Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
WHEN DESERT TORTOISES ARE RARE: TESTING A NEW PROTOCOL FOR ASSESSING STATUS

We developed and tested a new protocol for sampling populations of the desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii, a state- and federally listed species, in areas where population densities are very low, historical data are sparse, and anthropogenic uses may threaten the well-being of tortoise populations and habitat. We conducted a 3-year (2002–2004) survey in Jawbone-Butterbredt Area of Critical Environmental Concern and Red Rock Canyon State Park in the western Mojave Desert of California where the status was previously unknown. We stratified the study area and used 751, 1-ha plots to evaluate 187.7 km 2 of habitat, a 4% sample. Tortoise sign was found on 31 of the 751 plots (4.1%) in two limited areas: ~14 km 2
Towards Achieving Low Background Levels in Routine Dating by Liquid Scintillation Spectrometry

International radiocarbon intercalibration studies have revealed that radiometric laboratories using liquid scintillation (LS) spectrometry of benzene reported, on average, younger ages for near-background standards than either gas proportional counter (GPC) or accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) laboratories. These studies suggested that the younger LS ages are probably related to the use of spectrophotometric benzene as a background standard. An analysis of successive 110-ka subfossil wood (Airedale Reef Ancient Wood: ARAW) standards shows that vacuum line memory effects occur in LS spectrometry and, consequently, must be corrected to obtain accurate 14C dates. ARAW standards, measured at monthly intervals in the Waikato laboratory, are used to provide blank corrections for both research and routine dating applications. The strong correlation between the ARAW δ14C data and the sample activities that preceded the standards may provide an opportunity to obtain sample-specific blank corrections. Lithium carbide synthesis is likely to prove a source of contamination. This work suggests that reproducible background levels for routine dating of less than 0.1 pMC (55 ka 14C yr) are achievable.
A general modeling tool for hybrid systems

This paper describes joint work between Probots, Inc., and the Samara Division of the Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Russian Academy of Science (SD MERI). The objective of this project is to develop techniques for modeling complex, dynamic systems that include the modeling of hybrid systems combining logical models and continuous time models. The techniques we have developed are based on automatically constructing both continuous and discrete models of dynamic systems from their description in the form of mathematical relations (algebraic, differential, logical, matrix, and heuristic) and on automating the process of specifying control functions for intelligent agents by embedding learning functions in dynamic objects. <<ETX>>
Laryngealization, Gender and Speakers' Distinctiveness in Brazilian Portuguese

This work aims to analyze how the occurrence of laryngealization in Brazilian Portuguese can contribute to a speaker characterization, through the analysis of laryngealization rates and its occurrence in vowel and consonant segments, in order to verify which measures would be more representative of a personal speech style. This work also aims at analyzing the influence of gender on the laryngealization rates. The corpus consists of semispontaneous speech records of 10 speakers, five men and five women, who speak the same dialect, ages ranging from 20 to 26 years old, all of them with a high school degree. These recordings are composed by the retelling of a story titled "Pear Film", a 6-minutes short film. Speech data were segmented and analyzed using the software Praat. Laryngealization was identified by hearing in vocalic and consonant segments by the first author, a speech therapist, and confirmed by waveform and spectrogram inspection. Results show a significant distinction in the occurrence of laryngealization between speakers, which may suggest that laryngealization rates could be relevant for speaker comparison. The results related to gender have revealed higher laryngealization rates for females.
Microbiological Quality and Antibiogram of E. coli, Salmonella and Vibrio of Salad and Water from Restaurants of Chittagong

The study aimed at examining the microbial quality of restaurant salad and the water used for salad preparation and their role as a source of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Samples were collected from 15 different restaurants located in Chittagong city. The range of Total Viable Count was 1.86×10 4 to7.28×10 5 CFU/g and 1.60×10 4 CFU/ml to 4.38×10 5 CFU/ml for salad and water respectively. Total colifrm and fecal coliform count > 1100 CFU/100 ml were found in 73.33% of salad and 33.33% water samples. Salmonella spp was present in 46.67% of restaurants salad and water. Vibrio spp. was present in 66.67% of salad and 53.33% of water. A total of 102 isolates belonging to genus Vibrio , Salmonella and E. coli were subjected to antibiotic sensitivity test by disc diffusion method by using nine different types of antibiotic discs. Salmonella spp. from salad and water showed resistance against Amoxicillin (75%), Cephradine and Cephalexin (68.75%). 85.71% Vibrio spp. isolated from salad and water were resistant to Amoxicillin respectively. Multiple drug resistance was seen in 39 and 51 isolates of Salmonella and Vibrio isolates, respectively. The results suggest the necessity to follow the hygienic practices in salad preparation and salad might have an important role as a source of multiple antibiotic resistant bacteria. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i1. 11571 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(1): 159 - 166, 2012
Review: Breeding for Resistance to Sheath blight in rice

