Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Heteroscedastic Gaussian processes for uncertain and incomplete data

In probabilistic inference, many implicit and explicit assumptions are taken about the nature of input noise and the function fit to either simplify the mathematics, improve the time complexity or optimise for space. It is often assumed that the inputs are noiseless or that the noise is drawn from the same distribution for all inputs, that all the variables used during training will be present during prediction and with the same degrees of uncertainties, and that the confidence about the prediction is uniform across the input space. This thesis presents a more generalised sparse Gaussian process model that relaxes these assumptions to inputs with variable degrees of uncertainty, or completeness in the input, and produces variable uncertainty estimation over the output. The capabilities of sparse Gaussian processes are further enhanced to allow for non-stationarity which minimises the number of required basis functions, a prior mean function for better extrapolation performance and cost-sensitive learning for non-uniform weighting of samples. The results are demonstrated on an astrophysical problem of estimating galactic redshifts from their photometry. This problem, by its nature, can capitalise on the features of the proposed model as the noise on the photometry can vary across different galaxies or catalogues, not all photometry might be available during prediction or shared amongst different surveys, and the input-dependent uncertainty estimation gives astrophysicists the ability to trade off completeness for accuracy to answer a range of different questions related to astronomy and cosmology.
The 6‐phosphogluconate Dehydrogenase Genes Are Responsive to Abiotic Stresses in Rice

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH, E.C. 1.1.1.49) and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH, EC 1.1.1.44) are both key enzymes of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). The OsG6PDH1 and Os6PGDH1 genes encoding cytosolic G6PDH and cytosolic 6PGDH were isolated from rice (Oryza sativa L.). We have shown that Os6PGDH1 gene was up-regulated by salt stress. Here we reported the isolation and characterization of Os6PGDH2 from rice, which encode the plastidic counterpart of 6PGDH. Genomic organization analysis indicated that OsG6PDH1 and OsG6PDH2 genes contain multiple introns, whereas two Os6PGDH1 and Os6PGDH2 genes have no introns in their translated regions. In a step towards understanding the functions of the pentose phosphate pathway in plants in response to various abiotic stresses, the expressions of four genes in the rice seedlings treated by drought, cold, high salinity and abscisic acid (ABA) were investigated. The results show that OsG6PDH1 and OsG6PDH2 are not markedly regulated by the abiotic stresses detected. However, the transcript levels of both Os6PGDH1 and Os6PGDH2 are up-regulated in rice seedlings under drought, cold, high salinity and ABA treatments. Meanwhile, the enzyme activities of G6PDH and 6PGDH in the rice seedlings treated by various abiotic stresses were investigated. Like the mRNA expression patterns, G6PDH activity remains constant but the 6PGDH increases steadily during the treatments. Taken together, we suggest that the pentose phosphate pathway may play an important role in rice responses to abiotic stresses and the second key enzyme of PPP, 6PGDH, may function as a regulator controlling the efficiency of the pathway under abiotic stresses. (Handling editor: Kang Chong)
Impact of tree species on soil carbon stocks and soil acidity in southern Sweden

Abstract The impact of tree species on soil carbon stocks and acidity in southern Sweden was studied in a non-replicated plantation with monocultures of 67-year-old ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.), beech (Fagus silvatica L.), elm (Ulmus glabra Huds.), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) and oak (Quercus robur L.). The site was characterized by a cambisol on glacial till. Volume-determined soil samples were taken from the O-horizon and mineral soil layers to 20 cm. Soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), pH (H2O), cation-exchange capacity and base saturation at pH 7 and exchangeable calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium ions were analysed in the soil fraction < 2 mm. Root biomass (<5 mm in diameter) and its proportion in the forest floor and mineral soil varied between tree species. There was a vertical gradient under all species, with the highest concentrations of SOC, TN and base cations in the O-horizon and the lowest in the 10–20 cm layer. The tree species differed with respect to SOC, TN and soil acidity in the O-horizon and mineral soil. For SOC and TN, the range in the O-horizon was spruce > hornbeam > oak > beech > ash > elm. The pH in the O-horizon ranged in the order elm > ash > hornbeam > beech > oak > spruce. In the mineral soil, SOC and TN ranged in the order elm > oak > ash = hornbeam > spruce > beech, i.e. partly reversed, and pH ranged in the same order as for the O-horizon. It is suggested that spruce is the best option for fertile sites in southern Sweden if the aim is a high carbon sequestration rate, whereas elm, ash and hornbeam are the best solutions if the aim is a low soil acidification rate.
Farm Size and Output in Bangladesh Agriculture: Evidence from Cointegration, Vector Error Correction, Granger Causality and Investigating Returns to Scale

