Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Allocating C-S-R plant functional types : a soft approach to a hard problem

A long-term research programme, conducted mainly in northern England, has involved field surveys (1965-77), laboratory screening (1974-96), monitoring of permanent plots (1958 to date) and manipulative experiments (1987 to date). The so-called C-S-R classification of plant functional types developed from all this activity. Patterns of covariation among the traits used in the classification have recently been validated in this journal. The C-S-R classification appears to be applicable to vegetation in general. It thus has considerable potential for interpreting and predicting vegetation and ecosystem properties on a world-wide scale. However, to realize this potential we need to develop simplified procedures to extrapolate the C-S-R system to the many species which have not been the subject of previous ecological investigation. Here we describe a rapid method for attribution of C-S-R type and we test its accuracy in Britain by comparing it with an independent classification based upon more laborious procedures. The new method allocates a functional type to an unknown herbaceous subject using few, simple predictor variables. We have developed spreadsheets to perform all of the necessary calculations. These may be downloaded from the UCPE website at http://www.shef. ac.uk/uni/academic/N-Q/ nuocpe, or obtained by direct application to the E-mail address ucpe@sheffield.ac.uk.
Tissue separation—to assess beef and lamb variation

Since 1968, the Meat and Livestock Commission has been carrying out a considerable amount of tissue separation work on samples of cattle and sheep arising from its livestock improvement schemes. The purpose of this work has been to provide data on variation in carcass composition of these animals to relate to variation in production characteristics. From the point of view of the meat market, it is important when fast growing sires are selected for use, particularly by AI, that they should be known to be capable of producing offspring which, under normal feeding conditions, are no fatter than the mass market requires. The latter is known to favour the lean end of the fatness range, although there is still a market for fatter carcasses which are believed to have superior eating characteristics, but may require fat to be trimmed from them before and after they reach the plate. In order to describe market requirements more clearly than at present, the data being collected on variation in carcass composition and its prediction are being used to develop carcass classification schemes for cattle and sheep.
Mechanisms of Herbicide Absorption Across Plant Membranes and Accumulation in Plant Cells

In most cases, a herbicide must traverse the cell wall, the plasma membrane, and organellar membranes of a plant cell to reach its site of action where accumulation causes phytotoxicity. The physicochemical characteristics of the herbicide molecule including lipophilicity and acidity, the plant cell membranes, and the electrochemical potential in the plant cell control herbicide absorption and accumulation. Most herbicides move across plant membranes via nonfacilitated diffusion because the membrane's lipid bilayer is permeable to neutral, lipophilic xenobiotics. Passive absorption of lipophilic, ionic herbicides or weak acids can be mediated by an ion-trapping mechanism where the less lipophilic, anionic form accumulates in alkaline compartments of the plant cell. A model that includes the pH and electrical gradients across plant cell membranes better predicts accumulation concentrations in plant cells of weak acid herbicides compared to a model that uses pH only. Herbicides also may accumulate in plant cells by conversion to nonphytotoxic metabolites, binding to cellular constituents, or partitioning into lipids. Evidence exists for herbicide transport across cell membranes via carrier-mediated processes where herbicide accumulation is energy dependent; absorption is saturable and slowed by metabolic inhibitors and compounds of similar structure.
A Review of Shared Control for Automated Vehicles: Theory and Applications

The last decade has shown an increasing interest on advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) based on shared control, where automation is continuously supporting the driver at the control level with an adaptive authority. A first look at the literature offers two main research directions: 1) an ongoing effort to advance the theoretical comprehension of shared control, and 2) a diversity of automotive system applications with an increasing number of works in recent years. Yet, a global synthesis on these efforts is not available. To this end, this article covers the complete field of shared control in automated vehicles with an emphasis on these aspects: 1) concept, 2) categories, 3) algorithms, and 4) status of technology. Articles from the literature are classified in theory- and application-oriented contributions. From these, a clear distinction is found between coupled and uncoupled shared control. Also, model-based and model-free algorithms from these two categories are evaluated separately with a focus on systems using the steering wheel as the control interface. Model-based controllers tested by at least one real driver are tabulated to evaluate the performance of such systems. Results show that the inclusion of a driver model helps to reduce the conflicts at the steering. Also, variables such as driver state, driver effort, and safety indicators have a high impact on the calculation of the authority. Concerning the evaluation, driver-in-the-loop simulators are the most common platforms, with few works performed in real vehicles. Implementation in experimental vehicles is expected in the upcoming years.
Analysis of Drop Point Track of Ping Pong Ball After Hitting Based on Dynamic Analysis

