Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Seed germination in a southern Australian temperate seagrass

In a series of experiments, seeds from a temperate seagrass species, Zostera nigricaulis collected in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, Australia were exposed to a range of salinities (20 PSU pulse/no pulse, 25 PSU, 30 PSU, 35 PSU), temperatures (13 °C, 17 °C, 22 °C), burial depths (0 cm, 1 cm, 2 cm) and site specific sediment characteristics (fine, medium, coarse) to quantify their impacts on germination rate and maximum overall germination. In southern Australia the seagrass Z. nigricaulis is a common subtidal species; however, little is known about the factors that affect seed germination which is a potential limiting factor in meadow resilience to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Overall seed germination was low (<20%) with germination decreasing to <10% when seeds were placed in the sediment. When germination of Z. nigricaulis seeds was observed, it was enhanced (greater overall germination and shorter time to germination) when seeds were exposed to a 20 PSU pulse for 24 h, maintained at salinity of 25 PSU, temperatures <13 °C, in sediments with fine or medium grain sand and buried at a depth of <1 cm. These results indicate that germination of Z. nigricaulis seeds under in situ conditions may be seasonally limited by temperatures in southern Australia. Seed germination may be further restricted by salinity as freshwater pulses reaching 20 PSU are typically only observed in Port Phillip Bay following large scale rainfall events. As a result, these populations may be particularly susceptible to disturbance with only a seasonally limited capacity for recovery.
Dynamics of Socioeconomic Risk Factors for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Malaria in an Armed Conflict

Background Armed conflict and war are among the leading causes of disability and premature death, and there is a growing share of civilians killed or injured during armed conflicts. A major part of the civilian suffering stems from indirect effects or collateral impact such as changing risk profiles for infectious diseases. We focused on rural communities in the western part of Côte d'Ivoire, where fighting took place during the Ivorian civil war in 2002/2003, and assessed the dynamics of socioeconomic risk factors for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and malaria. Methodology The same standardized and pre-tested questionnaires were administered to the heads of 182 randomly selected households in 25 villages in the region of Man, western Côte d'Ivoire, shortly before and after the 2002/2003 armed conflict. Principal Findings There was no difference in crowding as measured by the number of individuals per sleeping room, but the inadequate sanitation infrastructure prior to the conflict further worsened, and the availability and use of protective measures against mosquito bites and accessibility to health care infrastructure deteriorated. Although the direct causal chain between these findings and the conflict are incomplete, partially explained by the very nature of working in conflict areas, the timing and procedures of the survey, other sources and anecdotal evidence point toward a relationship between an increased risk of suffering from NTDs and malaria and armed conflict. Conclusion New research is needed to deepen our understanding of the often diffuse and neglected indirect effects of armed conflict and war, which may be worse than the more obvious, direct effects.
Sahara transit: times, spaces, people

Transit migration is not a completely new phenomenon. In fact the real novelty is that it is perceived or presented as new by international experts. By re-emphasising the transitory nature of migration the term reintroduces an aspect of uncertainty in migration patterns, associating social marginalisation with precarious impermanence and illegality with criminality and transit, in order to provide an argument to eliminate it. In fact it is only a minority of nationals of sub-Saharan African countries who, having crossed the Sahara, actually want to continue to Europe. The majority are happy to work more permanently in the Maghreb while cross border circulation continues on a seasonal basis. To confuse the figure of the trans-Saharan migrant with those of the victim stuck on a boat off the coast of Lampedusa or trapped in the forests of Bel Younes at Ceuta or Mariwari, near Mellila is to twist reality. There is one certainty, nevertheless, amongst all these approximations: the precarious status of transit migrants has grown as states have cooperated in border control operations and as solidarity between migrants and other migrants or non-migrants, which provides a safety net during migratory movements, has gradually faded. Across the Sahara, migrants in transit leave traces, particular changes in places which research must explain before they are totally erased, before both states and migrants themselves contribute for different reasons to their disappearance. The Sahara is not only a space that is crossed, it's also a place that is worked on, urbanised by the passage and residence of generations of migrants. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of Ghrelin on Mortality and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Experimental Rat and Mice Models of Heart Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Heart failure (HF) continues to be a challenging condition in terms of prevention and management of the disease. Studies have demonstrated various cardio-protective effects of Ghrelin. The aim of the study is to determine the effect of Ghrelin on mortality and cardiac function in experimental rats/mice models of HF. Methods Data sources: PUBMED, Scopus. We searched the Digital Dissertations and conference proceedings on Web of Science. Search methods: We systematically searched for all controlled trials (upto November 2014) which assessed the effects of Ghrelin (irrespective of dose, form, frequency, duration and route of administration) on mortality and cardiac function in rats/ mice models of HF. Ghrelin administration irrespective of dose, form, frequency, duration and route of administration. Data collection and analysis: Two authors independently assessed each abstract for eligibility and extracted data on characteristics of the experimental model used, intervention and outcome measures. We assessed the methodological quality by SYRCLE’s risk of bias tool for all studies and the quality of evidence by GRADEpro. We performed meta-analysis using RevMan 5.3. Results A total of 325 animals (rats and mice) were analyzed across seven studies. The meta-analysis revealed that the mortality in Ghrelin group was 31.1% and in control group was 40% (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.46 to 1.47) i.e Ghrelin group had 68 fewer deaths per 1000 (from 216 fewer to 188 more) as compared to the control group. The meta-analysis reveals that the heart rate in rats/mice on Ghrelin was higher (MD 13.11, 95% CI 1.14 to 25.08, P=0.66) while the mean arterial blood pressure (MD -1.38, 95% CI -5.16 to 2.41, P=0.48) and left ventricular end diastolic pressure (MD -2.45, 95% CI -4.46 to -0.43, P=0.02) were lower as compared to the those on placebo. There were insignificant changes in cardiac output (SMD 0.28, 95% CI -0.24 to 0.80, P=0.29) and left ventricular end systolic pressure (MD 1.48, 95% CI -3.86 to 6.82, P=0.59). Conclusions The existing data provides evidence to suggest that Ghrelin may lower the risk of mortality and improve cardiovascular outcomes. However; the quality of evidence as assessed by GRADEpro is low to very low. Clinical judgments to administer Ghrelin to patients with HF must be made on better designed animal studies.
Walking motion generation with online foot position adaptation based on ℓ1- and ℓ℞-norm penalty formulations

