Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of seed passage through birds and lizards on emergence rate of mediterranean species: differences between natural and controlled conditions

Summary 1The ingestion of fruits by vertebrate frugivores produces great variation on seed germination responses which depend on (1) the frugivorous species; (2) several factors intrinsic to the plant species; and (3) the conditions under which germination tests are conducted. Most studies on this topic have used only one or a few disperser species, and have been performed under controlled conditions. 2The main goals of this study were to determine (1) the effect that birds (Turdus merula) and lizards (Podarcis pityusensis) have on seed emergence patterns of a group of common mediterranean plants; and (2) whether such patterns differ between field and common garden conditions. Over 2 years we compared seed emergence times with those of controls (pulp-removed seeds). 3Emergence patterns were inconsistent for most plant species when comparing field vs. common-garden conditions. In some cases results were even contradictory: for instance lizards accelerated the emergence time of Rubus seeds in the field, but delayed it in the experimental garden; likewise Rubia seeds ingested by Blackbirds emerged more slowly than controls in the field, but faster than those in the garden. The two frugivorous species had also inconsistent effects on the same plant species. 4Significant changes in seed weight after passage through the animals’ digestive tracts were observed in most species. However, seed weight did not explain differences in seed emergence patterns between ingested and non-ingested seeds. 5This study demonstrates the great heterogeneity in seed-emergence responses of the different plant species to ingestion by different types of frugivore, and to the different experimental conditions. Thus, caution is needed when making generalizations from studies that aim to evaluate the influence of frugivores on seed dispersal quality.
Beyond Web 2.0: Challenges in Personalizing for Networked Public Display Environments

The falling prices of LCD technologies have led to a proliferation of large public displays. Today, most of these displays show simple slide shows or loop through a set of movies in isolation, yet efforts are underway to network these displays together on a global scale. Networked public display would go beyond simple ad-pushing and open up towards truly personalized services, such as support for navigation tasks, messaging, emergency services, and of course context-aware advertising. Moving from personalized Web content to personalized public display content, however, leads to novel challenges that limit the applicability of existing personalization solutions. This article enumerates the key research challenges that stem from bringing personalization to public displays, namely in the areas of user identification; profile location; profile content; content tailoring; model refinement; and applications that require personalisation.
Atmospheric Intensity Scintillation of Stars. III. Effects for Different Telescope Apertures

Stellar intensity scintillation in the optical was extensively studied at the astronomical observatory on La Palma (Canary Islands). Atmospheric turbulence causes “flying shadows” on the ground, and intensity fluctuations occur both because this pattern is carried by winds and is intrinsically changing. Temporal statistics and time changes were treated in Paper I, and the dependence on optical wavelength in Paper II. This paper discusses the structure of these flying shadows and analyzes the scintillation signals recorded in telescopes of different size and with different (secondary‐mirror) obscurations. Using scintillation theory, a sequence of power spectra measured for smaller apertures is extrapolated up to very large (8 m) telescopes. Apodized apertures (with a gradual transmission falloff near the edges) are experimentally tested and modeled for suppressing the most rapid scintillation components. Double apertures determine the speed and direction of the flying shadows. Challenging photometry tasks (e.g., stellar microvariability) require methods for decreasing the scintillation “noise. ” The true source intensity I(λ) may be segregated from the scintillation component ΔI(t,λ,x,y) in postdetection computation, using physical modeling of the temporal, chromatic, and spatial properties of scintillation, rather than treating it as mere “noise. ” Such a scheme ideally requires multicolor high‐speed (≲10 ms) photometry on the flying shadows over the spatially resolved (≲10 cm) telescope entrance pupil. Adaptive correction in real time of the two‐dimensional intensity excursions across the telescope pupil also appears feasible, but would probably not offer photometric precision. However, such “second‐order” adaptive optics, correcting not only the wavefront phase but also scintillation effects, is required for other critical tasks such as the direct imaging of extrasolar planets with large ground‐based telescopes.
The Set-Valued Bouncing Ball Yizhar Or

Hybrid dynamical systems are systems consisting of both continuous-time and discrete-time dynamics. A fundamental phenomenon that is unique to hybrid systems is Zeno behavior, where the solution involves an infinite number of discrete transitions occurring in finite time, as best illustrated in the classical example of a bouncing ball. In this note, we study the hybrid system of the set-valued bouncing ball, for which the continuous-time dynamics is set-valued. Such systems are typically used for deriving bounds on the solution of nonlinear single-valued hybrid systems in a small neighborhood of a Zeno equilibrium point in order to establish its local stability. We utilize methods of Lyapunov analysis and optimal control to derive a necessary and sufficient condition for Zeno stability of the set-valued bouncing ball system and to obtain a tight bound on the Zeno time as a function of initial conditions.
Sudden Impulses in the Magnetosphere and at Ground

