Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A 23-Year Assessment of Vegetation Composition and Change in the Adirondack Alpine Zone, New York State

Abstract The Adirondack Mountains of New York State hold some of the southernmost communities of alpine vegetation in the eastern United States. Containing the greatest concentration of rare and endangered species in New York State, this ∼12,000-year-old ecosystem is important to understanding the ecological history of northeastern North America. In order to monitor floristic and vegetational shifts over time, 11 permanent transects were established in 1984 on four summits (Wright, Algonquin, Boundary, and Iroquois) of the MacIntyre Range in the Adirondack High Peaks region. Using the point-intercept method, all 11 transects were sampled in 1984, 1994, 2002, and 2007. Vegetation composition changed significantly over the 23-year period, with an overall decrease in bryophytes/lichens and an increase in vascular plants, indicating that vascular plants were replacing bryophytes, particularly in areas not disturbed by hikers. Community similarity was high among all transects, and increased with time for vascular plants as they became more abundant, indicating a successional convergence. Compositional shifts may also reflect effects of global warming and atmospheric deposition on alpine plant communities.
Factors Affecting Pharmacokinetic Variability of Imatinib Mesylate (Gleevec, STI-571)

textabstractImatinib mesylate, the first tyrosine kinase inhibitor to gain approval by the FDA, remains as a pivotal example of rational drug design. Initially, imatinib was found to target the bcr-abl fusion protein in CML and further targets have subsequently been identified, including c-kit in GIST. Though a great number of studies have elucidated underlying mechanisms to explain emerging resistance to this anti-cancer agent, many cases of resistance remain unexplained. Furthermore, patients exhibit high interindividual variability in imatinib pharmacokinetics, which may contribute to suboptimal drug exposure and response.
Studies on the distribution, re‐translocation and homeostasis of inorganic phosphate in barley leaves

Changes in inorganic phosphate (P i ) concentrations in barley leaves during growth of plants with sufficient or deficient supplies of P i were studied. Measurements of the P i distribution from subcellular levels to the leaf tissue level under the same experimental conditions allowed us to analyse the relationship between the P i homeostasis of various compartments and P i re-translocation in the whole plant. Under P i deficiency, the finding of growth-dependent changes in the P i concentrations of whole leaves established that P i was re-translocated from the older leaves to the young leaves. Translocation of 32 P i was also confirmed with an 'imaging plate' system, which made it possible to follow P i movement in the same plantlet. To analyse the mechanism of P i re-translocation, the P i distribution amongst various compartments of the leaves was measured. Under P i deficiency, the cytoplasmic P i concentration of the first leaf remained constant until 16d after sowing, while vacuolar P i was completely exhausted after 8 to 10d. Exhaustion of vacuolar P i in the first leaf coincided with the appearance of the second leaf. The P i concentration in the apoplast changed similarly to that of the whole leaf. However, the apoplastic P i concentration was affected to some extent by the vacuolar P i concentration and the growth of the younger leaf, because the main change in apoplastic P i concentration coincided with the time of the disappearance of the vacuolar P i and the appearance of the younger leaf. The P i concentration in the apoplast was about 0.1 to 1 mol m -3 , even in the absence of P i , which was much higher than that in the usual soil environment (a few mmol m -3 ). This suggests that the P i absorbed by root cells is concentrated in the transport process from the root to the leaf apoplast. The content of P i in the xylem exudate was constant irrespective of growth culture conditions. The root may be functioning as the constant P i supplier to the above tissues.
The use of sex pheromone lures to compare pear and apple leafcurling midge phenology.

