Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Monograph of the Fern Genus Pteridrys (Pteridryaceae)

Abstract The fern genus Pteridrys is characterized by having free veins and a tooth on each sinus between two pinna or pinnule lobes. Up to now very little attention has been paid to the taxonomy of Pteridrys. In this monographic study we recognize 24 species in four sections, of which 11 species are described as new: P. catenata. P. cicuzzai. P. clarinervis. P. dongshiyongii. P. dorsifixa. P. malesiana. P. nonattingens. P. reticulata. P. triangularis. P. vanderwerffii, and P. wusugongii. These species are distributed in tropical (and subtropical) Asia with Vietnam being the most species-rich country known so far with ten species. A key to all species is provided, all species are described and illustrated, and information on their distribution and habitats is given.
Simulation of optical models in lightwave links using SPW

In this article optical models in lightwave links, which include a LD (laser diode) source, a single-mode fiber and a p-i-n photodiode receiver model, are simulated and investigated using SPW (signal processing worksystem) on a HP workstation. Simulation methods are presented concerning the optical source waveforms, fiber attenuation and dispersion, and receiver noise. The end-to-end performance of typical transmission system is also presented. SPW software and its usage on a HP workstation are introduced.
Nitrogen fertilisation efficiency and wheat grain yield affected by nitrogen doses and sources associated with Azospirillum brasilense

ABSTRACT The nitrogen fertilisation management should focus on increasing fertilisation efficiency in favour of a more sustainable and productive agriculture. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense, associated to N doses and sources, in Savannah conditions, on agronomic efficiency (AE), recovery of applied nitrogen (RAN), physiological efficiency (PE), agrophysiological efficiency (AGREC), nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), nitrogen harvest index (NHI) and wheat grain yield. The experiment was developed in a Rhodic Hapludox soil under no-tillage system. The experimental design was a randomised complete block design with four replicates arranged in a 2 × 5×2 factorial scheme: Two N sources [(urea and urea with inhibitor of the enzyme NBPT (N – (n – butyl thiophosphoric) Triamide))], five N doses applied in top-dressing (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg ha−1), with and without inoculation with A. brasilense. The increase in N doses reduced the nitrogen fertilisation efficiency. No significant differences were observed among the N sources. Inoculation increased the AE of nitrogen sources and can increase RAN. The increase in N dose up to 140 kg ha−1 associated with inoculation increased wheat grain yield.
Flavonoids and Antimicrobial Properties of Begonia fischeri var. palustris in vitro Plantlets

The objective of this study was to design a protocol of the successful establishment of plants of Begonia fischeri var. palustris obtained in the in vitro seeds culture, to evaluate flavonoid content and antimicrobial properties of in vitro plantlets. The significant increase of percentage of seed germination (92.5%) was recorded in the half strength MS medium and 1% agar medium (83.3%) in comparison with 50-60% in greenhouse conditions. Flavonoid composition of the leaves of in vitro plantlets and greenhouse stock plants had no substantial differences. Significant differences (p<0.05) were not found between flavonoid contents of the leaves (13.6 and 15.5 mg•g-1 of Dry Weight (DW), respectively). Aqueous ethanol extracts of plants showed antimicrobial effects against reference strains of Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. Concentration of flavonoids in acetone and ethanol extracts of exudative compounds of the leaves of in vitro plantlets was 0.02 and 2.0 mg•g-1 DW, respectively. Our results indicated that this protocol can be used for the production of a large number of plants of B. fischeri var. palustris with rich flavonoid composition and high quantities of flavonoids, including exudative compounds, with healing and air cleaning properties.
On the effectiveness of a system of RT-level transformations for design-space exploration

A system of elementary structural transformations useful for design space exploration at the register transfer (RT) level is presented. Its effectiveness and expressive power are discussed. It is shown that these elementary transformations can be used to perform a number of optimizations proposed by other researchers. This study also shows that many transformations used in high-level synthesis systems are of a purely structural nature. <<ETX>>
Ultraslow water-mediated transmembrane interactions regulate the activation of A2A adenosine receptor

Water molecules inside G-protein coupled receptor have recently been spotlighted in a series of crystal structures. To decipher the dynamics and functional roles of internal waters in GPCR activity, we studied A2A adenosine receptor using μsec-molecular dynamics simulations. Our study finds that the amount of water flux across the transmembrane (TM) domain varies depending on the receptor state, and that the water molecules of the TM channel in the active state flow three times slower than those in the inactive state. Depending on the location in solvent-protein interface as well as the receptor state, the average residence time of water in each residue varies from psec to nsec. Especially, water molecules, exhibiting ultraslow relaxation ( nsec) in the active state, are found around the microswitch residues that are considered activity hotspots for GPCR function. A continuous allosteric network spanning the TM domain, arising from water-mediated contacts, is unique in the active state, underscoring the importance of slow waters in the GPCR activation.
The paradigmatic field of usage of the theoretical category of pluriactivity in Brazil

