Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Buoyancy, salt tolerance and germination of coastal seeds: implications for oceanic hydrochorous dispersal

Many coastal plant species are widely distributed, including several pan-global species. Long-distance dispersal and physiological resilience of diaspores (i.e. the plant dispersal unit encompassing the seed and any additional surrounding or attached tissues at dispersal) to adverse environmental conditions are possible contributors to the presence of species over hundreds of kilometres of coastline. Dispersal by water (hydrochory) may occur in coastal habitats. This study investigated diaspore traits considered important for oceanic hydrochorous dispersal, including morphology, buoyancy and survival in seawater, and germination under saline conditions for 13 species common to Holocene dune communities in Western Australia. Of the diaspores of 13 species dominant in this coastal community, 11 floated in seawater, with 7 having >50% of diaspores buoyant after 14 days and some diaspores remaining buoyant for 70 days. Of the 10 species that germinated, diaspores of 9 survived exposure to seawater for up to 70 days. Germination of physiologically dormant seeds contained within indehiscent woody fruits and physically dormant seeds was least affected by time in seawater. The effects of varying concentrations of NaCl (0–500 mM) on germination differed between species, but most were able to recover and germinate when transferred to non-saline water. Three different patterns of salt response were observed. It appears likely a combination of diaspore traits, rather than a single factor, facilitate oceanic hydrochorous dispersal.
Cynanchum and the Cynanchinae (Apocynaceae – Asclepiadoideae): a molecular, anatomical and latex triterpenoid study

Abstract The phylogeny of the genus Cynanchum s. str. is studied using cpDNA spacers and ITS. Morphological, anatomical and latex triterpenoid data are interpreted in light of the molecular results, and discrepancies are discussed. Vegetative characters are better indicators of relationship than floral characters, especially corona characters. The monophyly of all Malagasy species and, nested within the latter, of all stem-succulent taxa is ascertained and the genera Folotsia, Karimbolea, Platykeleba and Sarcostemma are subsumed under Cynanchum. One African species, C. galgalense, is excluded from Cynanchum.
Dynamic Analysis and Model Identification of an Unmanned Helicopter

The main difficulties in modelling dynamics of a helicopter arise from the nonlinearities, cross-couplings, dynamic uncertainties, and structure complexity of these aerocraft. This paper illustrates a simple and accurate identification approach, modes partition method (MPM), for helicopter dynamics modelling. Working from first principles and basic aerodynamics, the model structures of each channel are derived from two essential components, i.e., main-rotor system and tail-rotor system. The corresponding models are identified from frequency-sweep test data through genetic algorithm (GA). Off-axis coupling are analysed through coherence functions. It is shown that the coupling effects of a small-scale helicopter could be ignored. Therefore, the identified SISO models are used for flight controller design. The desired performance of the PID controller implemented on the helicopter was demonstrated by the automatic flight experiments.
Pre‐adaptive plasticity in atherinids and the estuarine seat of teleost evolution

With the aid of models and selected examples, an analysis of speciation within the family Atherinidae is presented. This is a large family of pelagic fish, many members of which look strikingly similar. They are primarily a marine coastal group, favouring sheltered estuaries and lagoons, although in some regions they have invaded fresh waters. Many atherinids show a high degree of intraspecific morphological variability which can be linked to their estuarine habitat. It is argued that estuarine and lagoonal environments are physically highly variable and this has acted to select for generalist genotypes able to adjust their morphology, physiology and behaviour to a wide range of conditions. Such plasticity pre-adapts atherinids to invade and rapidly speciate in fresh waters containing vacant niches. Examples of such invasions and speciation are presented, and the rate of evolution discussed. The selective forces acting on atherinids should be common to other fish groups, suggesting that many freshwater fish may have estuarine ancestors. The influence of estuaries in evolution may be out of all proportion to their size.
Replacement and growth of primary feathers in captive rock pigeons, Columba livia (Aves: Columbidae)

