Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fox Squirrel and Gray Squirrel Associations within Minimally Disturbed Longleaf Pine Forests

Fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) are an important species in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forests. We estimated fox squirrel density within 6 minimally disturbed long- leaf pine strands, examined association between fox and gray squirrels (S. carolinensis), and measured habitat variables at fox and gray squirrel capture sites. Fox squirrel den- sity estimates ranged from 12-19 squirrels/km2 among study areas. Fox squirrel capture sites had higher pine basal area, higher total basal area, higher herbaceous groundcover, and lower woody groundcover than other sites. Gray squirrel capture sites had higher hardwood, oak, and total basal areas; lower pine basal area, higher woody groundcover, and less herbaceous groundcover than other sites. A strong negative association be- tween fox and gray squirrel capture sites appeared related to species-speci fic habitat preferences. Fox squirrel capture sites had higher pine and lower hardwood basal areas than gray squirrel capture sites. Further, herbaceous groundcover, especially wiregrass (Aristida stricta), dominated fox squirrel capture sites, whereas woody groundcover dominated gray squirrel capture sites. Logistic regression models indicated that pine basal area and herbaceous groundcover were positively related to probability of fox squirrel capture whereas fern groundcover was negatively related to the possibility of fox squirrel capture. Oak basal area and total basal area were positively related to prob- ability of gray squirrel capture whereas herbaceous groundcover was negatively related to possibility of gray squirrel capture. Oak basal area, total basal area, and herbaceous groundcover best discriminated between fox and gray squirrel capture sites. Prescribed fire retards hardwood enroachment, increases herbaceous groundcover, and thus may be critical to maintaining fox squirrel habitat. Proc. Annu. Conf. Southeast. Assoc. Fish and Wildl. Agencies 53: 364-374
Cyclophosphamide, thalidomide, and dexamethasone as induction therapy for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients destined for autologous stem-cell transplantation: MRC Myeloma IX randomized trial results

Background Thalidomide is active in multiple myeloma and is associated with minimal myelosuppression, making it a good candidate for induction therapy prior to high-dose therapy with autologous stem-cell transplantation. Design and Methods Oral cyclophosphamide, thalidomide, and dexamethasone was compared with infusional cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. Results The post-induction overall response rate (≥ partial response) for the intent-to-treat population was significantly higher with cyclophosphamide-thalidomide-dexamethasone (n=555) versus cyclophosphamide-vincristine-doxorubicin-dexamethasone (n=556); 82.5% versus 71.2%; odds ratio 1.91; 95% confidence interval 1.44–2.55; P<0.0001. The complete response rates were 13.0% with cyclophosphamide-thalidomide-dexamethasone and 8.1% with cyclophos-phamide-vincristine-doxorubicin-dexamethasone (P=0.0083), with this differential response being maintained in patients who received autologous stem-cell transplantation (post-transplant complete response 50.0% versus 37.2%, respectively; P=0.00052). Cyclophosphamide-thalidomide-dexamethasone was non-inferior to cyclophosphamide-vincristine-doxorubicin-dexamethasone for progression-free and overall survival, and there was a trend toward a late survival benefit with cyclophosphamide-thalidomide-dexamethasone in responders. A trend toward an overall survival advantage for cyclophosphamide-thalidomide-dexamethasone over cyclophosphamide-vincristine-doxorubicin-dexamethasone was also observed in a subgroup of patients with favorable interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization. Compared with cyclophosphamide-vincristine-doxorubicin-dexamethasone, cyclophosphamide-thalidomide-dexamethasone was associated with more constipation and somnolence, but a lower incidence of cytopenias. Conclusions The cyclophosphamide-thalidomide-dexamethasone regimen showed improved response rates and was not inferior in terms of survival outcomes to the standard infusional regimen of cyclophosphamide-vincristine-doxorubicin-dexamethasone. Based on its oral administration and the reduced incidence of infection and cytopenia, cyclophosphamide-thalidomide-dexa-methasone may be considered an effective induction therapy option for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. (ISRCTN: 68454111)
High-Resolution Seismic Velocity Structure of the Shallow Porcupine Basin From Traveltime Tomography and Waveform Inversion of Long-Streamer Data

