Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance of Ultra-high Performance Concrete Self-centering Bridge Piers under Seismic Loads

Precast concrete columns with unbonded post-tensioning have great self-centering capabilities and can keep important bridges operational after a major earthquake. Rocking of column segments over the foundation under seismic excitation reduces the overall damage, however, causes damage to concrete near joints. This research assessed the seismic performance of post-tensioned precast segmental piers with ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) through large scale laboratory testing. Pier specimens were constructed with the same configuration, except that the segment of the column right above the precast foundation had varying material and design details: conventional concrete with mild steel reinforcing bars, UHPC with mild steel reinforcing bars, and UHPC without mild steel reinforcing bars. Specimens were tested under quasi-static cyclic lateral loading. Reinforcing bars in UHPC segments did not contribute to damage resistance. Specimens with UHPC, regardless of the reinforcement amount, had minimal damage, even at displacements much larger than the seismic demand. All specimens had great self-centering but minimal energy dissipation capability. Specimens with UHPC had higher stiffness and strength.
PHYLOGENETIC INTERRELATIONSHIPS AND REDUCTIVE EVOLUTION IN NEOTROPICAL CHARACIDIIN FISHES (CHARACIFORMES, OSTARIOPHYSI)

Abstract— Miniaturization, which results in the presence of numerous apparently paedomorphic characters associated with reduced size, is a common phenomenon among neotropical fishes, with over 85 miniature species distributed among the five major ordinal groups. Eleven species are recognized as miniatures within the Characidiinae, a monophyletic subunit of Characiformes. A reconstruction of characidiin phylogeny is used to analyze the history of miniaturization events. Former hypotheses of origin of miniaturization among characidiins are rejected, underscoring the need for phylogenetic frameworks in the study of ontogenetic changes associated with the phenomenon of miniaturization. The 11 instances of miniature species can be most parsimoniously attributed to three independent miniaturization events within the Characidiinae.
Validation of the use of thin-sectioned Otoliths for determining the age and growth of Golden Perch, Macquaria ambigua (Perciformes: Percichthyidae), in the Lower Murray-Darling Basin, Australia

Golden perch, Macquaria ambigua, from the Murray-Darling Basin were aged by using transverse thin sections of their sagittal otoliths. Samples from 889 fish were obtained from riverine and lacustrine habitats and from wild and stocked populations. Error in the precision of age estimates (calculated as the mean percentage error of the independent age estimates of four readers) was 5.6% (3.9% after allowing for discrepancies in relation to the annual mark on the edge of the otolith). Validation was accomplished by using a combination of analysis of the progression of modes in length-frequency distributions, qualitative and quantitative marginal-increment analysis, and analysis of age estimates of fish from populations with a known stocking history. The technique was validated for fish up to 8 years of age (455-545 mm total length, 1695-3988 g total weight), and the greatest recorded age was 16 years (530-600 mm total length, 2607-4050 g total weight). Annual marks become visible in otolith sections in most fish of all ages in October, and 1 October was designated as the birth date. A description of our method of reading sections of golden perch otoliths, including recognition of false annual marks, is given. Otolith length, width and thickness increased linearly with fish length and with loglo(fish age), whereas otolith weight increased linearly with fish age and exponentially with fish length. The continuous growth of the otoliths and the consistency in the appearance of annual marks support the accuracy of estimates up to the maximum recorded age. The mean length-at-age and the parameters of the length-weight relationship were estimated. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters were also estimated (L∞ =507 mm, to=0.420 years, K=0.454). No significant differences were found in growth rates or length-weight relationships between males and females. However, growth (particularly in weight) was highly variable among sites and years, and slow-growing 5-year-olds may be shorter than fastgrowing 1-year-olds. Ages were estimated for a sample of 86 golden perch caught between 1949 and 1951 but a comparison of growth rates between these and more recent collections was inconclusive.
Environmental predictors of global parrot (Aves : Psittaciformes) species richness and phylogenetic diversity

