Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recognising Stakeholder Conflict and Encouraging Consensus of ‘Science-Based Management’ Approaches for Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)

Areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) encompass the seabed, subsoil and water column beyond coastal State jurisdiction and marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) is rich and varied. From providing sustenance and supporting livelihoods, to absorbing anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, ABNJ ecosystems are vital to the wellbeing of humankind. However, an enhanced understanding of BBNJ and its significance has not equated to its successful conservation and sustainable use. Negotiations for a new international legally binding instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of BBNJ have scoped applicable principles for a future agreement, including the use of best available science and science-based approaches. But there remains a lack of convergence on what science-based approaches would look like, or how they would be operationalised. In order to negotiate and implement a meaningful BBNJ treaty that can meet conservation and sustainable use objectives, stakeholder perceptions must be identified, and areas of divergence must be overcome. This study uses Q-methodology to reveal and analyse the diversity of perceptions that exist amongst key stakeholders regarding what it means to operationalise science-based approaches for the conservation and sustainable use of BBNJ. The Q-study features 25 stakeholder interviews and 30 Q-study participants revealing four different perceptions, each of which represent a different interpretation of what science-based management means in the context of BBNJ. Across these perceptions, there were areas of stakeholder consensus (e.g., regarding the benefits of integrative management, the application of precautionary approaches when data are insufficient, and the issues pertaining to the trustworthiness and credibility of science) and areas of stakeholder conflict (e.g., regarding the definition, function and authority of science within current and future BBNJ governance processes). Key implications of this study include the evidencing of fundamental tensions between differing perceptions of the authority of science and between conservation and sustainable use objectives, that may be fueling stakeholder conflict, and the subsequent proposal of integrative and highly participatory management approaches to operationalise science-based management of BBNJ.
Miniaturization of period of dual-band frequency selective surface by using C-shaped ring slots

For shielding various communication equipments, it is advantageous to miniaturize the size of period of FSS. To decrease the size of the period of dual-band FSS for LTE, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, C-shaped ring slots are proposed. As a result of the electromagnetic simulation, the proposed model achieves 43.2% miniaturization of the FSS period even with the comparable property as the conventional ring slots.
Understanding the Structural Changes of Lignin Macromolecules From Balsa Wood at Different Growth Stages

Lignin is the most abundant aromatic biomacromolecule on the earth, which is an attractive raw material for producing bio-based chemicals, materials, and fuels. However, the complexity, heterogeneity, and variability of the lignin structure always hinders the value-added application of different sources of raw materials. In this study, double enzymatic lignin (DEL) was isolated from balsa grown for different lengths of time to understand the structural variations of lignin macromolecules during the growth of balsa for the first time. Confocal Raman microscopy and component analysis were used to monitor the lignin accumulation in balsa. Meanwhile, the structural characteristics and chemical reactivity of DELs were synthetically characterized by advanced 2D-HSQC and 31P-NMR techniques. It was found that the balsa lignin is a typical hardwood lignin and it is overwhelmingly composed of C–O bonds (i.e., β-O-4 linkages), whose content is elevated with increasing tree-age. Interestingly, carbon–carbon linkages (e.g., β-β and β-5) in these DELs isolated from 3-and 5-year-old balsa are gradually disappearing. Considering the increasing molecular weight of DELs with tree-age, it was concluded that lignin macromolecules in balsa wood were gradually polymerized within the growth period. Furthermore, abundant C–O linkages with less C–C linkages in the DELs from 3 and 5-year-old balsa wood suggested that these feedstocks are promising in current lignin-first biorefinery and will facilitate the conversion of aromatic chemicals from the lignin macromolecule. In short, a comprehensive understanding of native lignin during the growth of balsa wood will not only advance the understanding of biosynthetic pathways of lignin biopolymer, but also facilitate the deconstruction and value-added applications of this kind of feedstock.
The development of the somatoform dissociation questionnaire (SDQ‐5) as a screening instrument for dissociative disorders