Sudden Impulses (SI) are rapid variations of the magnetospheric and geomagnetic field which are usually related to the Earth’s arrival of sudden increases in the dynamic pressure of the solar wind (SW), generally associated with interplanetary shock waves or discontinuities. Such impulses often precede geomagnetic storms: in this case they are referred as Storm Sudden Commencements (SSC). Incoming SW pressure pulses compress the magnetosphere, increase the magnetopause and tail currents, and possibly other magnetospheric/ionospheric current systems as well; correspondingly, the magnetospheric and ground fields generally increase to a new state over about a two to fifteen minute period. The field variation associated to SI mostly occurs along the north/south component (Bz in the magnetosphere, H in the geomagnetic field). Additional contributions also come from the effects of the tail current (mostly in the nightside sector) and from those of the ring current (during more active magnetospheric conditions). The further development of field aligned currents (FAC) and ionospheric currents typically makes the SI manifestation at ground much more complex than in the magnetosphere: on the other hand, since earliest investigations (Matsushita, 1962; Nishida and Jacobs, 1962), it is well known that different transient waveforms are detected at different ground stations. Given their global simultaneous occurrence and clear onset time, SI provide a good opportunity for understanding the transient response of the magnetosphere and ionosphere to the SW variations.
Operator Learning Approach for the Limited View Problem in Photoacoustic Tomography

Abstract In photoacoustic tomography, one is interested to recover the initial pressure distribution inside a tissue from the corresponding measurements of the induced acoustic wave on the boundary of a region enclosing the tissue. In the limited view problem, the wave boundary measurements are given on the part of the boundary, whereas in the full view problem, the measurements are known on the whole boundary. For the full view problem, there exist various fast and robust reconstruction methods. These methods give severe reconstruction artifacts when they are applied directly to the limited view data. One approach for reducing such artefacts is trying to extend the limited view data to the whole region boundary, and then use existing reconstruction methods for the full view data. In this paper, we propose an operator learning approach for constructing an operator that gives an approximate extension of the limited view data. We consider the behavior of a reconstruction formula on the extended limited view data that is given by our proposed approach. Approximation errors of our approach are analyzed. We also present numerical results with the proposed extension approach supporting our theoretical analysis.
Blind Room Acoustics Characterization Using Recurrent Neural Networks and Modulation Spectrum Dynamics

Reverberation affects perceived quality and intelligibility of speech signals, as well as the performance of automatic speech recognition systems. Having access to room acoustics characteristics of an environment may be used to improve speech processing systems, but such information is rarely available and in most cases has to be estimated blindly. Techniques based on the effects of reverberation on the modulation spectrum have been explored in the past, but they rely on its long-term average and do not use any information related to its temporal dynamics. In this paper, we aim to extract this information from the modulation spectrum time-series by using a deep recurrent neural network. We show the proposed model outperforms state-of-the-art benchmark models as well as other test models using the same signal representation in the majority of examined conditions, even when moderate amounts of noise are added to the reverberant signals.
Application of Ɛ-testers algorithms under sketch and streaming calculation model in robot navigation

The goal of this article is the application of efficient approximate testing methods for the robot tracking problem as well as for the building map problem. In the Databases field, one wish to classify uncertain data and to answer queries in an approximated way in the case that data sources are incoherent. Our interest is based on the fundamental problems in the randomized approximate testing algorithms. Concerning robot navigation we would like to apply efficient data sketching algorithms for testing the automata inferred on robot motion tracking problems as well as on maps sensorialy generated by robot exploration and building map process. In the case of the information generated by sensors, given that we have no complete access to the information, and given the inherent limitations on memory space, we will apply streaming algorithms for approximate efficiently the solution of computational problems that take place on robot navigation problems.
Physico – Chemical Characteristics of Ground Water of Coastal Villages of Olpad and Choryasi Taluka, Surat District

Ground Water is one of the most important natural resources for drinking water. To estimate quality of water in coastal region of Surat district, the study was made by us. Ground water samples were collected from different sampling stations of coastal villages of Olpad and Choryasi Talukas of Surat district, Gujarat (India). The ground water quality study of coastal villages of Olpad and Choryasi taluka of Surat district. During the monsoon season, the ground water samples were collected from 20 different locations and analyzed for physico-chemical characteristics. In this study different parameters like pH, TDS, TSS, Alkalinity, Bicarbonate, Hardness, Ca hardness, Mg hardness, Chloride, DO, Sulphate, Cr were estimated. The results are compared with water quality standards put down by ICMR and WHO. The results reveal that some of the samples were having high concentration causing deterioration in quality of drinking water.
American Journal of Epidemiology Original Contribution Apolipoprotein E Gene Associations in Age-related Macular Degeneration the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study

The apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) has been found to be associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Reported associations have been questioned, as they are opposite those for Alzheimer's disease and cardiovascular disease. The authors examined associations between APOE genotype and AMD using a case-control study (2,287 cases and 2,287 controls individually matched on age, sex, and country of origin) nested within Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study participants aged 48–86 years at AMD detection. The odds ratio for early AMD among participants with e2-containing genotypes (e2e2/e2e3/e2e4) was 1.32 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11, 1.58; P ¼ 0.002) versus persons with genotype e3e3. Associations with early AMD varied by smoking status; e2-containing genotypes were positively associated with early AMD for never and previous smokers The e4-containing genotype group (e3e4/e4e4) had an inverse association with early AMD among current smokers only (OR ¼ 0.41, 95% CI: 0.22, 0.77 (P ¼ 0.005)). These results highlight the importance of stratifying by smoking status in elderly populations. Smokers who survive to old age may be more likely to possess unknown genotypes which modify exposure-disease associations. The human apolipoprotein E gene (APOE; OMIM 107741), located on chromosome 19q13.2, was one of the first candidate genes found to be associated with age-related macular degen-eration (AMD) (1, 2). It encodes a small, multifunctional lipid transport glycoprotein (299 amino acids) with important functions in systemic and cerebrospinal lipid transport (3). APOE is also involved in regulating immunocompetent cells, metal ion binding, and the remodeling and repair of neural tissue and possesses antioxidative properties (3). APOE is expressed in retinal tissue, particularly the retinal pigment epithelium and Bruch's membrane (4). Variation in 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms within the APOE gene, rs429358 and rs7412, results in allelic variants commonly referred to as e2, e3, and e4, which are differentiated on the basis of cysteine and arginine residue interchanges at positions 112 and 158 in the amino acid sequence. Six biallelic genotypes exist: e3/e3, e3/e4, e2/e3, e4/e4, e2/e4, and e2/e2, ranked from most common in European populations to least common (5). Most previous studies that have explored the relation between APOE and AMD —including our own (6, 7)—have found a protective association for possession of one or more e4 alleles, with the risk of late AMD among persons of Caucasian descent being 20%–50% lower than that for persons who are homozygous for the e3 allele (1, 2, 6–11). Some investigators have also reported an …
Students Engagement Variables as Correlates of Academic Achievement in Economics in Senior Secondary Schools in Anambra State , Nigeria

Evidence of poor academic achievement of senior secondary school students abounds in literature and can be seen in the rate of failure of students in the national examinations organised by WAEC, NECO and JAMB. Achievement is likely to be enhanced if students are engaged. Student engagement, which is the students’ psychological investment in an effort directed towards learning, understanding or mastering the knowledge, skills or crafts that academic work is intended to promote, has been identified as one of the few factors that consistently and positively influence educational outcomes for adolescents. The more engaged a student is, the better he performs at school. The purpose of this study was to compare the levels of engagement of students with their cognitive (academic) achievement in Economics in secondary schools in Anambra State. Guided by three research questions and three hypotheses, the study adopted a correlation Survey Design. The population for the study comprised 4,937 students of senior secondary schools in Anambra State. Out of this, a sample size of 200 students in 10 boys’ schools and 10 girls’ schools was taken. The Student Engagement Questionnaire (SEQ), measuring the three engagement types and as well as Economics Achievement Test (EAT) were used for data collection. The reliability index was determined using Factor Analysis. Data were collected and analyzed using aggregate scores and mean to answer the research questions and the regression analysis to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings showed among others that there is a high engagement among senior secondary school students in the state. Since the three engagement types had mean scores above 2.50, it is therefore concluded that the more engaged a student is, the better he/she achieves in school. Out of the three engagement types measured, the students reported moderate in cognitive but high in behavioural and emotional engagements. One can therefore conclude that moderate engagement may be sufficient for a good academic achievement. It was thus recommended among others that a campaign which focuses on the importance of school and the consequences of disengagement from school be carried out regularly by the government agencies and other stakeholders in education. If students can be made to see the link between working hard at school and being successful in life, engagement levels will be significantly raised and academic achievement be greatly enhanced.
Outcome of a Treatment Program for Adult Sex Offenders

This study examined the recidivism rates of 195 adult male sex offenders who were referred to a prison-based cognitive-behavioral treatment program. Of this sample, 56 participants completed treatment, 49 entered but did not complete treatment, and 90 refused treatment services. Although participants were not randomly assigned to treatment conditions, there were no between-group differences on participants’ pre-treatment risk for sexual recidivism as appraised on two actuarial risk measures, the RRASOR and Static-99. Over a mean follow-up period of almost 6 years, the sexual reoffense rate for the completed-treatment group was 5.4% versus 30.6% for the some-treatment and 30.0% for the no-treatment groups. Lower sexual recidivism rates were also found among those participants who received aftercare treatment and correctional supervision services in the community.
The Excess Demand Theory of Money

