Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dissecting changes and differences of selective pressures in the evolution of human pigmentation

Human pigmentation is a highly diverse and complex trait among populations, and has drawn particular attention from both academic and non-academic investigators for thousands of years. This diversity may be adapted for ultraviolet radiation and shaped by natural selection. Previous studies detected selection signals in several human pigmentation genes, but few studies have examined how multiple genes contributed to the evolution of human pigmentation. Moreover, none has quantified selective pressures on human pigmentation over epochs and between populations. Here, we dissect changes and differences of selective pressures during different periods and between distinct populations with new approaches. We propose a new model with multiple populations to estimate historical changes of selective pressures by summarizing selective pressures on multiple genes. We collected genotype data of 19 genes associated with human pigmentation from 15 datasets, and obtained data for 2498 individuals of five representative populations from worldwide. Our results reveal not only a recent incremental change of selective pressure (13.32 × 10−3/generation) in modern Europeans, but also a significant historical increase of selective pressure (14.60 × 10−3/generation) on light pigmentation shared by all Eurasians during the Out-of-Africa event. Our results also suggest that several derived alleles recently associated with human dark pigmentation may be under directional selection. Thus, directional selection not only affects light pigmentation in Eurasians, but also influences dark pigmentation in Africans. Our study provides quantitative information on the evolution of human pigmentation, and may facilitate studies of the evolution of other complex traits.
Efficiency of early selection in Calycophyllum spruceanum and Guazuma crinita, two fast-growing timber species of the Peruvian Amazon

Bolaina (Guazuma crinita Mart., Malvaceae) and capirona (Calycophyllum spruceanum (Benth.) Hook. f. ex K. Schum. , Rubiaceae) are fast-growing Amazonian timber trees. In Peru, they are increasingly being used in agroforestry systems and plantations, and interest in developing improved germplasm is growing. However, tree improvement incurs both direct costs and interest costs on investments; because of this, early selection is of interest. We examine the efficiency of early selection 13 or 17 months after field trial establishment. These are compared with selection after 49 or 53 months using two efficiency metrics: one based on discounted response to selection per unit of present value of cost, and the second on net discounted revenues, using discount rates of 5%, 10%, and 15%. Our metrics differed from those used in previous studies by taking into account direct costs, as well as costs of capital. We found that in most scenarios, early selection was attractive, partly due to direct cost savings. We conclu.
Measurement of refractive index of optical materials using improved Brewster method

Refractive index is one of the most important physical parameters of the materials. Owe to its great influence on the working characteristics of an optical systems, high accuracy measurement is required. Many methods have been proposed such as the v-prism method, the minimum deviation angle method, and the interferometric method. However, for the restriction of the principle, the shape of the sample is required to be a parallel plate or a prism with a specific shape. The sample with only spherical or aspheric surfaces cannot be tested. In this paper, an improved Brewster method is proposed to measure the refractive index of optical materials with arbitrary shapes. Brewster law can be expressed as that the reflectivity of the P-polarized light approaches zero when it is incident in the Brewster angle, which is the inverse trigonometric value of the refractive index. In the original method, a parallel laser beam with P polarization is incident on the sample, and reflected by it to a photodiode to get the intensity. The minimum intensity position corresponding to Brewster angle can be found by changing the incident angle. The reflecting surface of the sample need to be planar to provide smooth reflective area with a size greater than the beam diameter. In the improved method, a laser probe focusing on the sample and an array detector are used instead of the parallel beam and the photodiode. The minimum intensity position can be found with image processing technology. Since the laser beam is focused on the sample, only a tiny area with a size of 10 microns for reflection is needed. Thus, whatever the shape of the sample is, the method can be used. In order to demonstrate the feasibility, samples with different shapes such as a prism, a parallel plate and a lens was tested, and the accuracy of the results could all reach the order of magnitude of 10-3.
Using gradient orientation for edgel detection

Selection of suitable thresholds for edgel detection is discussed. An analysis of the variation in gradient direction is performed to estimate the probability density function of gradient direction as a function of image signal-to-noise ratio. A direction band about the mean of the PDF is determined on the basis of the minimum acceptable fraction of the cumulative neighborhood gradient magnitudes due to those gradients which have directions within the band. The proposed algorithm thus bases edgel detection on the distribution of local gradient direction rather than merely the magnitude response. Corners and small-radius curves are accommodated by permitting multiple histogram peaks with attendant reduction in both the minimum cumulative response fraction required and the direction bandwidth. <<ETX>>
Vibration measurement technique for repeated fiber-optic hydrophone transmission cable system