The replacement and growth of 311 primary feathers of eight captive male rock pigeons, Columba livia Gmelin, 1789 were monitored daily. Feather replacement was recorded in all months, but the primaries 1 to 5 (innermost primaries) were replaced mostly from September to December, whereas the primaries 6 to 10 (outermost primaries) were more frequently replaced from January to August. Each primary was held in plumage from six to fifteen months, but the lifetime of the outer feathers was longer than that of the inner feathers. A new primary emerges two or three days after its predecessor has been dropped, but the primaries replacing the feathers accidentally lost during bird handling emerge only after about eight days. The average growth period of a primary ranged from 21 to 37 days, with the larger and outermost feathers exhibiting a longer growth period. A constant average growth rate of 4 to 5 mm/day was found for all primaries until the last two days of growth, when the growth rate of the feathers became progressively slower. Bilateral symmetry in the primary replacement, when the same feather is replaced simultaneously in both wings, was not significant (22.2%) in the birds monitored in this study.
Effects of chitosan hydrolysates on lipid absorption and on serum and liver lipid concentration in rats

The enzymatic hydrolysates of chitosan with average molecular weights range from 5000 to 20000 and with low viscosity interfered with intestinal absorption of cholesterol in lymph fistulated rats and increased fecal excretion of neutral steroids in rats fed a cholesterol-enriched diet. The hydrolysates exerted a cholesterol-lowering activity, and it was more marked in the liver than in the serum. They also reduced liver triglyceride significantly. Chitosan hydrolysates with average molecular weights of 10000-20000 were as effective as high-viscous chitosan with a molecular weight of 50000. The results indicate usability of low-viscosity chitosan hydrolysate as a hypocholesterolemic agent.
Effect of a lucerne feeding strategy in the first week postpartum on feed intake and ketone body profiles in blood plasma, urine, and milk in Holstein cows

Abstract The objectives were to investigate the effects of a lucerne feeding strategy to postpartum transition dairy cows on feed intake and ketone body profiles in plasma, urine, and milk. At calving, 13 Holstein cows were assigned to one of two treatments: a control lactation diet or a lucerne haylage lactation diet (lucerne) in the first week postpartum. From week 2 to 4 postpartum, all cows were fed the control lactation diet. In the first week postpartum, dry matter intake (DMI) was unaffected by treatment, but during week 2–4 postpartum, DMI was lower for lucerne as compared with control. The concentrations of ketone bodies in plasma, urine, and milk tended to be greater at 4 days in milk for lucerne as compared with control. Plasma concentrations of ketone bodies correlated stronger to urinary concentrations than to milk concentrations.
Italian validation of CoViD-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index and preliminary data in a sample of general population.

INTRODUCTION Peritraumatic distress is an important predictor of post-traumatic stress disorder and although several questionnaires are available for its measurement, none of these are specific to CoViD-19. The new CoViD-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI), developed in China, is characterized as a rapid compilation tool (10 minutes), easily understandable and appreciated by people. AIM The objectives of this study were: (1) the validation of the Italian version of the CPDI, and (2) the measurement of the prevalence of peritraumatic distress in this phase 1 CoViD-19. METHOD CPDI has been translated using a standard forward-backward-translation procedure and offered online to 329 people (191 females and 137 males, aged 46.49 ± 13.58 years). The CPDI showed an internal-consistency of Cronbach's α =0.916. Content validity was judged satisfactory by two psychologists experienced in stress and trauma. The construct validity is given by the high correlation with the dimensions of Intrusion, Avoidance and Hyperarousal as measured by the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (r=0.63, r=0.57, r=0.71, respectively). RESULTS Our results are comparable to the Chinese ones. A third of people experienced symptoms of mild/moderate and severe peritraumatic distress. Females have higher scores, compared to males. Older people are more resilient, compared to younger, and those who have been in quarantine report less distress than those didn't, as evidenced by the results of the multivariate logistic regression model. High distress was associated with use of psychotropic drugs (AOR=4.28; 95% CI=1.55-11.85), sleeping remedies (AOR=4.05; 95% CI=2.07-7.94), be worried about dying in case of contagion CoViD-19 (AOR=3.33; 95% CI=1.83-6.06), female gender (AOR=2.95; 95% CI=1.58-5.53) and have a religious belief (AOR=1.97; 95% CI=1.05-3.70). To be aged 51-71 years, to have been in quarantine and to have received psychological support were variables associated with lower distress scores. CONCLUSIONS The psychometric properties of the Italian version are satisfactory and confirm that CPDI is a tool fast, non-intrusive, administered online, and therefore 'safe' in a phase with a high risk of contagion. It allows, like a psychic thermoscan, to quickly detect the needs of the population and propose equally rapid interventions.
Earthquake Prediction using Machine Learning Algorithm

