Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Temporary night penning as effective tool to improve plant diversity in nutrient-poor dry grasslands

Socio-economic transformations occurred in Europe over the last decades have led to a change in land use intensity with a broad abandonment of mountain areas. Especially in semi-natural grasslands, the decline in workforce and in the number of stocked animals has resulted on the long term in a loss in plant diversity, often depending on standing-dead litter accumulation, which is known to change competitive relations among plant species. To restore plant diversity and vegetation structure by reducing standing-dead litter, we arranged five temporary night pens (TNP) over nutrient-poor dry grasslands of the Natura 2000 site IT1110030 (Western Italian Alps). Within each TNP, we fenced 250 sheep for 2-3 nights and we surveyed vegetation along permanent transects before the arrangement of TNP (2015) and one year after treatment. We evaluated the effects on herbaceous, rock and bare ground cover, and we computed biodiversity indices (species richness and Shannon diversity index (H’)). Temporary night penning reduced the abundance of standing-dead litter and herbaceous cover (P < 0.01), and increased bare ground (P = 0.004). Furthermore, the number of plant species increased (P < 0.001), whereas H’ did not change significantly. These short-term findings highlight that plantdiversity restoration in abandoned dry grasslands may benefit from temporary night penning practice.
Statistical Approach for Environmental Problems based on Spatial Structure

Title Statistical Approach for Environmental Problems based on Spatial Structure Author(s) Kurihara, Koji; Ishioka, Fumio Citation JST Presto Symposium on Mathematical Sciences towards Environmental Problems (Hokkaido University technical report series in mathematics ; 136). pp.10-19. Issue Date 2008-09 Doc URL http://hdl.handle. net/2115/34730 Type proceedings Note JSTさきがけ研究集会 環境問題における数理の可能性. 平成20年6月11日~平成20年6月13日. 札幌市 File Information tech136_p10-19.pdf
Signing Distortions in Optimal Tax and Other Adverse Selection Problems with Random Participation

We develop a methodology to sign output distortions in the random participation framework. We apply our method to monopoly nonlinear pricing problem, to the regulatory monopoly problem and mainly to the optimal income tax problem. In the latter framework, individuals are heterogeneous across two unobserved dimensions: their skill and their disutility of participation to the labor market. We derive a fairly mild condition for optimal marginal tax rates to be non negative everywhere, implying that in-work effort is distorted downwards. Numerical simulations for the U.S. confirm this property. Moreover, it is typically optimal to provide a distinct level of transfer to the non-employed and to workers with zero or negligible earnings.
The freshwater grass shrimp Palaemonetes antennarius in the diet of fish in Lake Bracciano (Central Italy)

We evaluated the importance of the freshwater grass shrimp Palaemonetes antennarius as trophic source for the lacustrine fish of the Lake Bracciano (Central Italy) analyzing 6120 stomach contents of 10 species. Shrimp was recorded for all size classes of the investigated species with a variation in frequency and abundance depending on seasons. P. antennarius was occasionally preyed by cyprinids, and systematically by small individuals of carnivorous fish. Our findings acquire more importance if we take the shrimps ecological niche into account, as it is potentially acting as detritivorous/generalist and predator of benthic invertebrates as well. This feeding behavior makes P. antennarius an important network ring, being a taxon that ought to receive the same attention recommended for other freshwater decapods as proposed for Austropotamobius pallipes and Potamon fluviatile .
Understanding Interpersonal Problems in Autism: Interaction Theory as An Alternative to Theory of Mind

I argue that theory theory approaches to autism offer a wholly inadequate explanation of autistic symptoms because they offer a wholly inadequate account of the non-autistic understanding of others. As an alternative I outline interaction theory, which incorporates evidence from both developmental and phenomenological studies to show that humans are endowed with important capacities for intersubjective understanding from birth or early infancy. As part of a neurophenomenological analysis of autism, interaction theory offers an account of interpersonal problems that is fully consistent with the variety of social and nonsocial symptoms found in autism.
A New Adaptive Anisotropic Diffusion using the Local Intensity Variance

This paper presents a new Adaptive Anisotropic Diffusion technique –based on Perona-Malik (P-M) equationto smooth a signal while preserving discontinuities. In P-M equation, We propose to adapt the Scale Dimension k parameter of the diffusivity function according to the local intensity variance, which is computed for each image pixel. We will show that this technique remo ves noise and irrelevant details while preserving sharper boundaries. The results show that the proposed approach outperform classical P-M technique.
An improved waveform for multi-target detection in FMCW vehicle radar