The Porcupine Basin is a failed rift located in the North Atlantic margin southwest of Ireland. This triangular-shaped basin was formed after several rifting and subsidence phases during Late Palaeozoic and Cenozoic, with the most pronounced rift phase occurring in Late Jurassic– Early Cretaceous times. From the perspective of hydrocarbon exploration, the Porcupine Basin is one of the most attractive regions of the North Atlantic with potential hydrocarbon systems within the post-rift stratigraphic sequence (i.e. Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments). Seismic reflection lines reveal gas chimneys and seeps potentially associated with buried carbonate mounds and indicating the presence of deeper hydrocarbon systems within the post-rift section of the basin. Yet, these areas are not properly explored and little is known regarding properties of rocks, such as porosity and fluid content, both critical for reservoir characterisation. Here, we combine traveltime tomography and full waveform inversion of 10 km-long streamer data to obtain 2D seismic velocity images of the Cretaceous and Tertiary sequences of the Porcupine basin with unprecedented resolution. First, we apply traveltime tomography of automatically selected first arrivals from streamer field data. For those lines acquired in deep (~ 1000 m) water, we use a downward continuation method to redatum seismic shot gathers to the seafloor, which allows the identification of P-wave arrival times previously masked by the reflection at the seafloor. The resultant tomographic models resolve low-wavenumber P-wave velocity structures of the shallow Porcupine Basin providing a satisfactory starting model for the waveform inversion. This second step makes use of recent formulations of the misfit function between observed and synthetic waveforms, which enhance the robustness of the inversion and aims for finer resolution than traveltime tomography. The waveform inversion of streamer data is expected to provide sub-wavelength images of seismic velocities and in the long-term density and/or anisotropy. All these parameters can be used to derive physical properties of rocks and assess the potential of the post-rift sequence to host petroleum reservoirs. This publication has emanated from research supported in part by a research grant from Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) under Grant Number 13/RC/2092 and is co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund and by PIPCO RSG and its member companies AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90310 ©2017 AAPG/SEG International Conference and Exhibition, London, England, October 15-18, 2017
The Electrical Activity of the Nervous System

This is an extraordinarily interesting book. It is firstly the biography of an outstanding personality, but it also gives fascinating and intimate glimpses of the Victorian era and of many of its leading figures. Henry Thompson's early wishes to study medicine were opposed by his father who insisted on his entering the family business. Only at the age of 26, therefore, was he able to take up his life's work, becoming a medical student at University College Hospital. Here he came under the influence of Liston, some idea of which can be drawn from the fact that after Liston's sudden death more than 600 medical men and students attended his funeral at Highgate cemetery. As a house surgeon, one of Thompson's first dressers was Lister; it appears that it was he who suggested that Lister should go to Edinburgh to work with Syme. He gives a detailed account of medical student life of the time, including his enrolment as a special constable during the Chartist riots reminiscent of similar troubles in more recent times.
Transferring soils from high- to low-elevation forests increases nitrogen cycling rates: climate change implications

We assessed the potential impact of global warming resulting from a doubling of preindustrial atmospheric CO2 on soil net N transformations by transferring intact soil cores (0‐15 cm) from a high-elevation old-growth forest to a forest about 800 m lower in elevation in the central Oregon Cascade Mountains, USA. The lower elevation site had mean annual air and soil (10-cm mineral soil depth) temperatures about 2.4 and 3.9 °C higher than the high-elevation site, respectively. Annual rates of soil net N mineralization and nitrification more than doubled in soil transferred to the lowelevation site (17.2‐36.0 kg N ha ‐1 and 5.0‐10.7 kg NO3 ‐ ‐N ha ‐1 , respectively). Leaching of inorganic N from the surface soil (in the absence of plant uptake) also increased. The reciprocal treatment (transferring soil cores from the low- to the high-elevation site) resulted in decreases of about 70, 80, and 65% in annual rates of net N mineralization, nitrification, and inorganic N leaching, respectively. Laboratory incubations of soils under conditions of similar temperature and soil water potential suggest that the quality of soil organic matter is higher at the high-elevation site. Similar in situ rates of soil net N transformations between the two sites occurred because the lower temperature counteracts the effects of greater substrate quantity and quality at the high elevation site. Our results support the hypothesis that high-elevation, old-growth forest soils in the central Cascades have higher C and N storage than their low-elevation analogues primarily because low temperatures limit net C and N mineralization rates at higher elevations.
Using Bikeshare Datasets to Improve Urban Cycling Experience and Research Urban Cycling Behaviour