Per the statistics received from BBC, data varies for every earthquake occurred till date. Approximately, up to thousands are dead, about 50,000 are injured, around 1-3 Million are dislocated, while a significant amount go missing and homeless. Almost 100% structural damage is experienced. It also affects the economic loss, varying from 10 to 16 million dollars. A magnitude corresponding to 5 and above is classified as deadliest. The most life-threatening earthquake occurred till date took place in Indonesia where about 3 million were dead, 1-2 million were injured and the structural damage accounted to 100%. Hence, the consequences of earthquake are devastating and are not limited to loss and damage of living as well as nonliving, but it also causes significant amount of change-from surrounding and lifestyle to economic. Every such parameter desiderates into forecasting earthquake. A couple of minutes’ notice and individuals can act to shield themselves from damage and demise; can decrease harm and monetary misfortunes, and property, characteristic assets can be secured. In current scenario, an accurate forecaster is designed and developed, a system that will forecast the catastrophe. It focuses on detecting early signs of earthquake by using machine learning algorithms. System is entitled to basic steps of developing learning systems along with life cycle of data science. Data-sets for Indian sub-continental along with rest of the World are collected from government sources. Pre-processing of data is followed by construction of stacking model that combines Random Forest and Support Vector Machine Algorithms. Algorithms develop this mathematical model reliant on “training data-set”. Model looks for pattern that leads to catastrophe and adapt to it in its building, so as to settle on choices and forecasts without being expressly customized to play out the task. After forecast, we broadcast the message to government officials and across various platforms. The focus of information to obtain is keenly represented by the 3 factors – Time, Locality and Magnitude.
Complementary Gene Interactions in Alfalfa are Greater in Autotetraploids than Diploids

Greater complementary gene interaction in autotetraploid alfalfa (Medicago sativa L., 2n=4x=32) may explain differences in vigor and breeding behavior between diploids and autotetraploids. Complementary gene interaction is nonallelic gene interaction or epistasis where dominant alleles at heterozygous loci may complement each other by masking recessive alleles at respective loci. This paper describes how tetrasomic segregations of linkage blocks in linkage disequilibrium produce tetraploid individuals and populations with greater complementary gene interaction than is possible at the diploid level
Free subgroups with torsion quotients and profinite subgroups with torus quotients

Here “group” means abelian group. Compact connected groups contain ı-subgroups, that is, compact totally disconnected subgroups with torus quotients, which are essential ingredients in the important Resolution Theorem, a description of compact groups. Dually, full free subgroups of discrete torsion-free groups of finite rank are studied in order to obtain a comprehensive picture of the abundance of ı-subgroups of a protorus. Associated concepts are also considered. Mathematics Subject Classification (2010). Primary: 22C05; Secondary: 20K15, 22B05.
Time-averaged transport in oscillatory squeeze flow of a viscoelastic fluid