Fiber-optic hydrophone can be used to monitor and detect the weak acoustic signal in the marine environment. It has the characteristics of high sensitivity, good frequency response and wide dynamic range. In order to detect the acoustic signal in the open sea, the repeated fiber-optic hydrophone transmission system is necessary to realize the long-distance transmission. Due to the unidirectional optical isolation of the repeater in the optical transmission path, the Rayleigh back-scattered light of the optical cable after the repeater cannot be returned to be detected, so there is no means to monitor the status of the optical cable after the repeater. In order to realize the monitoring of the vibration state of the submarine cable after the repeated fiber-optic hydrophone transmission systems, a vibration measurement technique based on the combination of distributed acoustic sensing(DAS) technology and the optical cross coupling technology between each amplifier pair of the repeater is proposed. In order to reduce the influence of optical surge caused by the returned optical pulse amplification, the multi-wavelength pulse of optical fiber hydrophone is used as the filling light pulse of distributed vibration detection. The Rayleigh back-scattered light with vibration information is amplified by the repeater through the cross-coupling path, then detected and demodulated by Heterodyne detection technology, and the vibration information is acquired. A distributed fiber-optic vibration sensing system for repeated fiber-optic hydrophone transmission system is established in the laboratory. The system can not only use the multi-wavelength light of fiberoptic hydrophone as the filling light of distributed vibration detection, but also filter the Rayleigh back-scattered light induced by the multi-wavelength light , so as to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of detection. The system can accurately locate the vibration of optical cable within 5km after the repeater in real time, and the maximum measured vibration frequency is 2kHz. The power spectrum density fluctuation at 1kHz is less than 2dB. The experimental results show that the coupling optical path does not affect the demodulation of the fiber-optic hydrophone array signal by the fiber- optic hydrophone demodulation system.
A review of advancements in coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations

ABSTRACT Over the last few years, coarse-grained molecular dynamics has emerged as a way to model large and complex systems in an efficient and inexpensive manner due to its lowered resolution, faster dynamics, and larger time steps. However, developing coarse-grained models and subsequently, the accurate interaction potentials (force-field parameters) is a challenging task. Traditional parameterisation techniques, although tedious, have been used extensively to develop CG models for a variety of solvent, soft-matter and biological systems. With the advent of sophisticated optimisation methods, machine learning, and hybrid approaches for force-field parameterisation, models with a higher degree of transferability and accuracy can be developed in a shorter period of time. We review here, some of these traditional and advanced parameterisation techniques while also shedding light on several transferable CG models developed in our group over the years using such an advanced method developed by us. These models, including solvents, polymers and biomolecules have helped us study important solute-solvent interactions and complex polymer architectures, thus paving a way to make experimentally verifiable observations.
Unmasking the Enigma of Cerebral Palsy: A Traditional Review

Cerebral palsy is a group of neuromuscular diseases that is primarily common in the pediatric population and is the most common cause of neurological and motor disability in children. Cerebral palsy is comprised of various subtypes with the most common type being spastic cerebral palsy. It is highly associated with prematurity and affects nerve function, motor function, and intellectual capacity. It is also associated with nutritional deficiencies and gastrointestinal dysfunction. Cerebral palsy is diagnosed via clinical evaluation and does not have specific laboratory or image findings, but certain imaging findings are positively correlated with it. There are numerous interventions and treatment modalities that are aimed at ensuring the highest quality of life for the patient and their families. This article was compiled with peer-reviewed publications from the PubMed database in which various keywords were utilized in the search engine. These peer-reviewed articles were selected without geographical restrictions and selected based on the use of the English language. These articles were also selected on the restriction of publication within the last 10 years. This review article on cerebral palsy will serve as a medium of education for the physician, healthcare team, and family involved in the management of children or adults with cerebral palsy. It is important because it discusses the possible etiologies, diagnostic and assessment techniques, prevention methods, and possible rehabilitation interventions. This article aims to broaden the reader's understanding of cerebral palsy and answer any questions that may arise during the management of this disease. The management of cerebral palsy is often plagued with frustration, depression, and anxiety. The main goal of treatment is to attain the highest quality of life for the family and the child.
Gc-ms analysis of Pavetta corymbosa lipophilic extract and its antimicrobial activity

Pavetta corymbosa is a medicinal plant used as remedy for infectious diseases in Nigerian traditional medicine. In this study, analysis of chemical composition of lipophilic extract and the antimicrobial activity of the extract were carried out with a view to discovering effective phytomedicine. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analysis carried out showed that 9-methyl octadecanoic acid- ethyl ester (22.6%), cyclotetracosane (15.3%), 2,4,6-trimethyl hexacosanoic acid- methyl ester (12.7%) and 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid- methyl ester (12.1%) were present as the major chemical components at the indicated percent composition. The antimicrobial activity on clinical susceptible, standard and resistant species was carried out using disc diffusion and broth-micro-dilution techniques as recommended by CLSI. The lipophilic extract showed significant antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus faecalis with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.624 mg/ml, whilst fungal species such as Candida albicans and Candida krusei had MIC of 1.25 mg/ml. The antimicrobial potency of the lipophilic extract is attributed to fatty acids/esters chemo types present therein. It was concluded that P. corymbosa lipophilic extract could be exploited as complimentary source of antimicrobial agents. Keywords : P. corymbosa , antibacterial, antifungal activities, fatty acid methyl esters, GC-MS.
Understanding content sharing on the internet: test of a cognitive-affective-conative model

