Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Localizing Q&A Semantic Parsers for Any Language in a Day

We propose Semantic Parser Localizer (SPL), a toolkit that leverages Neural Machine Translation (NMT) systems to localize a semantic parser for a new language. Our methodology is to (1) generate training data automatically in the target language by augmenting machine-translated datasets with local entities scraped from public websites, (2) add a few-shot boost of human-translated sentences and train a novel XLMR-LSTM semantic parser, and (3) test the model on natural utterances curated using human translators. We assess the effectiveness of our approach by extending the current capabilities of Schema2QA, a system for English Question Answering (QA) on the open web, to 10 new languages for the restaurants and hotels domains. Our models achieve an overall test accuracy ranging between 61% and 69% for the hotels domain and between 64% and 78% for restaurants domain, which compares favorably to 69% and 80% obtained for English parser trained on gold English data and a few examples from validation set. We show our approach outperforms the previous state-of-the-art methodology by more than 30% for hotels and 40% for restaurants with localized ontologies for the subset of languages tested. Our methodology enables any software developer to add a new language capability to a QA system for a new domain, leveraging machine translation, in less than 24 hours.
Spatial and temporal changes in the fish assemblage of a subtropical estuary in Brazil: environmental effects

This work provides information about the fish assemblage structure along the estuarine gradient of Baía da Babitonga, south Brazil. The seasonal and spatial dynamics of fish and their relationship with physical–chemical variables were investigated. A total of 70,085 fish of 70 taxa were collected. Late larva and early juveniles of Engraulidae, Eucinostomus spp. and Mugil spp. dominated in abundance, representing 62% of all fish captured. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance identified distinct fish assemblages within the bay and during the year. The marine straggler species Harengula clupeola, Oligoplites saliens and Trachinotus carolinus and the estuarine migrant Anchoa tricolor were characteristic of the outer-most bay area, while the estuarine resident and migrant species Atherinella brasiliensis, Anchoa januaria, Sphoeroides greeleyi and Citharichthys spilopterus, and the marine migrant Diapterus rhombeus were characteristic of the inner portion of the estuary. The seasonal changes in community structure observed were mainly related to the greater abundance of T. carolinus in the warm/wet season, Micropogonias furnieri in the transition season and Oligoplites saliens in the cold/dry season. Depth, followed by salinity, explained the greater part of the variability in the abundance of dominant species and was found to be important in shaping the assemblages. Nevertheless, the amount of variation unexplained by the measured abiotic variables was relatively high (73%), suggesting the effect of additional regulatory factors. Many fish species use the shallow waters of the bay in transitory or permanent ways, and knowledge about their relationship with the environment is necessary for the success of conservation strategies for this ecosystem.
E-theory for C-categories

E-theory was originally defined concretely by Connes and Higson [CH] and further work followed this construction. We generalise the definition to C∗-categories. C∗-categories were formulated to give a theory of operator algebras in a categorical picture and play important role in the study of mathematical physics. In this context, they are analogous to C∗-algebras and so have invariants defined coming from C∗-algebra theory but they do not yet have a definition of E-theory. Here we define E-theory for both complex and real graded C∗-categories and prove it has similar properties to E-theory for C∗-algebras.
Original paper Effect of Vegetable Milk on Survival of Probiotics in Fermented Ice Cream under Gastrointestinal Conditions

The effect of the type of milk on in vitro gastrointestinal survival of probiotics (Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12 and Lactobacillus acidophilus La-05) and organoleptic properties of ice creams were evaluated using ice creams made with cow, soy, coconut, and composite (cow or coconut with soy) milks. Soy milk was found to significantly improve the acid and bile tolerance of the probiotics but it decreased the total acceptability of ice cream. The probiotics in ice creams containing composite milk with cow’s milk had higher total acceptability and were more protected against gastrointestinal conditions than ice creams containing coconut milk and also they have than others containing coconut milk. The survival of Bb-12 was also better than La-05 in these conditions. In general, the presence of soy milk in ice creams resulted in a substantial improvement in probiotic tolerance to gastrointestinal conditions.
Comparative Analysis of Fertile Egg Quality Traits in Exotic, two Nigerian Ecotype Chickens and their Crosses

