Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Theory of Ergodic Quantum Processes

The generic behavior of quantum systems has long been of theoretical and practical interest. Any quantum process is represented by a sequence of quantum channels. Random channels appear in a wide variety of applications, from quantum chaos to holographic dualities in theories of quantum gravity to operator dynamics, to random local circuits for their potential to demonstrate quantum supremacy. We consider general ergodic sequences of stochastic channels with arbitrary correlations and non-negligible decoherence. Ergodicity includes and vastly generalizes random independence. We obtain a theorem which shows that the composition of such a sequence of channels converges exponentially fast to a rank-one (entanglement breaking) channel. Using this, we derive the limiting behavior of translation invariant channels, and stochastically independent random channels. We then use our formalism to describe the thermodynamic limit of ergodic Matrix Product States. We derive formulas for the expectation value of a local observable and prove that the 2-point correlations of local observables decay exponentially. We then analytically compute the entanglement spectrum across any cut, by which the bipartite entanglement entropy (i.e., R{e}nyi or von Neumann) across an arbitrary cut can be computed exactly. Other physical implications of our results are that most Floquet phases of matter are meta-stable, and that noisy random circuits in the large depth limit will be trivial as far as their quantum entanglement is concerned. To obtain these results we bridge quantum information theory to dynamical systems and random matrix theory.
The neuroendocrine control of feeding and reproduction in zebrafish (Danio rerio) and glass catfish (Kryptopterus vitreolus)

Reproduction and feeding are two critical life processes in all vertebrates, the regulations of which involve a complex network of interactions. It has been suggested that appetite regulators, such as orexin, neuropeptide Y (NPY), and cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript (CART), and reproductive hormones, like gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH), kisspeptin, and neurokinin B (NKB), interact to regulate both food intake and reproduction. However, this relationship is not well characterized in all vertebrate species, especially fish. The purpose of this study was to examine this relationship and uncover some of the regulating mechanisms underlying these two processes. Specifically, I investigated two species of freshwater fish; glass catfish (Kryptopterus vitreolus) and zebrafish (Danio rerio). In glass catfish, I was able to successfully isolate two reproductive hormones (GnRH1 and GnRH2) and three appetite regulators (orexin, NPY, and CART). I found that fasting affected the relative brain expression levels of all of these peptides, except for GnRH2, suggesting a link between nutritional status and endocrine regulation. In zebrafish, I examined how nutritional status, reproductive stage, gender, and strain affected the brain mRNA expression of certain appetite (orexin and NPY) and reproductive (GnRH, kisspeptin, GnIH, and NKB) hormones. To compare strains, I used both wild-type and transparent Casper zebrafish. My results suggest gender- and reproductive stage-specific, as well as strain-specific variations in the mechanisms that regulate feeding and reproduction in zebrafish. To further investigate these differences, I compared the brain mRNA expression of genes involved in the melanocortin system and melanin pathway between wild-type and Casper zebrafish. I found that the Casper zebrafish had lower levels of several of the genes examined, suggesting that these strain-specific differences may be mediated by the melanocortin system. Overall, I was able to show a clear relationship between appetite and reproduction in both zebrafish and glass catfish, providing new insights into the endocrine mechanisms that regulate these two processes in fish.
NUBIA: NeUral Based Interchangeability Assessor for Text Generation

We present NUBIA, a methodology to build automatic evaluation metrics for text generation using only machine learning models as core components. A typical NUBIA model is composed of three modules: a neural feature extractor, an aggregator and a calibrator. We demonstrate an implementation of NUBIA showing competitive performance with stateof-the art metrics used to evaluate machine translation and state-of-the art results for image captions quality evaluation. In addition to strong performance, NUBIA models have the advantage of being modular and improve in synergy with advances in text generation models.
The Drivers of Mitochondrial DNA Divergences

Mitochondrial phylogeography uses the relationship between matrilineal genealogy and geography to explain speciation, phylogeny and population structure. Several hypotheses on what maintains the parapatric matrilines have been proposed: philopatry, incomplete lineage sorting, vicariance and natural selection on female-linked traits. The small lizard Urosaurus nigricaudus of the peninsula of Baja California, Mexico and southern California, USA has six parapatric matrilines that differ by substantial mtDNA divergence. In this study, I investigate what drives and maintains the deep mtDNA discontinuities in this species. I precisely locate the mtDNA lineage breaks and investigate the presence of physical barriers in those areas. I sequence the entire mtDNA genome and then test the following hypotheses: unrestricted nDNA gene flow occurs across the species; mtDNA divergences correspond to the geological events; and that functional diversifying selection is involved in the maintenance of mtDNA discordances. I use thousands of nDNA SNP loci to test the first and last hypotheses. The time-calibrated genealogy cannot reject the
The Flare-dominated Accretion Mode of a Radio-bright Candidate Transitional Millisecond Pulsar

