Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Title : Anatexis and fluid regime of the deep continental crust : new clues from melt and 2 fluid inclusions in metapelitic migmatites from Ivrea Zone

28 We investigate the inclusions hosted in peritectic garnet from metapelitic migmatites of the 29 Kinzigite Formation (Ivrea Zone, NW Italy) to evaluate the starting composition of the anatectic melt 30 and fluid regime during anatexis throughout the upper amphibolite-facies, transitional and granulite31 facies zones. Inclusions have negative crystal shapes, size from 2 to10 μm and are regularly 32 distributed in the core of the garnet. Microstructural and micro-Raman investigations have shown the 33 presence of two types of inclusions: crystallized silicate melt inclusions (i.e. nanogranitoids, hereafter 34 NI) and fluid inclusions (FI). Microstructural evidence suggests that FI and NI coexist in the same 35 cluster and are primary (i.e. were trapped simultaneously during garnet growth). FI have similar 36 composition in the three zones and comprise variable proportions of CO2, CH4 and N2, commonly with 37 siderite, pyrophyllite and kaolinite. The mineral assemblage in the NI contains K-feldspar, plagioclase, 38 quartz, biotite, muscovite, chlorite, graphite and, sometimes, calcite. Polymorphs such as kumdykolite, 39 cristobalite and tridymite were also found. 40 Re-homogenized NI from the different zones and show that all the melts are leucogranitic but 41 have slightly different compositions. In samples from the upper amphibolite facies, melts are less 42 mafic (FeO+MgO 23.4 wt. %), contain 860-1700 ppm CO2 and reach the highest H2O contents (6.543 10 wt. %). In the transition zone melts have intermediate H2O (4.8-8.5 wt. %), CO2 (457-1534 ppm) 44 and maficity (FeO+MgO 2.33.9 wt. %). In contrast, melts at granulite facies reach highest CaO, 45 FeO+MgO (3.2-4.7 wt. %) and CO2 (up to 2400 ppm), with H2O contents comparable (5.4-8.3 wt. %) 46 to the other two zones. 47 Our data suggests that anatexis of these metapelites occurred through muscovite and biotite 48 breakdown melting in the presence of a COH fluid. The fluid is assumed to be internally derived, 49 produced initially by devolatilization of hydrous silicates in the graphitic protolith, then as result of 50 oxidation of carbon by melting of Fe-bearing biotite. Variation in the composition of the melts are 51 interpreted to result from combination of higher T of melting, greater contribution of anhydrous 52 reactants (such as plagioclase) and minor role of apatite. The H2O contents of the melts throughout the 53 three zones are comparable and higher than usually assumed. While the CO2 contents are highest at 54 granulite facies, and show that carbon-contents of crustal magmas may not be completely negligible. 55 The aH2O of the fluid dissolved in granitic melts decreases with increasing metamorphic grade. 56
An optimized step‐by‐step protocol for isolation of nucleus pulposus, annulus fibrosus, and end plate cells from the mouse intervertebral discs and subsequent preparation of high‐quality intact total RNA

Intervertebral disc degeneration is the most significant, and least understood, cause of chronic back pain, affecting almost one in seven individuals at some point of time. Each intervertebral disc has three components; central nucleus pulposus (NP), concentric layers of annulus fibrosus (AF), and a pair of end plate (EP) that connects the disc to the vertebral bodies. Understanding the molecular and cellular basis of intervertebral disc growth, health, and aging will generate significant information for developing therapeutic approaches. Rapid and efficient preparations of homogeneous and pure cells are crucial for meaningful and rigorous downstream analysis at the cellular, molecular, and biochemical level. Cross‐sample contamination may influence the interpretation of the results. In addition to altering gene expression, slow or delayed isolation procedures will also cause the degradation of cells and biomolecules that create a bias in the outcomes of the study. The mouse model system is extensively used to understand the intervertebral disc biology. Here we describe two protocols: (a) for efficient isolation of pure NP, AF, and EP cells from mouse lumbar intervertebral disc. We validated the purity of the NP and AF cells using ShhCre/+; R26mT/mG/+ dual‐fluorescent reporter mice where all NP cells are GPF+ve, and by the sensitive approach of qPCR analysis using TaqMan probes for Shh, and Brachyury as NP‐specific markers, Tenomodulin as AF‐specific marker, and Osteocalcin as bone‐specific marker. (b) For isolation of high‐quality intact RNA with RIN of 9.3 to 10 from disc cells. These methods will be useful for the rigorous analysis of NP and AF cells, and improve our understanding of intervertebral disc biology.
Active Learning for End-to-End Autonomous Driving