Sheath blight (ShB) disease, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, is an economically important rice disease worldwide, especially in intensive production systems. Several studies have been conducted to identify sources for ShB resistance in different species of rice, including local accessions and landraces. It has been difficult to generate SB resistant rice varieties by relying on traditional breeding because resistance to rice SB is a typical quantitative trait. Pathogenesis related (PR) genes of rice are among the most important defense genes in the interaction of rice with pathogens. Rice diseases such as blast, bacterial blight and sheath blight are major obstacles for achieving optimal yields. To complement conventional breeding method, molecular or transgenic method represents an increasingly important approach for genetic improvement of disease resistance and reduction of pesticide usage. During the past two decades, a wide variety of genes and mechanisms involved in rice defense response have been identified and elucidated. However, most of the cloned genes confer high level of race specific resistance in a gene for gene manner, and the resistance is effective against one or a few related races or strains of the pathogens. The resistance is effective for only few years because the pathogen race or strain keeps changing for survival in nature. Therefore, there is an urgent need to broaden the rice gene pool from diverse resources, of which the wild rice is an ideal option.
Recent applications of Synchrotrons in cancer therapy with Carbon Ions

As shown in Table 1, accelerators originally designed for scientific research have found a large number of industrial and medical applications. The main medical applications besides radioactive isotope production with cyclotrons are the electron linacs of a few MeV for radiotherapy of deep seated tumours. Every year in the developed countries about 40,000 people out of 1 million inhabitants are diagnosed as having cancer. About 50% of these patients are treated with radiation, mainly high energy photons produced by electron linacs. In 90% of the cases the electron beam is converted to Bremsstrahlung photons. These photon beams (called “X-rays” by medical doctors) have replaced the low energy X-rays and the 60Co gamma radiation because of a better depth-dose distribution (Fig. 1). Due to the fact that Compton-electrons go forward with a few centimetre range, the dose increases at the entrance (build-up effect) to a maximum value at 3-4 cm below the skin. This increase is followed by a shallow exponential decay for greater depth.
Predicting transcription factor binding using ensemble random forest models

Background: Understanding the location and cell-type specific binding of Transcription Factors (TFs) is important in the study of gene regulation. Computational prediction of TF binding sites is challenging, because TFs often bind only to short DNA motifs and cell-type specific co-factors may work together with the same TF to determine binding. Here, we consider the problem of learning a general model for the prediction of TF binding using DNase1-seq data and TF motif description in form of position specific energy matrices (PSEMs). Methods: We use TF ChIP-seq data as a gold-standard for model training and evaluation. Our contribution is a novel ensemble learning approach using random forest classifiers. In the context of the ENCODE-DREAM in vivo TF binding site prediction challenge we consider different learning setups. Results: Our results indicate that the ensemble learning approach is able to better generalize across tissues and cell-types compared to individual tissue-specific classifiers or a classifier built based upon data aggregated across tissues. Furthermore, we show that incorporating DNase1-seq peaks is essential to reduce the false positive rate of TF binding predictions compared to considering the raw DNase1 signal. Conclusions: Analysis of important features reveals that the models preferentially select motifs of other TFs that are close interaction partners in existing protein protein-interaction networks. Code generated in the scope of this project is available on GitHub: https://github.com/SchulzLab/TFAnalysis (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1409697).
Web-based context generation for semantic annotation of geological texts

Semantic annotation is an enabling technology. It links content of documents to ontology concepts that unambiguously describe them to enable information retrieval applications. The annotation process itself is a challenging task due to the presence of polysemies and lack of sufficient contextual text in some ontologies. This paper proposes a novel approach to semantic annotation of document segments by first generating contextual texts for ontology concepts using documents sourced on the Web. Document segments are subsequently annotated with concepts based on similarity of contexts.
Chapter 2 Innovative Technologies for Medical Education

This chapter aims to assess the current practices of anatomy education technology and provides future directions for medical education. It begins by presenting a historical synopsis of the current paradigms for anatomy learning followed by listing their limitations. Then, it focuses on several innovative educational technologies, which have been introduced over the past years to enhance the learning. These include E-learning, mobile apps, and mixed reality. The chapter concludes by highlighting future directions and addressing the barriers to fully integrating the technologies in the medical curriculum. As new technologies continue to arise, this process-oriented understanding and outcome-based expectations of educational technology should be embraced. With this view, educational technology should be valued in terms of how well the technological process informs and facilitates learning, and the acquisition and maintenance of clinical expertise.
Gaussian process modeling with inequality constraints