The foremost objective of the paper is to analyze the cointegration, vector error correction mechanism, vibrant causal relationship between farm size and output and investigating returns to scale in Bangladesh agriculture. Applying all requisite time series econometric techniques and covering the period from 1979 to 2013 establishes a stable long run relationship among the considered variables. The paper performs Augmented Dicky Fuller (ADF) and Phillips-Perron (PP) tests to verify the whether the time series are stationary and the long run stable relationship by Johansen and Juselius cointegration test. The paper examines short-term dynamic relationship among the considered variables using a vector error-correction model and Granger causality test is also occupied to find out causal relationship between farm size and output. The paper found short run and long run dynamic stable relationship, unidirectional pair wise Granger causal relationship and decreasing returns to scale among considered variables. Keywords: Farm Size, Output, Integration, Cointegration, Vector Error Correction Model, Granger Causality and Returns to Scale.
Protein structure classification by structural transformation

Protein structure classification plays an important role in understanding the relationships among structure and sequence. Recently, as the number of known protein structure are increasing steeply, automatic classification is highly required. This paper presents a new method of classification of protein folds based on the structural similarities between a pair of proteins from the viewpoint of the secondary structural elements. The similarity can be evaluated through the structural transformation from one protein to the other, which is composed of a set of predefined primitive operations. Since the similarity is scored with the total cost of the transformation, the method requires no threshold value. The effectiveness of the method was empirically demonstrated through the experiments using the data in the Brookhaven Protein Data Bank.
Solidified reverse micellar solutions (SRMS): A novel approach for controlling drug release from various lipids based drug delivery systems

Solidified reverse micellar solutions (SRMS) are reverse micelles containing lecithin and a triglyceride, for example, SOFTISAN ® 142, which is hydrogenated coco glyceride. SRMS transform into a lamellar mesophase after melting on contact with water; this transformation enables controlled release of solubilized drugs. They offer potentials for sustained drug delivery of both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs. SRMS have the advantage of providing more flexibility in controlling the drug release and protecting the encapsulated ingredients from chemical degradation. SRMS based systems influence the absorption of active ingredients through different mechanisms to modify the release of active ingredients, and improve drugs bioavailability. The types of SRMS-based drug delivery systems include solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), solid lipid microparticles (SLM), tablets and suppositories amongst others. The work exhaustively reviews the advances in SRMS based carriers. Its formulation methods, characterisation and delivery systems were discussed in details. Key words : Solidified reverse micellar solutions (SRMS), lipids, wide angle X-ray diffraction analysis (WAXD), small angle X-ray diffraction analysis (SAXD), lipid absorption.
FACTORS INFLUENCING CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO DAIRY PRODUCTS IN PONDICHERRY STATE