Frequency Modulation Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar has been widely used in vehicle safety systems now. Many kinds of waveform have been designed to solve the coupling of distance and velocity in multi-target detection. This paper proposes a novel FMCW waveform which contains three sections with same duration in each period. Two sections are up ramps with different slopes and one is down ramp. Two groups of N*N values of the distance and velocity can be extracted by implementing N-point FFT towards one up ramp and down ramp signal. The distance and velocity in the two groups are the same for the real targets, however, quite different for the ghost targets. Compared with traditional waveforms, the proposed waveform in our work has simpler algorithm and less computation, which has been validated by simulations.
Comparative Study of the Protective Effect of Granulated Sugar and Garri Meal on Petroleum-induced Changes of Lipid Profiles in Albino Rats (Rattusnorvegicus)

Crude oil contaminated diet has been reported to induced changes in lipid profile of rats. In this study, 60 albino rats in 6 groups were fed with crude oil contaminated sugar-garri diets at varied concentrations to monitor petroleum-induce lipid profile changes using standard methods. The lipid profiles estimated were total cholesterols, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and Low density lipoproteincholesterol.The data showed that, the levels of total cholesterol (Mmol/l) increased from 2.89+0.08 in sugar fed rats compared with 3.05+0.12 in Gari fed rats. The concentration of triglycerides(Mmol/l) reduced from 1.10+0.51 in sugar fed rats to 1.06 + 0.03 in Gari fed rats while the high density lipoprotein cholesterol(Mmol/l) concentration of 2. 01+0.08 was significantly higher than 1.89 + 0.03 in Gari fed rats (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (Mmol/l) concentrations of 0.68+0.11 in sugar fed rats compared with 0.83 + 0.10 in Gari fed rats. The effect of pre-treatment of the diet with sugar reduced petroleum-induce changes in lipid profile than gari during the exposure of the albino rats to the petroleum diet suggesting that sugarcould possibly ameliorate petroleum-induce changes in lipid profile as shown by the significantlowering of the cholesterol and Low density lipoprotein cholesterol than gari in albino rats. Keywords : lipid, Petroleum, Sugar, Gari, Cassava, Changes
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Investigating the factors underlying cities’ physical growth: Evidence from the city of Rasht

AbstractThe manner of physical growth of a city, and the motivators of such growth, is considered to be a major issue in urban studies. This paper aims to identify the factors affecting the urban growth pattern in the city of Rasht, taken as a representative of cities in developing countries. A comparison is made with different findings of previous studies to clarify whether there is a universal constant framework for predicting the directions of urban growth. With the assumption that the growth of Rasht is influenced by specific motivating factors, an appropriate theoretical framework and quantitative parameters for urban growth are developed through a literature review. Logistic regression modeling estimates the impact of factors influencing the growth of Rasht. The results show that the first factor with a positive effect on urban growth is roads, and this urban development mostly appears along highways and industrial parks in the south, suggesting that the interaction of land use/transportation is nec.
POSSIBILITIES TO USE THE EIGENFREQUENCIES TO IDENTIFY COINS

ABSTRACT— The acoustic diagnostics is one of the oldest methods for non-destructive control. The present paper, analyzing the recorded sound of a coin, falling on a hard pad or strike with an impulse hammer, defines the first three eigenfrequencies of contemporary coins that are in circulation. (1 BGN 2002, 1EUR 2002, 1 TRL). It is noticeable that the dispersion of the frequencies when measuring a series of coins is the lowest (about 1%) in the Turkish coin, which is the newest coin. On the base of the frequencies measured, Labview-based application is created to identify coins. As the coins are bimetal, the properties of the equivalent thin circular plate model are calculated by FEA using optimization procedure.
Screening phosphate solubilizing actinobacteria isolated from the rhizosphere of wild plants from the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes

Colombia is a tropical country with high diversity and an agricultural economy, yet their soils are characterized by low pHs and poor phosphorus concentrations. Soil supplementation with chemical fertilizers containing soluble phosphorus is a costly and contaminating practice and for this reason, the aim of this study was to isolate actinobacteria that are able to release soluble phosphate from wild plants of the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia and select strains with high phosphorus solubilizing activity. To screen the isolates of actinobacteria, we used two qualitative assays to determine the efficiency of solubilization by measuring the halo of hydrolysis in a Pikovskaya’s agar plate (PVK). A second assay was performed on broth with National Botanical Research Institute's phosphate growth (NBRIP) medium containing bromophenol blue (BPB). Finally, the released soluble phosphate by actinobacteria was quantified using insoluble Ca3(PO4)2 or AlPO4 as sole sources of P. Only five of the tested strains were the best solubilizing strains in the two qualitative assays. The strains T1C, T1H, T3A, T3C, P3E, F1A, F2A and V2B solubilized significantly more phosphorus than the other strains, which was shown for the quantitative assay. Strains T1C, T3A, T3C and F1A are candidates for future studies and to evaluate other plant growth promoting activities. Key words: Screening, phosphate solubilizing, actinobacteria, Colombia.
Needle in a Hyperstack : Searching Information on the World Wide Web

