Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wildlife Road Crossing and Mortality: Lessons for Wildlife Friendly Road Design in Colombia

A study on vertebrate road mortality and wildlife road crossing was undertaken to influence the design of the expansion of an inter-departmental road in Colombia. The study site is located in the Inter-Andean valley of the Magdalena river at sea level. The two lane highway is intended to be upgraded to a four lane motorway. Before work began a 178.8 km stretch was surveyed every two days to register road kills, live animals by the road, dimensions of crossing structures and landscape variables. Additionally six camera traps were located under six bridges that could operate as crossing structures for medium mammals. The authors report vertebrate kill rates, number of appropriate crossing structures for large and medium mammals, use of crossing structures by wildlife and vertebrate mortality per 10 km segment along of road. Vulnerability of species to vehicle collisions is discussed per species and biomass, dimensions of appropriate crossing are reported, influence of landscape on each road segment is considered and relative abundance indices of camera trapped species crossings are compared. A total of 2753.4 km were surveyed with 340 wild vertebrates (equivalent to an estimated 1,201 kg of biomass) killed by vehicle collisions from at least 32 species. Estimators suggest a potential impact of 37 species. Kill rates of wild vertebrates were around 45/ind/km/yr. Mammals were the most prevalent victims represented by the highest number of species fallen to traffic collisions, and the highest rates of individuals killed and associated biomass. Birds followed in number of species, but reptiles recorded higher number of individuals killed and biomass lost. Non-identified anurans had the lowest quantitative representation of the vertebrate guild. The most significantly impacted vertebrates where tamanduas, common opossum, crab-eating foxes and boas. Species vulnerability was not significantly associated to home range size, number of crossing structures, or rivers crossing the segments. Segment relative road kill rates ranged from 0.05-0.21 per km. The authors identify the need to create seven new underpasses, adapt 123 existing ones and propose the creation of wildlife friendly segments along the road. The segments are implemented through zoning, where at certain key stretches (identified by road crossing and road mortality) both sides of the road have human productive practices restricted, coincide with an ideal underpass and have forest at both edges of the road.
Centering Communities of Color in the Modernization of a Public Health Survey System: Lessons from Oregon

Context: Public health survey systems are tools for informing public health programming and policy at the national, state, and local levels. Among the challenges states face with these kinds of surveys include concerns about the representativeness of communities of color and lack of community engagement in survey design, analysis, and interpretation of results or dissemination, which raises questions about their integrity and relevance. Approach: Using a data equity framework (rooted in antiracism and intersectionality), the purpose of this project was to describe a formative participatory assessment approach to address challenges in Oregon Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and Student Health Survey (SHS) data system by centering community partnership and leadership in (1) understanding and interpreting data; (2) identifying strengths, gaps, and limitations of data and methodologies; (3) facilitating community-led data collection on community-identified gaps in the data; and (4) developing recommendations. Results: Project team members' concerns, observations, and critiques are organized into six themes. Throughout this engagement process, community partners, including members of the project teams, shared a common concern: that these surveys reproduced the assumptions, norms, and methodologies of the dominant (White, individual centered) scientific approach and, in so doing, created further harm by excluding community knowledges and misrepresenting communities of color. Conclusions: Meaningful community leadership is needed for public health survey systems to provide more actionable pathways toward improving population health outcomes. A data equity approach means centering communities of color throughout survey cycles, which can strengthen the scientific integrity and relevance of these data to inform community health efforts.
Elucidating the mechanisms of atmospheric new particle formation in the highly polluted Po Valley, Italy