Aim Spatial patterns of phylogenetic diversity (PD) aid our ability to discern diversification rate mechanisms underlying hypotheses for the large-scale distribution of biodiversity. We develop a predictive framework for the way in which spatial patterns of PD vary with those of species richness, depending on the balance between speciation and extinction rates. Within this framework, diversification processes thought to underlie the productive energy, ambient energy, topographic variability and habitat variety hypotheses predict that gradients of increase in species richness will be associated with: (1) decreasing extinction rates where driven by productive energy, hence increasing relative PD (i.e. PD controlling for species richness, or PDrel); (2) a similar positive relationship between ambient energy and PDrel; (3) increasing speciation rates where driven by topographic variability, hence decreasing PDrel; and (4) no consistent relationship between PDrel and habitat variety when driven by the latter. We test these predictions using distributional data on parrots. Location Neotropical, Afrotropical, Indo-Malayan and Australasian realms. Methods Spatial models were used to test the predictions. Results Globally, a positive association between productive energy and PDrel confirms prediction (1). However, within realms, hump-shaped relationships suggest the importance of decreasing extinction rates up to a threshold level of productive energy, and the increasing importance of speciation rates thereafter. Ambient energy is positively associated with PDrel in Australasia, Indo-Malaya, and globally, supporting prediction (2). However, this is driven by the coincidence of highest PDrel in areas of high ambient energy and intermediate productive energy (i.e. in seasonal tropical environments), which may be characterized by relatively low speciation and extinction rates. In the Neotropics, increasing topographic variability is associated with decreasing PDrel and increasing species richness, suggesting an increasing gradient of speciation, supporting prediction (3). Elsewhere, the signal of this mechanism may be obscured by collinearities with energy gradients. The lack of an overall relationship between habitat diversity and PDrel confirms prediction (4). Main conclusions Spatial patterns of PDrel in relation to environmental gradients may be sensitive to collinearities among those gradients. Nevertheless, patterns emerge which have implications for the relative importance of speciation and extinction processes in generating latitudinal diversity gradients.
Successional changes in the soft‐water macrophyte vegetation of (sub)atlantic, sandy, lowland regions during this century

SUMMARY. 1 Considerable changes in macrophyte vegetation can be noticed in 146 originally soft waters, when data on the recent aquatic vegetation are compared with historical information from the period 1900–60. Changes in nutrient status (N, P and C) and accumulation of organic material can be regarded as the operative factors. 2 The processes observed in soft waters are acidification, eutrophication and water hardening. Which process dominates depends on the type of soft water. 3 Acidification as well as eutrophication of water bodies may ultimately result in the total disappearance of all aquatic macrophytes, with the exception of the floating-leaved nymphaeids Nymphaea alba L. and Nuphar lutea (L.) Sm. Observed successional stages are described and summarized.
Molecular Evolution of Exogenous Alpha-amylase Inhibitors in Triticeae-An Update

Exogenous -amylase inhibitors in seeds and vegetative organs are attractive candidates for the control of seed weevils as these insects are highly dependent on starch as an energy source. In cereal seeds, -amylase inhibitors proteins were known as one great family on the basis of the homology of their sequences. The overall information on the monomeric, dimeric and tetrameric -amylase inhibitors strongly support the view that these inhibitors have evolved from a common ancestor gene through duplication and mutation. All amylase inhibitors from Triticeae (21 different genomes) have 10 conserved cysteine (5 disulfide bonds) sharing common cysteine skeleton. In the past years the -amylase inhibitors have been well studied, including large amount of attention that directed towards their evolutionary relationship. Adaptive evolution of monomeric and dimeric -amylase inhibitor genes and its ecological association has been investigated in wild emmer wheat. They were contributed by both natural selection and co-evolution, which ensures the conserved function as well as the inhibition of a variety of insect amylases. The known aspects of -amylase inhibitors and their molecular evolution in Triticeae have been discussed in this review. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Treefalls Revisited: Gap Dynamics in the Southern Appalachians

In 1976-1977, 284 gaps (canopy-opening sizes 1-1490 M2) were sampled (age, size, species composition) from old-growth mesic forests in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Joyce Kilmer Wilderness Area and Walker Cove Research Natural Area. In 1983, the woody vegetation (stems - 1 cm dbh) of 273 of these gaps was resampled, rates of gap closure by canopy tree branch growth and sapling height growth were estimated, and incidences of disturbances occurring since 1976-1977 were noted. The average yearly crown extension growth rate was 18 cm/yr, with much variation among species and in- dividuals. Some individual crowns grew into the canopy opening as much as 4 m in the 7 yr. Saplings grew an average of 30 cm/yr in height, again with much variation. Overall, taller saplings grew somewhat faster than smaller ones and saplings in large gaps grew faster than those in small gaps. These two rates of gap closure together suggest that most saplings will require two or more gap episodes to reach the forest canopy. For woody vegetation, basal area per unit gap area was originally highest in small gaps, though it increased between sampling dates most in large gaps. Stem density had been highest in small old gaps, but decreased the most in old gaps. Tsuga canadensis, Fagus grandifolia, Acer saccharum, and Halesia carolina were the most important species in the gaps studied. Most species did not change in relative density or dominance between the two sampling dates and showed no significant correlations between those parameters and gap size and age. Overall, Tsuga and Fagus decreased and Acer saccharum increased in importance. High rates of repeat disturbance favor species able to grow in intermediate light levels and to survive several periods of suppression before reaching the canopy.
Aetiological spectrum, injury characteristics and treatment outcome of multiple injuries at a tertiary care hospital in Tanzania