Pear leafcurling midge ( Dasineura pyri, PLCM) is a gall midge in the family Cecidomyiidae and is a persistent pest in New Zealand.Whilst mature trees can withstand considerable damage, feeding by larvae can cause severe distortion (galling) of developing leaves on younger trees. Apart from obvious leaf damage, PLCM activity is dificult to detect so the recent development of the synthetic sex pheromone provides a useful monitoring tool for this pest. Pear leafcurling midge pheromone traps were set up in four commercial pear blocks across the Nelson district, which is the main commercial pear-growing area in New Zealand, to assess the ability of the pheromone lure to monitor seasonal activity of the pest. Trapping results are compared and discussed in relation to apple leafcurling midge activity in ive apple blocks in the same region.
Metal-binding characteristics of the protein which shows the highest histidine content in the Arabidopsis genome

It is well documented that metal-binding peptides, such as phytochelatins and metallothioneins, are involved in metal homeostasis and tolerance in plants. These peptides bind metals by means of the thiol groups of cysteine residues. Histidine is also known to be a metal-binding residue. It has been demonstrated that microorganisms and mammals possess histidine-rich metal-binding peptides for the storage and homeostasis of metals. In plants, however, only several examples which describe the characteristics of the histidine-rich metal binding peptides have been reported. We therefore searched for histidine-rich peptides in the Arabidopsis database. Here, we describe a candidate gene designated Arabidopsis thaliana histidine-rich peptide 1 (AtHIRP1). AtHIRP1, which belongs to a small auxin-up RNA (SAUR) family in Arabidopsis, shows the highest histidine content (19.7% of total amino acid residues) in the Arabidopsis genome. The recombinant AtHIRP1 apparently bound to Co 2� , Ni 2� , Cu 2� , and Zn 2� , but weakly to Cd 2� . In the case of the AtHIRP1-Zn 2� binding, the dissociation constant was 0.58 mM and the maximum binding capacity was 12 mol Zn 2� per 1 mol AtHIRP1. The accumulation of AtHIRP1 transcripts increased by drought stresses. These results suggest that AtHIRP1 is a metal-binding peptide which may function in plants exposed to abiotic stresses.
Prediction of Development of Asiatic Lilies Based on Air Temperature and Thermal Units

Butter Pixie∑ and 'Horizon∑ Asiatic lilies (Lilium spp.), were grown at several temperatures. The phenological events of visible shoot (VS), visible flower bud (VB), and open flower (OF) were recorded daily. Based on these events, phenophases from VS to VB (VS:VB), from VB to OF (VB:OF), and from VS to OF (VS:OF) were defined. Daily rates of development to complete a phenophase increased with temperature. Nonlinearity was obvious for all phenophases around 25 °C for 'Horizon' and 27 °C for 'Butter Pixie'. A piece-wise linear regression change point model was fitted to each dataset. The base temperature (T b), the temperature at which the nonlinearity occurred (T i ), and the temperature for fastest development (To) could then be determined. Tb for the phenophase VS : OF was -0.4 °C for 'Butter Pixie∑ and 3.0 °C for 'Horizon∑ . T i for 'Butter Pixie∑ was 25.7 °C for VB:OF and 26.1 °C for the phenophase VS:OF. However, T i for '∑ Horizon∑ was found only for the phenophase VS:OF. To complete the pheno- phase VS:OF, 1102.2 degree days (°Cd) were predicted necessary for 'Butter Pixie∑ and 833.2 °Cd for 'Horizon∑ . Predicted time of events was compared with observed values. Subdividing VS:OF into VS:VB and VB:OF and using their respective T b and TU re- duced the average prediction error from 2.13 to 1.87 d for 'Butter Pixie∑ and from 2.39 to 1.86 days for 'Horizon∑ .
Phylogenetics of the New World Subtribes of Asclepiadeae (Apocynaceae—Asclepiadoideae): Metastelmatinae, Oxypetalinae, and Gonolobinae

