Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing the links between pollinators and the genetic and epigenetic features of plant species with contrasting distribution ranges

In flowering plants, pollinators contribute to gene flow while they also respond to variation in plant traits together determined by genetic, epigenetic and environmental sources of variation. Consequently, a correlation between abundance and diversity of pollinators and the genetic and epigenetic characteristics of plant populations such as diversity or distinctiveness is to be expected, yet no study has explored such long-term dimensions of plant-pollinator interactions. Mediterranean narrow endemics often exhibit unexpectedly high levels of population (epi)genetic diversity. We hypothesize that pollinators may contribute to explain this pattern. Specifically, we expect a stronger association of pollinators with population (epi)genetic variability in narrow endemics than in widely distributed congeners. We studied five pairs of congeneric plant species, consisting of one narrow endemic with a restricted distribution and one widespread congener, found in the Sierra de Cazorla mountains (SE Spain). In up to three populations per species, a comprehensive characterisation of pollinators was carried out to estimate pollinator diversity and visitation rate. Genetic and epigenetic diversity and distinctiveness of each population was calculated using AFLP markers and methylation-sensitive AFLP markers (MSAP) respectively. The relationships with pollinator diversity and visitation rate were assessed. The diversity of pollinators did not vary according to the plant distribution range, whereas visitation rate was higher in widespread species. As predicted, only narrow endemics showed a significant association between pollinators and their population genetic and epigenetic characteristics. Specifically, higher pollinator diversity and visitation rates entailed higher population genetic diversity and lower epigenetic distinctiveness. This work shows the value of exploring the relationships between pollinator abundance and diversity and population (epi)genetics for understanding the evolution of plant rarity.
Sample-efficient strategies for learning in the presence of noise

In this paper, we prove various results about PAC learning in the presence of malicious noise. Our main interest is the sample size behavior of learning algorithms. We prove the first nontrivial sample complexity lower bound in this model by showing that order of ε/Δ<supscrpt>2</supscrpt> + <italic>d</italic>/Δ (up to logarithmic factors) examples are necessary for PAC learning any target class of {0,1}-valued functions of VC dimension <italic>d</italic>, where ε is the desired accuracy and &eegr; = ε/(1 + ε) - Δ the malicious noise rate (it is well known that any nontrivial target class cannot be PAC learned with accuracy ε and malicious noise rate &eegr; ≥ ε/(1 + ε), this irrespective to sample complexity). We also show that this result cannot be significantly improved in general by presenting efficient learning algorithms for the class of all subsets of <italic>d</italic> elements and the class of unions of at most <italic>d</italic> intervals on the real line. This is especialy interesting as we can also show that the popular minimum disagreement strategy needs samples of size <italic>d</italic> ε/Δ<supscrpt>2</supscrpt>, hence is not optimal with respect to sample size. We then discuss the use of randomized hypotheses. For these the bound ε/(1 + ε) on the noise rate is no longer true and is replaced by 2ε/(1 + 2ε). In fact, we present a generic algorithm using randomized hypotheses that can tolerate noise rates slightly larger than ε/(1 + ε) while using samples of size <italic>d</italic>/ε as in the noise-free case. Again one observes a quadratic powerlaw (in this case <italic>d</italic>ε/Δ<supscrpt>2</supscrpt>, Δ = 2ε/(1 + 2ε) - &eegr;) as Δ goes to zero. We show upper and lower bounds of this order.
Oligocene stratigraphy in the Sinjar Basin, northwestern Iraq