ABSTRACT: The lack of interpretive convergence around an analytical category or concept generates a field of disputes around the understanding of a certain phenomenon. This is also the case with “pluriactivity”, on which there remain interpretive divergences derived from its conception. This research aims to identify the interpretive tendencies that are gaining traction in Brazil. For that, the research used as a database the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD - “Biblioteca Digital Brasileira de Teses e Dissertações”), since this type of database compiles and updates the state of the art on the subject. The research universe consisted of 115 dissertations and theses were systematized and analyzed using IRAMUTEQ software. Results showed that the development of theses and dissertations studying the theme of pluriactivity has remained as a current research topic. A higher incidence was noted more in the Southern and Southeastern universities of the country, where the dynamics between the three sectors of the economy favor the possibility of combining agricultural and non-agricultural activities. The conclusions of the research pointed to the coexistence of two different conceptions regarding pluriactivity: one that characterizes it as a strategy of reproduction and survival; and another that associates it with the diversification of the labor market at the regional level, which would allow the farmers’ family members to diversify the family income and increase the possibilities of investment in the activities developed in the rural property.
Evolutionary-programming-based load flow algorithm for systems containing unified power flow controllers

The solution of the load flow problem is fundamental to the operation of every modern power utility. With the advent of modern power electronics, devices such as the unified power flow controller have been developed for the control of power systems. These devices provide unprecedented control over load flows and voltage levels at their location within the power system. With this increased control, however, comes an increase in the complexity of the load flow problem. It is necessary that existing and new load flow algorithms be developed which can accurately and reliably solve the load flow problem in the presence of these devices. An evolutionary programming load flow algorithm is presented which is capable of solving the load flow problem for systems containing unified load flow controllers. The performance of the algorithm is demonstrated on a modified version of the IEEE 30 node system.
Ecological Determinants of Species Richness and Abundance of Endemic and Threatened Owls in the Andaman Islands, India

Summary. Factors that influence the distribution and abundance of the endemic and threatened owls of the Andaman Islands have not been assessed, in contrast to those affecting diurnal birds. Such studies would assist in prioritising habitats that have high conservation importance for owls. We evaluated the status and species composition of owls along c. 343km of the Andaman Trunk Road, employing one-time point counts between December 2013 and April 2015. We conducted spontaneous listening, broadcasting of conspecific calls and spotlight searches as survey protocols. The pointcentred quarter method was used to evaluate the habitat at each count site. We recorded five owl species whose mean abundance was 2.09 owls/point. Species richness and abundance were greater in unlogged sites and deciduous forests. Habitat differences between owl species were noted according to land use, cover type and intensity of logging activity. However, these factors had no significant effect on the abundance of Oriental Scops-owl and Hume's Boobook, but were significant for Andaman Boobook and Andaman Scops-owl. Mean understory height, tree height and grass cover positively influenced the owl species richness and abundance. The Andaman Boobook and Andaman Scops-owl appeared stenotopic in habitat use and in contrast to the eurytopic Oriental Scops-owl and Hume's Boobook. A review of the conservation status of Andaman Scops-owl and Andaman Boobook is suggested bearing in mind their low abundance, restricted distribution and less preference for altered habitats. –Babu, S. , Sureshmarimuthu, S. & Kumara, H.N. (2019). Ecological determinants of species richness and abundance of endemic and threatened owls in the Andaman Islands, India.Ardeola, 66: 89-100.
Cannot see the random forest for the decision trees: selecting predictive models for restoration ecology

Improving predictions of restoration outcomes is increasingly important to resource managers for accountability and adaptive management, yet there is limited guidance for selecting a predictive model from the multitude available. The goal of this article was to identify an optimal predictive framework for restoration ecology using 11 modeling frameworks (including machine learning, inferential, and ensemble approaches) and three data groups (field data, geographic data [GIS], and a combination thereof). We test this approach with a dataset from a large postfire sagebrush reestablishment project in the Great Basin, U.S.A. Predictive power varied among models and data groups, ranging from 58% to 79% accuracy. Finer‐scale field data generally had the greatest predictive power, although GIS data were present in the best models overall. An ensemble prediction computed from the 10 models parameterized to field data was well above average for accuracy but was outperformed by others that prioritized model parsimony by selecting predictor variables based on rankings of their importance among all candidate models. The variation in predictive power among a suite of modeling frameworks underscores the importance of a model comparison and refinement approach that evaluates multiple models and data groups, and selects variables based on their contribution to predictive power. The enhanced understanding of factors influencing restoration outcomes accomplished by this framework has the potential to aid the adaptive management process for improving future restoration outcomes.
Security in Delay Tolerant Networks