The study evaluated the effect of Strains on External and Internal quality traits of egg produced by Exotic breed (Sussex), two Nigerian chicken breeds (naked neck (NK) and Normal feathered (NM)) and their crosses (Sussex x naked neck (SNK) and Sussex x normal feathered (SNM) in a battery cage system and designed in a Completely Randomized Design. Total population of 100 matured birds (36 hens per Nigerian ecotype and 25 hens of exotic breed with one cock per ecotype and breed). Thirty freshly laid egg per day per strain were cracked for External and internal parameters: - egg weight (EW), egg length (EL), egg width (ED), shell weight (SW), egg shell index (ESI), shell ratio (SR), yolk height (YH), yolk index (YI), albumen weight (AW), albumen ratio (AR), albumen height (AH) yolk ratio (YR) and Haugh unit (HU) for the 10 weeks study. Data collected were subjected to one-way Analysis of Variance. Results obtained indicated a significant (P<0.05) effect of strains on most internal and external egg parameters in this study. The crossbred and pure indigenous chickens had means statistically (P < 0.05) lower for all the traits than that of pure Sussex except for SI, YH, YI, AR, YW and AR. The ranges for the traits are EW (42.30-55.55), SR (9.98-12.4), ED (34.40-42.29), EL (47.73-56.60), ESI (72.07-78.79), SW (4.34-6.90), AW (23.30-30.65) and AH (3.62-6.50). Eggs of Crossbreds had higher values than eggs of pure indigenous strains in all the external egg parameters exception of EW. Hence, crossbreeding should be adopted for the improvement of egg quality traits. Key words: Exotic chicken breed; Indigenous chickens; Crossbred chickens; Egg traits
Growth indices, nutrient uptake and productivity of wheat + chickpea as influenced by soil moisture regimes and sources of nutrients

A field experiment was conducted during 2012–13 and 2013–14 to study the effect of different soil moisture regimes and sources of nutrients on growth indices i.e. plant height, dry matter accumulation, absolute growth rate (AGR), crop growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR) and nutrient uptake of wheat + chickpea intercropping system on a silty clay loam soil of Palampur. Results of the study showed that irrigated condition increased the growth indices and nutrient uptake of wheat and chickpea over rainfed condition. Integrated nutrient management (INM) recorded the highest growth indices and nutrient uptake of wheat. However, in chickpea, organic nutrient management being statistically at par with INM resulted in higher growth indices and nutrient uptake. The best agronomic practices for higher productivity of wheat + chickpea intercropping system were irrigated condition and INM.
Yeast Potential for the Biological Control of Colletotrichum musae

One of the factors that cause the greatest loss of fruit in post-harvest are diseases, especially rotting such as anthracnose. Therefore, this work aimed to test the potential of the yeasts Candida albicans, Pichia guilliermondii, Rhodotorula glutinis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Cryptococcus laurentii and Zygoascus hellenicus in the control of Colletotrichum musae in bananas in post-harvest period. To test the potential of these yeasts, the effect of volatile and non-volatile compounds, culture pairing and spore germination of the fungus C. musae in vitro was evaluated. In post-harvest fruits, the area below the mycelial growth curve (AACCM) and the area below the disease progress curve (AACPD) were evaluated. The yeasts C. albicans, R. glutinis, S. cerevisiae and P. guilliermondii produced volatile compounds with antifungal action, reducing the development of the fungus in vitro. The yeast R. glutinis was shown to be more efficient in reducing mycelial growth in vitro of the fungus through the production of non-volatile compounds. The yeasts C. albicans and P. guilliermondii showed the presence of an inhibition halo. All yeasts induced the germination of C. musae conidia and were not efficient in controlling anthracnose in vivo.
Liquidity risk and positive feedback

This paper reviews some of the literature on market liquidity and feedback trading in the context of a simple multi-asset rational expectations general equilibrium model. The determinants of market liquidity and feedback trading are discussed, and the effect of feedback trading on price volatility and on market liquidity is examined in the context of the model. * The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or the Euro-currency Standing Committee. Address correspondence to Matt Pritsker, The Federal Reserve Board, Mail Stop 91, Washington, DC 20551.
Political Economy of Fiscal Decentralization and Poverty in Pakistan: An Empirical Analysis

ARTICLE DETAILS ABSTRACT History: Accepted 29 April 2020 Available Online 15 June 2020 Theoretically the decentralization in any form may put very promising impact on the economy and the welfare of community. The current study examines the impact of fiscal decentralization on poverty in Pakistan. The fiscal decentralization is captured by two indicators, i.e. revenue decentralization and expenditure decentralization and political economy by government stability. The findings reveal that expenditure decentralization has positive while revenue decentralization has negative impact on poverty. The government stability as a proxy of political economy has shown negative impact on poverty. The study provides the evidence that fiscal decentralization has neutral effect on poverty in Pakistan. The policy framework of fiscal decentralization needs specific modifications to attain the desired impact. However, the political economy may be further strengthened.
Growth and aquaculture potential of Tilapia jipe, Oreochromis jipe and Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