The distribution of the Oligocene succession (basinal and reef–back-reef deposits) in Iraq closely follows the pattern set in Middle to Late Eocene times. Reef–back-reef limestone has a linear outcrop across northern Iraq from northwest (the eastern part of the studied area) to southeast. In the Sinjar Basin, the Oligocene succession is unconformable on the Middle Eocene Jaddala Formation and unconformably to relative conformably underlies the Lower Miocene Anah or Ibrahim formations. Two surface sections on the Sinjar Anticline and one cored borehole in the Butmah Anticline formed the basis for our study. Biostratigraphic analysis indicated four planktonic and three benthonic foraminiferal biozones. The planktonic biozones are Pseudohastigerina micra and Globigerina ampliapertura Partial-Range zones, Globorotalia opima opima Total-Range Zone and Globigerina ciperonesis ciperoensis Partial-Range Zone; the three benthonic biozones are Nummulites fichteli-Nummulites intermedius Assemblage Zone, Borelis pygmaeus Total-Range Zone, and Praerhapydionina delicata-Austrotrillina howchini-Peneroplis evolutus Assemblage Zone. Three depositional sequences are present in the sections and borehole and comprise two third-order sedimentary cycles. The first consists of the Palani, Sheikh Alas and Shurau formations and the lower part of the Tarjil Formation deposited in upper-bathyal to intertidal environments; the second is the upper Tarjil Formation and Bajwan Formation. The Baba Formation (a barrier deposit) was not seen in the studied sections, but probably reflects lateral stacking development of the barrier to the west. The upper Tarjil Formation was deposited in upper-bathyal to middle-shelf environments whereas the Bajwan Formation consists of subtidal to tidal-flat deposits. Sequence-stratigraphic analysis, as calibrated by sedimentary facies and biostratigraphy, delineated the two third-order depositional cycles as the Oligocene First Cycle of Rupelian age and the Chattian Oligocene Second Cycle. This suggests that the studied Oligocene succession was deposited over a period of about 9 million years and shows good correlation of the northeastern Arabian Platform with other parts of the Platform and with European Oligocene sequences.
Performance Analysis of Non-Regenerative Massive-MIMO-NOMA Relay Systems for 5G

The non-regenerative massive multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) relay systems are introduced in this paper. The NOMA is invoked with a superposition coding technique at the transmitter and successive interference cancellation (SIC) technique at the receiver. In addition, a maximum mean square error-SIC receiver design is adopted. With the aid of deterministic equivalent and matrix analysis tools, a closed-form expression of the signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) is derived. To characterize the performance of the considered systems, closed-form expressions of the capacity and sum rate are further obtained based on the derived SINR expression. Insights from the derived analytical results demonstrate that the ratio between the transmitter antenna number and the relay number is a dominate factor of the system performance. Afterward, the correctness of the derived expressions are verified by the Monte Carlo simulations with numerical results. Simulation results also illustrate that: 1) the transmitter antenna, averaged power value, and user number display the positive correlations on the capacity and sum rate performances, whereas the relay number displays a negative correlation on the performance and 2) the combined massive-MIMO-NOMA scheme is capable of achieving higher capacity performance compared with the conventional MIMO-NOMA, relay-assisted NOMA, and massive-MIMO orthogonal multiple access (OMA) scheme.
Dispersal and Integration in Female Chimpanzees

Dispersal and Integration in Female Chimpanzees by Kara Kristina Walker Department of Evolutionary Anthropology Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Anne Pusey, Supervisor ___________________________ Brian Hare ___________________________ Susan Alberts ___________________________ Christine Drea An abstract of a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology in the Graduate School of Duke University 2015
Tension Analysis in Survivor Interviews: A Computational Approach

Tension is an emotional experience that can occur in different contexts. This phenomenon can originate from a conflict of interest or uneasiness during an interview. In some contexts, such experiences are associated with negative emotions such as fear or distress. People tend to adopt different hedging strategies in such situations to avoid criticism or evade questions. In this thesis, we analyze several survivor interview transcripts to determine different characteristics that play crucial roles during tension situation. We discuss key components of tension experiences and propose a natural language processing model which can effectively combine these components to identify tension points in text-based oral history interviews. We validate the efficacy of our model and its components with experimentation on some standard datasets. The model provides a framework that can be used in future research on tension phenomena in oral history interviews.
The Effect of Lexically-Based Language Teaching on Writing Proficiency among Junior EFL University Students in Iran