Delayand Disruption-tolerant wireless networks (DTN), or opportunistic networks, represent a class of networks where continuous end-to-end connectivity may not be possible. DTN is a well recognized area in networking research and has attracted extensive attentions from both network designers and application developers. Applications of this emergent communication paradigm are wide ranging and include sensor networks using scheduled intermittent connectivity, vehicular DTNs for dissemination of location-dependent information (e.g., local ads, traffic reports, parking information, etc.), pocket-switched networks to allow humans to communicate without network infrastructure, and underwater acoustic networks with moderate delays and frequent interruptions due to environmental factors, etc. Security is one of the main barriers to wide-scale deployment of DTNs, but has gained little attention so far. On the one hand, similar to traditional mobile ad hoc networks, the open channel and multi-hop transmission have made DTNs vulnerable to various security threats, such as message modification/injection attack or unauthorized access and utilization of DTN resources. On the other hand, the unique security characteristics of DTNs including: long round-trip delay, frequent disconnectivity, fragmentation, opportunistic routing as well as limited computational and storage capability, make the existing security protocols designed for the conventional ad hoc networks unsuitable for DTNs. Therefore, a series of new security protocols are highly desired to meet stringent security and efficiency requirements for securing DTNs. In this research, we focus on three fundamental security issues in DTNs: efficient DTN message (or bundle) authentication, which is a critical security service for DTN security; incentive issue, which targets at stimulating selfish nodes to forward data for others; and
A MapReduce Implementation of C4.5 Decision Tree Algorithm

Recent years have witness the development of cloud computing and the big data era, which brings up challenges to traditional decision tree algorithms. First, as the size of dataset becomes extremely big, the process of building a decision tree can be quite time consuming. Second, because the data cannot fit in memory any more, some computation must be moved to the external storage and therefore increases the I/O cost. To this end, we propose to implement a typical decision tree algorithm, C4.5, using MapReduce programming model. Specifically, we transform the traditional algorithm into a series of Map and Reduce procedures. Besides, we design some data structures to minimize the communication cost. We also conduct extensive experiments on a massive dataset. The results indicate that our algorithm exhibits both time efficiency and scalability.
Performance Evaluation of Routing Protocol with Selfish Users in Realistic Environment

Mobile Ad hoc Network (MANET) consists of wireless mobile nodes that can be set up any time at any place without the requirement of pre-requisite infrastructure. The nodes in these networks have several constraints such as battery power, processing capability and bandwidth. Moreover each node in MANET has to act as a relay node for others for the successful network operations. In an ideal environment in spite of above mentioned limitations, the node performs this community task faithfully but as in real world there exists nodes with selfish attitude also. Therefore, this paper is an effort to evaluate the efficacy of network with nodes having such behavior prevailing in realistic environment. Various researchers have evaluated the network performance in idealistic conditions but none has made an effort to evaluate it in practical condition such as in presence of obstacles. To make the scenario realistic different number, type and shape of obstacles were taken. The work was accomplished by designing a simulator in MATLAB-11.
Immunoprecipitation

Immunoprecipitation consists of multiple ordered steps: lysing the cell with detergent if the antigen (usually a protein) to be precipitated is membrane‐bound; binding of a specific antigen to an antibody; precipitating the antibody‐antigen complex; washing the precipitate; and dissociating the antigen from the immune complex. The dissociated antigen is then analyzed by electrophoretic methods. In this unit, the basic protocol details the immunoprecipitation of a radiolabeled antigen with a specific antibody (polyclonal or monoclonal) covalently linked to Sepharose. Preparation of Ab‐Sepharose is described in the Support Protocol. The first two alternate protocols present methods for precipitating or isolating the soluble immune complexes formed between a specific antibody and a radiolabeled antigen. Immunoprecipitation is achieved with polyclonal anti‐immunoglobulin (Ig) serum, anti‐Ig‐Sepharose, Staphylococcus protein A or Streptococcus protein G bound to Sepharose, or Staphylococcus aureus bacteria which contain protein A on the cell surface. The third alternate protocol should be used for immunoprecipitation of antigens that are nonspecifically associated with other proteins. The fourth alternate protocol describes immunoprecipitation of unlabeled protein antigens with Ab‐Sepharose.
Current Control Strategies for Unbalanced Three Phase Three Wire System Using Shunt Active Power Filters

-- The main objective of the power system is generation of electrical energy to transmit and distribute to the end user. If a fault exists in any one of the network it should affect the entire power system. Transients, sagging, variations in voltage, harmonics are some of disturbances affecting power system. Harmonics can cause problems that are easy to recognize but tough to diagnose. Harmonics can be present in current, voltage, or both. It is estimated that as many as 60% of all electrical devices operate with non-linear current draw. Three current An active power filter is implemented when order of harmonic currents are varying. Its structure may be either of the series or shunt type. Shunt active power filters (SAPF) are widely used for mitigating current harmonics. SAPF has better harmonic compensation than the other approaches used for solving harmonic related problems.
Direct numerical simulation of effective elastic properties of 2-D solids with circular holes