We report new simultaneous X-ray and radio continuum observations of 3FGL J0427.9−6704, a candidate member of the enigmatic class of transitional millisecond pulsars. These XMM-Newton and Australia Telescope Compact Array observations of this nearly edge-on, eclipsing low-mass X-ray binary were taken in the sub-luminous disk state at an X-ray luminosity of erg s−1. Unlike the few well-studied transitional millisecond pulsars, which spend most of their disk state in a characteristic high or low accretion mode with occasional flares, 3FGL J0427.9−6704 stayed in the flare mode for the entire X-ray observation of ∼20 hr, with the brightest flares reaching ∼2 × 1034 erg s−1. The source continuously exhibited flaring activity on timescales of ∼10–100 s in both the X-ray and optical/ultraviolet (UV). No measurable time delay between the X-ray and optical/UV flares is observed, but the optical/UV flares last longer, and the relative amplitudes of the X-ray and optical/UV flares show a large scatter. The X-ray spectrum can be well-fit with a partially absorbed power law (Γ ∼ 1.4–1.5), perhaps due to the edge-on viewing angle. Modestly variable radio continuum emission is present at all epochs, and is not eclipsed by the secondary, consistent with the presence of a steady radio outflow or jet. The simultaneous radio/X-ray luminosity ratio of 3FGL J0427.9−6704 is higher than any known transitional millisecond pulsars and comparable to that of stellar-mass black holes of the same X-ray luminosity, providing additional evidence that some neutron stars can be as radio-loud as black holes.
Effect of Vitamin E, C and Aspirin in the Performance, Lipid Peroxidation and Blood Biochemistry Traits of Broiler in Heat Stress

This Study was conducted Agricultural Research Department of the Ministry of Agriculture located in Abu Garib region from Oct 16th 2017 until Nov 17th 2017, where 294 chicks from the Ross-308 broiler. they were distributed in 7 treatments (42 chicks /treatment) with 3 replicate per treatment and 14 chicks per replicate, the first treatment was the control without added to ration, whereas, the vitamin E was added at rate of 250 and 500 mg / kg of feed in 2nd and 3rd treatment respectively , in 4th and 5th treatments the vitamin C was used at rate of 250 and 500 mg / kg of feed respectively, the aspirin (Asp) was added at rate of 250 and 500 mg / kg of feed in 2nd and 3rd treatment respectively, which amounted to 42 days and the temperature was 35 Celsius throughout the study . The results showed the following: There was an actual increase (P≤0.01)in all additive treatments compared with control treatment in both live body weight, weight gain, and relative growth rate , while at feed consumption was significantly higher (P≤0.05) treatment T3 compared to T1, In the feed conversion factor (P≤0.05) was significantly improved in treatment T5 compared with T1. There was a significant decrease in (P≤0.05) treatment T6 in MDA compared with T1. At the glucose level, there was a significant difference (P≤0.05)in treatments T3 and T6 compared with T4,. Add transactions and control treatment, indicating the role of additives used in the protection from the effect of exposure to high temperature and its ability to improve the performance and decrease Lipid peroxidation.
Setting Stellar Chronometers: The PTF(+) Open Cluster Survey

While we have known for 45 years that a solar-type star’s rotation rate and magnetic activity depend on its age (Skumanich 1972), many details still elude us. We cannot yet fully describe the evolution of rotation or activity for stars of a given mass, nor can we use rotation or activity measurements to estimate accurately the ages of isolated field stars. Fortunately, recent technological advances have transformed our ability to observe open clusters, the best laboratories for testing age-dependent stellar properties. We are currently surveying low-mass stars in six open clusters ranging in age from 35 Myr to 3.5 Gyr; here, I focus on our results for the Hyades and Praesepe. These data will allow us to improve our understanding of the agerotation-activity relation for < ∼ 1 M⊙ stars. Our survey targets are members of Alpha Persei, the Pleiades, M37, Praesepe, the Hyades, NGC 752, and Ruprecht 147. For our rotation period (Prot) measurements, we relied initially on data from the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF), a time-domain experiment using the robotic 48-inch telescope at Palomar Observatory, CA, real-time data-reduction and transient-detection pipelines, and a dedicated follow-up telescope. (For examples of our complementary work on magnetic activity in these clusters, see Núñez & Agüeros (2016), Núñez et al. (2017), and A. Núñez’s contribution to these proceedings. ) The Hyades and Praesepe, both ≈650-Myr-old, are a crucial bridge between young open clusters (e.g., the Pleiades, at ≈125 Myr) and older (≥2 Gyr) field dwarfs. Our work on these linchpin clusters began with Agüeros et al. (2011), where we presented new Prot for 40 late-K to mid-M Praesepe members measured with PTF. In Douglas et al. (2014), we extended our analysis to the Hyades, combining new Prot with those in the literature to determine that Praesepe and the Hyades follow identical rotationactivity relations, and that the mass-period relation for the combined clusters transitions from a single-
Missing, delayed, and old: The status of ESA recovery plans