A simple way to create an autonomous driving agent is to collect data of a human driving and then train a model using supervised learning. This approach has been shown to be suboptimal due to a mismatch between the states reachable by a human driver and trained agents (Zhang & Cho, 2016). Current approaches to solving this problem are impractical for real world robots and vehicles. We present a simple algorithm that incorporates active learning to train an end-to-end autonomous driving agent that is easily extensible from simulation to the physical world. While a trained agent is driving, a human driver overrides its actions if the agent veers off course or displays other incorrect behavior, and the feedback from the human driver is added to the training data. We test our approach on the popular racing game Mario Kart 64 and empirically show that it effectively counters the data mismatch problem. On both an easy course and a difﬁcult course, the agent trained us-ing our approach shows far superior performance over a naive supervised learning agent.
Island‐wide aridity did not trigger recent megafaunal extinctions in Madagascar

skull was from Mananjary, the type site for the largest of the extinct Malagasy hippos H. laloumena. However, the skull had neither provenience information nor a specimen label, and a recent study of its morphology (Faure et al. 2010) has confirmed that it is a Hippopotamus amphibius which was apparently brought to the Académie Malgache for comparative study. Another hippo specimen at the Académie Malgache, this one actually from Mananjary, yielded a much older radiocarbon date (2250  100 Cal BP). Factors that contributed to megafaunal demise continue to be debated. While some researchers have suggested that direct competition with introduced domesticated species or hypervirulent diseases may have killed the megafauna (Dewar 1984, MacPhee and Marx 1997), most have focused on climate change (increasing aridity), hunting by humans, or anthropogenic habitat alteration (Battistini 1971, Burney and MacPhee 1988, Burney 1993, 1999, Godfrey and Jungers 2003, Burney et al. 2004, Kaufmann 2004, Clarke et al. 2006, Godfrey and Irwin 2007, VirahSawmy et al. 2009, 2010, Crowley 2010, Crowley et al. 2012, Godfrey and Rasoazanabary 2012, Crowley and Ecography 40: 901–912, 2017 doi: 10.1111/ecog.02376 © 2016 The Authors. Ecography © 2016 Nordic Society Oikos Subject Editor: Jacquelyn Gill. Editor-in-Chief: Miguel Araújo. Accepted 4 May 2016
Effects of paclobutrazol applied to tree bark on performance of sweet cherry and apparent soil residue

Summary Two-year-old ‘Bing’ sweet cherry trees, planted at a density of ca. 1,000 trees ha–1 were treated with paclobutrazol (CultarTM). Paclobutrazol was dissolved in ‘Surfactant WK’ and brush-painted onto tree trunk bark in bands 10, 20, 30 or 40 cm wide. A standard rate of 15 mg paclobutrazol cm–2 tree trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA) was applied in all chemical treatments. On average, all paclobutrazol treatments reduced shoot growth to 55.5% and 21.1% of control trees in the year of application and in the next year, respectively. In both years, TCSA, total shoot extension growth, shoot length, and tree height were visibly inhibited by paclobutrazol. One year after chemical application, the number of water sprouts diminished more than in the previous year. Paclobutrazol advanced the time of flowering compared to untreated trees. In most cases, there were no significant differences in the characteristics examined among all paclobutrazol treatments. Bio-assays using broad beans in the soil taken from around the treated trees, 22 months after the application of paclobutrazol, showed that growth of these indicator plants, was reduced to 99.8%, 90.5%, 75.6% and 81.9% of control values in soil from trees with treated trunk bark bands 10, 20, 30 or 40 cm wide, respectively. Brush application of paclobutrazol to a narrow band (10 – 20 cm-wide) of tree trunk bark may eliminate chemical residues in the soil, while securing effective growth control in young sweet cherry trees.
THE ROLE OF TAX ADMINISTRATION AND TAX RATE ON FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT

This thesis examines the impact of the tax system in determining FDI inflows in countries around the world from 2010 to 2017. We group the countries into two groups, based on income levels. Our findings suggest that the tax system, which reflects the easiness of tax payment, and the commitment to all tax regulations, plays a significant role in determining FDI inflows in low & middle-income countries. In high-income countries, it is the corporate tax cut that plays the role. The result implies that improved institutional performance in low & middle-income countries is an essential factor to induce FDI inflows.
Reproductive anatomy of the reed bunting : A species which exhibits a high degree of sperm competition through extra-pair copulations

The morphology of the reproductive organs of both male and female Reed Buntings (Emberiza schoeniclus) are described in relation to the high level of sperm competition exhibited by the species as a result of extra-pair copulation behavior. In males, the volume of the cloacal protuberance in relation to body weight was 26.7 mm 3 g -1 , which is relatively large for a socially monogamous passerine. The weight of the testes was 23% greater than that expected for a bird of comparable size, and the spermatozoa were among the longest recorded for any avian species (mean length = 291 μm). The morphology of the female tract also showed adaptations associated with a high level of sperm competition: the sperm storage tubules were extremely long (mean length = 865 μm).
Divergent effects of tumor necrosis factor α on apoptosis of human neutrophils

Apoptosis of neutrophils is a key mechanism to control the intensity of the acute inflammatory response. Previously, the cytokine tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) was reported by some to have pro‐apoptotic and by others to have anti‐apoptotic effects on neutrophils. The aim of this study was to explain these contradictory results. We found that TNF‐α at low concentrations strongly decreased apoptosis of neutrophils. However, at higher concentrations, TNF‐α lost its protective effects, and also reversed the protective effects of interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) and granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF). This pro‐apoptotic effect of TNF‐α was blocked by anti‐CD11b and was absent in neutrophils from patients with chronic granulomatous disease, which cannot produce toxic oxygen metabolites. Under these circumstances, we found that TNF‐α retained its anti‐apoptotic effects even at high concentrations. In conclusion, the protective effects against apoptosis of IFN‐γ, GM‐CSF, and TNF‐α itself are overruled when the concentration of TNF‐α is high enough to produce a respiratory burst. These dual, concentration‐dependent effects of TNF‐α provide an explanation for previous controversial reports and support a dominant role for TNF‐α in neutrophil apoptosis.
Decomposition of Genetically Engineered Tobacco Under Field Conditions: Persistence of the Proteinase Inhibitor I Product and Effects on Soil Microbial Respiration and Protozoa, Nematode and Microarthropod Populations

To evaluate the potential effects of genetically engineered (transgenic) plants on soil ecosystems, litterbags containing leaves of non-engineered (parental) and transgenic tobacco plants were buried in field plots. The transgenic tobacco plants were genetically engineered to constitutively produce proteinase inhibitor I, a protein with insecticidal activity. The litterbag contents and surrounding soil, as well as soil from control plots without litterbags, were sampled over a 5-month period at 2- to 4-week intervals and assayed for proteinase inhibitor concentration, litter decomposition rates, carbon and nitrogen content, microbial respiration rates and population levels of nematodes, protozoa and microarthropods. The proteinase inhibitor concentration in the transgenic plant litter after 57 days was 0.05% of the sample day 0-value and was not detectable on subsequent sample days. Although the carbon content of the transgenic plant litter was comparable to that of the parental plant litter on sample day 0, it became significantly lower over the course of the experiment. Nematode populations in the soil surrounding the transgenic plant litterbags were greater than those in the soil surrounding parental plant litterbags and had a different trophic group composition, including a significantly higher ratio of fungal feeding nematodes to bacterial feeding nematodes on sample day 57. In contrast, Collembola populations in the soil surrounding the transgenic plant litterbags were significantly lower than in the soil surrounding parental plant litterbags. Our results demonstrated that under field conditions proteinase inhibitor remained immunologically active in buried transgenic plant litter for at least 57 days and that decomposing parental and transgenic plant litter differed in quality (carbon content) and in the response of exposed soil organisms (Collembola and nematodes).
Greater risk of physical damage caused by debris fall to understory plants and tree seedlings in old-growth forests than in young forests