Approximate micro mechanically based theoretical schemes for predicting the effective elastic properties of particulate reinforced composites were evaluated using numerical simulations of a sheet containing holes. The boundary element method was used because it is very efficient. Two models were analyzed, one was a sheet containing randomly distributed holes while the other had normally distributed holes. The effectiveness of the existing theoretical models was investigated by comparing the computational results with the theoretical solutions.
In Vitro Evaluation of Antibacterial Properties of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Pathogenic Prokaryotes

Introduction: Recent increases in microbial resistance to multiple antibiotics have led to the emergence of more economical methods for producing nanoparticles with physical, chemical effects and limited resistance. The aim of this research was to study zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles synthesis and antibacterial properties against some gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Material and Methods: In this study, ZnO nanoparticle was synthesized using ultrasonic method and bioassayed on 10 human pathogenic bacteria by agar well diffusion method. In addition, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined as well. Antibiotic resistance pattern of bacteria was determined to 9 antibiotics: gentamicin, ampicillin, nalidixic acid, amoxicillin, amikacin, ciprofloxacin, co-trimoxazole, norfloxacin and cephalexin by disc diffusion assay. Results: The nanoparticles were synthesized with suitable morphology and distribution. All gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria were inhibited at the low concentration of ZnO nanoparticles most bacteria had resistance to antibiotics. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the ZnO nanoparticles have potential applications as antibacterial compounds and their mechanism of action is dependent upon composition and surface modifications.
Organizational properties of a functional mammalian cis-regulome

Mammalian genomic states are distinguished by their chromatin and transcription profiles. Most genomic analyses rely on chromatin profiling to infer cis-regulomes controlling distinctive cellular states. By coupling FAIRE-seq with STARR-seq and integrating Hi-C we assemble a functional cis-regulome for activated murine B-cells. Within 55,130 accessible chromatin regions we delineate 9,989 active enhancers communicating with 7,530 promoters. The cis-regulome is dominated by long range enhancer-promoter interactions (>100kb) and complex combinatorics, implying rapid evolvability. Genes with multiple enhancers display higher rates of transcription and multi-genic enhancers manifest graded levels of H3K4me1 and H3K27ac in poised and activated states, respectively. Motif analysis of pathway-specific enhancers reveals diverse transcription factor (TF) codes controlling discrete processes. The cis-regulome strikingly enriches for combinatorial DNA binding regions of lineage determining TFs. Their genomic binding patterns reveal that onset of chromatin accessibility is associated with binding of simpler combinations whereas enhancer function requires greater complexity.
Image Object Tracking System Using Parallel Mean Shift Algorithm

We implement a real-time image object tracking system with PTZ cameras. In general, mean shift algorithm is efficient for real-time tracking because of its fast and stable performance. However, in the image tracking system for PTZ cameras, the speed is not satisfied. So in this paper, we use parallel mean shift algorithm based on the color image distribution of detected object. In this system, MATLAB v.2012a and Parallel Computing Toolbox are used for CUDA computing in GPUs. This system can be applied to a faster image surveillance system for continuous object tracking in a wider area.
An automatic approach to object-oriented software testing and metrics for C++ inheritance hierarchies

In this paper, we propose a concept named unit repeated inheritance (URI) to realize object-oriented testing and object-oriented metrics. The approach describes an inheritance level technique (ILT) as a guide to detect the software errors of the inheritance hierarchy and measure the software complexity of the inheritance hierarchy. The measurement of inheritance metrics and some testing criteria are formed based on the proposed mechanism. Thus, we use Lex and Yacc to construct a windowing tool which is used in conjunction with a conventional C++ programming environment to assist a programmer to analyze, test, and measure his/her C++ programs.
A new change-detection method in high-resolution remote sensing images based on a conditional random field model

ABSTRACT A new change-detection method for remote sensing images based on a conditional random field (CRF) model is proposed in this paper. The method artfully uses memberships of Fuzzy C-means as unary potentials in the fully connected CRF (FCCRF) model without training parameters, and pairwise potentials of the CRF model are defined by a linear combination of Gaussian kernels, with which a highly efficient approximate inference algorithm can be used. The proposed FCCRF model is expressed on the complete set of pixels in both the observed multitemporal images, which can incorporate long range contextual information of remote-sensing images and enable greatly refined change-detection results. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach leads to more accurate pixel-level change-detection performance and is more robust against noise than traditional algorithms.