Recovery planning is an essential part of implementing the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), but conservationists and government agencies recognize challenges with the current planning process. Using data from all U.S. domestic and transboundary ESA‐listed species, we quantify the completeness, timeliness, age, and other variation among ESA recovery plans over the past 40 years. Among eligible listed taxa (n = 1,548), nearly one‐fourth lack final recovery plans; half of plans have taken >5 years to finalize after listing; half of recovery plans are more than 20 years old; and there is significant variation in planning between agencies, and among regions and taxonomic groups. These results are not unexpected given dwindling budgets and an increasing number of species requiring protection, but underscore the need for systematic improvements to recovery planning. We discuss solutions—some already underway—that may address some of the shortcomings and help improve recovery action implementation for threatened and endangered species.
Biomedical waste handling and knowledge of its health hazards among waste handlers in a tertiary hospital in Sokoto, Nigeria

Background: Biomedical wasteshave negative effects on human health and environment; therefore all persons exposed to the waste are potentially at risk, especially waste collectors that handle poorly segregated and containerized waste. The study aim was to describe the pattern of bi omedical waste handling and assess knowledge of its health hazards among handlers in a Tertiary Hospital in Sokoto, Nigeria. Materials and Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. A total of 180 waste handlers were selected using a simple random sampling method and close-ended interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect data. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 and result presented in table. Results: Nearly half of the respondents were aged between 25-29 years and majority (81%) of the waste handlers are private employees while the public employees accounted for 19%. Wastes from different unit of the hospital were poorly segregated and commonly collected using inappropriate containers without lining. Although only 11% of the respondents received training on waste handling, 98% had good knowledge of health hazards of biomedical waste. All the handlers reported wearing personal protective equipment when handling biomedical waste but only 19% were on PPE during work through inspection. Conclusion: Biomedical wastes from different units were poorly segregated and collected using inappropriate containers. Nearly all the respondents had good knowledge of its health hazards but only few (11%) had received training on biomedical waste handling. Waste should be properly segregated into appropriate containers, PPE to be made readilyavailability and ensure compliance to their use.
Managing Minnesota's recovered wolves

The Minnesota wolf (Canis lupus) population was estimated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources at 2,450 during winter 1997-1998 and had increased at an average annual rate of 4.5°/O since winter 1988-1989. The population may be removed from the federal endangered species list by 2002, and management would then return to the state. A federal recovery team recommended a population goal of 1,250-1,400 wolves for Minnesota, with none in the agricultural region. A plan approved by the Minnesota legislature, however, continues the protection of wolves, except for pet and livestock depredation control, for at least 5 years after delisting. I compare number of wolves of the 1997-1998 population that would have to be killed each year by humans for various types of control versus numbers if the population continued to expand. For the 1997-1998 population, those numbers are in addition to natural mortality, depredation control, and illegal and incidental take at least 1 10 wolves and probably many more to limit wolf range, 685-1,149 wolves for sustained yield, and 929-1,956 to reduce the population. Given conservative assumptions, continued livestock depredation control, and a 4.5% rate of population and range increase as occurred during the past decade, comparable figures for 2007 are at least 171 wolves to limit range expansion, 1,064-1,786 for sustained yield, and 1,444-3,042 to reduce the population. The trend in the population since 1997-1998 is unknown, but these numbers illustrate the magnitude of the potential problems that could arise in managing Minnesota's wolves under various scenarios.
Isolation and characterization of equine peripheral blood-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells

