Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Disturbance On the Population Structure and Regeneration of Trees : A Case Study of Acacia xanthophloea ( Benth ) Woodland in Ol-Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya

Tree damage was assessed in 1540 Acacia species (A. xanthophloea) in Olpejeta Conservancy. Using belt transects measuring (20 x 50 m), trees in the sample sites (closed and open) were counted. Measurements were made of Acacia tree count, recruits count, diameter at breast height, and mortality for both adult trees and seedlings. Densities were significantly higher in enclosed areas (398.3 ± 16.60 trees/ha) than open areas (243.3 ± 10.13) trees/ha. Elephants recorded the highest damage to the sampled trees with 54.55% damage while human beings caused 12.85% of the damage. Browsing was the main form of damage in open areas. Mean height for enclosed and open sites was 3.77 ± 4.61 and 5.35 ± 8.81, respectively. These findings suggest that herbivory damage did not have a significant effect on seedling regeneration but rather had an effect on population structure. Debarking caused by elephants occurred in the open areas with the highest being 96% of the sampled trees in the 11-25% damage class. The diameter class quotients fluctuated, an indication of the unstable population thus suggesting the impact of herbivory on population structure. Key recommendations include the creation of more enclosure zones, winning back more space by controlling the densities of browsers, long-term monitoring and the promotion of recruitment and regeneration rather than reducing mature tree loss.
Analysis of the role of BimA phosphorylation on B. pseudomallei actin-based motility

Burkholderia pseudomallei is an intracellular pathogen that causes a severe disease known as melioidosis affecting both animals and humans in South East Asia and Northern Australia. B. pseudomallei displays actin-based motility in the cytoplasm of infected cells, although its mechanism is largely unknown. Located at the pole of the bacterium is BimA which is vital for motility, survival and virulence. BimA interacts with actin and initiates the formation of actin tails independently of the Arp 2/3 complex. Listeria monocytogenes actin-based motility has been shown to be affected by the host cell enzyme Casein Kinase II. This enzyme phosphorylates the bacterial factor ActA which is required for L. monocytogenes intracellular motility. My project aims to investigate the effect of phosphorylation of BimA on actin-based motility in B. pseudomallei. Online prediction tools were used to perform a bioinformatics analysis of BimA and identify potential phosphorylation sites. Actual phosphorylation sites were identified by mass spectrometry analysis of ectopically expressed BimA protein in HeLa cells and from in vitro kinase assays on recombinant GST-BimA protein. BimA phosphorylation mutant proteins were generated and expressed in a bimA mutant. Analysis of phosphorylation sites that are important to the function of BimA could lead to the development of novel anti-infectives. Lay Summary Burkholderia pseudomallei is a bacterium that is able to invade and replicate inside the host cell. It causes a severe disease known as melioidosis affecting both animals and humans in South East Asia and Northern Australia. B. pseudomallei is able to use host cell actin to form a tail behind it and power movement inside the cell. This process is called actin-based motility and the mechanism is largely unknown. Located at the pole of the bacterium is a bacterial factor known as BimA which is vital for motility and survival. BimA interacts with actin and initiates the formation of actin tails. Listeria monocytogenes is another bacteria that utilises actin-based motility to promote movement in the host cell. It has been shown to be affected by the host cell enzyme Casein Kinase II. This enzyme phosphorylates the actin-based motility factor ActA in Listeria. My project aims to investigate the effect of phosphorylation of BimA on actin-based motility in B. pseudomallei. Analysis of phosphorylation sites that are important to the function of BimA could lead to the development of novel anti-infectives.
No obvious geographical Y-chromosome gradient in the Swedish population

We have analysed 305 Y-chromosomes from seven regions in Sweden to find out if there is population stratification. The Y-STR-minimal haplotype markers including DYS385 a and b were analysed and haplogroups were defined by the SNPs TAT, 92R7, M9, M17 and SRY1532. The STRs were analysed on an ABI377 and the SNPs by Pyrosequencing. Y-haplogroups 1, 2, 3, 16 and 26 were found in approximately equal frequencies in the sub-populations. Also, the gene diversity within the STR-haplotypes, analysed by the Markov chain algorithm, showed no differences. Thus, the whole database can be used for frequency calculations. D 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Grid-formingControl forPowerConverters based on Matching of SynchronousMachines ?