Table tennis is a popular sport in China. It has a low barrier to entry and also has difficult techniques. In order to improve the skills of table tennis match between players, this paper introduced the dynamic analysis of ping pong ball in flight after being hit. The main content was the stress analysis in the flight of ping pong ball. Moreover, the Magnus force caused by rotation was considered. The dynamic model of ping pong ball flight was built, the flight track of top spinning ball at 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 r/s was simulated using Java software. The actual flight track of ping pong ball under the same conditions was obtained using the table tennis serving machine and high-speed camera to verify the effectiveness of the dynamic model. The results showed that the track obtained by the dynamic model basically coincided with the actual track, which verified the validity of the dynamic model; the maximum height and drop point distance of ping pong ball decreased with the increase of spinning speed of top spinning ball; the flight time of ping pong ball decreased with the increase of spinning speed of top spinning ball. To sum up, players can reduce the flight height, drop point distance and flight time of ping pong ball by increasing the top spinning speed, so as to improve the opponent’s counterattack difficulty.
SAMPLE SIZE ESTIMATION FOR CANCER PROGRESSION MODELS

Human tumours are often associated with the accumulation of chromosomal alterations in the cancer cells. The identiﬁcation of characteristic pathogenic routes improves prediction of survival times and optimal therapy choice. The simplest model assumes independent alterations. Then progression is measured by the count statistic, the total number of alterations. An advanced model is the oncogenetic trees mixture model. An oncogenetic tree allows both independent and sequential relationships between alterations, and the mixture model divides the patients into groups with diﬀerent progression paths. Progression along such a model can be quantiﬁed univariately by the GPS (genetic progression score). On real cancer data, the GPS was shown to discriminate better than the count statistic between patient subgroups with diﬀerent survival prognosis. Here, in a simulation study, we evaluate the necessary numbers of patients for detecting true relationships between genetic progression and survival time. We generate survival times correlated with count statistic and GPS, respectively. If the simple model is the correct one, misspeciﬁcation with the advanced model requires about 20% larger sample size, independent from the number of events. In contrast, misspeciﬁcation with the simple model leads with increasing numbers of events from 20% to 70% larger sample size. Additionally, if the true data-generating model is the mixture model, the absolute numbers are more than twice as large, thus favouring the advanced modelling approach especially in situations with limited model knowledge.
Phycitinae Phylogeny Based on Two Genes, with Implications for Morphological Trait Evolution and Heinrich's Tribal Classification (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

ABSTRACT. Phycitinae are a morphologically and ecologically diverse group of Lepidoptera with numerous pest species. Establishment of a stable classification system for the subfamily has been challenging due to complex evolutionary patterns in adult morphological structures and difficult species identifications. Currently, Carl Heinrich's dual system, published in 1956, serves as the main reference point for tribal classification, but its inherent ambiguity and geographic constraints have meant that no system is widely accepted for the subfamily. Here we present the first molecular phylogeny of the Phycitinae, based on two independent gene regions (cytochrome oxidase I and elongation factor 1 alpha). We use this molecular phylogeny to examine evolutionary trends in four key morphological structures (hind wing venation, male antennae, male maxillary palpi and male abdomen 8 modifications for pheromone dispersion) and determine their phylogenetic utility. Our results indicate two major groups of genera in the Phycitinae and that morphological traits appear to correspond to these relationships, although some homoplasy exists.
Effects of genetic polymorphism of cytochrome P4502 E1 on susceptibility to gastric cancer

Objective To investigate the relationship between genetic polymorphisms of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) and the susceptibility to gastric carcinoma,and to study the action between environmental and genetic factors in the development of gastric carcinoma.Methods The Rsa I polymophism of CYP2E1 of 48 patients with gastric cancer and 48 controls were detected by PCR-RFLP.Related information of environmental factors were collected and analyzed by using the multiple-variable Logistic regression models.Results The frequency distribution of 3 genotype of CYP2E1 were 68.8%,29.2% and 2.1% in cases and 45.83%,47.92% and 6.25% in controls (χ2=5.389,P=0.068). The frequencies of the allele c1 and c2 CYP2E1 were 83.3%,16.7% respectively in cases and 69.8%,30.2% respectively in controls.Gastric cases were more likely to carry allele c1 than controls. (χ2=5.241,P0.05). Multi-variable stepwise logistic regression showed that high intake of salt,sausage and fried food were the risk factors for gastric cancer,while consumption of tea was the protective factors for gastric cancer.Conclusion Genetic polymorphism of cytochrome P4502 E1 and some environmental factors were significantly related with the risk of gastric cancer.
Do Pharmaceuticals Pose a Threat to Primary Producers?