This study aimed to investigate the effect of Lexically-Based Language Teaching on writing proficiency among junior EFL university students in Iran. Two university classes, including sixty male and female students (N = 60), were selected and assigned equally to experimental and control groups using the convenient sampling procedure. At the onset of the study and to determine the homogeneity of the groups, the groups took the Key English Test. Before experimental intervention, a pretest, in the format of an essay writing task, was given to both groups. The results of the pretest indicated that the experimental and control groups were similar in terms of general writing proficiency, lexical resources subsection, and grammatical range and accuracy subsection. While the participants in the experimental group were taught based on practices and activities which underline the lexical approach to present essay writing, their counterparts in the control group were taught based on conventional techniques to perform the same writing task. At the end of the experiment, both groups took the posttest which was similar to the
Business continuity management and strategic planning : the case of Jordan

Business Continuity Management (BCM) is a process that focuses on counteracting organizational risk, disasters and crises. Placing Business Continuity Management in the context of Strategic Planning (SP) will help organizations to cope with a wide range of unexpected incidents before, during and after their occurrence. Subsequently, this will help to ensure the long-term survival of an organization. The aim of this research is to develop an understanding of the significance of placing BCM in the context of SP. This requires studying BCM, its significance, role and practice; Strategic Planning, its significance, purpose and potential vulnerability; the rationale for placing BCM in the context of SP; the factors that are likely to influence placing BCM in the context of SP including driving factors and obstacles; and managers’ views of BCM and the placing of BCM in the context of SP. This research was undertaken in the Jordanian context. Data was collected via interviewer-administered questionnaires which were conducted with general managers and other key managers from Jordanian organizations from the banking, insurance, industrial and services sectors. 110 questionnaires were collected. The questionnaires were followed by 10 semi-structured interviews in order to support the quantitative findings obtained by the questionnaires. The research findings revealed that 80.9% of the surveyed organizations in Jordan used BCM. Those organizations that used BCM differed to some extent in their practice of BCM. 51.8% of the surveyed organizations had BCM placed in the context of SP. SP was important for achieving organizational purposes including those related to BCM. The approach to BCM, which is adopted in Jordanian organizations, helped to place BCM in the context of SP. There were a number of factors that discouraged some Jordanian organizations from placing BCM in the context of SP. However, there were also a number of factors that encouraged some other Jordanian organizations to place BCM in the context of SP. Managers had positive views regarding BCM. They either agreed or strongly agreed that BCM can be integrated with SP; BCM would help their organizations to cope with various types of disasters and crises if it is integrated with SP; BCM was an integral part of their organizations’ approach to risk; and BCM was not an extra burden to their businesses.
Evaluation of tuff as a medium for a nuclear waste repository: interim status report on the properties of tuff

This report is the second in a series of summary briefings to the National Academy of Science`s (NAS) Committee on Radioactive Waste Management dealing with feasibility of disposal of heat-producing radioactive waste in silicic tuff. The interim status of studies of tuff properties determined on samples obtained from Yucca Mountain and Rainier Mesa (G-tunnel) located on the Nevada Test Site (NTS) are discussed. In particular, progress is described on resolving issues identified during the first briefing to the NAS which include behavior of water in tuff when heated, the effect of the presence or absence of water and joints on the thermal/physical properties of tuff and the detailed/complex sorptive properties of highly altered and unaltered tuff. Initial correlations of thermal/physical and sorptive properties with the highly variable porosity and mineralogy are described. Three in-situ, at-depth field experiments, one nearly completed and two just getting underway are described. In particular, the current status of mineralogy and petrology, geochemistry, thermal and mechanical, radiation effects and water behavior studies are described. The goals and initial results of a Mine Design Working Group are discussed. Regional factors such as seismicity, volcanism and hydrology are not discussed.
Can immigration solve the aging problem in Italy? Not really …