Abstract. New particle formation (NPF) is a major source of aerosol particles and cloud condensation nuclei in the troposphere, playing an important role in both air quality and climate. Frequent NPF events have been observed in heavily polluted urban environments, contributing to the aerosol number concentration by a significant amount. The Po Valley region in northern Italy has been characterized as a hotspot for high aerosol loadings and frequent NPF events in southern Europe. However, the mechanisms of NPF and growth in this region are not completely understood. In this study, we conducted a continuous 2-month measurement campaign with state-of-the-art instruments to elucidate the NPF and growth mechanisms in northern Italy. Our results demonstrate that frequent NPF events (66 % of all days during the measurement campaign) are primarily driven by abundant sulfuric acid (8.5×106 cm−3) and basic molecules in this area. In contrast, oxygenated organic molecules from the atmospheric oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) appear to play a minor role in the initial cluster formation but contribute significantly to the consecutive growth process. Regarding alkaline molecules, amines are insufficient to stabilize all sulfuric acid clusters in the Po Valley. Ion cluster measurements and kinetic models suggest that ammonia (10 ppb) must therefore also play a role in the nucleation process. Generally, the high formation rates of sub-2 nm particles (87 cm−3 s−1) and nucleation-mode growth rates (5.1 nm h−1) as well as the relatively low condensational sink (8.9×10-3 s−1) will result in a high survival probability for newly formed particles, making NPF crucial for the springtime aerosol number budget. Our results also indicate that reducing key pollutants, such as SO2, amine and NH3, could help to substantially decrease the particle number concentrations in the Po Valley region.
Next-generation sequencing of MHC class I genes reveals trans-species polymorphism in Eutropis multifasciata and other species of Scincidae

The genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) encode cell surface proteins that are essential for adaptive immunity. MHC genes show the most prominent genetic diversity in vertebrates, reflecting the adaptation of populations to their evolving environment, population survival and reproduction. In the present study, we used next-generation sequencing (NGS) to study the loci polymorphism of exon 3 of the MHC class I genes in an ovoviviparous skink, the many-lined sun skink, Eutropis multifasciata and five other species of Scincidae, to quantify genetic variation. In addition, we genotyped the same MHC class I genes of E . multifasciata using clone sequencing, to directly compare the effectiveness of both analytical techniques for MHC genotyping. NGS detected 20 MHC class I alleles in E . multifasciata , and 2 to 15 alleles in the other five Scincidae species. However, clone sequencing detected only 15 of those MHC class I alleles in E . multifasciata . In addition, trans-species polymorphism of MHC class I genes was studied by constructing a phylogenetic tree using the gene sequences obtained by NGS. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that MHC class I alleles were shared among different species of Scincidae with trans-species polymorphism, and did not exhibit specific genealogical inheritance. These results have important implications for understanding polymorphism interspecies diversity in the MHC genes of Scincidae, and the evolution of the MHC more broadly.
Edge effects on ground beetles at the woodlot – field interface are short-range and asymmetrical

1 Boundaries between woodlots and agricultural habitats are numerous in temperate agricultural landscapes and influence ecological processes in both woodlots and agricultural habitats. 2 We aimed to determine how far the species assemblage of ground beetles in woodlot and open habitats was influenced by the presence of the woodlot–field boundary. 3 We studied the distribution of ground beetles on both sides of the boundaries of four woodlots along transects of pitfall traps (n = 140). The depth of edge influence (i.e. the distance from the boundary at which the presence of the boundary has no more significant influence) on the species assemblage of ground beetles in each woodlot and in each agricultural habitat was determined with nonlinear canonical analysis of principal coordinates, an ordination method that is followed by nonlinear regression of the principal coordinates on distance from the boundary. 4 The depth of edge influence on the species assemblages of ground beetles was asymmetrical relative to the boundary: it was generally higher and had higher variability in open habitats (14.4 ± 12.3 m) than in woodlots (4.9 ± 2.3 m). Species assemblages of ground beetles in edges were a mix between both adjacent species assemblages. Edge effects in woodlots were deeper in the woodlots exhibiting a deeper penetration of open habitat species. Symmetrically, edge effects in open habitat were deeper in the open habitats with a deeper diffusion of forest species into the open habitat. 5 Forest ground beetles were not threatened by edge effects. Rather, edge effects are likely to benefit agriculture, mostly through the dispersal of predatory forest species into agricultural fields.
It Takes Three to Tango: An Experimental Study of Contracts with Stipulated Damages