Consumer behavior analysis is based on consumer’s buying behavior. It aims at improving business performance through an understanding of the customer’s preferences and desires. In today’s world of growing competition where there are numerous brands selling the same products, consumers have an abundant number of choices and many diverse factors influence their buying behavior. This study is based on Descriptive study and the statistical tools used are Percentage & Weighted Average Method. This study made an attempt to find the factors affecting consumer’s buying behavior, with the focus on dairy products in Pondicherry state. These factors are based on certain variables used in the survey. The variables include packaging, cost, availability, ingredients, product popularity, product quality, product taste, etc., that influence the choice of a brand from among those in the consideration list, but may not be the most important and primary determinants for short listing brands. The study is useful to the marketers as they can create various marketing programs that they believe will be of interest to the consumers. It can also boost their marketing strategy.
Low complexity multi-level NB-QC-LDPC coded modulation scheme for optical communication systems

In this paper, we propose a multi-level non-binary quasi-cyclic low density parity check (NB-QC-LDPC) coded modulation (CM) scheme to reduce the decoding complexity while maintaining and/or exceeding the super BER performance of the traditional NB-QC-LDPC CM scheme. Firstly, local optimal searching combined with the classical superposition construction is proposed to construct the required NB-QC-LDPC codes with possibly enlarged girth and less number of the shortest cycles. Secondly, by analyzing the changing trend of the BER performance and decoding complexity of the NB-QC-LDPC code defined over 𝐺𝐹(𝑄) incident to 𝑄. We find that the decoding complexity increases proportionally with the increase of 𝑄, but the best BER performance usually corresponds to a smaller 𝑄. Finally, by replacing the high-order NB-QC-LDPC code based CM scheme to the multi-level low-order NB-QC-LDPC code based CM scheme, the decoding complexity can be effectively reduced. Simulation results show that the designed two-level 𝐺𝐹(4)/𝐺𝐹(8) QC-LDPC code based 16QAM/64QAM CM system can perform almost the same or even better BER performance with/than the corresponding traditional 𝐺𝐹(16) / 𝐺𝐹(64) QC-LDPC code based 16QAM/64QAM CM system.
EFFECT OF RED IMPORTED FIRE ANTS ON HABITAT USE BY HISPID COTTON RATS (SIGMODON HISPIDUS) AND NORTHERN PYGMY MICE (BAIOMYS TAYLORI)

Abstract We examined effects of the exotic fire ant Solenopsis invicta on habitat use by hispid cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) and northern pygmy mice (Baiomys taylori) over a 17-month period in an open grassland community in central Texas. We divided the study area into 10 adjacent plots. Five alternating plots were treated with an ant-toxic bait to reduce density of S. invicta. The remaining 5 plots were left untreated. We trapped small mammals monthly and calculated capture per unit effort (CPUE) for each small mammal species in each of 3 treatments (treated, untreated, border) each month. Trap months were partitioned into 2 seasons, summer and winter. Sigmodon hispidus altered habitat use, as indicated by CPUE, in the presence of S. invicta during summer, and B. taylori did not alter habitat use in the presence of fire ants during either season.
A Review on Power Quality in Grid Connected Renewable Energy System

This paper presents a review on power quality problems associated with the integration of renewable energy systems in to grid and it shows how power electronic devices and Flexible AC Transmission Systems play a role to mitigate the power quality problems. Photo Voltaic (PV) and Wind energy systems integration issues and associated power quality problems are discussed. Classification of various Power Quality Issues used by different researchers has been done and put for reference. Application of various techniques as applied to mitigate the different Power Quality problems is also presented for consideration. Index Terms — Power Quality, grid connected PV, grid connected wind, Distributed Generation, FACTS Devices, Renewable Energy.
Tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) improves antioxidant status in rat tissues following chronic diazinon intoxication