This study examines the process of information search on the Internet by: (a) assessing participants’ success in finding specific information on the Web, (b) identifying the characteristics of the information search process (e.g., search duration, number of steps used), and (c) identifying the search strategies used, and assessing their effectiveness. Subjects were 54 university’s graduate students who were asked to accomplish three (relatively simple) search tasks: (1) find a picture of the Mona Lisa, (2) find a complete text of Robinson Crusoe or David Copperfield, and (3) find a recipe of an apple pie which includes a photograph. All search process performed by each participant were recorded and fully logged by tracking software. Findings showed that overall success in searching information was low. About 46% of the search tasks were not accomplished successfully. Only 15% of the students succeed in all three tasks. The search process was long and effortful. Further analysis reveals nine different search strategies used by the students. The distribution of their usage and their effectiveness are presented and discussed. SEARCHING INFORMATION ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
RAG1 oligomerization states and secondary structural properties: an initial characterization of V(D)J recombinase complex formation

The recombination activating gene products (RAG1 and 2) catalyze the initial DNA cleavage steps during V(D)J recombination for the diversification of the immune repertoire. As the fundamental properties of the RAG proteins remain largely unknown, our objective is to investigate the self–association and conformational properties of RAG1. To analyze RAG1 association and dissociation, a time course of multi–angle laser light scattering measurements (MALL SEC) was performed on samples at different oligomerization states over a wide range of ionic strengths. The molecular masses of the predominant RAG1 species corresponded to dimer, tetramer, and a previously uncharacterized octamer state. Furthermore, the fraction of RAG1 in the tetrameric and octameric states increased significantly over time at lower ionic strengths, indicating that these oligomeric forms may factor into the physiological function of RAG1. Circular dichroism (CD) analysis of RAG1 showed a significant dependence in secondary structure on ionic strength with changes in α-helical content over time that may correspond to the changes in oligomerization states shown by MALLS SEC. Together, the MALLS SEC and CD analyses of RAG1 self-association properties and secondary structure give further insight into formation of the protein complex responsible for catalyzing V(D)J recombination.
Bak-Tang-Wiesenfeld sandpile model around the upper critical dimension

We consider the Bak-Tang-Wiesenfeld sandpile model [Phys. Rev. Lett. 59, 381 (1987); Phys. Rev. A 38, 364 (1988)] on square lattices in different dimensions $(Dl~6). $ A finite-size scaling analysis of the avalanche probability distributions yields the values of the distribution exponents, the dynamical exponent, and the dimension of the avalanches. Above the upper critical dimension ${D}_{u}=4$ the exponents equal the known mean-field values. An analysis of the area probability distributions indicates that the avalanches are fractal above the critical dimension.
BEHAVIOUR OF PILE SUPPORTED WHARF IN LIQUEFIED SOILS

A parametric study is carried out to study the performance of pile supported wharf structure under liquefying and lateral spreading soil conditions using nonlinear static pushover analysis. Displacement-based approach is adopted to study the soil pile interaction. Piles are modelled as beam elements and the parts of the piles embedded in soil are modelled as beams on Winkler foundation. The structure is modelled and analyzed using SAP2000. Pile yielding and hinge formation patterns in the piles during soil liquefaction and lateral spreading states are observed and compared with field observations. It is observed that when soil liquefied the base shear resistance dropped drastically and hence effected the performance of structure. Piles yielded at the interface of liquefied and non-liquefied layers when soil liquefied. It is also observed that the structure performed poorly when liquefied depth factor and slenderness ratio are increased. The method of analysis is simple and gives results confirming to the field observations and hence is an easy tool for assessment of existing port structures and preventing future disasters.
Development of a hybrid K-means-expectation maximization clustering algorithm