The objective of the study was to isolate, cultivate and characterize equine peripheral blood-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (PbMSCs). Peripheral blood was collected, followed by the isolation of mononuclear cells using density gradient reagents, and the cultivation of adherent cells. Monoclonal mouse anti-horse CD13, mouse anti-horse CD44, and mouse anti-rat CD90 antibodies were used for the immunophenotypic characterization of the surface of the PbMSCs. These cells were also cultured in specific media for adipogenic and chondrogenic differentiation. There was no expression of the CD13 marker, but CD44 and CD90 were expressed in all of the passages tested. After 14 days of cell differentiation into adipocytes, lipid droplets were observed upon Oil Red O (ORO) staining. Twenty-one days after chondrogenic differentiation, the cells were stained with Alcian Blue. Although the technique for the isolation of these cells requires improvement, the present study demonstrates the partial characterization of PbMSCs, classifying them as a promising type of progenitor cells for use in equine cell therapy.
Effects of vinblastine and its metabolites on nausea and alopecia associated receptors

The effects of vinblastine (VLB) and its thirty-five known metabolites were investigated on nausea and alopecia associated receptors by means of molecular docking simulations. The in silico pharmacokinetics (PK) properties and binding affinities of VLB and its metabolites with the vinca site of tubulin were also elucidated in the present study. VLB and its metabolites have demonstrated binding affinities mainly for the muscarinic receptors M₁, M₄ and M₅ that display significant roles in the onset of nausea during chemotherapy. The metabolites of VLB interact with the binding site of acetylcholine and share similar binding interactions with residues involved with the endogenous substrate. Furthermore, VLB metabolites have also shown binding affinities for alopecia associated receptors such as vitamin D (VDR), androgen, smoothened and MDM2, which can trigger the death of hair follicle following cancer treatment. The predicted PK properties of VLB and its metabolites have revealed that they are all substrates and inhibitors of CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein, and inhibitors of CYP2D6. The majority of metabolites do not cross the blood-brain barrier, do not undergo glucuronidation and have no affinity for the human ether-a-go-go-related gene receptor. Finally, VLB metabolites docked into the vinca site of tubulin have revealed that metabolites 8, 10 and 11 have binding affinities for tubulin and interact with the same residues involved with VLB. Taking into account the PK properties, metabolite 10 (20-Hydroxy-VLB) has shown to be a potential active analog of VLB. This research project has aimed to a better understanding of the VLB-induced off-targets events such as nausea and alopecia, and how the VLB metabolites can trigger these ADRs. These findings suggest that knowing which and how the metabolites of VLB are involved with off-targets receptors of nausea and alopecia, as well as their PK properties and effects on tubulin target, ADRs during chemotherapy could be eliminated or lessened. This is possible if modifications on the chemical structure of VLB and advances in drug discovery and medicinal chemistry fields are taken into consideration in future studies. It would enhance target specificity as it could decrease formation of many metabolites and hence minimize the number of off-target interactions. That could result in providing a less unpleasant treatment for cancer patients and a higher quality of life during chemotherapy.
The Encyclopedia of Fruit & Nuts

Ever wanted to know the genus name for a monkey nut, or the uses of a quandong? Intended for all your research needs, "The Encyclopedia of Fruit and Nuts" is an authoritative compendium of tropical, sub-tropical and temperate fruit and nut science. The essential addition to any collection, the Encyclopedia combines the knowledge of over 100 international experts, providing the most definitive resource on fruit and nuts to be published thus far. Incorporating both botanical and horticultural expertise, coverage also includes palms, cacti, and vegetable fruits. Under the editorial direction of Professor Jules Janick and Dr. Robert E Paull, authors have contributed a wealth of knowledge to this extensive volume, on topics including: history and origins; botany; breeding and genetics; cultivars; ecology; distribution; nutritional and compositional information; and, uses. "AgBiotechNet" is the largest and most comprehensive agricultural biotechnology bibliographic database, giving you access to the latest information in all areas of plant genetics and biotechnology.
Fish Oil Replacement with Palm Oil and Soybean Oil in the Diet of Heterobranchus longifilis Affects Liver Biochemical Compositions

This study was undertaken to determine the effects of dietary replacement of fish oil with palm and soybean on liver biochemical composition of Heterobranchus longifilis. H. longifilis were fed one of the six diets twice daily for 10 weeks. The test diets were identical in composition, except for the supplemental lipid source which was either 100% FO (fish oil, as control), palm oil (PO), soybean oil (SO), equal blend of fish oil and palm oil (FOPO), equal blend of palm oil and soybean oil (POSO) or equal blend of fish oil, palm oil and soybean oil (FOPOSO). The results shows that the docosahexaenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and the ratio n-3/n-6 were significantly reduced by the inclusion of dietary palm oil and soybean oil (P < 0.05). Similarly, the inclusion of the oils in the diet of H. longifilis reduced thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances. Our results indicated that the inclusion of PO and SO in diet reduced lipid peroxidation in fish and should therefore be used to improve product quality.