Trace amounts of pharmaceuticals have been reported in aquatic environments worldwide, and their toxicity to nontargeted organisms is of increasing concern. Algae are primary producers in aquatic food chains, and as such are very sensitive to external disturbance. While data are available on the toxicity of a variety of pharmaceuticals to algal species, there has been no attempt to synthesize and make sense of these data. Here, we discuss the importance of algae and summarize the available data on the ecotoxicity of pharmaceuticals to algal species. We then use the data to assess the potential risks of pharmaceuticals to algae. These data indicate that some antibiotics in aquatic environments could pose a potential threat to algal species with blue-green algae being particularly sensitive. Some of these pharmaceuticals could pose a risk that is equivalent to some compounds used as herbicides. However, there are significant gaps in the understanding of the risks of pharmaceuticals to algae and many research questions on the topic still need to be addressed.
Structural Characterization of Novel Luciferase from Bioluminescence Fungi Verticillium longisporum

Luciferase is an enzyme that catalyses a reaction to produce a visible light using an oxidative process, a chemical reaction that is typically referred to as bioluminescent. Insects, bacterial origin or microorganism of marine nature were considered as the mainly sources of discovered luciferase. The protein was commercialized for biomedical and biotechnological use as reporter gene. The first discovered wild form of luciferase originally from Photinu spyralis (firefly). Hence, there is need for both exploration and examination of novel luciferase to be expanded to new sources such as fungal which may likely be exploited to serve commercial purposes and applications. In this study, a novel uncharacterized luciferase protein from a fungal species Verticillium longisporum, was modelled and Original Research Article Yarima et al.; BJI, 24(5): 49-73, 2020; Article no.BJI. 60696 50 analysed using bioinformatic tools. The modelled 3D structure is of high quality with a PROCHECK score of 99.5%, ERRAT2 value of 91.01%, and Verify3D score of91.01%, showing that the conformational structure is acceptable. The result showed that the fungal luciferase enzyme share major characteristics with luciferase representative from various fungal and bacterial species. There is only a slight difference in the two nucleotide bindings in V. longisporum with a D/E substitution of D with E and S/T substitution. The difference of the two nucleotides binding from the two proteins may be related to the evolutionary trends. Other differences include increased number of hydrophobic and polar amino acid groups than aromatic and aliphatic ones, as well as more coils and loops with less strands. The distance between the ligand and the binding site that houses Asp 64 and Thr 110 from template proteins (Riboflavin lyaseRcaE) and Asp 543 and Thr 589 from model luciferase is similar. The only difference occurred in the V. longisporum; protein oxidoreductase activities acts on paired donors, incorporate or reduce molecular oxygen, while in the template protein oxidoreductase activities act on single donors with incorporation of molecular oxygen. This study on fungal sourced luciferase present a unique opportunity away from the more well established bacterial and insect based luciferase.
Do North American Migratory Barren-Ground Caribou Subpopulations Cycle?

Unlike all other members of the deer family, subpopulations of barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) are typically sine-cyclic. We used Bayesian Information Criteria (BIC) to rank competing population dynamics models for 11 North American barren-ground caribou subpopulations. Nine of these subpopulations were best described as sine-cyclic with periods ranging from a minimum of 26 years (Bluenose-East and Porcupine) to a maximum of 55 years (Western Arctic); and amplitudes ranging from a minimum of 8 455 (Cape Bathurst) to a maximum of 327 432 (George River). Time series estimates of subpopulation abundance generated by the sine cycle models showed good correspondence to published subpopulation estimates of abundance for all nine sine-cyclic subpopulations (r = 0.978; p < 0.001). Lack of demographic closure (migration between subpopulations) was evident in both of the subpopulations that were not identified as sine-cyclic. Barren-ground caribou subpopulation amplitudes were mostly determined by subpopulation total range size and summer range productivity (R2 = 0.962; p < 0.001) and subpopulation periods were mostly determined by amplitude, total range productivity, and land surface temperature (R2 = 0.950; p < 0.001). Time series estimates of subpopulation abundance generated from the respective environmental regression models were highly correlated (r = 0.964; p < 0.001) to the published subpopulation estimates of abundance for the set of 9 sine-cyclic subpopulations. Extended (> 3 generations) subpopulation declines are a natural feature of cyclic barren-ground caribou subpopulations. Trends in species abundance based on pooled assemblages of asynchronous cyclic subpopulations should be interpreted with caution.
CONSTRUCTION AND RESCUE OF INFECTIOUS MOLECULAR CLONE OF NEWCASTLE DISEASE VIRUS STRAIN LA SOTA C5