Can incumbent sellers and buyers use contracts with stipulated damages to extract surplus from entrants? We experimentally study the strategic environments of Aghion and Bolton (1987)and Spier and Whinston (1995). As predicted, contract renegotiation weakens the commitment power of stipulated damage clauses. Behavioral deviations, including more generous offers from sellers and entrants, suggest non-monetary preferences. A dictator-seller environment indicates the limited role of inequity aversion. With communication, equitable allocations are more frequent and exclusion less frequent. Our results underscore the importance of payoff aspirations influenced by social norms of fairness. A theoretical extension accommodates our experimental findings.
Fungal pathogen infection intensity associated with reproductive mode and elevation in an afrotropical anuran community

The effects of host ecology and environmental conditions on infection dynamics of the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) have been documented in several tropical and montane regions across the globe. These interactions are often complex and unique at local scales. Data on the historical and current chytridiomycosis-amphibian system is largely lacking in Africa, especially central Africa. We conducted the first survey of Bd in continental Equatorial Guinea in 2019, and extensively sampled the land-bridge island, Bioko, in 2011 and 2019. Our results provide novel information on the distribution and prevalence of Bd in Equatorial Guinea and demonstrate the effects of host developmental mode and elevation on Bd infections. We found that Bd infection loads are positively linked with elevation and that direct-developing species have higher average Bd loads than aquatic breeding species at all elevations. These patterns corroborate previous findings in afrotropical amphibian assemblages. Additionally, our study confirms the presence of Bd in continental Equatorial Guinea, providing updated information on the distribution of Bd in central Africa, and confirming the need for careful monitoring of this biodiverse region. Keywords: Bioko, Equatorial Guinea, Bd infection load, amphibian conservation Los efectos de la ecología del huésped y las condiciones ambientales en la dinámica de infección del hongo quítrido anfibio Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) se han documentado en varias regiones tropicales y montañosas de todo el mundo. Estas interacciones suelen ser complejas y únicas a escala local. Los datos sobre el sistema quitridiomicosis-anfibios histórico y actual faltan en gran medida en África, especialmente en África central. Realizamos la primera encuesta de Bd en Guinea Ecuatorial continental en 2019, y un muestreo extenso de la isla Bioko en 2011 y 2019. Nuestros resultados brindan información novedosa sobre la distribución y prevalencia de Bd en Guinea Ecuatorial y demuestran el efecto del modo de desarrollo del huésped y la elevación de las infecciones por Bd. Descubrimos que las cargas de infección por Bd están relacionadas positivamente con la elevación y que las especies en desarrollo directo tienen cargas promedio de Bd más altas que las especies acuáticas reproductoras a lo largo de la elevación. Estos patrones corroboran hallazgos previos en conjuntos de anfibios afrotropicales. Además, nuestro estudio confirma la presencia de Bd en Guinea Ecuatorial continental, proporcionando información actualizada sobre la distribución de Bd en África Central y confirmando la necesidad de un seguimiento cuidadoso de esta región biodiversa.
Complete patient exposure during paediatric brain cancer treatment for photon and proton therapy techniques including imaging procedures

Background In radiotherapy, especially when treating children, minimising exposure of healthy tissue can prevent the development of adverse outcomes, including second cancers. In this study we propose a validated Monte Carlo framework to evaluate the complete patient exposure during paediatric brain cancer treatment. Materials and methods Organ doses were calculated for treatment of a diffuse midline glioma (50.4 Gy with 1.8 Gy per fraction) on a 5-year-old anthropomorphic phantom with 3D-conformal radiotherapy, intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and intensity modulated pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton therapy. Doses from computed tomography (CT) for planning and on-board imaging for positioning (kV-cone beam CT and X-ray imaging) accounted for the estimate of the exposure of the patient including imaging therapeutic dose. For dose calculations we used validated Monte Carlo-based tools (PRIMO, TOPAS, PENELOPE), while lifetime attributable risk (LAR) was estimated from dose-response relationships for cancer induction, proposed by Schneider et al. Results Out-of-field organ dose equivalent data of proton therapy are lower, with doses between 0.6 mSv (testes) and 120 mSv (thyroid), when compared to photon therapy revealing the highest out-of-field doses for IMRT ranging between 43 mSv (testes) and 575 mSv (thyroid). Dose delivered by CT ranged between 0.01 mSv (testes) and 72 mSv (scapula) while a single imaging positioning ranged between 2 μSv (testes) and 1.3 mSv (thyroid) for CBCT and 0.03 μSv (testes) and 48 μSv (scapula) for X-ray. Adding imaging dose from CT and daily CBCT to the therapeutic demonstrated an important contribution of imaging to the overall radiation burden in the course of treatment, which is subsequently used to predict the LAR, for selected organs. Conclusion The complete patient exposure during paediatric brain cancer treatment was estimated by combining the results from different Monte Carlo-based dosimetry tools, showing that proton therapy allows significant reduction of the out-of-field doses and secondary cancer risk in selected organs.
Relation proies-prédateur-paysage chez la chouette effraie Tyto alba pendant l'élevage des jeunes