With access to public and shared transport systems becoming increasingly digitized, transaction datasets of unprecedented size as well as temporal and spatial precision are automatically generated (Blythe and Bryan 2007; Bagchi and White 2005; Pelletier et al. 2011). Data collected through smartcard payment methods are perhaps the largest and most obvious example. Although introduced for the purpose of improving payment processes, such data provide a detailed view of demand on a transport system, the potential for service improvements to be suggested (Ferrari et al. 2014) and an opportunity for studying individual traveller behaviour (Agard et al. 2006; Morency et al. 2006; Lathia et al. 2013). A substantial benefit of such data over more traditional data collection methods is that a complete and total record of usage for every smartcard customer is automatically generated (Bagchi and White 2005). Problems associated with sampling and recall bias, which make actively collected travel surveys somewhat difficult to administer, are avoided. The two most obvious disadvantages, at least for travel behaviour research, are that those individuals using smartcard technology may not be representative of the total population using that system or navigating a city more generally; and that variables such as individual trip purpose can only be inferred since they are not recorded directly.
Overview of sea cucumber aquaculture and sea-ranching research in the South-East Asian region

South-East Asia has traditionally been the global centre of production of tropical sea cucumbers for Chinese markets. Early research into culture methods took place outside this region, notably in India, the Pacific region and China. However, recent investment in Holothuria scabra (sandfish) culture has led to some significant advances within this region. The Philippines and Vietnam have been at the forefront of recent efforts, with involvement from substantial national programs and local institutions as well as international donors and scientific organisations. Smaller programs are ongoing in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Recent advances and simplifications in hatchery techniques are a major step forward, having promoted the development of experimental-scale sea-ranching ventures, and given rise to a small, commercial pond-based culture industry in Vietnam. Technology developments in nursery systems are likely to provide opportunities for culture enterprises in a broader range of environments than is now possible. A major research thrust in the Philippines towards developing cooperative sea-ranching enterprises has demonstrated good potential, and institutional/ legislative arrangements to ensure adequate property rights have been tested. Rotational culture with shrimp is proving successful in Vietnam, while the possibility of proximate co-culture of sandfish and shrimp has largely been ruled out. Small-scale experiments in the Philippines raise the possibility of co-culture in ponds with a number of finfish species. Current research directions are looking at diversifying technology to increase success in a range of coastal conditions, better understanding the social and biophysical conditions required for success, and finding ways of effectively scaling-out developed systems and technology.
ffect of climate and farm environment on Campylobacter spp . olonisation in Norwegian broiler flocks alin

Campylobacteriosis is the most frequently reported zoonosis in the EU. A recent report states that between 50% and 80% of the human campylobacteriosis cases could be attributed to broiler as a reservoir. The current study was conducted to investigate associations between the presence of Campylobacter spp. in Norwegian broiler flocks and factors related to the climate and the farm environment. Data from 18,488 broiler flocks from 623 different farms during 2002–2007 were included in the study. A logistic regression analysis was conducted where Campylobacter spp. status of a broiler flock at the time of slaughter was defined as the dependent variable and farm was modelled as a random effect. The following factors were found to increase the probability for a broiler flock to test positive for Campylobacter spp. : daily mean temperature above 6 ◦C during the rearing period, private water supply, presence of other livestock farms within a distance of 2 km, presence of other broiler farms within a distance of 4 km with flocks positive for Campylobacter spp. within 30 days prior to slaughter, heavy rainfall 11–30 days prior to slaughter, region and year. Daily mean temperature below 0 ◦C reduced the probability. The study emphasises the importance of the farm environment and the climate for the occurrence of Campylobacter spp. in broiler flocks. The farm environment is probably a part of the Campylobacter spp. pathway into and between broiler flocks where farmyard run-off and humans or flies entering the houses might constitute vehicles transporting the organism. Fly activity is temperaturedriven and flies might be a part of the explanation of the increased risk for Campylobacter spp. related to increased temperature demonstrated in the study.
Report Documentation Page Form Approved Track Structure Model of Cell Damage in Space Flight

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, toWashington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Je erson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the O ce of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188), Washington, DC 20503.
Effects of Light Crude Oil Contamination on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Fine Sand

The use of oil-contaminated sand in building and construction is now being considered as an alternative and cost-effective way to minimize its adverse effect on the environment. To achieve this, the effect of oil contamination on the important mechanical properties of sand should be investigated first. This study investigated the effect of petroleum-derived contaminants on the water absorption, permeability, cohesion, friction angle, and shear strength of fine sand. Contaminated samples were prepared by mixing fine sand with different percentages of light crude oil (0 to 20%). The results indicated that the water absorption of fine sand decreases with an increase in crude oil. An increase in the cohesion was observed for sand with up to 1% of oil contamination, after which the cohesion began to decrease, which also results in the reduction in the permeability. A slight reduction in the friction angle was found for oil-contaminated fine sand. At a low normal stress of 50 kPa, as the percentage of light crude oil increased, the shear strength increased up to 1% of oil contamination and then it decreased. These results provided useful information on how oil-contaminated sand can be used safely and effectively in building and construction.
Cloud identification model for sky images based on Otsu