The article presents an improved formulation of an existing model predictive control scheme used to generate online “stable” walking motions for a humanoid robot. We introduce: (i) a change of variable that simplifies the optimization problem to be solved; (ii) a simply bounded formulation in the case when the positions of the feet are predetermined; (iii) a formulation allowing foot repositioning (when the system is perturbed) based on ℓ1- and ℓ℞-norm minimization; (iv) a formulation that accounts for (approximate) double support constraints when foot repositioning occurs.
Person name recognition in ASR outputs using continuous context models

The detection and characterization, in audiovisual documents, of speech utterances where person names are pronounced, is an important cue for spoken content analysis. This paper tackles the problematic of retrieving spoken person names in the 1-Best ASR outputs of broadcast TV shows. Our assumption is that a person name is a latent variable produced by the lexical context it appears in. Thereby, a spoken name could be derived from ASR outputs even if it has not been proposed by the speech recognition system. A new context modelling is proposed in order to capture lexical and structural information surrounding a spoken name. The fundamental hypothesis of this study has been validated on broadcast TV documents available in the context of the REPERE challenge.
Learning schema mappings

A schema mapping is a high-level specification of the relationship between a source schema and a target schema. Recently, a line of research has emerged that aims at deriving schema mappings automatically or semi-automatically with the help of data examples, i.e., pairs consisting of a source instance and a target instance that depict, in some precise sense, the intended behavior of the schema mapping. Several different uses of data examples for deriving, refining, or illustrating a schema mapping have already been proposed and studied. In this paper, we use the lens of computational learning theory to systematically investigate the problem of obtaining algorithmically a schema mapping from data examples. Our aim is to leverage the rich body of work on learning theory in order to develop a framework for exploring the power and the limitations of the various algorithmic methods for obtaining schema mappings from data examples. We focus on GAV schema mappings, that is, schema mappings specified by GAV (Global-As-View) constraints. GAV constraints are the most basic and the most widely supported language for specifying schema mappings. We present an efficient algorithm for learning GAV schema mappings using Angluin's model of exact learning with membership and equivalence queries. This is optimal, since we show that neither membership queries nor equivalence queries suffice, unless the source schema consists of unary relations only. We also obtain results concerning the learnability of schema mappings in the context of Valiant's well known PAC (Probably-Approximately-Correct) learning model. Finally, as a byproduct of our work, we show that there is no efficient algorithm for approximating the shortest GAV schema mapping fitting a given set of examples, unless the source schema consists of unary relations only.
Verbal Interaction of the Bongando in Central Zaire: With Special Reference to Their Addressee-Unspecified Loud Speech

Daily verbal interaction of the Bongando, Bantu farmers in central Zaire was studied. Their speech forms were classified into four categories by two criteria: nonloud/loud, and addressee-unspecified/addressee-specified. Frequency of speeches in each category was measured by the time sampling method, and contents of them were analyzed. In these categories. I paid attention to "Addressee-Unspecified Loud speech (AUL speech). '' This speech was uttered frequently, but completely differed from conversation. That is. (I) no "organizing device" of usual conversation, such as tum-taking system was confirmed, and (2) it was not certain that the speech was surely heard by others, and the people usually kept "ritual indifference" to the speech. By AUL speech, Bongando people manifested their own opinion, expressed complaints, and accomplished ·•feeling of co-presense. " AUL speech was uttered as the speaker's own accord, regardless of the listeners' circumstances. Even so, inconsistency between the speaker and the listeners did not occur, because AUL speech \vas •·cast" from the speaker, and was not certainly caught by others. This property ("castness") was thought to be an important method, which placed unrestrained AUL speech into the interaction system of the Bongando.
Nanorobotic manipulation setup for pick-and-place handling and nondestructive characterization of carbon nanotubes