We consider the problem of grid-forming control of power converters in low-inertia power systems. Starting from an averageswitch three-phase inverter model, we draw parallels to a synchronous machine (SM) model and propose a novel grid-forming converter control strategy which dwells upon the main characteristic of a SM: the presence of an internal rotating magnetic field. In particular, we augment the converter system with a virtual oscillator whose frequency is driven by the DC-side voltage measurement and which sets the converter pulse-width-modulation signal, thereby achieving exact matching between the converter in closed-loop and the SM dynamics. We then provide a sufficient condition assuring existence, uniqueness, and global asymptotic stability of equilibria in a coordinate frame attached to the virtual oscillator angle. By actuating the DC-side input of the converter we are able to enforce this sufficient condition. In the same setting, we highlight strict incremental passivity, droop, and power-sharing properties of the proposed framework, which are compatible with conventional requirements of power system operation. We subsequently adopt disturbance decoupling techniques to design additional control loops that regulate the DC-side voltage, as well as AC-side frequency and amplitude, while in the end validating them with numerical experiments.
Cost Reduction System through TRE Based on Prediction

In this paper, we present Cost Reduction System through TRE based on prediction which is a receiver based end-to-end traffic redundancy elimination “TRE” system. This is designed for the cloud computing customers. The Cloud-based TRE system needs to apply a judicious use of cloud resources to combine the bandwidth cost reduction with the additional cost of TRE computation and the storage would be optimized. The main advantage of the Predictive Acknowledgement (PACK) is its capability of offloading the cloudserver TRE effort to end clients. This results in minimizing the processing costs which is induced by the TRE algorithm. Here, the PACK does not require the server to continuously maintain the clients’ status unlike the previous solutions. This makes suitable for pervasive computation environments that combine the client mobility and server migration to maintain the cloud elasticity. The Cost Reduction System through TRE based on prediction is based on a prediction TRE technique, that allows the client to use the newly received chunks for identifying the previously received chunk chains, which in turn can be used as the reliable predictors to future transmitted chunks. We present a fully functional PACK implementation, which is transparent to all TCP-based applications and network devices. Finally, we analyze the Prediction Acknowledgement benefits for cloud users, using the traffic traces from various sources.
Effect of Egg White Utilization on the Physico-Chemical and Sensory Attributes of Protein-rich Yoghurt

High protein yoghurt was made from whole milk, fortied with egg white (30% v/v) and skim milk powder at 12% (w/v). Dierent yoghurt mixes, with albumin content of 15%, 30% and 45% (v/v), were prepared. The control was made from whole milk, fortied with skim milk powder at 12% (w/v). The blended premixes were pasteurized at 74 C for 4 seconds, cooled and then inoculated with 3% (w/v) Direct Vat Set yoghurt starter culture at 45 C. After fermentation for 3 hours in a water bath maintained at 46 1 C, product was cooled to 5 C and then stored for 24 hours. The eect of the fortication on physico-chemical and sensory properties was investigated. Protein content increased to 8.50% at 45% egg white utilization. Susceptibility to wheying was reduced in egg-white fortied samples, without signicant dierence in sensory attributes of the test samples compared to the control. Sensory analysis showed that yoghurt fortied with 45% egg white was organoleptically acceptable. The yoghurt was rated as having better sensory appeal as compared to the control.
Title Generation of a monoclonal antibody reactive to prefusion