Gaussian process modeling is one of the most popular approaches for building a metamodel in the case of expensive numerical simulators. Frequently, the code outputs correspond to physical quantities with a behavior which is known a priori: Chemical concentrations lie between 0 and 1, the output is increasing with respect to some parameter, etc. Several approaches have been proposed to deal with such information. In this paper, we introduce a new framework for incorporating constraints in Gaussian process modeling, including bound, monotonicity and convexity constraints. We also extend this framework to any type of linear constraint. This new methodology mainly relies on conditional expectations of the truncated multinormal distribution. We propose several approximations based on correlation-free assumptions, numerical integration tools and sampling techniques. From a practical point of view, we illustrate how accuracy of Gaussian process predictions can be enhanced with such constraint knowledge. We finally compare all approximate predictors on bound, monotonicity and convexity examples.
Automatic spatial and temporal organization of long range video sequences from low level motion features

In this paper, we address the analysis of activities from long range video sequences. We present a method to automatically extract spatial and temporal structure from a video sequence from low level motion features. The scene layout is first extracted, with a set of regions that have homogeneous activities called Motion Patterns. These regions are then analyzed and the recurrent temporal motifs are extracted for each Motion Patterns. Preliminary results show that our method can accurately extract important temporal motifs from video surveillance sequences.
Low back pain : a comparative study on the value of core training versus traditional strengthening exercises

This randomised controlled trial (RCT) employed a pre-test/post-test design to compare the effects of core training (Pilates method) and traditional back exercises on a population with low back pain (LBP). Therapeutic intervention related to the Pilates method has recently become popular, but there is little evidence to prove it works. In this study, 120 individuals with LBP were allocated to three different groups. Group A was the control group, Group B was given modified Pilates intervention and Group C received traditional back exercises. All three groups were given a posture re-education session and back-care advice. After the initial session, the control group had individual sessions on posture re-education. The other groups undertook a six-week course of either modified Pilates or general back exercise classes. The modified Pilates group was taught how to use the core muscles, incorporating stabilisation with increasing functional movements. The back exercise group did similar exercises without learning to specifically stabilise. The Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (ODQ) and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were used as measures for pain and functional disability. Post-test ODQ readings showed no significant difference for pain-related function whilst VAS readings revealed a significant improvement in pain levels in all three groups, with the control group showing the best scores. However, the six-month follow-up scores showed that only the modified Pilates group continued to improve. At this stage, the control group was beginning to regress and the back exercise group was almost back to baseline measures. It was therefore concluded that core stability exercises have better long-term effects than traditional back exercises.
Taking Model Uncertainty Seriously : Modeling Autoregressive Distributed Lags via the Bayesian Adaptive Lasso

Persistence is a salient characteristic of dynamic political phenomena. Autoregressive distributed lags can be used to estimate persistence of dynamic relationships. However, estimation with lagged variables is complicated by uncertainty in the choice of the number of lags. This uncertainty raises the following issues: 1) restricting the number of lags a priori produces underspecification; 2) estimating a parameter-rich general model having many lags avoids underspecification, but overfits the data; 3) it is infeasible to conduct stepwise searching for the “best” lag structure in large-scale multivariate time series models. To resolve these issues, I develop an estimation algorithm to fit time series models via the Bayesian adaptive lasso, a machine learning-based estimator that yields penalized estimation. This algorithm penalizes “unimportant” lagged variables and mitigates overfitting, allowing analysts to employ large-scale time series. This new tool aids in discovering persistence of dynamic relationships or lagged policy effects, which have so far been difficult to theorize or test. These benefits are illustrated by a Monte Carlo simulation analysis and two applications to real-world data. ∗Department of Political Science, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Dr., St. Louis MO 63130, https://graduate.artsci. wustl.edu/tpark, t.park@wustl.edu.
Tracing Th e Age’s editorial culture from 1966-97: an oral history approach

Th is paper examines oral histories of Th e Age’s editorial culture/identity, conducted with former Age journalists since Graham Perkin’s editorship. While Australian media research focuses on Murdoch owned newspapers and their editorial positioning, Th e Age tends to be neglected as a subject for scholarly research. Moreover, as this paper argues, Th e Age’s culture is more nuanced than its mere editorial position. Th e research is based on a historical approach, consisting of archival research and oral history interviews. It argues that Th e Age’s culture and identity is intrinsic to the ways in which particular editors shape their editorial products. As applied to Th e Age, editorial culture manifests a fourth estate conception of journalism, an inclusive approach to reporting Melbourne and a commitment to giving Th e Age a “public face”. Moreover, this paper illustrates how under successive editors and executives, Th e Age is perceived to have shifted from an aggressively engaged voice to a much weakened tabloid. circulation and readership as well as
Vegetal extracts with gastroprotective activity. Part. I. Extracts obtained from Centaurea cyanus L. raw material