Abstract Analysis of the trnT-trnL spacer, the trnL intron, the trnL-trnF spacer, and the rps16 intron of 106 species in 34 of the 45 genera of New World Asclepiadeae in the former subtribes Metastelmatinae, Oxypetalinae, and Gonolobinae shows that these genera form a well-supported clade (“MOG”). The small Andean genus Pentacyphus is sister to the remaining MOG clade. The former Gonolobinae form a well-supported subclade closely related to members of Tassadia, Funastrum, and former Oxypetalinae. The only genera that are monophyletic as presently circumscribed are Tassadia and Funastrum. The separation of Tweedia from Oxypetalum is justified by our results. Philibertia is monophyletic only if Amblystigma, Fontellaea, Melinia, Mitostigma, and Podandra are also included. Most species of Blepharodon and Hemipogon are not monophyletic with the respective type species. Some former Astephanus and Cynanchum species as well as the monotypic Grisebachiella are imbedded in Diplolepis (D. descolei, D. geminiflora, D. hieronymi, D. boerhaviifolia, and D. nummulariifolia). The neglected tribe Orthosieae is recognized at subtribal level, Orthosiinae. Chromosome numbers (as far as known) indicate a tendency for reduction in several clades. This study provides a framework for future study of the American MOG genera and highlights areas that need further attention.
A NOVEL β-THALASSEMIA MUTATION IN AN ASIAN INDIAN

A novel 7 bp deletion in exon 2 of the β-globin gene in a 9-year-old boy originating from the eastern part of India is described. This deletion causes a shift in the reading frame of the β-globin coding sequences, and consequently, a premature translation termination due to the creation of a stop codon at position 86. A slipped strand mispairing during DNA replication repair is proposed as the potential mechanism in generating this small deletion.
Foraging Area Size and Habitat Use by Red Bats (Lasiurus borealis) in an Intensively Managed Pine Landscape in Mississippi

Abstract Forest managers are increasingly expected to incorporate biodiversity objectives within forest landscapes devoted to timber production. However, reliable data on which to base management recommendations for bats within these systems are extremely limited. Although the red bat (Lasiurus borealis) is a widespread common species in temperate forests of North America, little is known of its ecology within intensively managed pine (Pinus spp.) forests of the southeastern United States. Therefore, we investigated size of foraging areas and habitat use by red bats during summer 2000 and 2001 in an intensively managed pine landscape in east-central Mississippi, USA. We captured bats using four-tier mist nets placed over water and attached radiotransmitters to red bats. Radiotagged red bats (n = 16) used habitat types randomly at the study area and foraging area scale. Mean size of foraging areas and mean maximum distance traveled between diurnal roosts and foraging locations were not different (P < 0.05) among adult male, adult female, juvenile male or juvenile females (n = 18). Most foraging areas contained a reliable source of water and all but one diurnal roost was located within foraging areas. Location of diurnal roosts may dictate location of foraging areas. Open canopy conditions in intensively managed pine stands (young, open canopy stands, thinned stands and riparian hardwood stands) likely provide appropriate foraging habitat for red bats. Landscape context may influence size of foraging areas and commuting distances of red bats. Provision of appropriate aged forest stands for diurnal roosts may be the best management action for red bats within intensively managed pine landscapes.
Rule of age and size at maturity of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta): implications of recent trends among Oncorhynchus spp.

In the last quarter of the 20th century, the size at maturity of many North Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) populations decreased. During this same period, the age at maturity increased, implying that the growth rate of Pacific salmon decreased, probably owing to environmental changes. To elucidate these trends, we identified the rule of age and size at maturity of Japanese chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), which was that slow-growing salmon initiated maturation at an older age and smaller size than did fast-growing salmon. We then simulated the potential modification of age and size at maturity in response to changing growth rate using a size-structured model with age- and size- specific maturation rates. This showed that reducing the growth rate without assuming a genetic change was sufficient for realistic modeling of recent changes. In addition, the observed rule of age and size at maturity was consistent with the optimal age and size at maturity in terms of maximizing the fitness. Our results attributed the recent trends in chum salmon's increasing age and decreasing size at maturity to an adaptive phenotypic response to a reduced growth rate.
A new species of the colubrid snake genus Atractus (Reptilia: Serpentes) from the central Amazon of Brazil