With the prevalence of user-generated content on the internet, this study aims to propose a cognitive-affective-conative model to examine how users create and share their content online. The moderating role of gender differences is also tested in the model. ,This study collects a representative sample of 873 internet users via a nation-wide survey in Taiwan. ,The results show that hedonic value has a positive impact on internet satisfaction, and social value affects life satisfaction and internet satisfaction positively. Both life satisfaction and internet satisfaction are positively related to content sharing on the internet. In particular, the positive effect of life satisfaction on online content sharing is greater for male users than for female users. ,This study contributes to the existing literature by investigating online content sharing behavior from the cognitive-affective-conative perspective. This study also provides a better understanding of this behavior by simultaneously examining life satisfaction and internet satisfaction as two underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, gender differences play an important role in determining content sharing on the internet. ,For digital marketing practitioners, this study suggests several online editing and social mechanisms for encouraging users' engagement in content sharing behavior on the internet. ,This study is one of the first that examines a cognitive-affective-conative framework of content sharing behavior on the internet. This study also demonstrates boundary conditions of this framework by testing the moderating role of gender differences.
University Students’ Perceptions of the Reasons for Success and Failure: A Qualitative Study

This study aims to reveal the reasons for students’ success and failure based on their own perceptions. University students served as the participants of this study in which the phenomenological method was used. Data was collected with the listing questions, developed by the researcher, which took place in the semi-structured interview form. According to the results of the study, the factors that affect both success and failure the most are personal. In addition, findings suggest that success is a relative concept from one’s personal perspective. It is thought that monitoring students and organizing both learning and sheltering environments, in accordance with their interests and needs after they are placed in university, will boost their success. Further studies may provide different perspectives by focusing on the reasons for success and failure based on the opinions of families and academics.
Seasonal and Interannual Variations of CO2 Fluxes Over 10 Years in an Alpine Wetland on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau

Alpine wetlands play a sensitive function in global carbon cycle during the ongoing climate warming, yet the temporal patterns of carbon dynamics from in situ ground‐based long‐term observations remain unclear. Here, we analyzed the continuous net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) measured with the eddy covariance technique over an alpine peatland on the northeastern Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau from 2007 to 2016. The wetland acted as a net CO2 source with a positive NEE (120.4 ± 34.8 gC m−2 year−1, Mean ± SD), with the mean annual gross primary productivity (GPP) of 500.3 ± 59.4 gC m−2 year−1 and annual ecosystem respiration (RES) of 620.7 ± 74.2 gC m−2 year−1. At the seasonal scale, the classification and regression trees (CART) analysis showed that aggregated growing season degree days (GDDs) were the predominant determinant on variations in monthly NEE and monthly GPP. Variations in monthly RES were determined by soil temperature (Ts). Furthermore, nongrowing season Ts had a significant positive correlation with the following year annual GPP (p < 0.05). Nongrowing season RES only accounted for about 25% of annual RES but had significant correlation with annual RES and annual NEE (p < 0.05). The further partial correlation analysis showed that nongrowing season air temperature (Ta, p = 0.05), rather than precipitation (PPT, p = 0.25) was a predominant determinant on variations in annual NEE. Our results highlighted the importance in carbon dynamics of climate fluctuations and CO2 emission from the nongrowing season in alpine wetlands. We speculated that the vast peadlands would positively feedback to climate change on the Tibetan plateau where the nongrowing season warming was significant.
Bipolar and unipolar schemes for confined band variable switching frequency PWM based inverter

The single phase inverter performance through the unipolar and bipolar strategies has been previously analyzed based on the constant switching frequency pulse width modulation (CSFPWM). However, the confined band variable switching frequency PWM (CB-VSFPWM) is currently proposed as a new variable switching frequency PWM technique through unipolar strategy to facilitate the design of high order filter, to reduce the switching losses, and to reduce the current total harmonics distortion (THD) as well. To evaluate the performance of a single phase inverter based on the CBVSFPWM through bipolar strategy, this paper presents a comparative study of the CB-VSFPWM based inverter performance using the unipolar PWM and the bipolar PWM strategies. The study adopts MATLAB/Simulink to simulate the inverter and to analyze the simulation results in terms of harmonics spectrum, total harmonic distortion (THD), and fundamental components. The analysis of the study results gives an indication about the appropriate type of CB-VSFPWM strategy (unipolar PWM or bipolar PWM) to guarantee the desired performance of the connected inverter in terms of the electrical grid standards like THD, and harmonics spectrum of the inverter current.
The Criminalization of Immigration and Intellectual Disability in the United States