Considering that the involvement of oxidative stress has been implicated in the toxicity of organophosphate insecticides, the objective of the present study was to investigate antioxidants and oxidative stress markers in the liver and kidney of Wistar rats treated with chronic doses of diazinon. In addition, the effect of Tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), a food-additive antioxidant, on attenuation of diazinon-induced oxidative stress was evaluated. 28 rats were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups: diazinon (10 mg/kg BW, once a day; n=7), TBHQ (0.028 g/kg of diet, once a day; n=7), TBHQ + diazinon (diazinon; 10 mg/kg BW, once a day + TBHQ; 0.028 g/kg of diet, once a day; n=7) and control (corn oil, as vehicle of diazinon and TBHQ, n=7). TBHQ, diazinon and corn oil were given to rats orally via gavage for 7 weeks. Total thiol groups, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in liver and kidney tissues were investigated at the end of 7th week. Treatment with diazinon significantly increased MDA level, as a marker of lipid peroxidation, in the kidney (p<0.05). Co-administration of TBHQ with diazinon significantly increased total thiol groups and FRAP levels in liver and kidney (p<0.05). However, TBHQ did not reduce lipid peroxidation in the tissues. The results of the present study showed that administration of TBHQ at a dose of 0.028 g/kg of diet, increased antioxidant capacity of tissues of rats treated with diazinon, though this increase was not sufficiently effective to reduce lipid peroxidation caused by diazinon. Higher amounts of TBHQ might be more effective in attenuation of diazinon-induced lipid peroxidation.
Auction-Based VM Allocation for Deadline-Sensitive Tasks in Distributed Edge Cloud

Edge cloud computing is a new paradigm in which the computation and storage services of remote cloud data centers are moved to Edge Cloud Nodes (ECNs) in network edges. Compared to traditional cloud data centers, ECNs are geographically close to mobile users so the communication latency is significantly reduced. In this paper, we study the problem of allocating Virtual Machine (VM) resources in geo-distributed ECNs to mobile users by using the auction theory. First, we treat mobile users and ECNs as the buyers and sellers of the VM resource auction, respectively. Then, we model the VM resource allocation problem as an <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$n$</tex-math><alternatives><mml:math><mml:mi>n</mml:mi></mml:math><inline-graphic xlink:href="xiao-ieq1-2902549.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula>-to-one weighted bipartite graph matching problem with 0-1 knapsack constraints. Since this problem is NP-hard, we design a greedy approximation algorithm to determine the winners of the auction, based on which we propose a truthful Auction-based VM resource Allocation (AVA) mechanism to solve the problem. Moreover, we prove that the AVA mechanism not only achieves an approximately optimal solution for winner selection, but also has the properties of truthfulness, individual rationality, and computational efficiency. Finally, we conduct extensive simulations on real traces to verify the significant performances of the proposed AVA mechanism.
Environmental controls on net ecosystem‐level carbon exchange and productivity in a Central American tropical wet forest

Difficulty in balancing the global carbon budget has lead to increased attention on tropical forests, which have been estimated to account for up to one third of global gross primary production. Whether tropical forests are sources, sinks, or neutral with respect to their carbon balance with the atmosphere remains unclear. To address this issue, estimates of net ecosystem exchange of carbon (NEE) were made for 3 years (1998–2000) using the eddy‐covariance technique in a tropical wet forest in Costa Rica. Measurements were made from a 42 m tower centred in an old‐growth forest. Under unstable conditions, the measurement height was at least twice the estimated zeroplane height from the ground. The canopy at the site is extremely rough; under unstable conditions the median aerodynamic roughness length ranged from 2.4 to 3.6 m. No relationship between NEE and friction velocity (u*) was found using all of the 30‐min averages. However, there was a linear relationship between the nighttime NEE and averaged u* (R2 = 0.98). The diurnal pattern of flux was similar to that found in other tropical forests, with mean daytime NEE ca. − 18 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1 and mean nighttime NEE 4.6 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1. However, because ∼ 80% of the nighttime data in this forest were collected during low u* conditions (< 0.2 m s−1), nighttime NEE was likely underestimated. Using an alternative analysis, mean nighttime NEE increased to 7.05 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1. There were interannual differences in NEE, but seasonal differences were not apparent. Irradiance accounted for ∼ 51% of the variation in the daytime fluxes, with temperature and vapour pressure deficit together accounting for another ∼ 20%. Light compensation points ranged from 100 to 207 μmol PPFD m−2 s−1. No was relationship was found between 30‐min nighttime NEE and tower‐top air temperature. A weak relationship was found between hourly nighttime NEE and canopy air temperature using data averaged hourly over the entire sampling period (Q10 = 1.79, R2 = 0.17). The contribution of below‐sensor storage was fairly constant from day to day. Our data indicate that this forest was a slight carbon source in 1998 (0.05 to −1.33 t C ha−1 yr−1), a moderate sink in 1999 (−1.53 to −3.14 t C ha−1 yr−1), and a strong sink in 2000 (−5.97 to −7.92 t C ha−1 yr−1). This trend is interpreted as relating to the dissipation of warm‐phase El Niño effects over the course of this study.
Control of fusiform initial orientation in the vascular cambium of Abies balsamea stems by indol-3-ylacetic acid

