Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modelling local attitudes to Protected Areas in developing countries.

During a time of intensifying competition for land, Protected Areas (PAs) are coming under increasing pressure to justify their status. Positive local attitudes to a PA are a potentially important component of any such justification, especially in the developing world where human pressure on natural resources is often high. However, despite numerous studies our understanding of what drives positive attitudes to PAs is still exceedingly limited. Here, we review the literature on local attitudes towards PAs in developing countries. Our survey reveals a highly fragmented research area where studies typically lack an explicit conceptual basis, and where there is wide variation in choice of statistical approach, explanatory and response variables, and incorporation of contextual information. Nevertheless, there is a relatively high degree of concordance between studies, with certain variables showing strong associations with attitudes. We recommend that PA attitude researchers in developing countries adopt a more rigorous model building approach based on a clear conceptual framework and drawing on the extensive empirical literature. Such an approach would improve the quality of research, increase comparability, and provide a stronger basis to support conservation decision-making.
Transdermal Scopolamine in the Management of Postparotidectomy Salivary Fistula

Parotid fistula represents an uncommon complication in parotid surgery. Its early recognition contributes to successful management. The condition is distressing for both the patient and the surgeon, since conservative and operative treatment frequently fail. There is no consensus on the optimal management of parotid gland fistula. The aim of this study is to describe a new, simple procedure in the treatment of this condition using transdermal scopolamine. We report 3 cases of salivary fistulae occurring after parotidectomy. The patients were admitted to our department with swelling in the parotid region and an output of clear drainage from the drain site during oral intake. The patients were treated with a scopolamine transdermal release system applied to hairless skin overlying the parotid region. A prompt and remarkable decrease in daily salivary output was observed. Fistulae healed completely within 3 days. No collateral effects were observed. Parotid fistulae do not generally occur as a complication of parotidectomies. Their management can be difficult, and several methods of treatment have been attempted. We believe that the use of transdermal scopolamine is a valid option in the treatment of parotid fistulae without causing collateral effects.
Graph based techniques for user personalization of news streams

In this paper, we address the problem of user personalization and recommendation of news streams. This involves 'learning' from past user behaviour, such as the articles she read or did not read and accurately predicting new articles which she would be most likely to read. Our contribution in this paper is the development of a new algorithm for news personalization using an adaptation of the classical nearest neighbour algorithm coupled with a knowledge graph which we create. This algorithm provides a powerful tool for user behaviour analysis as we demonstrate in subsequent sections. Using implicit user data like the articles that were read as well as the articles that weren't along with their position and distance in the graph, we rank new articles on the basis of the predicted interest of the user in the content of that article.
Condition assessment of power transformer bushing using SFRA and DGA as auxiliary tools

Dielectric insulation of a transformer bushing deteriorates as a function of temperature, oxidation, and moisture. This causes accelerated aging of oil and cellulosic solid insulation, generating fault gases within bushing oil and eventual permanent failure. To prevent such failures, effective analyses and diagnoses need to be investigated. Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA) can give the indication of internal abnormalities inside the transformer bushing. In addition, Frequency response analysis (FRA) is a widely accepted tool for mechanical deformation diagnosis within power transformers. Although a large number of studies have been conducted on the detection of transformer winding deformation by FRA technique, the impact of bushing faults on the transformer FRA signature has not been sufficiently investigated. It is the goal of this paper to propose precise simulation as well as practical analyses demonstrating the impact of bushing faults on the FRA signature. A real transformer bushing geometry is modelled through 3D finite element analysis (FEM) on which different bushing faults are emulated. To verify the derived simulation results, DGA of transformer oil as well as FRA are performed on a three-phase, 132 kV, 315 MVA power transformer. It can be observed clearly from the results, that bushing faults have an impact on the FRA signature and DGA of the power transformer.
Moonlighting Proteins in Yeasts

SUMMARY Proteins able to participate in unrelated biological processes have been grouped under the generic name of moonlighting proteins. Work with different yeast species has uncovered a great number of moonlighting proteins and shown their importance for adequate functioning of the yeast cell. Moonlighting activities in yeasts include such diverse functions as control of gene expression, organelle assembly, and modification of the activity of metabolic pathways. In this review, we consider several well-studied moonlighting proteins in different yeast species, paying attention to the experimental approaches used to identify them and the evidence that supports their participation in the unexpected function. Usually, moonlighting activities have been uncovered unexpectedly, and up to now, no satisfactory way to predict moonlighting activities has been found. Among the well-characterized moonlighting proteins in yeasts, enzymes from the glycolytic pathway appear to be prominent. For some cases, it is shown that despite close phylogenetic relationships, moonlighting activities are not necessarily conserved among yeast species. Organisms may utilize moonlighting to add a new layer of regulation to conventional regulatory networks. The existence of this type of proteins in yeasts should be taken into account when designing mutant screens or in attempts to model or modify yeast metabolism.
Collision detection method using image segmentation for the visually impaired