A nanorobotic manipulation setup for the handling and characterization of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is presented. The nanorobotic setup can be integrated into a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and various endeffectors may be attached to the manipulator either for CNT handling or characterization. The pick-and-place task is carried out by using an electrothermal actuated microgripper, designed for controlled manipulation of nanotubes. The nanotube is picked up from an array of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and transferred to the tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM) probe in order to assemble a high-aspect ratio AFM supertip. Another application of the nanorobotic setup considered in this paper is the nondestructive mechanical characterization of CNTs. A piezoresistive AFM probe is used to bend MWCNTs, while the bending force is measured, in order to estimate the Young's modulus of the investigated MWCNTs.
Rates of convergence of the Hastings and Metropolis algorithms

We apply recent results in Markov chain theory to Hastings and Metropolis algorithms with either independent or symmetric candidate distributions, and provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the algorithms to converge at a geometric rate to a prescribed distribution $pi$. In the independence case (in $mathbb{R}^k$) these indicate that geometric convergence essentially occurs if and only if the candidate density is bounded below by a multiple of $pi$; in the symmetric case (in $mathbb{R}$ only) we show geometric convergence essentially occurs if and only if $pi$ has geometric tails. We also evaluate recently developed computable bounds on the rates of convergence in this context: examples show that these theoretical bounds can be inherently extremely conservative, although when the chain is stochastically monotone the bounds may well be effective.
Tiled polygon traversal using half-plane edge functions

Existing techniques for traversing a polygon generate fragments one (or more) rows or columns at a time. (A fragment is all the information needed to paint one pixel of the polygon.) This order is non-optimal for many operations. For example, most frame buffers are tiled into rectangular pages, and there is a cost associated with accessing a different page. Pixel processing is more efficient if all fragments of a polygon on one page are generated before any fragments on a different page. Similarly, texture caches have reduced miss rates if fragments are generated in tiles (and even tiles of tiles) whose size depends upon the cache organization. We describe a polygon traversal algorithm that generates fragments in a tiled fashion. That is, it generates all fragments of a polygon within a rectangle (tile) before generating any fragments in another rectangle. For a single level of tiling, our algorithm requires one additional saved context (the values of all interpolator accumulators, such as Z depth, Red, Green, Blue, etc.) over a traditional traversal algorithm based upon half-plane edge functions. An additional level of tiling requires another saved context for the special case of rectangle copies, or three more for the general case. We describe how to use this algorithm to generate fragments in an optimal order for several common scenarios.
A Versatile Endoribonuclease Mimic Made of DNA: Characteristics and Applications of the 8–17 RNA‐Cleaving DNAzyme

Enzymes play a crucial role in all living organisms by accelerating the rates of a myriad of biochemical reactions that are necessary to sustain life. Although the vast majority of known enzymes are made of protein, in recent years it has become increasingly apparent that other molecular formats, like nucleic acids, can also serve in this capacity. DNAzymes (also known as deoxyribozymes) are synthetic enzymes made of short, single strands of deoxyribonucleic acid. These DNA‐based enzymes offer the prospect of significant commercial utility, because they are exceptionally stable and can be produced very easily and inexpensively. The study of one particular DNAzyme, known as “8–17”, has enhanced our understanding of DNAzyme‐mediated catalysis. Moreover, the function of 8–17 has been regarded with special importance because it can catalyze sequence‐specific cleavage of RNA, a reaction that has broad implications in biotechnology and biomedical fields. In this review, we explore the creation, characterization, and application of the 8–17 RNA‐cleaving DNAzyme.
A text-to-speech synthesis system for telugu

In this paper, a diphone based Text-to-Speech (TTS) sys-tem for the Telugu language is presented. Telugu is one of the main south-Indian languages spoken by more than 100 million people. Speech output is generated using the Fes-tival Speech Synthesis System and the MBROLA synthesis engine. The design and collection of diphones and voice buildingprocessaredescribed. Ourtextanalysismodule, the methods used for segment duration and generation of pitch contours are brieﬂy discussed. Also, we present waveform generation techniques used in both MBROLA and Festival synthesis systems.
Isolation and Connection: The Experience of Distance Education