Aquaculture growth needs to be accelerated in order to bridge the gap in fish demand occasioned by the dwindling stocks in the inland fisheries in Kenya. The 84 days experiment was conducted to compare the growth performance of Jipe tilapia and Nile tilapia, using 180 fingerlings of each species stocked in 9m2 wooden backyard ponds. Feeding was administered daily between 11.00hr and 15.00hr using floating pellets (30% CP) at 10% body weight. Total length and body weight were measured biweekly using measuring board (readability=0.01cm) and electronic balance (readability= 0.001g) respectively, while the survivals were counted during each sampling. All statistical analyses were performed using R software and observed differences considered statistically significant at p
Evaluating permafrost physics in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6) models and their sensitivity to climate change

Abstract. Permafrost is a ubiquitous phenomenon in the Arctic. Its future evolution is likely to control changes in northern high-latitude hydrology and biogeochemistry. Here we evaluate the permafrost dynamics in the global models participating in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (present generation – CMIP6; previous generation – CMIP5) along with the sensitivity of permafrost to climate change. Whilst the northern high-latitude air temperatures are relatively well simulated by the climate models, they do introduce a bias into any subsequent model estimate of permafrost. Therefore evaluation metrics are defined in relation to the air temperature. This paper shows that the climate, snow and permafrost physics of the CMIP6 multi-model ensemble is very similar to that of the CMIP5 multi-model ensemble. The main differences are that a small number of models have demonstrably better snow insulation in CMIP6 than in CMIP5 and a small number have a deeper soil profile. These changes lead to a small overall improvement in the representation of the permafrost extent. There is little improvement in the simulation of maximum summer thaw depth between CMIP5 and CMIP6. We suggest that more models should include a better-resolved and deeper soil profile as a first step towards addressing this. We use the annual mean thawed volume of the top 2 m of the soil defined from the model soil profiles for the permafrost region to quantify changes in permafrost dynamics. The CMIP6 models project that the annual mean frozen volume in the top 2 m of the soil could decrease by 10 % –40 % ∘ C - 1 of global mean surface air temperature increase.
Artificial Intelligence, Income Distribution and Economic Growth

The economic impact of Articial Intelligence (AI) is studied using a (semi) endogenous growth model with two novel features. First, the task approach from labor economics is reformulated and integrated into a growth model. Second, the standard representative household assumption is rejected, so that aggregate demand restrictions can be introduced. With these novel features it is shown that (i) AI automation can decrease the share of labor income no matter the size of the elasticity of substitution between AI and labor, and (ii) when this elasticity is high, AI will unambiguously reduce aggregate demand and slow down GDP growth, even in the face of the positive technology shock that AI entails. If the elasticity of substitution is low, then GDP, productivity and wage growth may however still slow down, because the economy will then fail to benefit from the supply-side driven capacity expansion potential that AI can deliver. The model can thus explain why advanced countries tend to experience, despite much AI hype, the simultaneous existence of rather high employment with stagnating wages, productivity, and GDP.
Comfort in Floating: Taking Stock of Twenty Years of Freely-Floating Exchange Rate in Chile

Chile offers an example of a country that has overcome the fear of floating by reducing balance sheet mismatches, enhancing financial market development, as well as improving monetary, fiscal, and political institutions, and strengthening policy credibility. Under the floating regime, Chile’s economic adjustment to external shocks appears significantly improved, and its exchange rate pass-through has substantially declined. Our results reinforce the case that moving to a clear and credible floating regime can be associated with a reduction in the fear of floating via economic transformation (like smaller balance sheet mismatches, a larger hedging market, and a lower exchange rate pass-through).
Taste Preferences, Color Preferences, and Flower Choice in Hummingbirds

Taste and color preferences have been experimentally demonstrated for a variety of birds, and the literature on food habits of wild birds is enormous, but as yet there is little to tie the two together. Laboratory experiments have usually involved taste stimuli that are probably irrelevant to birds in the wild; and the taste stimuli presented by insects, seeds, fruit, etc. are complex and difficult to duplicate for experimental purposes. The same is true to a considerable extent of color: the mostly granivorous species studied so far probably never experience bright, monochromatic colors in connection with feeding. Moreover, caloric parameters of birds’ foods are often difficult to measure or estimate but will almost certainly affect food selection, making taste and color preferences harder to assess. Hummingbirds are ideal subjects in studies of taste and color preferences. Their main foods are nectar and insects; flowers are visited almost exclusively for nectar, insects being captured elsewhere. Flower nectar is essentially an aqueous solution of 3 common sugars (Percival 1961, see also beyond). It can be easily sampled and its concentration, caloric value, and composition measured. The taste stimuli can be readily duplicated and manipulated experimentally. Assimilation of flower nectar is essentially 100% (Hainsworth 1974) making caloric parameters easy to estimate. Flowers visited by hummingbirds are usually brightly colored and fairly unpatterned, also favoring experimentation. The long controversy over the existence of color preferences in hummingbirds was reviewed by Grant and Grant ( 1968). The roles of color and taste factors have been greatly clarified by the feeding station experiments of Collias and Collias (1968); similar experiments by Miller and Miller (1971) further elucidated the role of position. These studies suggest a hierarchy of factors influencing feeder choice: sugar concentration and/or taste over position over color. As yet this hierarchy has not been subjected to experimental verification, or applied in detail to flower choice in the field. This paper presents laboratory experiments on taste and color preferences of the Anna Hummingbird (Calypte anna) and several other species. I also present the results of extensive field observations on flower choice by hummingbirds, and consider the taste and color stimuli presented by those flowers visited by hummingbirds. Hopefully, comparing the results of field and laboratory studies will permit a more realistic evaluation of the role of taste and color preferences in food choice by hummingbirds, and a better understanding of the coevolution of hummingbirds and the flowers they pollinate.
Investigating the influence of environmental heterogeneity on plant species richness pattern of the Eastern Himalaya