Falling canopy debris causes injury and mortality of tree seedlings and understory plants in a wide variety of forests. Canopy structure and dynamics differ between young and old-growth forests: old forests are taller and have more aboveground biomass and greater annual mortality of bole biomass. I predicted that risk of damage caused by debris fall in the understory is greater in old-growth forests than in young forests. I tested this prediction by tracking for 1 year the fates of artificial seedlings placed in young (stand age 31 to 61 years) and old-growth (stand age circa 500 years) Pseudotsuga–Tsuga forests. The risk of physical damage caused by debris fall in old-growth forests was significantly greater than in young forests (P = 0.001). Seedling models were damaged by falling debris at a rate of 4.4%·year−1 and 0.8%·year−1 in old-growth and young forests, respectively. More seedling models were damaged by fallen coarse woody debris in old-growth forests than in young forests, although this trend wa.
Prey preference of stoneflies: sedentary vs mobile prey

We investigated the effects of prey size and type (sedentary vs mobile) on prey preference in a predaceous stonefly, based on choice experiments and observations of the predator-prey interaction. We presented three size classes of black fly larvae (Prosimulium) to various sizes of the perlid stonefly Hesperoperla pacifica in laboratory experiments. Analysis by preference indices (a, e) indicated that small predators preferred small prey, large predators preferred large prey, and H. pacifica of intermediate size exhibited a weak, non-significant trend toward preferring prey of intermediate size. These results using sedentary prey, black fly larvae, are compared to previous results using a mobile prey, the mayfly Baetis. Encounter, attack, capture rates and handling times differ as a function of predator size, prey size, and prey type. The results of preference trials generally can be predicted from differential encounter, attack and capture rates, and similar preference curves may have different underlying causes. Small H. pacifica preferred small prey, mainly due to a much higher capture success. Large H. pacifica preferred large prey, due principally to higher encounter and attack rates. Offered a choice between Baetis and Prosimulium, stoneflies exhibited lower encounter and attack rates with Prosimulium, but much higher capture success, resulting in a net preference for black fly larvae. We suggest that laboratory results for attacks, captures and handling time can reasonably be extrapolated to animals in nature, thus lending insight into preference estimates based on gut analysis. However, encounter rates inevitably are influenced by details of the laboratory design and may bear little relation to nature.
COUNTS OF CALLING MALES AS ESTIMATES OF POPULATION SIZE IN THE ENDANGERED FROGS GEOCRINIA ALBA AND G. VITELLINA

The ability to estimate the size of populations is an integral part of species conservation. I investigated the utility of counts of calling males for the rapid and efficient assessment of population size in the endangered frogs Geocrinia alba and G. vitellina from southwestern Australia. Multiple censuses were used to examine the optimum time of night and season to conduct surveys. Turnover of calling males was measured using removal and mark-recapture studies. Males called persistently throughout the night, but the time of the annual peak in the number of calling males varied among sites. Turnover of males was very low, with the majority of males in each population (76-96%) calling simultaneously. Combining knowl- edge of the sex ratio with counts of calling males, it is therefore possible to obtain a good estimate of total population size.
Urban green space landscape patterns and thermal environment investigations based on computational fluid dynamics