The use and composition of the home range of a male Barn Owl, during the breeding, was studied by means of radio-tracking; prey populations were also considered. Prey density was the same both inside and outside the home range; within it, prey density was more than twice as high in open fields than in areas with hedgerows. However, the Barn Owl hunted more often in the hedgerow habitat. This leads to a discussion on the influence of landscape structure on the foraging strategy of the Barn Owl
Latest Cretaceous mammals of upper part of Edmonton Formation of Alberta, Canada, and review of marsupial-placental dichotomy in mammalian evolution

7 Zoogeographic considerations of INTRODUCTION 8 Edmonton Formation multituberculates . 31 Acknowledgments 8 Subclass Theria—Infraclass PART I. —FOSSIL MAMMALS OF UPPER PART Metatheria—Order Marsupialia 33 OF EDMONTON FORMATION 9 Family Didelphidae Gray, 1821 33 Stratigraphy and geological setting of Genus Alphadon Simpson, 1927 33 Edmonton Formation 9 Alphadon marshi Simpson, 1927 33 Localities 12 Alphadon tvilsoni Lillegraven, n. sp. 39 Techniques of collecting 13 Alphadon rhaister Clemens, 1966 43 Techniques of study 13 Family Pediomyidae Clemens, 1966 44 Systematic descriptions and Genus Pediomys Marsh, 1889 44 evolutionary relationships 16 Pediomys elegans Marsh, 1889 44 Class Mammalia—Subclass AllotheriaPediomys krejcii Clemens, 1966 45 Order Mult ituberculata 16 Pediomys hatcheri (Osborn), 1898 47 Suborder Ptilodontoidea Family Stagodontidae Marsh, 1889 48 Sloan & Van Valen, 1965 16 Genus Didelphodon Marsh, 1889 48 Family Ectypodontidae Didelphodon vorax Marsh, 1889 48 Sloan & Van Valen, 1965 16 Zoogeographic considerations of Genus Mesodma Jepsen, 1940 16 Edmonton Formation marsupials 50 Mesodma hensleighi Lillegraven, n. sp. 16 Infraclass Eutheria—Order Insectivora 50 Mesodma formosa (Marsh), 1889 19 Family Leptictidae Gill, 1872 50 Mesodma thottlpsoni Clemens, 1963 19 Subfamily Gypsonictopinae Van Valen, 1967 . 50 Genus Cimcxomys Sloan & Van Valen, 1965 24 Genus Gypsonictops Simpson, 1927 50 Cimexomys priscus Lillegraven, n. sp. 24 Gypsonictops hypoconus Simpson, 1927 . 50 Family Cimolodontidae Gypsonictops illuminatus Lillegraven, n. sp. 51 Van Valen & Sloan, 1966 27 Order Deltatheridia Van Valen, 1966 61 Genus Cimolodon Marsh, 1889 27 Family Palaeoryctidae (Winge), Simpson, 1931 61 Cimolodon nitidus Marsh, 1889 27 Subfamily Didelphodontinae Matthew, 1918 . 61 Family Ptilodontidae Gregory & Genus Cimolestes Marsh, 1889 61 Simpson, 1926 29 Cimolestes cerberoides Lillegraven, n. sp. 61 Genus and species undetermined 29 Cimolestes pro palaeoryctes Suborder Taeniolabidoidea Lillegraven, n. sp. 69 Granger & Simpson, 1929 30 Cimolestes magnus Clemens & Russell, 1965 73 Family Cimolomyidae Marsh, 1889 30 Genus Batodon Marsh, 1892 81 Genus Cimolomys Marsh, 1889 30 Batodon tenuis Marsh, 1892 81 Cimolomys gracilis Marsh, 1889 30 Zoogeographic and evolutionary consideraCimolomys trochuus Lillegraven, n. sp. 30 tions of Edmonton Formation eutherians 85 Typescript and illustration materials received by Editor June 15, 1968. 4 The University of Kansas Paleontological Contributions
Hyperspectral Image Classification Using CapsNet With Well-Initialized Shallow Layers