A new species of Atractus is described from upper Cururu River in the Amazon Basin of Brazil. The new species differs from all currently recognized Atractus by having a dorsal colour pattern reddish brown, with first two dorsal scale rows creamish white, hemipenis slightly bilobed, with alary spines at intrasulcar region, and lateral projections of the lobes depressed in their basal portions. In addition, a discussion concerning putative close relative taxa is provided.
A Hybrid Particle Swarm-SQP Scheme for the Optimum Design of Truss Structures

1. Abstract The Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) method is based on the behavior reflected in flocks of birds, bees and fish that adjust their physical movements to avoid predators and seek for food. It is an instance of a successful application of the philosophy of bounded rationality and decentralized decision-making for solving optimization problems. The method has been given considerable attention in recent years among the optimization research community. Compared to other optimization methods it is considered efficient in terms of number of function evaluations as well as robust since it usually leads to better or the same quality of results. However, the numerical tests performed with the PSO algorithm have shown rapid convergence during the initial stages of a global search, but at the neighborhood of the global optimum, the search process becomes rather slow, a typical behavior of all evolutionary type optimization algorithms. On the contrary, the gradient descending method can achieve faster convergence speed around global optimum and, at the same time, the convergence accuracy can be higher. This paper presents the implementation of an enhanced PSO algorithm combined with a gradient-based quasi-Newton Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) method for handling structural truss optimization problems. The proposed PSO is shown to explore the design space thoroughly and to detect the neighborhood of the global optimum. Then the mathematical optimizer, starting from the best estimate of the PSO and using gradient information, accelerates the convergence towards the global optimum. A non-linear weight update rule for PSO and a simple, yet effective, constraint handling technique for structural optimization are also proposed. The performance, the functionality and the effect of different setting parameters are studied. The effectiveness of the approach is illustrated in a benchmark structural optimization problem. 2.
The Numerical Study on Separation Flow field around Iced Airfoil under Stall Conditions with Hybrid RANS/LES Methods

The improved delayed detached eddy simulation (IDDES) is applied in the comprehensive analysis of the unsteady separation flow field under stall conditions caused by a typical horn-type ice on the leading edge of GLC305 airfoil. The capability of the method for detailed simulation of the complex flow is verified by comparing with the experiment results. Numerical results of the stall process indicate that the unsteady shedding of shear layer from the ice tip determines the basic properties of the separation flow field. For the shedding angle of shear layer increases with the angle of attack, the transport process of the vortex toward the wall is delayed progressively until the ranks of vortex completely move into the wake flow region. As a result, the geometrical scale of separation bubble is gradually increased and the reattachment region shifts backward continually until the disintegration of the flow structure.
Why Can't Johnny Fix Vulnerabilities: A Usability Evaluation of Static Analysis Tools for Security

Static analysis tools can help prevent security incidents, but to do so, they must enable developers to resolve the defects they detect. Unfortunately, developers often struggle to interact with the interfaces of these tools, leading to tool abandonment, and consequently the proliferation of preventable vulnerabilities. Simply put, the usability of static analysis tools is crucial. The usable security community has successfully identiﬁed and remedied usability issues in end user security applications, like PGP and Tor browsers, by conducting usability evaluations. Inspired by the success of these studies, we conducted a heuristic walkthrough evaluation and user study focused on four security-oriented static analysis tools. Through the lens of these evaluations, we identify several issues that detract from the usability of static analysis tools. The issues we iden-tiﬁed range from workﬂows that do not support developers to interface features that do not scale. We make these ﬁndings actionable by outlining how our results can be used to improve the state-of-the-art in static analysis tool interfaces.
A comparison between Market-based and Bank-based Financial Systems by Rekantzi Adamandia