The aim of this study was the obtaining and characterization of two selective vegetal extracts based on polysaccharides and, respectively, polyphenols fraction isolated from Centaurea cyanus L. raw material in order to design one new, natural gastroprotective product. Qualitative studies (HPTLC method) performed on the tinctures and some crude aqueous, ethanol and acetone extracts obtained from Centaurea cyanus raw material (flower head and aerial part) revealed the superiority of crude extracts and, respectively, of acetone solution as concerning polyphenols extraction; have been revealed the occurrence of quercetin, apigenin and caffeic acid derivates, known for the beneficial effect on different type of gastric injuries. More, HPTLC studies made on polysaccharides fractions isolated by the processing of crude aqueous extract revealed elevated levels of polysaccharides and minerals (over 60%, w) aside modest quantities of caffeic and quercetin derivates (less than 1%, w). Differently, polyphenols fraction isolated by the processing of crude acetone extract shown high contents of all gastroprotective compounds (over 10%, w). Accordingly, one final vegetal product based on these two selective extracts, polysaccharides and, respectively, polyphenols fraction, was designed. Further, due to the fact that one of the most important features of a gastroprotective product is the capacity to protect gastric mucous tissue against acidic attack, pharmacological studies made on rats with stress-induced ulcer (this method assure the elevation of gastric acid synthesis) pointed out strong protective effect of this vegetal product based on Centaurea cyanus selective extracts.
Opportunities and potential applications from healthcare technologies to assist motor activity in metabolic myopathies

The metabolic myopathies are a group of hereditary muscle disorders, characterized by a failure in the biochemical pathways of storage, mobilization and utilization of the substrates useful for energy generation and contraction of muscle cells. These diseases are classified, based on the biochemical defects, into disorders of glycogen, lipid or purine metabolism. The main symptoms due to energy deficiency are exercise intolerance, muscle cramps and myalgias, and muscle weakness caused by structural damages of muscle. Based on the exercise-related symptoms, patients with metabolic myopathies should avoid physical activities and motor training. However, it is well-known that a reduced motility causes metabolic adaptations, that can be unfavorable for these diseases. Benefits of exercise training has been documented in muscle glycogenosis, including McArdle and Pompe diseases. In this review, we also highlight some cues of new healthcare technologies opportunity to assist motor activity in disease setting, such as metabolic myopathies. *Correspondence to: Gabriele Siciliano, S. Chiara Hospital, Neurology Unit, via Roma 67, 56126 Pisa, Italy, Tel: +39 050 993046; E-mail: gabriele.siciliano@med.unipi. it
Co-Operation among Irish Beef Farmers: Current Perspectives and Future Prospects in the Context of New Producer Organisation (PO) Legislation

Irish beef farms have experienced poor viability longitudinally, with officially acknowledged ‘crisis’ levels in 2013. In response, beef Producer Organisation (PO) legislation was introduced. Through the lens of international evidence in the literature about how POs function, this paper presents an analysis of Irish stakeholders’ views in the context of a public consultation process. While stakeholders indicate the need for individual POs to collaborate, little emphasis is placed on other factors necessary for success: collaboration with other chain actors; and market differentiation of products. Stakeholders identified primary threats as poor engagement on the part of both farmers and processors/purchasers.
Measuring Polarized Emission in Clusters in the CMB S4 Era

The next generation of CMB experiments (CMB Stage-4) will produce a Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) cluster catalog containing $\sim10^{5}$ objects, two orders of magnitudes more than currently available. In this paper, we discuss the detectability of the polarized signal generated by scattering of the CMB quadrupole on the cluster electron gas using this catalog. We discuss the possibility of using this signal to measure the relationship between cluster optical depth and mass. We find that the area of observation of S4 maximizes the signal-to-noise (S/N) on the polarized signal but that this S/N is extremely small for an individual cluster, of order 0.5% for a typical cluster in our catalog, the main source of noise being the residual primordial E-mode signal. However, we find that the signal could be detected using the full cluster catalog and that the significance of the result will increase linearly with the size of the CMB S4 telescope mirror.
Variation in the synthesis of microcystin in response to saline and osmotic stress in Microcystis ruginosa PCC7806

espanolSe ha estudiado el efecto de la salinidad y del estres osmotico producido por sacarosa en la sintesis de microcistina por Microcystis aeruginosa PCC7806. El estres salino causa un decrecimiento de mcyD, uno de los genes del operon mcy, (el cluster genico implicado en la sintesis de microcistina), asi como un correlativo decrecimiento de la microcistina producida. El estres osmotico, producido por sacarosa, provoca tambien descenso de los niveles de mcyD y de microcistina-LR. EnglishThe growth and synthesis of microcystin in Microcystis aeruginosa PCC7806 was studied in cells grown in the presence of NaCl or with sucrose. The saline stress caused a decrease in the transcript levels of mcyD, one of the genes involved in microcystin synthesis, which was correlated with a decrease in the content of microcystin-LR in the cells. The cells treated with sucrose also had reduced levels of mcyD transcripts and contents of microcystin-LR.