Using cases of dissociative disorder (n=50) and other DSM‐IV diagnoses (n=50), a somatoform dissociation self‐report questionnaire was developed and its capacity to function as a screening device for dissociative disorders was analysed. A list of 75 items was constructed which, according to clinical experience and expert judgement, could reflect instances of somatoform dissociation. Statistical analyses revealed the 20 best discriminating items. Stepwise forward logistic analysis detected five items which, as a group, provided optimal discrimination between the two groups. At an estimated prevalence rate of dissociative disorders of 10% among psychiatric patients the sensitivity would be 94%, the specificity would be 96%, the positive predictive value would be 72%, and the negative predictive value would be 99%. Cross‐validation in an independent sample (n=33/42) largely corroborated the initial findings. The SDQ‐5 can be used as a brief screening device for dissociative disorders.
Empowering End Users to Create Interactive Workspaces by Service Composition

Services mashup and content composition are becoming important in modern interactive systems. Such techniques allow people to better satisfy their contextual needs. This paper presents motivation, objective, challenges and cur- rent status of PhD research, which started a few months ago and will last for about three years. I will be working to identify models, technologies and inter- action paradigms, which can enable end users to flexibly integrate services and resources into interactive workspaces, pervasively accessible and sharable through different devices.
ISOLATION OF AXONAL VARICOSITIES (AUTONOMIC SYNAPTOSOMES) FROM THE ENTERIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

Abstract— A subcellular fraction enriched with varicosities of autonomic axons was obtained from homogenates of strips of guinea‐pig longitudinal muscle and adherent myenteric plexus using differential and sucrose‐or Ficoll‐density gradient ultracentrifugation. This fraction contained the marker, [G‐3H]5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT), taken up by serotonergic axon terminals present in the preparation during a period of incubation prior to homogenization. Electron microscopic examination showed that the isolated varicosities resembled CNS synaptosomes in containing vesicles and mitochondria but, as is characteristic of autonomic postganglionic terminals, they lacked synaptic membrane specializations. Quantitative electron microscopic radioautography revealed that [G‐3H]5‐HT was confined to isolated varicosities. Isolated varicosities were capable of taking up and sequestering 5‐HT from the surrounding medium; this uptake was temperature‐sensitive and blocked by fluoxetine. The subcellular distribution of [G‐3H]l‐tryptophan was also studied by subfractionation of strips in an attempt to determine which structures were responsible for the high‐affinity uptake of that amino acid. Although most of the [G‐3H]l‐tryptophan was found in the high‐speed supernatant, particulate [G‐3H]l‐tryptophan was most concentrated in the subcellular fraction containing isolated axonal varicosities. These studies indicate that a fraction containing functional serotonergic varicosities can be isolated from the gut. These varicosities are probably one of the elements responsible for the high‐affinity uptake of l‐tryptophan by the myenteric layer of the gut.
Brucella abortus Infection Modulates 3T3-L1 Adipocyte Inflammatory Response and Inhibits Adipogenesis

