeaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris)), because they were abundant in 36 and 34 years respectively. The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), recorded in 23 years, was listed as a regular visitor or passage migrant. Ten species were qualified as irregular visitors (represented in 4-18 of the 36 years of study) and four as vagrants (recorded in <4 years). The frequency of sightings of cetaceans has generally increased between 1970 and 2005, but it is unclear how the increased popularity of cetaceans by the general public (i.e. more reports) has contributed to that trend. From effort-corrected data this trend seems genuine, but offshore surveys suggest more variable results.
An Investigation of the Prevalence and the Causes of Overweightness and Obesity Among Karkheh Dam Employees

Background: Obesity is one of the most important acquired and preventable risk factors for serious complications, such as fatty liver. Currently, due to sedentary nature of many jobs, shift working and improper diet, the risk of developing obesity among employees in occupational settings is a great concern. Periodic medical examination of employees is a major resource for taking preventive measures against the prevalence of work-related disorders. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the status of obesity and its predisposing occupational factors among employees of Karkheh dam and power plant and providing solutions to reduce the complications of obesity, such as blood lipids and fatty liver. Methods: In this study, demographic and anthropometric data along with the results from medical examination were extracted from the employees’ health records. Weight and height measurements were obtained using a weighbridge scale for determining body mass index (BMI). A frequency food questionnaire (FFQ) was used to measure the employees’ dietary intake. Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric tests were also employed to investigate the relationship between the indices. Results: The results showed that 71.8% of employees were overweight and obese. Furthermore, 25.60% were shift workers, and 34.60% had performed jobs involving static work. According to the LDL, triglyceride and cholesterol levels, 37.2%, 51.3%, and 39.8% of employees were respectively at risk of developing serious illnesses. Based on the Chi-square test, there was a significant correlation between the BMI and the employees’ job (static or dynamic) (P value < 0.05). Likewise, there was a significant correlation between the level of triglyceride and BMI (P value > 0.05). There was also a notable relationship between employees’ BMI and consumption of fast food, soft drinks, fat and oil, sugar, and pastries and cakes (P value > 0.05). Conclusions: It is evident that implementation of integrated programs, such as educational, motivational, and physical strategies along with promotion of healthy eating, will prevent BMI increase and incidence of fatty liver among employees.