In this letter, an alternative data-driven HSI classification model based on CapsNet is proposed rather than recently predominant convolutional neural network (CNN)-based models. To adjust the CapsNet to HSI classification, we tune a new CapsNet architecture with three convolutional layers. The added shallow layer provides higher level features to the primary capsules, which indirectly speeds up the following routing procedure. To guarantee a good convergence of the whole CapsNet, the three shallow layers are initialized by transferring convolutional parameters from a pretrained CNN model. The improved CapsNet-based models with and without vote strategy both achieve significantly superior performance in HSI classification to the state-of-the-art CNN-based methods on real hyperspectral data sets.
On Power-Law Relationships of the Internet Topology

Despite the apparent randomness of the Internet, we discover some surprisingly simple power-laws of the Internet topology. These power-laws hold for three snapshots of the Internet, between November 1997 and December 1998, despite a 45% growth of its size during that period. We show that our power-laws t the real data very well resulting in correlation coeecients of 96% or higher. Our observations provide a novel perspective of the structure of the Internet. The power-laws describe concisely skewed distributions of graph properties such as the node outdegree. In addition, these power-laws can be used to estimate important parameters such as the average neighborhood size, and facilitate the design and the performance analysis of protocols. Furthermore, we can use them to generate and select realistic topologies for simulation purposes. 1 Introduction \What does the Internet look like? " \Are there any topolog-ical properties that don't change in time? " \How will it look like a year from now? " \How can I generate Internet-like graphs for my simulations? " These are some of the questions motivating this work. In this paper, we study the topology of the Internet and we identify several power-laws. Furthermore, we discuss multiple beneets from understanding the topology of the Internet. First, we can design more eecient protocols that take advantage of its topological properties. Second, we can create more accurate artiicial models for simulation purposes. And third, we can derive estimates for topological parameters (e.g. the average number of neighbors within h
Small amounts of ammonium (NH 4+ ) can increase growth in maize ( Zea mays L.)

Nitrate (NO 3) and ammonium (NH 4+ ) are the predominant forms of nitrogen (N) available to plants in agricultural soils. Nitrate concentrations are generally ten times higher than those of NH 4+ and this ratio is consistent across a wide range of soil types. The possible contribution of these small concentrations of NH 4+ to the overall N budget of crop plants is often overlooked. In this study the importance of this for the growth and nitrogen budget of maize ( Zea mays ) was investigated, using agriculturally relevant concentrations of NH 4+ . Maize inbred line B73 was grown hydroponically for 30 days at low (0.5 mM) and sufficient (2.5 mM) levels of NO 3. Ammonium was added at 0.05 mM and 0.25 mM to both levels of NO 3. At low NO 3-levels, addition of NH 4+ was found to improve the growth of maize plants. This increased plant growth was accompanied by an increase in total N uptake, as well as total phosphorus, sulphur and other micronutrients in the shoot. Ammonium uptake capacity was higher than NO 3-uptake capacity for all the plants and decreased as the total N in the nutrient medium increased. This study shows that agriculturally relevant proportions of NH 4+ supplied in addition to NO 3-can increase growth in maize.