To assist the visually impaired (VI), a variety of collision detection methods using monocular vision have been developed. Most conventional collision detection methods for the VI utilize feature points and their corresponding motion vectors. However, when the VI subject approaches a non-textured object/obstacle, such as a door or wall, the conventional methods often fail to detect the collision on account of insufficient feature points and inaccurate motion vectors. To address this problem, this paper presents a collision detection method using image segmentation. In the proposed method, the input frame is over-segmented into superpixels by using the superpixel lattices algorithm. The segmentation result is then obtained by applying a graph-based region merging algorithm to the superpixels. Finally, the collision is detected using the geometric relationship between the size variation of the image segment and the distance variation from the camera to that segment in a real-world environment. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method handles a variety of scenarios, including a non-textured object, while outperforming conventional methods in terms of accuracy.
Proposals of Sphingomonas paucimobilis gen. nov. and comb. nov., Sphingomonas parapaucimobilis sp. nov., Sphingomonas yanoikuyae sp. nov., Sphingomonas adhaesiva sp. nov., Sphingomonas capsulata comb, nov., and Two Genospecies of the Genus Sphingomonas

Based on the partial nucleotide sequence analysis of 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA), presence of unique sphingoglycolipids in cellular lipid, and the major type of ubiquinone (Q10), we propose Sphingomonas gen. nov. with the type species Sphingomonas paucimobilis (Holmes et al, 1977) comb. nov. From the homology values of deoxyribonucleic acid‐deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization and the phenotypic characteristics, three new species, Sphingomonas parapaucimobilis, Sphingomonas yanoikuyae, Sphingomonas adhaesiva, and one new combination, Sphingomonas capsulata, are described. S. par apaucimobilis JCM 7510 (=GIFU 11387), S. yanoikuyae JCM 7371 (=GIFU 9882), and S. adhaesiva JCM 7370 (=GIFU 11458) are designated as the type strains of the three new species. Emended description of the type strain of S. capsulata is presented.
A droop control method of microsources based on divided self-adjusting slope coefficient

Microgrid, as a new effective way for large scale new energy and renewable energy power generation systems connected to the grid, injects new vigor into the power system. Focusing on the characteristics of P-f (active power versus frequency) droop and Q-V (reactive power versus voltage) droop, on the basis of analyzing the variable slope coefficient of droop characteristic, a droop control method of microsources based on divided self-adjusting slope coefficient is proposed in this paper. By calculating the quantity of the load fluctuation, this control method dynamically adjusts the active and reactive power maximums of inverters in the range of the inverter ratings to change the slope coefficients of droop curves. The aim of this method is to decrease the deviation of the frequency and voltage magnitude of the microgrid bus effectively. The simulation result verifies the correctness and feasibility of this control method.
The genetic consequences of selection in natural populations

The selection coefficient, s, quantifies the strength of selection acting on a genetic variant. Despite this parameter's central importance to population genetic models, until recently we have known relatively little about the value of s in natural populations. With the development of molecular genetic techniques in the late 20th century and the sequencing technologies that followed, biologists are now able to identify genetic variants and directly relate them to organismal fitness. We reviewed the literature for published estimates of natural selection acting at the genetic level and found over 3000 estimates of selection coefficients from 79 studies. Selection coefficients were roughly exponentially distributed, suggesting that the impact of selection at the genetic level is generally weak but can occasionally be quite strong. We used both nonparametric statistics and formal random‐effects meta‐analysis to determine how selection varies across biological and methodological categories. Selection was stronger when measured over shorter timescales, with the mean magnitude of s greatest for studies that measured selection within a single generation. Our analyses found conflicting trends when considering how selection varies with the genetic scale (e.g., SNPs or haplotypes) at which it is measured, suggesting a need for further research. Besides these quantitative conclusions, we highlight key issues in the calculation, interpretation, and reporting of selection coefficients and provide recommendations for future research.
Pre‐operative fibrinogen supplementation in cardiac surgery patients. More is not always better