Brucellosis is a prevalent global zoonotic infection but has far more impact in developing countries. The adipocytes are the most abundant cell type of adipose tissue and their secreted factors play an important role in several aspects of the innate and adaptive immune response. Here, we demonstrated the ability of Brucella abortus to infect and replicate in both adipocytes and its precursor cells (pre-adipocytes) derived from 3T3-L1 cell line. Additionally, infection of pre-adipocytes also inhibited adipogenesis in a mechanism independent of bacterial viability and dependent on lipidated outer membrane protein (L-Omp19). B. abortus infection was able to modulate the secretion of IL-6 and the matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) -2 and-9 in pre-adipocytes and adipocytes, and also modulated de transcription of adiponectin, leptin, and resistin in differentiated adipocytes. B. abortus-infected macrophages also modulate adipocyte differentiation involving a TNF-α dependent mechanism, thus suggesting a plausible interplay between B. abortus, adipocytes, and macrophages. In conclusion, B. abortus is able to alter adipogenesis process in adipocytes and its precursors directly after their infection, or merely their exposure to the B. abortus lipoproteins, and indirectly through soluble factors released by B. abortus-infected macrophages.
Glucose signalling pathway controls the programmed ribosomal frameshift efficiency in retroviral‐like element Ty3 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Ty3 elements of S. cerevisiae contain two overlapping coding regions, GAG3 and POL3, which are functional homologues of retroviral gag and pol genes, respectively. Pol3 is translated as a Gag3‐Pol3 fusion protein dependent on a +1 programmed frameshift at a site with the overlap between the two genes. We show that the Ty3 frameshift frequency varies up to 10‐fold in S. cerevisiae cells depending on carbon source. Frameshift efficiency is significantly lower in cells growing on glucose as carbon source than in cells growing on poor alternative carbon sources (glycerol/lactate or galactose). Our results indicate that Ty3 programmed ribosomal frameshift efficiency in response to glucose signalling requires two protein kinases: Snf1p and cAMP‐dependent protein kinase A (PKA). Increased frameshifting on alternative carbon sources also appears to require cytoplasmic localization of Snf1p, mediated by the Sip2p protein. In addition to the two required protein kinases, our results implicate that Stm1p, a ribosome‐associated protein involved in nutrient sensing, is essential for the carbon source‐dependent regulation of Ty3 frameshifting. These data indicate that Ty3 programmed ribosomal frameshift is not a constitutive process but that it is regulated in response to the glucose‐signalling pathway. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nonlinear Approximations in Sigmoid Transfer Function for Improved Statistical Pattern Recognition Based On PNN Bayesian Approach

The exponential function neural networks are commonly used to replace the sigmoid activation function, and thus able to calculate the non-linear discriminant construct boundary probabilistic neural network (PNN), which determine the optimal Bayesian decision boundary is close to the surface. A similar nature were also discussed with other activation function. The proposed four-layer neural network that can put any input mode is mapped to multiple categories. If you can get the new data, you can use the new data in real time to modify determine boundaries, and can run in parallel using completely artificial "neurons" to fruition. Also estimate the probability of occurrence and reliability categories, and do judgment prepared. For the problem of back-propagation time to adapt to increase the substantial part of the total calculation time, this method shows the advantage of very rapid. PNN paradigm 200,000 times faster than the back-propagation.
Hepatitis C Virus Core Protein Acts as a trans-Modulating Factor on Internal Translation Initiation of the Viral RNA*

Translation initiation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA occurs through an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) located at its 5′ end. As a positive-stranded virus, HCV uses the genomic RNA template for translation and replication, but the transition between these two processes remains poorly understood. HCV core protein (HCV-C) has been proposed as a good candidate to modulate such a regulation. However, current data are still the subject of controversy in attributing any potential role in HCV translation to the HCV core protein. Here we demonstrate that HCV-C displays binding activities toward both HCV IRES and the 40 S ribosomal subunit by using centrifugation on sucrose gradients. To gain further insight into these interactions, we investigated the effect of exogenous addition of purified HCV-C on HCV IRES activity by using an in vitro reporter assay. We found that HCV IRES-mediated translation was specifically modulated by HCV-C provided in trans, in a dose-dependent manner, with up to a 5-fold stimulation of the IRES efficiency upon addition of low amounts of HCV-C, followed by a decrease at high doses. Interestingly, mutations within some domains of the IRES as well as the presence of an upstream reporter gene both lead to changes in the expected effects, consistent with the high dependence of HCV IRES function on its overall structure. Collectively, these results indicate that the HCV core protein is involved in a tight modulation of HCV translation initiation, depending on its concentration, and they suggest an important biological role of this protein in viral gene expression.
Frequency domain investigation of switching transients in Offshore Wind Farms