Immigration from the developing countries is beneficial for a rich, aging country. However, unless under extreme assumptions of very strong and temporary immigration of young guest workers (Gastarbeiter), its effects are modest and relatively short lived: after a while, immigrants too become older and retire; their fertility typically adapts rather quickly to the standards of the host country; and, in all cases, the share of foreigners increases very rapidly if immigrants must be a substitute for missing births. These intuitive considerations, here supported by the results of a set of simulations specifically tailored to the case of Italy, lead to the conclusion that immigration cannot counter aging, but only attenuate its extremes: structural adjustments, and fertility closer to replacement level, have no substitutes. Gustavo DE SANTIS, Full Professor of Demography, Department of Statistics "G. Parenti", University of Florence, Viale Morgagni, n. 59, 50134-Firenze, Italy. E-mail: desantis@ds.unifi. it .
Construction of optimal run order in design of experiments

Abstract It is sometimes favorable to conduct experiments in a systematic run order rather than the conventional random run order. In this article, we propose an algorithm to construct the optimal run order. The algorithm is very flexible: it is applicable to any design and works whenever the optimality criterion can be represented as distance between any two experimental runs. Specifically, the proposed method first formulates the run order problem into a graph, then makes use of the existing traveling salesman problem-solver to obtain the optimal run order. It can always reach the optimal result in an efficient manner. A special case where level change is used as the distance criterion is investigated thoroughly. The optimal run orders for popular two-level designs are obtained and tabulated for practical use. For higher- or mixed-level designs a generic table is not possible, although the proposed algorithm still works well for finding the optimal run order. Some supporting theoretical results are derived.
Is It Who You Are or What You Get? Comparing the Impacts of Loans and Grants for Microenterprise Development

We randomize 3,294 approved loan applicants who requested funds to start or grow a business into four groups. Applicants either receive (1) a subsidized loan, (2) an in-kind grant, (3) a cash grant, or (4) no support. We find that all three types of capital assistance lead to increases in business creation (averaging a 17.5 percentage point increase) and business profits (42% increase relative to control). In-kind grants perform best but, loans and cash grants provide flexibility that leads to an increase in wage earnings. Together the impact on total earned income is equal across the three treatments. On the other hand, there are large differences in income within a treatment group. Quantile regressions show that in all three treatments impacts are concentrated at the top of the distribution, with no impact at the bottom of the distribution. We provide evidence that individual heterogeneity is a larger determinant of impacts than is the form of capital support provided, showcasing that advances in targeting are at least as important as changing the design of financial products. Since the cost of providing a grant is 3-5 times greater than the cost of administering the subsidized loan, these results show that low-interest microcredit can be a cost effective solution to encouraging entrepreneurship and tackling the youth unemployment problems plaguing developing countries. JEL classification: D22, J23, J24, O12, C93.
PRELIMINARY STUDY ON DEPOSITING RATE OF QINGHAI LAKE AND ITS EVOLUTION OF PALEOCLIMATE

The Qinghai Lake is the biggest plateau brackish water lake in China. In 1981, the average water level is 3193.92 m, the maximum depth is 27 m, and the area is 4340 km~2. Several million years ago, the lake deposited continuously, which is profitable for the study of paleoclimate evolution since the Late Pleistocene. On the basis of previous studies, we
Competition dynamics in second language listening

1. Pseudo-homophony: Minimal pairs such as write, light sound the same (as true homophones, e.g. meet, meat) 2. Extended ambiguity: e.g. Distinguishing legislate from register at the 6th instead of the 1st phoneme 3. Spurious activation: Activation of embedded words which aren’t there, e.g. leg in regular L2 phonetic confusions and competition 1. Pseudo-homophony evidence: Pseudo-homophones cause repetition priming (e.g. write is recognized faster after light by Japanese listeners, kettle is recognized faster after cattle by Dutch listeners; Cutler & Otake, 2004).
Prognostic value of gender and primary tumor location in metastatic colon cancer