Excessive bleeding during and after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is frequent and can lead to prolonged mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit length of stay, increased incidence of post-operative complications, and higher mortality. Although bleeding etiology is usually complex and multifactorial, a number of factors have been identified (Fig. 1). The use of CPB itself will lead to a complex coagulopathy as eloquently described by Despotis et al. in 1999: (1) hemodilutional coagulopathy due to the CPB prime, cardioplegia, and administration of fluids to maintain optimal cardiac output; (2) coagulation activation due to tissue injury and the contact between blood and non-endothelial cells; and (3) consumption coagulopathy due to the generation of thrombin, plasmin, and mediators of inflammation. In addition, anticoagulation using unfractioned heparin, both protamine underand over-dosage, and homeostatic perturbations (hypothermia, acidemia, hypocalcemia, etc.) will increase the incidence of excessive post-operative blood loss. The complexity of the surgical procedures performed can significantly influence bleeding, with a higher risk in case of emergent surgery performed in a critically patients, reoperations, and complex aortic surgeries requiring deep hypothermic cardiac arrest. Patient-related factors certainly influence perioperative coagulopathy. Indeed, as a result of advances in interventional cardiology and endovascular repair, patients undergoing surgery are older and have an increased rate of severe comorbidities. Exposure to new antiplatelet agents or oral anticoagulants increase the peri-operative
Do Climate Mitigation Efforts Hurt Trade Performance

This article provides new evidence on the effect of a difference in climate policy between trading partners on their bilateral trade flow for a sample of developed and developing countries over the 1980-2010 period. It innovates in two aspects. First, while previous studies have used partial measures of climate regulation, we estimate a measure of performance of a country’s domestic efforts for climate mitigation. This measure is the difference between observed CO2 emissions levels and “structural” emissions, i.e. the emissions predicted by the determinants of environmental degradation as identified and modelled in the literature. Second, the effect of these efforts on bilateral trade flows is assessed using a gravity model. A difference in domestic efforts between trading partners has no effect on aggregate trade flows. Put differently, weak domestic efforts do not imply comparative advantage. In addition, similarities in domestic efforts, whether they are lax or stringent, are not shown to affect trade flows. These results are not influenced by the goods’ characteristics (manufactured goods or raw materials) and are robust for different estimators.
Identification of a Novel Role of ZMIZ2 Protein in Regulating the Activity of the Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway*

Background: ZMIZ2 is a transcriptional coactivator, but its biological role has not been fully investigated. Results: We demonstrate a promotional role of ZMIZ2 in β-catenin-mediated transcription and cell growth using a variety of biologically relevant in vitro and in vivo approaches. Conclusion: ZMIZ2 is a coactivator of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Significance: This study explores a novel mechanism for PIAS-like proteins in regulating Wnt signaling pathways. ZMIZ2, also named ZIMP7, is a protein inhibitor of activated STAT (PIAS)-like protein and a transcriptional coactivator. In this study, we investigated the interaction between ZMIZ2 and β-catenin, a key regulator of the Wnt signaling pathway. We demonstrated that the expression of exogenous ZMIZ2 augments TCF (T cell factor) and β-catenin-mediated transcription. In contrast, shRNA knockdown of ZMIZ2 expression specifically represses the enhancement of TCF/β-catenin-mediated transcription by ZMIZ2. Using Wnt3a-conditioned medium, we demonstrated that ZMIZ2 can enhance Wnt ligand-induced TCF/β-catenin-mediated transcription. We also showed a promotional role of ZMIZ2 in enhancing β-catenin downstream target gene expression in human cells and in Zmiz2 null (Zmiz2−/−) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). The regulatory role of Zmiz2 in Wnt-induced TCF/β-catenin-mediated transcription can be restored in Zmiz2−/− MEFs that were infected with adenoviral expression vectors for Zmiz2. Moreover, enhancement of Zmiz2 on TCF/β-catenin-mediated transcription was further demonstrated in Zmiz2 knockout and Axin2 reporter compound mice. Furthermore, the protein-protein interaction between ZMIZ2 and β-catenin was identified by co-immunoprecipitation and in vitro protein pulldown assays. We also observed recruitment of endogenous ZMIZ2 onto the promoter region of the Axin 2 gene, a β-catenin downstream target promoter, in a Wnt ligand-inducible manner. Finally, a promotional role of ZMIZ2 on cell growth was demonstrated in human cell lines and Zmiz2 knockout MEFs. Our findings demonstrate a novel interaction between ZMIZ2 and β-catenin and elucidate a novel mechanism for PIAS-like proteins in regulating Wnt signaling pathways.
Multisource data fusion for image classification using fisher criterion based nearest feature space approach