Background: Multiple injuries constitute a public health problem and contribute significantly to high morbidity, mortality and long-term disabilities worldwide. This study describes the etiological spectrum, injury characteristics and treatment outcome of multiple injuries at a tertiary care hospital in Tanzania.Methods: This was a descriptive prospective study involving multiple injury patients admitted to Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) from March 2013 to June 2013 inclusive.Results: Out of 712 trauma patients who were admitted to BMC during the study period, 150 (21.1%) had multiple injuries. Their male to female ratio was of 2.3:1. The majority of patients were in the second decade of life. Road traffic accidents (RTAs) were the most common (93.3%) cause of injury. The majority of patients, 142 (94.7%) sustained blunt injuries. Twelve (8.0%) patients had pre-hospital care. The limbs (89.2%) and the head (78.7%) were the most common body regions injured. The majority of patients (85.3%) sustained severe injuries (ISS ≥ 16). Out of 150 patients, 46 (30.7%) had 65 missed injuries. A total of 142 (94.7%) patients were treated surgically. Wound debridement (87.3%) was the most common surgical procedure performed. The complication and mortality rates were 54.7% and 38.7%, respectively. The overall median length of hospital stay (LOS) was 23 days. Co-morbid illness, HIV positivity, CD4 count (≤ 200 cells/μl), severe trauma (ISS ≥ 16), admission Systolic Blood Pressure < 90 mmHg, missed injuries and surgical site infection significantly influenced mortality (P < 0.001). Patients who developed complications and those who had long bone fractures stayed longer in the hospital (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Road traffic accidents remain a major cause of multiple injuries at BMC and contribute significantly to unacceptably high morbidity and mortality. Urgent preventive measures targeting at reducing the occurrence of road traffic accidents is necessary to reduce the incidence of multiple injuries in our centre.
Ecological correlates of trophic status and frugivory in neotropical primates

Primates are among the most observable and best studied vertebrate order in tropical forest regions, with widespread attention dedicated to the feeding ecology of wild populations. In particular, primates play a key role as frugivores and seed-dispersal agents for a myriad of tropical plants. Sampling effort by primatologists, however, has been unequally distributed, hampering quantitative comparisons of primate diets. We provide the first systematic review of primate diets, with an emphasis on frugivory, using a comprehensive compilation of 290 unique primate dietary studies from 164 localities in 17 countries across the entire Neotropical realm. We account for sampling effort (standardised as hours) in comparing the richness of fruiting plants recorded in primate diets, and the relative contribution of frugivory to the overall diet in relation to key life-history traits, such as body mass. We find strong support for the long-held hypothesis, based on Kay's Threshold, that body size imposes an upper limit on insectivory and a lower limit on folivory, and therefore that frugivory is most important at intermediate body sizes. However, the upper body mass limit of extant neotropical primates, truncated by the post-Pleistocene megafaunal overkill, has implications for the extent of the frugivory-folivory continuum in extinct lineages. Contemporary threats faced by the largest primates serve as a further warning that the feeding ecology and diet of all neotropical primates remain severely undersampled with regard to the composition and richness of fruits consumed. Indeed, frugivorous primates expected to have the most species-rich plant diets are amongst those most poorly sampled, exposing implications for our current understanding of primate-plant interaction networks.
Compact Substrate-Integrated Waveguide Filtering Crossover by Embedding CPW Quarter-Wavelength Resonators

A compact substrate-integrated waveguide (SIW) filtering crossover is presented by embedding CPW quarter-wavelength resonators. By fully exploiting the orthogonality of the degenerate TE201 and TE201 modes in an SIW square cavity, cross transmission and excellent isolation can successfully be realized for the two channels. Additionally, with four CPW quar-ter-wavelength resonators coupled at central symmetrical plane of the cavity, third-order filtering responses can be implemented for both transmission channels while maintaining an acceptable isolation. Benefitting from the embedded scheme of CPW resonators, a significant footprint reduction has been achieved for the crossover. A prototype centered at 10 GHz with ripple-fractional bandwidth of 4.05% is synthesized, designed, fabricated, and tested for demonstration, showing an isolation better than 22.5 dB over the interested band.
A Semi-quantitative analysis of immunohistochemical expression of p63, Ki-67, Cyclin-D1, and p16 in common oral potentially malignant disorders and oral squamous cell carcinoma