Irradiance changes caused by clouds movement are the main factors, which lead to mutation of photovoltaic power. In order to increase the accuracy of the ultra-short-term photovoltaic power prediction, based on of clouds images, the cloud identification for sky images is one of the primary aspects for improving photovoltaic power accuracy. A cloud identification model for sky images is established based on Otsu. Firstly, a series of sky images are collected by Total Sky Imager (TSI) with the regions of clouds and sky are distinguished. Secondly, the color features (based on RGB values) of pixels in sample images and the spectral and texture features of the whole image are extracted; Finally, we established a cloud identification model for sky images based on Otsu according to the clouds' and sky areas' division and the general characteristics featured by pixels and images. The simulated results show that the model in this paper can identify the clouds in a sky images effectively.
Ten Years Later: What is special about transition countries?

Most countries commonly classified as ‘in transition’ are still recognisably different in several respects from other countries with a similar income per capita: a larger share of their work force is in industry, they use more energy, have a more extensive infrastructure and invest more in schooling. However, in terms of the ‘software’ necessary for a market economy, two groups emerge: the countries that are candidates for EU membership seem to have partly completed the transition. By contrast, the countries from the former Soviet Union that form the CIS and the Balkan countries are still lagging behind, especially in terms of the enforcement of property rights and the development of financial markets.
Vadose Zone Biodegradation of Benzene Vapors in Repacked and Undisturbed Soil Cores

Bench testing of petroleum biodegradation rates in vadose zone soils is typically associated with errors because transport conditions in laboratory systems are different from those found in the vadose zone. This work addressed the effect of soil structure and gas transport properties on hydrocarbon biodegradation in the unsaturated zone and we present a novel method for measuring biodegradation rates in intact and undisturbed soil columns of 100 cm3. To determine whether soil structure and gas diffusivity, defined as the ratio of the gas diffusion coefficient in soil to that in free air (Dp/D0), influence the outcome of aerobic benzene biodegradation experiments, measurements using identical sandy soils were performed on (i) undisturbed 100‐cm3 core samples; (ii) sieved (2‐mm) and repacked 100‐cm3 core samples; and (iii) soil samples (10 g) prepared as slurry microcosms. While slurry reactor experiments changed the first‐order rate constant (kw,1) significantly compared with undisturbed core samples, this was not the case for soil cores that had been sieved and repacked. This suggests that soil structure on a millimeter scale does not affect aerobic biodegradation in relatively unstructured sandy soils. Within differently textured soil cores, the biodegradation rate was found to increase with gas diffusivity when Dp/D0 < 0.02. This establishes gaseous O2 and petroleum vapor diffusion and distribution in soil profiles as a controlling factor for natural biodegradation of petroleum vapors.
Multimodel assessment of the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere: Tropics and global trends

The performance of 18 coupled Chemistry Climate Models (CCMs) in the Tropical Tropopause Layer (TTL) is evaluated using qualitative and quantitative diagnostics. Trends in tropopause quantities in the tropics and the extratropical Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere (UTLS) are analyzed. A quantitative grading methodology for evaluating CCMs is extended to include variability and used to develop four different grades for tropical tropopause temperature and pressure, water vapor and ozone. Four of the 18 models and the multi‐model mean meet quantitative and qualitative standards for reproducing key processes in the TTL. Several diagnostics are performed on a subset of the models analyzing the Tropopause Inversion Layer (TIL), Lagrangian cold point and TTL transit time. Historical decreases in tropical tropopause pressure and decreases in water vapor are simulated, lending confidence to future projections. The models simulate continued decreases in tropopause pressure in the 21st century, along with ∼1K increases per century in cold point tropopause temperature and 0.5–1 ppmv per century increases in water vapor above the tropical tropopause. TTL water vapor increases below the cold point. In two models, these trends are associated with 35% increases in TTL cloud fraction. These changes indicate significant perturbations to TTL processes, specifically to deep convective heating and humidity transport. Ozone in the extratropical lowermost stratosphere has significant and hemispheric asymmetric trends. O3 is projected to increase by nearly 30% due to ozone recovery in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) and due to enhancements in the stratospheric circulation. These UTLS ozone trends may have significant effects in the TTL and the troposphere.