This paper introduces a new monetary theory. A simple model is described in which a central bank sets the interest rate in a way that the excess demand for credits equals the preferred amount of money. It is compatible with the Keynesian liquidity preference theory and the neoclassical loanable funds theory and can be used to explain a series of phenomena. It is very suitable for introductory textbooks.
Priority Based Dynamic Multiple Robot Path Planning

Path planning has been a topic of research in multiple robot coordination and control. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the path planning problem of a group of robots with communication between each other to perform a set of prioritized tasks in a dynamic environment. Unlike traditional path planning approaches that a path does not change once the path has been planned, the approach investigated in this paper plans each robot’s path dynamically, i.e., the path will change according to the environment. When one robot starts to perform or finishes a task, it broadcasts the task’s start position or goal position to other robots. Then other robots will change their paths if the broadcast position has influence on their planned paths.
Stability Analysis of a Multi Area System with Renewable Energy and Multi-Terminal DC Tie Lines

Security constrained multi area multi objective dynamic economic dispatch (SCMAMODED) with renewable energy (RE) and all the possible MTDC stability constraints is formulated for the first time. The stability merits of multi terminal DC (MTDC) tie lines as compared to the traditional HVAC forms the main objective of this paper. Probabilistic load flow (PLF) is applied to determine the system parameters while the uncertainties are modelled using Scenario Based Method (SBM). The simulation results reveal that with the use of MTDC tie lines, the frequency and voltage stability in the MAMODED with renewable energy sources (RES) are enhanced while keeping the MTDC power exchange interface nodes at secure levels.
Identification of the Compounds Responsible for the Sweat-Like Odor in Hop (Humulus lupulus L.) Volatile Oil

The aroma of hop volatile oil contains a sweat-like odor. We studied the odorous volatile compounds responsible for the sweat-like odor in the volatile oil extracted from Hallertau Perle hop ( Humulus lupulus L.) pellets. The combined use of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/olfactometry (GC-MS/O), aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) by GC-MS/O (an odor dilution technique), and heart-cut multidimensional GC-MS (heart-cut MDGC-MS) equipped with the polar (1D) and apolar (2D) capillary columns revealed seven sweat-like odor producing compounds: methyl-branched saturated and unsaturated aliphatic acids, such as 3-methylbutanoic acid (sweaty/rancid/cheese-like), 2-methylbutanoic acid (sweaty/rancid/cheese-like), 4-methyl-3-pentenoic acid (sweaty/urine-like/malodor in laundry), and ( E )-4-methyl-3-hexenoic acid (sweaty/urine-like/malodor in laundry), as well as others, such as an unknown compound (sweaty), methyl ( E )-4-methyl-3-hexenoate (sweaty/malodor in laundry/fruity), and S -methyl ( E )-4-methyl-3-hexenethioate (sweaty/rubber). The reference substances were synthesized stereo selectively using for the identification procedures. In this study, ( E )-4-methyl-3-hexenoic acid, methyl ( E )-4-methyl-3-hexenoate, and S -methyl ( E )-4-methyl-3-hexenethioate were identified for the first time in hop volatile oil.
Sedentary behaviour, physical activity, physical fitness and subclinical atherosclerosis in 11-12 years-old children

Aim: Examine the influence of sedentary behaviour (SED), physical activity (PA), muscular strength (MS) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) on subclinical atherosclerosis in 11-12 years-old children. Methods: We assessed intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery in 366 children aged 11-12 years-old (191 girls). Measures included IMT assessed with high-resolution ultrasonography, pulse pressure (PP), a maximal handgrip strength test, body mass index, waist circumference, body fat mass and lean mass (LEAN) from DXA and CRF determined using a maximal cycle ergometer test. SED and PA were assessed by accelerometry. MS was adjusted for LEAN yielding relative MS (RMS). Association between IMT and RMS adjusted for SED, PA and CRF were tested with multiple linear regression analysis. Differences in risk factors among RMS groups were tested with ANOVA/ANCOVA. Results: RMS was related to IMT independently of PA, CRF, age, gender, maturity and PP (p<0.05). As compared with the higher RMS group, subjects in the lower RMS group had increased body composition phenotypes, hemodynamics and IMT, and lower moderate-vigorous PA, MS and CRF (p<0.05). Full modelling exposed the detrimental and independent role of RMS in arterial structure in 11-12 years-old children. Greater RMS is associated with improved vascular health even in children.