Public attitudes, negative stereotypes, and stigma are essential to cultural narratives about the membership status of people with intellectual disability and people who have immigrated to the United States. With a concern for the exclusion of people from participation in democratic societies, this mixed methods study explores conceptual links between the criminalization of intellectual disability and immigration. The overlay of criminal justice norms and practices onto civil law without parallel adoption of safeguards results in the misallocation of risk to individuals with out-group membership status. This study offers conceptual analysis by applying to the policy issue, standard of proof of intellectual disability in death penalty cases, the framework of membership theory and related constructs present in the scholarly literature on immigration policy. Exact measures logistic regression is used to predictively link states’ standards of proof of intellectual disability with immigration status. It was found that the best model predicting the probability of a Higher than Preponderance standard of proof of intellectual disability in death penalty cases was a two-variable model consisting of Prior Ban and Unauthorized Immigration. This study presents recommendations for research and policy practice.
APLIKASI ZERO-ONE GOAL PROGRAMMING DALAM MASALAH PEMILIHAN PROYEK PEMASARAN

Manajemen pemasaran adalah suatu kegiatan untuk merencanakan serta mengorganisasi kegiatan pemasaran agar tercapai tujuan organisasi atau perusahaan secara efisien dan efektif. Masalah muncul bila terdapat beberapa atau banyak proyek berbeda yang dapat diimplementasikan sebagai proyek pemasaran perusahaan. Proyek-proyek ini biasanya dikategorikan oleh beberapa tujuan. Tujuan-tujuan ini dapat saling melengkapi ataupun saling bertentangan. Pada pengoperasiannya, pembuat keputusan akan dituntut untuk memilih dan menentukan proyek yang tepat untuk mencapai target. Dalam tulisan ini dibahas model pemrograman dengan menggunakan pendekatan zero-one goal programming, suatu pemilihan proyek pemasaran untuk memenuhi banyak tujuan dan kendala serta kemudian diberikan contoh implementasinya. Pembahasan dan implementasi mencakup goal programming kategori: nonpreemptive goal programming dan preemptive goal programming.
New species of Tenuipalpus (Acarina: Tenuipalpidae) from New Zealand

Five new species of Tenuipalpus, T. ritbi, T. coprosmae, T. rangiorae, T. antipodus and T. mahoensis are described from specimens collected in New Zealand. T. womersleyi P. and B. is recorded from this country for the first time.
Comparative Analysis of Phytochemical Composition and Antioxidant Activities of Methanolic Extracts of Leaves, Roots and Bark of Jackfruit (Artocapus heterophyllus) from Selected Regions in Kenya and Uganda

Aim: To determine and compare the phytochemical composition and antioxidant activities of methanolic extracts of Jackfruit roots, leaves and bark, found in selected regions of Kenya and Uganda. Study Design: A total of 192 samples of leaves, roots and barks, were obtained from 64 different Original Research Article Ojwang et al.; JABB, 16(1): 1-13, 2017; Article no.JABB. 37355 2 Jackfruit trees. The samples were then dried and extracted using methanol. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at The University of Nairobi, Chiromo campus, Department of Biochemistry in Nairobi, Kenya. The research was carried out from May 2016 to June 2017. Methodology: The composition of phenolic and tannin contents were determined using FolinCiocalteu method. Flavonoids content was determined through the formation of the flavonoids– aluminium complex assay. Antioxidant activity was determined through the DPPH scavenging activity and the reducing power of the extracts. Results: The phytochemical composition had significant variation at (P=.05) in all the different parts of the plant. The roots had the highest phenolic content (67.3759.00 mg/g), while the bark region had the least (38.14 -28.34 mg/g). The flavonoid content was also highest in the roots (10.74 7.31 mg/g) and lowest in the bark region (3.09 – 1.49 mg/g). The tannin contents were equally higher in the roots (3.88 2.69 mg/g), and lowest in bark (0.93 -0.52 mg/g). The DPPH scavenging activity was also highest in the roots (66 -72%), while that of the bark was (24 40%). The reducing power of the roots, leaves and bark ranged from (114.38 – 93.62 μg/ml), (71.63 -67.04 μg/ml) and (54.16 33.15 μg/ml) respectively. Conclusion: The findings suggest that Jackfruit roots, leaves and bark are natural antioxidants and they have significant variation in composition of phytochemical compounds.