Background: Immunohistochemical (IHC) expressions of p63, Ki-67, cyclin-D1, and p16 have been evaluated to assess the malignant potential of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs); most of these studies are subjective and lack a definite quantitative approach. Further, H score of IHC expression has produced promising results and this has not been explored in any marker to predict malignant transformation in OPMDs. Aim: To evaluate the IHC expressions of p63, Ki-67, cyclin-D1, and p16INK4a in predicting the malignant transformation of the most common OPMDs. Materials and Methods: The IHC expressions of p63, Ki-67, cyclin-D1, and p16INK4a on paraffin-embedded sections of 10 cases each in normal oral mucosa, mild, moderate, and severe oral epithelial dysplasia, oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF), and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSSC) were evaluated using mean H score for every group. Mean H score was compared within and between the groups using analysis of variance. Pairwise comparison was made using Tukey's multiple post hoc procedure and strength of association was assessed using Karl's Pearson's correlation. Results: Mean H scores of p63, Ki-67, and cyclin-D1 increased significantly (P = 0.0001) with increasing grades of dysplasia to OSCC, whereas mean H score of p16 significantly (0.041) decreased with increasing grades of dysplasia to malignancy. OSMF indicated a variation in its expression pattern. Only mean H scores of Ki-67 (0.0239) and cyclin-D1 (0.0044) significantly differentiated severe dysplasia from OSCC. Conclusion: Combination of mean H score of Ki-67 and mean H score of cyclin-D1 could be effectively used to identify transformation potential of OPMDs.
Effıcacy and safety of dapagliflozin on diabetic patients receiving high-doses of insulin

Objective: In this study we aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin addition to diabetic patients using high dose insulin. Methods: The current study was carried out in the outpatient diabetic clinics of Fatih Sultan Mehmet Education and Research Hospital. Thirty diabetic patients who were receiving high dose (>0,5U/kg) insulin and oral antidiabetic treatment (other than SGLT 2 inhibitors) were included in this study. Primary end point was the change in HbA1c, insulin doses and serum electrolyte from the addition of dapagliflozin 10 mg to the week 12. Results: At the end of three month BMI were obviously decreased from 33.31 ±4.51 to 32.14 ±4.66 (p: 0.001). There was also an evident decrease of insulin requirement from 76 ±23.15 U/kg to 57.60 ±17.61 U/day (p<0.001). As well as the decrease in insulin doses, there was also a significant decline in HbA1c (Δ 1.6 %) and fasting blood glucose levels (Δ68.6 mg/dl) (p<0.001). Among serum electrolyte levels slight but meaningful increase of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and sodium (Na) levels were seen (p: 0.044 and p: 0.026). There were no significant changes in serum cholesterol levels with electrolytes such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus magnesium and vitamin D (p> 0.05). Conclusion: In diabetic patients with inadequately controlled glucose regulation despite high-dose insulin therapy, dapagliflozin may be an alternative combination choice to decrease the need of insulin dose and obtain an optimal HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose levels and weight without major side effects.
Angustidontus, a Late Devonian pelagic predatory crustacean

ABSTRACT Restoration of the morphology of Angustidontus seriatus Cooper, 1936 based on complete specimens from the Famennian of Nevada and Poland, supports its affinity to the coeval alleged decapod Palaeopalaemon and suggests eocarid (possibly also peracarid) affinities. Predatory adaptation of the thoracopods and the relatively short pereion make this crustacean only superficially resemble the archaeostomatopod hoplocarids, because the large grasping appendages of Angustidontus represent the first, rather than second, maxillipeds and acted in the opposite direction: downward. Another similar adaptation of the antennae in the Viséan Palaemysis suggests a widespread adaptation to predation among early eumalacostracans. The large sample collected from the Woodruff Formation of Nevada permits biometric characterisation of the grasping maxillipeds of Angustidontus, showing that their highly variable morphology should not be used to define species. All previously described species are therefore here synonymised with A. seriatus. Differences in gnathobases of mandibles found in articulated specimens in Nevada, and associated with isolated maxillipeds and articulated specimens possibly representing another unnamed species in Poland, suggest that such mandibles may eventually prove to be taxonomically more significant.
Spatial variation in a grassland on soil rich in heavy metals

The vegetation in a grassland area in the prefecture of Kilkis (N. Greece), known for its surface Cu-mineralization, was studied. 43 quadrats were established along a transect through an area where the vegetation formed patches of differ- ent size. Cover-abundance and frequency estimates for all species were made. Normal Association Analysis revealed five quadrat groups characterized by Trifolium scabrum, Linaria pelisseriana, Anthoxanthum ovatum, Gypsophila muralis and Minuartia hirsuta ssp. falcata. 43 soil samples were analysed for pH, organic C, CaCO3, total content of Fe, Zn, Pb, Cu, Mn, Ca, Mg, K, Na and soil texture. From a discriminant analysis performed on soil data five soil groups resulted, which are highly related to the five vegetation groups. Thymus sihthorpii, Minuartia hirsuta ssp. falcata and Rumex acetosella are the most important taxa with respect to physiognomy and patchi- ness of the vegetation. The number of species in each group of quadrats is affected by the relative favourableness or severity of the soil conditions. Metal contents, mainly Zn, Cu, Mg and Na, and soil texture are considered to be among the main factors controlling the structure and physiognomy of the veg- etation.