In 2013, the Student Centre at The University of Tasmania began researching the development of distance learning support. A survey was designed as part of this endeavour, which attracted 1002 responses. The survey’s broad context focused on the primary drawbacks and benefits of distance education in general and sought to identify emergent themes characterising students’ experience with distance education. The narrow context targeted utilization of the university’s online services. This paper presents key broad context results, providing a ground for further research informed directly by student experience. Certain aspects of the analysis are explicated through the lens of existing theoretical frameworks, particularly those of Moore, Tinto, and Holmberg. But the results also contribute directly to theory by revealing complexity and internal differentiation in the dominant themes of ‘connection’, ‘contact’, ‘isolation’ and ‘consideration’; and reinforcing the student perspective as a key dimension of theoretical conceptualisations of distance education itself.
Attovial‐based antibody nanoarrays

Antibody array‐based technology is a powerful emerging tool in proteomics, but to enable global proteome analysis, antibody array layouts with even higher density has to be developed. To this end, we have further developed the first generation of a nanoarray platform, based on attoliter‐sized vials, attovials, which we have characterized and used for the detection of complement factor C1q in human serum samples. Finally, we demonstrated proof‐of‐concept for individual functionalization of the attovials with a recombinant antibody.
Canonical labeling of graphs

We announce an algebraic approach to the problem of assigning canonical forms to graphs. We compute canonical forms and the associated canonical labelings (or renumberings) in polynomial time for graphs of bounded valence, in moderately exponential, exp(n½ + &ogr;(1)),time for general graphs, in subexponential, nlog n, time for tournaments and for 2-(&ngr;,&kgr;,&lgr;) block designs with &kgr;,&lgr; bounded and nlog log n time for &lgr;-planes (symmetric designs) with &lgr; bounded. We prove some related problems NP-hard and indicate some open problems.
Glial cell loss in the anterior cingulate cortex, a subregion of the prefrontal cortex, in subjects with schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE Structural deficits in the anterior cingulate cortex such as changes in glial cell and neuron numbers may be part of the anatomical substrate for schizophrenia and need to be investigated. The total number of neurons and glial cells in brains of 12 schizophrenia subjects and 14 comparison subjects were determined in two subdivisions of the prefrontal cortex: Brodmann's area 24, a part of the anterior cingulate cortex, and Brodmann's area 32 in the paracingulate cortex. METHOD The estimate of the total cell number was obtained by multiplying the volume of the region (estimated by using Cavalieri's point counting method) by the numerical density obtained from optical disectors in the cytoarchitectonically defined areas from the prefrontal cortex. RESULTS The average total of bilateral glial cells in Brodmann's area 24 was 201 x 10(6 )in subjects with schizophrenia and 302 x 10(6 )in comparison subjects, a statistically significant difference of 33%, whereas there was a nonsignificant difference between the schizophrenia subjects and the comparison subjects in total number of glial cells in Brodmann's area 32. The bilateral average total number of neurons in areas 24 and 32 did not differ significantly between the schizophrenia and comparison subjects. CONCLUSIONS A selective reduction in glial cells in Brodmann's area 24 (but not in area 32) is seen in brains of subjects with schizophrenia relative to those of comparison subjects. Further investigations of the glial cells, their mutual relationship, and their relationship with neurons are needed to understand the role of specific glial components in this mental disorder.
Fusion of Smile, Valence and NGram Features for Automatic Affect Detection

This paper addresses the problem of feature fusion between smile, as a visual feature, and text, as a transcription result. The influence of smile over semantic data has been considered before, without investigating multiple approaches for the fusion. This problem is multi-modal, which makes it more difficult. The goal of this article is to investigate how this fusion could increase the current interactivity of a dialogue system by boosting the automatic detection rate of the sentiments expressed by a human user. There are two original propositions in our approach. The first lies in the use of a segmented detection for text data, rather than predicting a single label for every document (video). Second, this paper studies the importance of several features in the process of multi-modal fusion. Our approach uses basic features, such as NGrams, Smile Presence or Valence to find the best fusion approach. Moreover, we test a two level classification approach, using a SVM.
Extensible signaling framework for decentralized network management applications

The management of network infrastructures has become increasingly complex over time, which is mainly attributed to the introduction of new functionality to support emerging services and applications. To address this important issue, research efforts in the last few years focused on developing Software-Defined Networking solutions. While initial work proposed centralized architectures, their scalability limitations have led researchers to investigate a distributed control plane, with controller placement algorithms and mechanisms for building a logically centralized network view, being examples of challenges addressed. A critical issue that has not been adequately addressed concerns the communication between distributed decision-making entities to ensure configuration consistency. To this end, this paper proposes a signaling framework that can allow the exchange of information in distributed management and control scenarios. The benefits of the proposed framework are illustrated through a realistic network resource management use case. Based on simulation, we demonstrate the flexibility and extensibility of our solution in meeting the requirements of distributed decision-making processes.