We established a novel monoclonal antibody, Yaksa, that is specific to a subpopulation of myogenic cells. The Yaksa antigen is not expressed on the surface of growing myoblasts but only on a subpopulation of myogenin-positive myocytes. When Yaksa antigen-positive mononucleated cells were freshly prepared from a murine myogenic cell by a cell sorter, they fused with each other and formed multinucleated myotubes shortly after replating while Yaksa antigen-negative cells scarcely generated myotubes, These results suggest that Yaksa could segregate fusion-competent, mononucleated cells from fusion–incompetent cells during muscle differentiation. The Yaksa antigen was also expressed in developing muscle and regenerating muscle in vivo and it was localized at sites of cell-cell contact between mono-nucleated muscle cells and between mono-nucleated muscle cells and myotubes. Thus, Yaksa that marks prefusion myocytes before myotube formation can be a useful tool to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of myogenic cell fusion.
Current trends in executive compensation. Increased transparency in Spain thanks to the annual remuneration report

Executive compensation has been one of the most controversial topics in recent years. There are two unstoppable trends in this field. On the one hand, the incentives design is evolving from models that consider only financial objectives towards a broader approach influenced by the Corporate Social Responsibility framework that takes into account environmental and social measures. On the other hand, and as a consequence of the new theoretic framework, all recent Codes of Conduct are enforcing the need for transparency. In this article, we analyze the path towards transparency in the case of Spain and the new Annual Remuneration Report that has been approved for all public listed companies.
Phytochemical studies on Lycium schweinfurthii var. schweinfurthii (Solanaceae) and Isolation of five Flavonoids from leaves

Preliminary phytochemical screening in different parts (root, stem, leaves and flowers) of Lycium schweinfurthii var. schweinfurthii revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponines, glycosides, resins, cardiac glycosides, phenol, sterols, tannins, flavonoids and amino acids. The percentage of total (flavonoids, tannins, saponins and alkaloids) increased in plant leaves than other part. The investigation of phenolic compounds in L. schweinfurthii var. schweinfurthii leaves by different chromatographic methods of separation showed the presence of quercetin, kaempferol, gallic acid, ferulic acid, and apigenin. The structures of these flavonoids were characterized on the basis of their, UV, NMR and MS spectroscopic data.
Emergence of the bifurcation structure of a Langmuir–Blodgett transfer model

We explore the bifurcation structure of a modified Cahn–Hilliard equation that describes a system that may undergo a first-order phase transition and is kept permanently out of equilibrium by a lateral driving. This forms a simple model, e.g., for the deposition of stripe patterns of different phases of surfactant molecules through Langmuir–Blodgett transfer. Employing continuation techniques the bifurcation structure is numerically investigated using the non-dimensional transfer velocity as the main control parameter. It is found that the snaking structure of steady front states is intertwined with a large number of branches of time-periodic solutions that emerge from Hopf or period-doubling bifurcations and end in global bifurcations (sniper and homoclinic). Overall the bifurcation diagram has a harp-like appearance. This is complemented by a two-parameter study in non-dimensional transfer velocity and domain size (as a measure of the distance to the phase transition threshold) that elucidates through which local and global codimension 2 bifurcations the entire harp-like structure emerges.
TPDSci.com: a continually updated monograph of selected topics in the optics of turbid media

A growing number of publications in the field of particle and dispersion science create an immediate need for a facilitated access by scientists to the latest relevant findings. An online monograph Topics in Particle and Dispersion Science (TPDSci.com) implements an original approach to this problem. This peer-review publication continually builds a comprehensive review from conclusion-oriented "very brief abstracts" (VBAs) as the building blocks. The review is complemented by an extensive concept-based index and a free-form search as major components of the TPDSci navigation system.
Risky Business: Does Disclosure and Shareholder Approval of Corporate Political Contributions Affect Stock Volatility and Value?