Offshore Wind Farm (OWF) as one of the renewable energy alternatives has received much focus in recent years. The installation of wind turbines, cable interconnections and power transformers in offshore areas requires more attention to maintenance and repair. Wind Turbine Transformers (WTTs) are subjected to high stresses due to switching transients in offshore systems.
Automatic emotion variation detection using multi-scaled sliding window

Emotion recognition from speech plays an important role in developing affective and intelligent Human Computer Interaction. The goal of this work is to build an Automatic Emotion Variation Detection (AEVD) system to determine each emotional salient segment in continuous speech. We focus on emotion detection in angry-neutral speech, which is common in recent studies of AEVD. This study proposes a novel framework for AEVD using Multi-scaled Sliding Window (MSW-AEVD) to assign an emotion class to each window-shift by fusion decisions of all the sliding windows containing the shift. Firstly, sliding window with fixed-length is introduced as the basic procedure, in which several different fusion methods are investigated. Then multi-scaled sliding window is employed to support multi-classifiers with different timescale features, in which another two fusion strategies are provided. Finally, a postprocessing is applied to refine the final outputs. Performance evaluation is carried out on the public Berlin database EMO-DB. Our experimental results show that proposed MSW-AEVD significantly outperforms the traditional HMM-based AEVD.
Invertebrate life cycle responses to PAC exposure

Disclaimer/Complaints regulations If you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library: https://uba.uva. nl/en/contact, or a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The Netherlands. You will be contacted as soon as possible.
Interaction of L‐cysteine with a human excitatory amino acid transporter.

1. The interaction of L‐cysteine with three excitatory amino acid transporter subtypes cloned from human brain (EAAT1‐3) was examined by measuring transporter‐mediated electrical currents and radiolabelled amino acid flux in voltage‐clamped Xenopus oocytes expressing the transporters. 2. L‐Cysteine was transported by the neuronal subtype EAAT3 (EAAC1) with an affinity constant of 190 microM and a maximal rate of flux similar to that of L‐glutamate; the relative efficacies (Vmax/K(m)) of the EAAT1 and EAAT2 subtypes for transporting L‐cysteine were 10‐ to 20‐fold lower. 3. Changing the ionization state of L‐cysteine by raising the external pH did not significantly change the apparent affinity, transport rate, or magnitude of currents induced by L‐cysteine, suggesting that both the neutral zwitterionic and anionic forms of the amino acid are transported with the same net charge stoichiometry. 4. In addition to competing with L‐glutamate for uptake by the neuronal carrier, L‐cysteine caused transporter‐mediated release of transmitter by heteroexchange; both actions would elevate extracellular glutamate concentrations and may thus contribute to the known excitotoxic actions of L‐cysteine in the brain. 5. Because the EAAT3 transporter is also expressed in tissues including kidney and intestine, the results suggest the possibility of a heretofore unrecognized mechanism of L‐cysteine uptake in peripheral tissues as well as in brain.
Implication of cyclooxygenase‐2 on enhanced proliferation of neural progenitor cells in the adult mouse hippocampus after ischemia

Global ischemia promotes neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the adult mouse hippocampus. Cyclooxygenase (COX)‐2, the principal isoenzyme in the brain, modulates inflammation, glutamate‐mediated cytotoxicity, and synaptic plasticity. We demonstrated that delayed treatment with different classes of COX inhibitor significantly blunted enhancement of dentate gyrus proliferation of neural progenitor cells after ischemia. COX‐2 immunoreactivity was observed in both neurons and astrocytes in the dentate gyrus, but not in neural progenitor cells in the subgranular zone. Moreover, in the postischemic dentate gyrus of heterozygous and homozygous COX‐2 knockout mice, proliferating bromodeoxyuridine‐positive cells were significantly fewer than in wild‐type littermates. These results demonstrate that COX‐2 is an important modulator in enhancement of proliferation of neural progenitor cells after ischemia. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Resveratrol decreases fructose‐induced oxidative stress, mediated by NADPH oxidase via an AMPK‐dependent mechanism