Periodically-driven flows are known to generate non-zero, time-averaged fluxes of heat or solute species, due to the interactions of out-of-phase velocity and temperature/concentration fields, respectively. Herein, we investigate such transport (a form of the well-known Taylor--Aris dispersion) in the gap between two parallel plates, one of which oscillates vertically, generating a time-periodic squeeze flow of either a newtonian or Maxwellian fluid. Using the method of multiple time-scale homogenization, the mass/heat balance equation describing transport in this flow is reduced to a one-dimensional advection--diffusion--reaction equation. This result indicates three effective mechanisms in the mass/heat transfer in the system: an effective diffusion that spreads mass/heat along the concentration/temperature gradient, an effective advective flux, and an effective reaction that releases or absorbs mass/heat - in the time-averaged frame. Our results demonstrate that there exist resonant modes under which the velocity peaks when the dimensionless plate oscillation frequency (embodied by the Womersley number, the ratio of the transient inertia to viscous forces) approaches specific values. As a result, transport in this flow is significantly influenced by the dimensionless frequency. On the one hand, the effective, time-averaged dispersion coefficient is always larger than the molecular diffusivity, and is sharply enhanced near resonance. The interaction between fluid elasticity and the oscillatory forcing enhances the efficiency of transport in the system. On the other hand, the identified effective advection and reaction mechanisms may transport mass/heat from regions of high concentration/temperature to those of low concentration/temperature, or vice versa, depending on the value of dimensionless frequency.
A thousand days after the merger: Continued X-ray emission from GW170817

Recent observations with the Chandra X-ray telescope continue to detect X-ray emission from the transient GW170817. In a total exposure of 96.6 ks, performed between 2020 March 9 and 16 (935–942 d after the merger), a total of 8 photons are measured at the source position, corresponding to a significance of ≈5σ. Radio monitoring with the Australian Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) shows instead that the source has faded below our detection threshold (<33 $\mu$Jy, 3σ). By assuming a constant spectral index of β = 0.585, we derive an unabsorbed X-ray flux of ≈1.4 × 10−15 erg cm−2 s−1, higher than earlier predictions, yet still consistent with a simple structured jet model. We discuss possible scenarios that could account for prolonged emission in X-rays. The current data set appears consistent both with energy injection by a long-lived central engine and with the onset of a kilonova afterglow, arising from the interaction of the sub-relativistic merger ejecta with the surrounding medium. Long-term monitoring of this source will be essential to test these different models.
Temperatura e substrato para o teste de germinação de sementes de pinhão-manso

Nao existem criterios para a execucao de testes de germinacao para sementes de pinhao manso publicados nas normas oficiais para analise de sementes. Assim, objetivou-se com esta pesquisa determinar o substrato, temperatura e tempo de contagem para o teste de germinacao de sementes de pinhao-manso. Para o teste de germinacao utilizaram-se quatro repeticoes de 20 sementes, contabilizando-se diariamente as plântulas normais ate que a germinacao cessasse. Inicialmente, foram avaliados os substratos em semeaduras entre vermiculita, em rolo de papel, entre areia e entre solo na temperatura alternada 20-30oC. Os substratos mais favoraveis a germinacao foram avaliados numa etapa seguinte, nas temperaturas constantes de 25, 30 e 35°C e alternadas de 15-35°C; 20-35°C e 20-30°C. Concluiu-se que o teste de germinacao de sementes de pinhao-manso deve ser realizado na temperatura alternada 20-30oC, em substrato areia ou papel e com contagem final aos 10 dias da semeadura.
LIPASE-CATALYZED MODIFICATION OF SESAME OIL TO INCORPORATE CAPRIC ACID

Sesame oil was modified to incorporate capric acids (C10:0) with an immobilized lipase, IM60, from Rhizomucor miehei. Transesterification was performed with and without organic solvent. After 24 h incubation in hexane, there was an average of 28.3±3.5 mol% incorporation of C10:0 into sesame oil. The solvent-free reaction produced an average of 25.7p±4.3 mol% capric acid. As enzyme load, substrate mole ratio, and incubation time increased, mol% capric acid incorporation also increased. For the time course reaction, incorporation of C10:0 increased up to 34.3 and 25.3 mol%, at 72 h and 8 h, for the hexane and solvent-free reactions, respectively. The highest C10:0 incorporation (62.2 mol%) occurred at a mole ratio of 1:7 (sesame oil/C10:0) in hexane and for the solventfree reaction (35.7 mol%) was obtained at a mole ratio of 1:5 and 1:7. At a lipase load of 15%, incorporation of C10:0 reached optimal values of 30.0 and 25.2 mol% for the reactions with and without hexane, respectively. There was a decline in mol% incorporation of C10:0 into sesame oil in hexane with the addition of increasing amounts of water ranging from 0–12%. With no added water, C10:0
Relation between Plant Density and Yield Components in Soybean Plants