We utilize a quasi-natural experiment to examine whether mandating greater disclosure and shareholder approval of political contributions reduces risk and increases firm value. In particular, we examine the Neill Committee Report (NCR), which led to the passage of the United Kingdom’s Political Parties, Elections, and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA). The NCR recommended, and PPERA put into law, stronger disclosure and mandated shareholder approval of political contributions. Using a differences-in-differences methodology, we find that after the NCR’s release, politically active firms saw an increase in risk, as proxied by stock return volatility and a decrease in firm value, as proxied by Tobin’s Q. These results present a challenge to arguments for mandating greater disclosure and shareholder oversight of corporate political activities.
ORGANIC PRIVATE LABELS AS A TOOL TO ACHIEVE 1 COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE 2-THE CASE OF INTERNATIONAL RETAILERS 3 OPERATING IN THE POLISH MARKET 4 5

16 The main aim of the study was to analyze/determine how international modern retailers’ 17 chains can achieve a competitive advantage by introducing private labels (PLs) in the organic 18 category and in turn stimulate consumption of food produced with respect of sustainability 19 principles. 20 Following a review of the relevant literature data collection process involved two steps. First, 21 to select retailers with organic private labels (OPLs) and producers delivering products under 22 OPLs, there were conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with the representatives of 23 the management board of 17 enterprises. A group of 6 enterprises was selected, including 3 24 retailers having OPLs, 2 producers delivering products under OPLs and one enterprise that 25 was categorized as producer and distributor. Based on the results of the interviews, six 26 sources of the competitive advantage of the OPLs were identified and further discussed. 27 Second, to analyze more in depth assortment-based competitive advantage of the OPLs, 8 28 enterprises (5 retailers having OPLs, 2 producers delivering products under OPLs and one 29 enterprise categorized as a producer and distributor) were approached for the interviews. To 30 explore price-related competitive advantage three products offered under the premium PLs, 31 the economy PLs, the organic PLs, the producer brands and the imported brands were selected 32 for the subsequent analysis. 33 Increasing competition in the food retailing sector pose many challenges on the retailers and 34 stimulate them to develop the PLs that is in line with global trends. In case of the OPLs, the 35 more popular strategy while introducing them is to differentiate the PLs with quality and 36 image related attributes comparable to leading producer brands. Retail chains introducing the 37 OPLs achieve the competitive advantage related to six sources: price, range of assortment, 38 type of PLs, image of retailer, sustainability and specific process and product related attributes 39 of organic food. Additionally the retailers use their reputation and image of retailers’ brand to 40 guarantee the quality of new organic products introduced under the PLs. 41 To achieve or maintain the competitive advantage, retailers tend to introduce the OPLs 42 positioned as value added PLs. They perceive the OPLs as a way to influence the consumers' 43 decision to buy and increase their loyalty towards store brands. The strategies of the retailers 44 evolve and the largest retailers decided to create the premium OPLs, the others focus on 45 Preprints (www.preprints.org) | NOT PEER-REVIEWED | Posted: 2 May 2018 doi:10.20944/preprints201805.0043. v1 © 2018 by the author(s). Distributed under a Creative Commons CC BY license. Peer-reviewed version available at Sustainability 2018, 10, 2338; doi:10.3390/su10072338
Dimensions of Social Axioms and Alternative Country-Clustering Methods

Social Axioms are defined as general beliefs that represent one’s view about how the world functions and how two entities are related “in the universe”. The Social Axiom dimensions as proposed by Leung & Bond are Social Cynicism, Social Complexity, Reward for Application, Fate Control, and Religiosity. The first aim of this study was to investigate how the Social Axiom dimensions are identified in Greece and in five more countries (N=1,375) that differ broadly in their ecological and religion characteristics (Hong-Kong, USA, UK, Spain, and India). The second aim was to enhance factor equivalence levels by forming homogeneous subsets of countries through the application of an alternative method on factor structure similarity among countries. For the Greek factor structure some emic characteristics are discussed in respect to the specific cultural setting. For all six countries, factor equivalence among countries was present to some extent for the initial factor structures. For cluster of countries though, almost maximum equivalence with the overall factor structure was reached. However, some inequivalence among clusters of countries for specific factors was still present and useful in describing diversity based on the specific cultural characteristics of the clusters of countries.
Gender Differences in Peak Blood Lactate Concentration and Lactate Removal