Data clustering is a common technique for statistical data analysis in including machine learning, data mining, pattern recognition, image analysis and bioinformatics. The computational task of classifying the data set into k clusters is often referred to as k-clustering. K-Means and Expectation-Maximization algorithms are part of the commonly employed methods in clustering of data in relational databases. Results findings in some related work revealed that both algorithms have been found to be characterized with shortcomings. K-means was established not to guarantee convergence while Expectation-Maximization’s quick and premature convergence doesn’t assure optimality of results. As such, both algorithms are not efficient and effective enough; hence, there arises a need for a proposed algorithm that could both guarantee convergence and optimality of
Buoyancy induced mobility in two-phase debris flow

This paper shows that buoyancy enhances mobility in two-phase debris flow with an analysis based on the generalized two-phase debris flow model proposed by Pudasaini [1]. The model (the most generalized two-phase flow model to date) incorporates many essential physical phenomena, including solid-volume-fraction-gradient-enhanced non-Newtonian viscous stress, buoyancy, virtual mass and a generalized drag force. We find a strong coupling between the solid- and the fluid-momentum transfer, where the solid normal stress is reduced by buoyancy, which in turn diminishes the frictional resistance, enhances the pressure gradient, and reduces the drag on the solid component. This leads to higher flow mobility. Numerical results show that the model can adequately describe the dynamics of buoyancy induced mobility in two-phase debris flows, and produces observable geometry of flowing mass in the run-out zone. The results presented here are consistent with the physics of the flow.
T-C Phase Diagram of Asphaltenes in Solutions

Abstract Comparative analysis of previously available and new experimental data reveals a complex structure of ambient pressure T-C phase diagram of asphaltenes in solutions, as well as in native petroleum. One of the characteristic properties of the diagram is an apparent series of temperature-controlled transitions between structural states in primary asphaltene nanoaggregates, presumably related to different types of intermolecular bonding. Hence, various earlier models of primary aggregates may be more closely related than conventionally believed.
DEVELOPMENT OF A STRICT FEEDBACK TWO-MASS HORIZONTAL AXIS WIND TURBINE MODEL WITH EMPIRICAL POWER COEFFICIENT AND EXTERNAL STIFFNESS

For a variable speed wind turbine, the control approach requires the exact dynamical model of such wind turbine to be under controlled. The established wind turbine dynamics neglect the external stiffness as an integrator to the system dynamics is introduced. In addition, many approaches assume a constant value for the coefficient, which is practically not a valid choice. Hence, this paper proposed a strict feedback model of a two-mass wind turbine system that focused on external stiffness, and also embedded empirical power coefficient in the system dynamics. The model represented in this study is a "ready-to-be-used" form that benefits the control system engineers when the feedback control approaches are taken into account.
Ensemble Machine Learning and Applicability Domain Estimation for Fluorescence Properties and its Application to Structural Design

Fluorescent substances are used in a wide range of applications, and the method that effectively design molecules having desirable absorption and emission wavelength is required. In this study, we used boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) compounds as a case study, and constructed high precision wavelength prediction model using ensemble learning. Prediction accuracy improved in stacking model using RDKit descriptors and Morgan fingerprint. The variables related to the molecular skeleton and the conjugation length were shown to be important. We also proposed an applicability domain (AD) estimation model that directly use the descriptors based on Tanimoto distance. The performance of the AD models was shown better than the OCSVM-based model. Using our proposed stacking model and AD model, newly generated compounds were screened and we obtained 602 compounds which were estimated inside the AD in both absorption wavelength and emission wavelength.
Seafarers’ current awareness, knowledge, motivation and ideas towards Low Carbon – Energy Efficient operations

Worldwide there is increasing concern regarding green house gases, in particular carbon emissions and their detrimental effects to our earth’s atmosphere; resulting in climate change. International and National pressure requires the shipping industry to play its’ role in reducing the 3.3% of total global carbon emission that it currently emits into the atmosphere. On the 1st January 2013 the IMO are expected to enforce mandatory measures to reduce shipping carbon emissions and these measures will directly and indirectly affect the daily operations of seafarers, onshore performance staff, and managerial personnel with influence over operational procedures. It is therefore imperative that these personnel have the awareness, knowledge, skills, and motivation necessary to successfully implement the operational changes that are needed. A questionnaire has been distributed to investigate seafarers’ and onshore personnels current levels of awareness, knowledge and motivation towards carbon emissions in general and towards shipping carbon emissions. The questionnaire also asked participants to contribute which level of personnel have the most influence over carbon changes and what are the most important operational improvements that can be made. 317 questionnaire responses were collected in total and the analysis of the results is discussed within this paper. The primary benefit of this study has been to support the development of a specific Low Carbon – Energy Efficiency maritime education and training program, by identifying target group needs and attitudes, and key areas for focus.