In this paper, a novel technique, known as nearest feature space (NFS) approach, is proposed for supervised classification of multisource images for the purpose of landslide hazard assessment. It is developed for land cover classification based on the fusion of remotely sensed images of the same scene collected from multiple sources. This approach presents a framework for data fusion of multisource remotely sensed images, which consists of two approaches, referred to as band generation process (BGP) and Fisher criterion based NFS classifier. Compared to the original NFS, we propose an improve NFS classifier which uses the Fisher criterion of between-class and within-class discrimination to enhance the original one. In the training phase, the labeled samples are discriminated by the Fisher criterion, which can be treated as a pre-processing of NFS. Finally, the classification results can be obtained by NFS algorithm. In order for the proposed NFS to be effective for multispectral images, a multiple adaptation BGP is introduced to create a new set of additional bands especially accommodated to landslide classes. Experimental results demonstrate the proposed BGP/NFS approach is suitable for land cover classification in earth remote sensing and improves the precision of image classification.
Prevalence and predictors of pain and fatigue after stroke: a population-based study

Pain and fatigue are two often overlooked symptoms after stroke. Their prevalence and determinants are not well understood. In this study patients with first-ever stroke (n=377) were examined at baseline and after 1 year. General characteristics of the patients, as well as stroke type, stroke severity and risk factors were registered at baseline. After 1 year survivors (n=253) were examined with respect to residual impairment, disability, cognition and depression. They were asked whether they had experienced pain and/or fatigue which had started after the stroke, and which the patient felt to be stroke related. Twenty-eight patients (11%) had stroke-associated pain and 135 (53%) had stroke-associated fatigue. Pain was associated with depression and different manifestations of stroke severity, especially degree of paresis at baseline. Fatigue was more associated with physical disability. In univariate analysis, fatigue was also associated with sleep disturbances. In conclusion, it is important to be aware of the occurrence of pain and fatigue after stroke, because these symptoms are common, they impair quality of life and they are potentially treatable. Post-stroke depression may coexist with pain and fatigue. The detection of one symptom should lead to consideration of the others. Follow-up and individual assessment of stroke patients is crucial.
HIV‐1‐based defective lentiviral vectors efficiently transduce human monocytes‐derived macrophages and suppress replication of wild‐type HIV‐1

Human monocytes play an important role in mediating human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) infection of the central nervous system (CNS), and monocytes‐derived macrophages (MDM) represent a major viral reservoir within the brain and other target organs. Current gene transduction of MDM is hindered by a limited efficiency. In this study we established a lentiviral vector‐based technique for improved gene transfer into human MDM cultures in vitro and demonstrated significant protection of transduced MDM from super‐infection with wild‐type HIV‐1.
Impacts of tax and firing costs on size of the informal sector and unemployment

Within the literature on the informal sector, there has been numerous research on the impact of labour regulation and the tax rate on productivity on the size of the informal sector (IS) and unemployment. These effects have mostly been analysed with the aid of search and matching models. However, we have observed, that the impact of labour regulation on the size of the informal sector and unemployment rate has not been estimated empirically. On the other hand, the effect of the tax rate on the size of the informal sector has been analysed with the aid of various theoretical and empirical models respectively. Our paper attempts to bridge the gap in the theoretical and empirical literature by demonstrating that a change in firing costs generates a trade off in the decision to operate in the informal sector or become unemployed. However, an increase in the tax rate on production can neutralise the impact of higher firing costs on unemployment. We use a dynamic general equilibrium model to show how a change in firing costs or tax rate affects the incentive of an agent to operate in the informal sector as well as the consequences for unemployment. The model’s parameters are calibrated with values used in the general literature to demonstrate analytically the impact of firing costs and the tax rate on the size of the informal sector and unemployment. Our results show that an increase in firing costs decreases the relative size of the IS but raises the unemployment rate. However, a rise in the tax rate increases the relative size of the informal sector but reduces the unemployment rate. Next, we apply panel data analysis to estimate the effect of firing costs and direct tax for a panel of 93 countries between 2000 and 2007. We find that our empirical results are consistent with the results from our theoretical model. Our results reveals how the kind of regulation (labour or non-labour) can have a direct impact on the mobility of factors of production between the formal and informal sector respectively. It also shows how regulatory policy can be refined to maximize the trade-off between the informal sector and unemployment.
Business Groups in Emerging Markets: A Survey and Analysis

ABSTRACT Research in the economics, finance, and management literature has sought to describe the predominance of business groups using an economic lens for decades. Yet, theory still falls short of explaining the role of business groups as a substitute for external markets as their influence only increases as countries develop. This article synthesizes the literature and posits that three main problems hinder its explanatory power; the difficulty of defining and identifying business groups, the focus on social welfare implications, and that the embeddedness of the central theories in a decidedly Anglo-American, developed economy perspective. Finally, suggestions for addressing these issues, along with accompanying hypotheses, are presented to further future research.