Oxidative stress is an important pathogenic factor in the development of hypertension. Resveratrol, the main antioxidant in red wine, improves NO bioavailability and prevents cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to examine whether resveratrol decreases the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby reducing BP in rats with fructose‐induced hypertension.
Qualidade de sementes de milho colhidas e despalhadas com altos teores de água

Harvest of maize seeds with high moisture levels has been recommended; nevertheless, after harvest, the ears undergo the process of husking and there is a need to assess the compatibility of these processes. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of mechanical husking on the quality of maize seeds collected at high moisture levels. Dent BM 3061 hybrid maize seeds, manually collected from the ear, with moisture contents of 45%, 40% and 35%, and a 20/64 round sieve were used. The ears were mechanically husked (CWA machine, 312 rpm), dried in a stationary drier at 35 ⁰C until reaching 22% moisture, followed by drying at 42 oC until reaching 12%. Then, they underwent shelling, followed by a chemical treatment with Maxin ® + K-obiol ® + Actellic ® . Seed quality was assessed according to the occurrence tests of mechanical damage, first count, germination, seedling emergence, emergence speed index, average emergence time, electrical conductivity, accelerated aging, cold test, and seed health test at every quarter for 9 months. The mechanical husking affects maize seed quality, depending on the degree of seed moisture at harvest and on the material studied. This hybrid's seeds can be collected with seed moisture levels at 40% with the use of mechanical husking.
Platelet-derived growth factor and growth-related genes in rat lung. I. Developmental expression.

The autocrine, paracrine, or systemic growth factors responsible for fetal lung cell growth are not completely defined. The progression-type insulin-like growth factors and epidermal growth factor, or transforming growth factor-alpha acting through the epidermal growth factor receptor, appear to act on the developing lung epithelium. The competence factors that facilitate the actions of progression factors during lung growth are unknown. Fetal rat lung cells in vitro synthesize a platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-like polypeptide, which we have hypothesized may play a paracrine role in normal lung development. Slot blot and Northern blot analyses of fetal rat lung mRNA have been used to determine if there is a relationship between expression of message for PDGF-A or PDGF-B chains, or their cognate receptors, and periods of maximal growth during late fetal rat lung development. Whole lung mRNA was extracted on 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22 days of gestation (term = 22 days). The peak of DNA synthesis, as assessed by expression of message for DNA polymerase alpha, histone 3, and the proto-oncogenes c-fos and c-myc, which are stimulated by binding of growth factors including PDGF, occurred during the canalicular stage of lung development on days 19 and 20 of gestation. Expression of message for PDGF-A and PDGF-B chains was low during the pseudoglandular stage on day 18, peaked during the canalicular stage on days 19 and 20, then fell again during the saccular stage at days 21 and 22 of gestation. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A Scalable Technique for the Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a form of crystalline carbon with extraordinary mechanical, chemical, physical and electrical properties. Consequently, CNTs have been used in a broad range of applications, e.g. electronics, polymeric additives and structural materials. However, the lack of a suitable large-scale manufacturing technique continues to inhibit their widespread use. Of the three established synthesis methods for CNTs: i) chemical vapour deposition (CVD), ii) laser ablation, and Hi) arc discharge, CVD based techniques show the greatest promise for economically viable, large-scale synthesis. In particular, the fluidised bed CVD (FBCVD) technique (where the CVD reaction occurs within a fluidised bed of catalyst particles) has the potential to produce high quality CNT, inexpensively, in large quantities. In this work, we review the existing literature on CNT synthesis via FBCVD and demonstrate that no systematic study of the key parameters has been undertaken. Specifically, we show that there is no clear relationship between key experimental variables (e.g. temperature, pressure) and CNT properties (e.g. CNT diameter, length) and yield, when the results of several studies are compared. We support these findings with experiments investigating the influence of key variables. The successful scale-up of any process requires detailed understanding of key process parameters and their interactions. Hence, further research to optimise the purity, yield and selectivity of the synthesised CNTs is required.