A series of experiments were carried out to investigate the appropriate plant density to get average yield of more than 300 kg/10 a continuously and to find the yield components that contribute to higher yield, i.e. the components that tend to prevent yield reduction due to dense planting. The experiments were conducted for three years at the experimental field of Faculty of Agriculture, Tohoku University, where five determinate cultivars (Fig. 1) were grown by single planting per hill with plant density ranged from 3 to 100 hills per m2. The results are summarized as follows : 1. In general, the yield tended to increase with increase of plant density. More than 25 plants per m2 and average maximum 6.0 LAI (Leaf Area Index) were necessary to harvest more than 300 kg/10 a continuously. To obtain high and stable yield under more than 25 plants per m2, special attentions such as progresses of new cultural techniques to lodging or new cultivars with lodging resistance should be paid. 2. Relative values of most growth parameters per m2 at the density of 100 plants/m2, ranged from 2.1 to 3, 4 times larger, comparing with those at the density of 6 plants/m2. Branch and node number per m2, on the other hand, were 5.5 and 6.1 times larger respectively. Therefore the yield increase by denser planting was chiefly suggested to due to the increase of the two yield components.
Predicting Different Acoustic Features from EEG and towards direct synthesis of Audio Waveform from EEG

In [1,2] authors provided preliminary results for synthesizing speech from electroencephalography (EEG) features where they first predict acoustic features from EEG features and then the speech is reconstructed from the predicted acoustic features using griffin lim reconstruction algorithm. In this paper we first introduce a deep learning model that takes raw EEG waveform signals as input and directly produces audio waveform as output. We then demonstrate predicting 16 different acoustic features from EEG features. We demonstrate our results for both spoken and listen condition in this paper. The results presented in this paper shows how different acoustic features are related to non-invasive neural EEG signals recorded during speech perception and production.
A Pairwise Probe for Understanding BERT Fine-Tuning on Machine Reading Comprehension

Pre-trained models have brought significant improvements to many NLP tasks and have been extensively analyzed. But little is known about the effect of fine-tuning on specific tasks. Intuitively, people may agree that a pre-trained model already learns semantic representations of words (e.g. synonyms are closer to each other) and fine-tuning further improves its capabilities which require more complicated reasoning (e.g. coreference resolution, entity boundary detection, etc). However, how to verify these arguments analytically and quantitatively is a challenging task and there are few works focus on this topic. In this paper, inspired by the observation that most probing tasks involve identifying matched pairs of phrases (e.g. coreference requires matching an entity and a pronoun), we propose a pairwise probe to understand BERT fine-tuning on the machine reading comprehension (MRC) task. Specifically, we identify five phenomena in MRC. According to pairwise probing tasks, we compare the performance of each layer's hidden representation of pre-trained and fine-tuned BERT. The proposed pairwise probe alleviates the problem of distraction from inaccurate model training and makes a robust and quantitative comparison. Our experimental analysis leads to highly confident conclusions: (1) Fine-tuning has little effect on the fundamental and low-level information and general semantic tasks. (2) For specific abilities required for downstream tasks, fine-tuned BERT is better than pre-trained BERT and such gaps are obvious after the fifth layer.
Rethinking Empirical Evaluation of Adversarial Robustness Using First-Order Attack Methods

We identify three common cases that lead to overestimation of adversarial accuracy against bounded first-order attack methods, which is popularly used as a proxy for adversarial robustness in empirical studies. For each case, we propose compensation methods that either address sources of inaccurate gradient computation, such as numerical instability near zero and non-differentiability, or reduce the total number of back-propagations for iterative attacks by approximating second-order information. These compensation methods can be combined with existing attack methods for a more precise empirical evaluation metric. We illustrate the impact of these three cases with examples of practical interest, such as benchmarking model capacity and regularization techniques for robustness. Overall, our work shows that overestimated adversarial accuracy that is not indicative of robustness is prevalent even for conventionally trained deep neural networks, and highlights cautions of using empirical evaluation without guaranteed bounds.