Newcastle virus(NDV) La Sota strain kept in our laboratory was purified by limiting dilution via chicken embryo inoculation. After 5 passages, a high hemagglutinating clone was identified and designated as La Sota C5. The whole genome of La Sota C5 was sequenced. Some differences in biological characteristics and gene sequences were found between La Sota C5 and its parental strain. The La Sota C5 genome was divided into 8 fragments according to its suitable restriction digestion sites. These 8 fragments were then amplified in RT-PCR and cloned into the transcription vector TVT in accordance with the structure of the viral genome sequence. The resulting transcription vector TVT-La Sota C5 contained complete cDNA of La Sota C5. The vector TVT-La Sota C5 together with 3 helper plasmids pCI-NP, pCI-P and pCI-L were transfected into BSR-T7/5 cells. The infectious La Sota strain viruses were successfully rescued. The availability of infectious clone of NDV La Sota strain would provide a platform for further study on virus gene functions and development of vaccines.
Citation for published version Garay, L. & Font, X. (2012). Doing good to do well? Corporate Social Responsibility Reasons, Practices and Impacts in Small and Medium

Corporate social responsibility practices have been mostly analyzed in the large manufacturing business context, with little attention paid to the service sector and even less to small and medium-sized tourism enterprises. This study aims to fill this gap through analyzing how these enterprises take responsibility. A survey of nearly 400 enterprises showed that the main reason for acting responsibly is altruistic, arising from the managers and owners’ values and lifestyle. Sustainability measures have a positive impact on the financial performance and vice versa. The resource-based view of the enterprise is validated through the impact of environmental cost-savings in financial performance, although other advanced social and economic sustainable actions also benefit financial wealth. Finally we conclude that further implementation of these practices is necessary to achieve new competitive advantages, and that the role of public administrations will be crucial to support and encourage these.
Life history of Sternaspis costata (Sternaspidae: Polychaeta) in Ariake Bay, Japan

The life history of the Japanese sternaspid polychaete Sternaspis costata von Marenzeller, 1879 was investigated in the inner part of Ariake Bay from May 2010 to May 2011, with additional sampling in July and September 2011. All the worms were measured by the width of the ventral shield (WS) as an indicator of body size, and their coelomic contents were also examined. Ovigerous females occurred throughout the year, except during October and March, with the highest ovigerous rate (number of ovigerous females/number of adults with a WS larger than that of the smallest ovigerous female, i.e. 1.8 mm) noted in September (43.8% in 2010, 34.7% in 2011). The ovigerous rate was less than 10% in the other months, except in April 2011 (30%). Although the coelomic oocytes ranged from 90 to 160 μm in diameter, the diameters of most of the oocytes were 140–160 μm in September. The number of adults drastically decreased from September to October, suggesting that most of the adults died after spawning in the major reproductive period, although a small fraction of adults seemed to reproduce earlier or later. A cohort of recruits with an approximately 1.2 mm WS was identified in March and April. Most of the recruits grew to adult size in July–September, when many ovigerous females occurred. These results indicated that this species is fundamentally semelparous, with longevity around 1 year, and they mostly reproduce in September, with a few adults reproducing almost throughout the year.
Modeling the Effect of Temperature on the Growth Rate and Lag Time of Listeria innocua and Listeria monocytogenes.

Several mathematical models which predict growth rate and lag time as a function of temperature were compared. The growth rate and lag time of Listeria innocua PFEI and Listeria monocytogenes Scott A PFEI were determined in brain heart infusion broth between 275 and 319 K. TableCurve 3.01 was used to fit model parameters to the L. monocytogenes data and to evaluate growth rate and lag time models. The growth rate models were validated using L. monocytogenes data from real dairy food systems. L. innocua grew faster than L. monocytogenes at temperatures below 315 K and grew slower than L. monocytogenes at temperatures higher than 315 K. At temperatures below 281 K, the lag time of L. monocytogenes was longer than that of L. innocua . The r2 and F values show that the 4-parameter growth rate models fit the data better than the 6-parameter models. The 4-parameter Zwietering Square Root Model gives the best fit of all the models used to predict growth rate. The 2-parameter models predict lag time better than the models containing more parameters. The 2-parameter Square Root Model gives the best fit of all the models evaluated when a traditional method of determining lag time is used. The 2-parameter New Model gives the best fit of all the models, when the Solberg method of determining lag time is used. Four growth rate models are not only suitable for modeling the growth rate of L. monocytogenes in brain heart infusion broth but are also suitable for modeling its growth rate in the selected real dairy food systems.