The temperature and velocity fields of five common forms for urban green space patterns in the vertical and horizontal directions have been simulated by computational fluid dynamics(CFD) and remote sensing(RS),in order to study the influence and extent of green space patterns on an urban thermal environment.Based on Thematic Mapper remote sensing images(resolution 30 m) of Taiyuan(111°30′ to 113°09′E,37°27′ to 38°25′N) acquired on September 16,2008,numerical models of plant cover were used within a traditional CFD framework.A typical mathematical model of green space distribution patterns was established.CFD model parameters were modified to improve the accuracy of the simulation using RS technology related to the parameters and results.The results show that the shrub layer has a greater influence than the tree layer in the flow field for the vertical structure of a green space.In order to form good local circulation within the green space,importance is attached to the choice and configuration of the shrub layer.Nevertheless,the cooling effect for the tree layer is more apparent.For appropriate rates of change of green space,the following results can be obtained.A wedge-shaped pattern of green space had the most significant cooling effect in the city,followed by radial and banded patterns.The cooling effect of a green space point pattern was insignificant on the surrounding environment.However,local vorticity in its velocity field was obvious,showing that a green space point pattern had a significant cooling effect within a small area and therefore could be used to improve local microclimates.The cooling effect of a ring-shaped pattern was the weakest.We conclude that it is possible to use CFD numerical simulation technology in the study of urban thermal environments,and additionally,remote sensing technology can be used to modify the parameters needed for CFD.CFD has the advantages of saving time,effort and monetary expense.Also,the complementary application of CFD and remote sensing to thermal environment studies will make the results more accurate and complete.Based on the study results,some corresponding proposals for urban green space planning and construction are posed.
Predicting Novel Antitumor Agents: 3D‐Pharmacophore Mapping of β‐N‐biaryl Ether Sulfonamide‐Based Hydroxamates as Potentially MMP‐2 Inhibitors

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) are a group of enzymes related to extracelular matrix remodeling. Some types of MMP are overexpressed by malignant tumors, mainly the MMP‐2 subtype, and have been associated to cancer invasiveness and metastasis. A receptor‐independent (RI) 4D‐QSAR formalism was applied, herein, to a set of forty β‐N‐biaryl ether sulfonamide hydroxamates, previously reported as potent MMP‐2 inhibitors, in order to map 3D‐pharmacophore models and predict novel antitumor agents. The best RI 4D‐QSAR model was statistically significant (N=30, r2=0.93, q2=0.88, five occupancy descriptors (GCOD), LSE=0.04, LOF=0.11, outliers=0), robust and not obtained by chance. The external predictability was 75 % (test set; N=8). A different orientation (binding mode) in the MMP‐2 catalytic site was suggested regarding the most hydrophobic portion (R1) of the compounds’ structure. Compounds were predicted and their inhibitory activity against MMP‐2 was calculated by using the optimum RI 4D‐QSAR model. The findings have provided interesting information to drive the designing and synthesis of novel potentially MMP‐2 inhibitors against melanoma invasion.
Morphogenetic potential of long-term callus cultures of Actinidia deliciosa

SummaryPlant regeneration of Actinidia deliciosa Liang and Ferguson (kiwifruit) has been established from long-term cultured petiole callus. Transfer of callus to MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg 1−1 6-BAP and 2.0 mg l−1 IAA gave roots whilst shoot regeneration was induced, from callus and the newly formed roots, when both tissues were cultured on MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg 1−1 zeatin alone.
Reproductive Cycles in Two Species of Rattlesnakes

The reproductive cycles of the Eastern massassauga (Sistrurus c. catenatus) and timber rattlesnake (Crotalus h. horridus) are described. The massassauga had 11.1 young per female, generally had their first young when 3 years old, and apparently reproduce annually. The timber rattlesnake had 7.7 young per female, generally had their first young when 4 years old, and reproduce biennially. Summer development of follicles is described in the biennial cycle and mating from August through May is suggested corresponding with rapidly developing follicles. A longer growing season appears to allow the massassauga to mature at an earlier age and reproduce annually; however, it is not clear if innate reproductive cycle differences may exist between the two genera of rattlesnakes.