We explore the equity Market timing effect on capital structure decisions in the U.K. which is considered a Market-based financial system and Germany which is regarded as a Bank-based financial system. In contrast with previous studies, we find no evidence supporting Market timing Theory in both countries. No significant and conclusive results are found to indicate that in the U.K. firms tend to issue equity when their market values are high whereas in Germany firms tend to have higher debt ratios.
Hierarchical Clusterings of Unweighted Graphs

We study the complexity of finding an optimal hierarchical clustering of an unweighted similarity graph under the recently introduced Dasgupta objective function. We introduce a proof technique, called the normalization procedure, that takes any such clustering of a graph $G$ and iteratively improves it until a desired target clustering of G is reached. We use this technique to show both a negative and a positive complexity result. Firstly, we show that in general the problem is NP-complete. Secondly, we consider min-well-behaved graphs, which are graphs $H$ having the property that for any $k$ the graph $H(k)$ being the join of $k$ copies of $H$ has an optimal hierarchical clustering that splits each copy of $H$ in the same optimal way. To optimally cluster such a graph $H(k)$ we thus only need to optimally cluster the smaller graph $H$. Co-bipartite graphs are min-well-behaved, but otherwise they seem to be scarce. We use the normalization procedure to show that also the cycle on 6 vertices is min-well-behaved.
Reconstructing Electrospray Plume Current Spatial Distributions using Computed Tomography

Electrospray thruster designs generally encompass a degree of physical multiplexing to achieve desired thrust levels. Aggregate total beam currents and mass-flow rates can be measured directly yet do not provide an assessment of the current sharing between structures. Here computed tomography techniques are applied to reconstruct the spatial distribution of the plume current emitted from an electrospray thruster. Reconstructions are derived from current measurements obtained using a custom-made instrument designed to sweep a thin wire radially across the plume at numerous controlled angles with respect to horizontal. This approach results in a low degree of plume interception by the instrument (∼ 1% or less) and ensures that all such-interception contributes to the measurement. To assess the viability and limitations of this approach, simulations of the reconstruction are presented using calculated notional plume maps. Example data obtained using a Busek BET-300-P electrospray thruster are presented at current levels from 0. 2μA up to 600μA. At sub-μA currents, discrete concentrations of current were observed and, through corroboration via far-field plume profiles, attributed to individual (or tightly packed) emission sites. Sample reconstructions obtained while accruing a high level of throughput (31Ns) are presented and indicate a significant transition in emission localization over time. Results are discussed in the context of understanding the make-up of BET-300-P far-field plume profiles and in assessing the low-thrust control capabilities of highly multiplexed passive electrospray thrusters.
A demand-driven dynamic energy budget model

Idea and background Almost all dynamic energy budget (DEB) models (e.g. Kooijman and Metz 1984, Gurney et al. 1990, Kooijman 1993, Persson et al. 1998, Kooij man 2000, Lika and Nisbet 2000) are 5 based on the idea that food availability determines dividual food intake and the subsequent availability of energy for energy consuming process es. These models hence share a supplydriven principle of individual energetics, in which food acquisition is always the limiting process rate in the energy budget, determining the rate of growth and reproduction. The models do not incorporate a feedback of energy dema nds on individual food intake. As a 10 consequence, these models give rise to indeterminat e, food-dependent growth of individual organisms with asymptotic sizes that vary with food availability. Even though this type of individual growth is perhaps most common there are many groups of species, mainly terrestrial and marine vertebrates, for which growt h is much more controlled by genetics and much less by the environment. Here I develop a DEB model that accounts for determinate 15 growth in body size. Determinate growth implies tha t energy demands are fixed, independent of current food availability and have to be covered . On the one hand these fixed demands require that energy reserves are needed to cover de mands in case of food scarcity. On the other hand, the fixed demands require that food acq uisition rate has to be limited by other factors than food density under conditions of ample food supply. Otherwise, such conditions 20 may initiate a run-away process of fat build-up. I will model this limitation of food intake rate by making it dependent on the current body conditio n of the individual. I assume that regulation of individual energetics is such that a target body condition is aimed for.