Sex might influence prognosis in patients affected by colorectal cancer. We retrospectively studied a cohort of patients affected by metastatic colon cancer (mCC) stratified by sex and primary tumor location. RAS mutational status was also included in the analysis. Overall, 616 patients met the eligibility criteria, 261 women and 355 men. Neither gender, nor RAS mutational status influenced overall survival (OS) in the entire population. As expected, patients with right-sided colon cancer (RCC) had a significant shorter OS compared to those with left-sided colon cancer (LCC) (21.3 vs 33.1 months, p= 0.002). When the analysis was performed stratifying for gender, RCC retained worse prognosis among men (OS 20.5 vs 33.9 months, p= 0.008), but not among women (p= 0.132). Similarly, the presence of RAS mutations had no prognostic effect in women, but was significantly associate with shorter survival in men (OS 29.5 vs 33.7 months, p= 0.046). In addition, when comparing clinical outcome of women or men according to sidedness and RAS mutational status, RCC was associated with dismal prognosis only in men with RAS mutated tumor (OS 17.2 vs 32.3 months, p= 0.008). Our study highlights the importance of gender in the outcome of patients with mCC.
Characteristics-based factor modeling via Reduced Rank Regression

We provide a framework for extracting characteristics-based factors via Reduced Rank Regression. This generalizes the Instrumented Principal Component Analysis by Kelly et al. (2019), the Projected Principal Component Analysis in Fan et al. (2016b), can accommodate cross-sectional and time-series dependencies, and recovers the closest lower-dimensional approximation to GLS factors discussed in Kozak and Nagel (2023). The asymptotic theory is derived and a bias in the IPCA inference is corrected. A sparse design is introduced to interpret the factors. Our findings confirm that accounting for cross-sectional dependence results in more efficient estimators leading to a better fit and a higher spanning. JEL-Classification: C23, G11, G12
Effects of fine sediment accumulation on egg-to-fry survival of cutthroat trout inhabiting a highly sedimented headwater stream

I investigated fry production of westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki lewisi) in Cache Creek, a highly sedimented headwater, and tested an equation relating gravel composition and emergence success in a natural environment. Emergence success was measured using redd capping and electrofishing methods, and results were compared to emergence success predicted by the equation. I measured redd substrate composition with freeze cores and sediment intrusion with intrusion buckets. Redds contained high fine sediment levels over time (mean % fines <0.85 mm = 17.4% and <6.35 mm = 34.3%) due to rapid sediment intrusion (>75% of total intrusion occurred within 1 week of bucket installation). The mean fredle index at redds confirmed by a digging female (Fi = 2.1) was significantly higher (P = 0.006) than at unconfirmed redd sites identified by multiple fish over gravel substrate, or by characteristic pit-tailspill morphology (Fi = 1.1). Redd substrate composition by reach was significantly, positively correlated with mean intrusion for fines <0.85 mm (r^2 = 0.70, P= 0.075). Dissolved oxygen in redds was highly variable though generally low overall (range = 4.0-8.8 mg/L, mean = 7.1 mg/L). Emergence success from capped redds indicated high variability (range 0-41%) though total observed fry production was low during both years (1.5% in 1994, and 5.4% in 1995). Predicted emergence success was also low (12.5%), but higher than observed. The discrepancy may be due to other sources of reduced spawning success in addition to high fine sediment. These additional sources include 1) culverts acting as barriers to upstream migration, 2) direct trampling of spawning areas by livestock, 3) redd dewatering, 4) shallow spawning gravels, and 5) elevated intragravel temperatures. A diversity of redd sites can promote recruitment stability due to high fry survival at a few redds with adequate substrate quality. However, the data presented here suggest that this compensatory mechanism may be overwhelmed in Cache Creek when there is a low number of redds constructed, and when there ape other sources of fry mortality in addition to fine sediment intrusion. Effects of Fine Sediment Accumulation on Egg-to-Fry Survival of Cutthroat Trout Inhabiting a Highly Sedimented Headwater Stream