Species richness pattern is poorly understood at local scales. Here we analyse impacts of physiography, climate, and edaphic factors on species richness pattern of the Eastern Himalaya using 376 spatial location points, collected through scientifically designed national level sampling assessment. We fitted nonlinear predictive model technique for 1470 species and selected eight least correlated predictors through multicollinearity and principal component analysis tests. Independently, physiography was poorly associated with species richness than edaphic and climatic factors. Climate explained the maximum deviance of 48 % with a dominant contribution from aridity and precipitation of the driest quarter. However, the cumulative effects of potential evaporation and temperature seasonality expressed significantly with interactions. The water stress due to dryness and low precipitation play determining role species richness pattern and long-term fluctuations in temperature increase their vulnerability to climate change. The warmer south is less likely to be affected by these changes than the north experiencing climatic extremes describing its environmental stability. The collective effect of all variables and their interactions explained the maximum deviance of 58 %; and described climate’s synergy with physiography and soil in shaping species richness pattern. The study would support for conservation prioritisation of the region.
Cataclysmic Geomagnetic Field Collapse: Global Security Concerns

In 2015, Tyler J. Williams authored “Cataclysmic Polarity Shift: Is U. S. National Security Prepared for the Next Geomagnetic Pole Reversal? ” That document provides an extremely cogent and thorough description of some of the risks to national security and infrastructure expected to result from a geomagnetic polarity reversal. However, it describes geomagnetic field generation solely as currently promoted by the geophysics community which is based upon old ideas, circa 1940s1960s, that are taken to be factual without any attempt to understand their limitations or to evaluate their validity in light of subsequent scientific developments. Moreover, the security concerns Williams described are relevant to humanity globally. Here I have reviewed the historical development of those old ideas, pointed out their problematic nature, and reviewed subsequent published advances that overcome their inherent problems and lead to a better understanding of the geophysics related to geomagnetic polarity reversals, geomagnetic excursions, and, at some yet unknown time, the permanent demise of the geomagnetic field. Mechanisms of rapid geomagnetic field collapse, both natural and potentially human-induced, are described. The present state of nuclear georeactor activity, whether geomagnetic field collapse leads to increased georeactor output, and whether it is likely to trigger earthquakes and volcano eruptions are yet Review Article Herndon; JGEESI, 24(4): 61-79, 2020; Article no.JGEESI. 57772 62 unknown matters of seriously troubling human security concerns. Global security preparedness, even though addressed by sovereign nations, should be predicated upon the latest and most correct scientific understanding. In some areas that may be the case, but in the scientific areas described here there are clearly problems. The inherent problems, I submit, do not result from inadequate funding, but from inadequate methodologies, expectations and responsibilities of scientists, their national and parent institutions, publishers, and respective funding-agencies.
BS-MCVR: Binary-sensing based Mobile-cloud Visual Recognition

The mobile-cloud based visual recognition (MCVR) system, in which the low-end mobile sensors are deployed to persistently collect and transmit visual data to the cloud for analysis and recognition, is important for visual monitoring applications such as wildfire detection, wildlife monitoring, etc. However, the current MCVR systems are mostly human-perception-oriented, which consume many computational resources and much energy for data sensing as well as much bandwidth for data transmission, limiting their large-scale deployment. In this work, we present a machine-perception-oriented MCVR system, called BS-MCVR, where the mobile end is designed to efficiently sense highly compact and discriminative features directly from the scene, and the sensed features are analyzed on the cloud for recognition. Particularly, the mobile end is designed to operate with completely binary operations and generate fixed-point feature maps. Experiments on benchmark datasets show that our system only needs to transmit 1/200 the amount of original image data without degrading much the recognition accuracy, while it consumes minimal computational cost in the data sensing process. BS-MCVR provides a highly cost-effective solution for deploying MCVR systems at a large-scale.