Cite this article: Zhang JQ, Ji LL (2016) Gender Differences in Peak Blood Lactate Concentration and Lactate Removal. Ann Sports Med Res 3(7): 1088. *Corresponding author John Q. Zhang, Laboratory of Cardiovascular Research, University of Texas at San Antonio, Department of Kinesiology, Health, and Nutrition, UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA, Tel: 1-210-458-7390, Fax: 1-210-458-5873, Email:
Gauge‐invariant calculation of nuclear magnetic shielding constants at the coupled–cluster singles and doubles level

The gauge‐including atomic orbital (GIAO) method for the gauge‐invariant calculation of nuclear magnetic shielding constants has been implemented at the coupled‐cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) level. A brief description of the theory and its computational requirements is provided. Finally, the GIAO–CCSD method is applied to calculate nuclear shielding constants of N2O with two different basis sets, the larger of which contains 153 contracted Gaussian functions.
A Survey on Personalized Endorsement Approaches in Web Usage Mining

: Web surfing has become a popular activity for many users who not only make purchases online, but also seek relevant information on products and services before they commit to buy or use. Personalized recommendations (PR) in web usage mining were the way to reach a product to a customer which they really interested. PR will provide appropriate products or services to customers which they really interested. In fact PR has several advantages; it also suffers from some problems like local information overload. In present, PR to each customer is really difficult one due to huge network traffic. This paper surveys various PR methods and algorithms, which used to reach a product to a customer in a fast and efficient way.
Changes in Species Composition of Birds and Declining Number of Breeding Territories over 40 Years in a Nature Conservation Area in Southwest Germany

Global loss of biodiversity is occurring at an alarming rate and is a major issue in current times. Long-term studies offer the possibility to analyse changes in biodiversity and allow assessments of anthropogenic interventions in ecosystems. At present, various studies in most countries show partially strong declines of insect populations. Due to their role as a food source for many organisms it is assumed that declines of insect abundance might have effects on higher trophic levels like insectivorous birds. For reliable statements on relationships between food availability and population trends, systematic and extensive records of breeding birds are necessary. In this study, we analysed the changes in the range of species, biodiversity, and abundance of a breeding bird community over 43 years in a large nature conservation area in southwest Germany (“Lampertheimer Altrhein” near Mannheim). Since 1974, considerable changes in the spectrum of breeding birds have been found, but the overall biodiversity index did not change. Furthermore, 70% of the investigated species showed decreasing numbers of breeding bird territories, and the overall number of territories across species declined by more than 65%. A classification based on the main diet during the breeding period and habitat use revealed strong declines for insectivorous birds in the study area, especially in wetland and open cultivated landscapes.
Design of a High Performing Cloud Using Load Rebalancing Technique in Distributed File System

: Distributed file systems are key building blocks for cloud computing applications based on the Map Reduce programming paradigm. In such file systems, nodes simultaneously serve computing and storage functions; a file is partitioned into a number of chunks allocated in distinct nodes so that MapReduce tasks can be performed in parallel over the nodes. However, in a cloud computing environment, failure is the norm, and nodes may be upgraded, replaced, and added in the system. Files can also be dynamically created, deleted, and appended. This results in load imbalance in a distributed file system; that is, the file chunks are not distributed as uniformly as possible among the nodes. Emerging distributed file systems in production systems strongly depend on a central node for chunk reallocation. This dependence is clearly inadequate in a large-scale, failure-prone environment because the central load balancer is put under considerable workload that is linearly scaled with the system size, and may thus become the performance bottleneck and the single point of failure. In this paper, a fully distributed load rebalancing algorithm is presented to cope with the load imbalance problem. Our algorithm is compared against a centralized approach in a production system and a competing distributed solution presented in the literature. The simulation results indicate that our proposal is comparable with the existing centralized approach and considerably outperforms the prior distributed algorithm in terms of load imbalance factor, movement cost, and algorithmic overhead. The performance of our proposal implemented in the Hadoop distributed file system is further investigated in a cluster environment.