Fusiform initial reorientation, deduced from changes in tracheid arrangement, was investigated in helical bridges left after Abies balsamea stems were girdled. The first responses included an increase in the number of S- and Z-oriented anticlinal divisions without any change in their ratio, a decrease in fusiform initial length, and the formation of traumatic resin canals. Subsequently, normal tracheid differentiation resumed, the frequency of anticlinal divisions further increased, and there was an increase in the number of oriented intrusive growth events. The orientations of the anticlinal wall and of the intrusive growth were predominantly in the direction that eventually would result in the fusiform initials being aligned parallel to the bridge angle. The application of exogenous indol-3-ylacetic acid to the upper edge of a helical bridge inhibited fusiform initial reorientation, mainly by decreasing the frequency of oriented intrusive growth events. However, immediately below the application point, .
Medium optimization for the production of a metagenome-derived beta-galactosidase by Pichia pastoris using response surface methodology.

To investigate the optimal medium for the production of a metagenome-derived β-galactosidase (ZQ114) by Pichia pastorisi, Plackett and Burman design was applied to screen the significance of eight medium compositions, and three factors (methanol, sorbitol and MgSO4.7H2O) were found to have significant effect on the production of ZQ114. Then, the steepest ascent method was further used to determine their optimal levels, and Box-Behnken design and response surface methodology were eventually adopted to derive a statistical model for optimizing the medium. The experimental results indicate that the optimum of three main factors was 10.43 g/L (methanol), 33.98 g/L (sorbitol), and 0.52 g/L (MgSO4.7H2O), respectively. The highest yield of ZQ114 using the optimal medium reached up to 14.94 U/mL with lactose as substrate, which was 2.57 times higher than that unoptimized. Also, the experimental data of 14.94 U/mL is basiclly accordant with the predicted value (14.68 U/mL).
When hot rocks get hotter: behavior and acclimatization mitigate exposure to extreme temperatures in a spider

In environments where animals have a high probability of encountering temperatures close to their thermal limits, animals with the capacity to minimize the chances of encountering these temperatures will be advantaged. We investigated the physiological and behavioral mechanisms used by flat rock spiders, Morebilus plagusius, to avoid encountering lethal or sub-lethal temperatures on sandstone outcrops by measuring their critical thermal maximum (CTMax) in spring and summer and quantifying their retreat rock use. Morebilus plagusius has a high CTMax, which acclimatizes seasonally (spring CTMax: 48.3° ± 0.2°C; summer CTMax: 49.6° ± 0.3°C). By measuring the operative temperatures available to spiders underneath rocks in spring and summer and quantifying retreat rock use by adult spiders we found that random use of rocks by spiders would frequently expose them to temperatures above their thermal tolerances, especially in summer. Spiders non-randomly used rocks as diurnal retreats, with rocks with a large area and a rock substratum being positively correlated with M. plagusius occupancy. Rocks large in area provided cooler daytime shelters than exfoliated rocks with smaller area. Morebilus plagusius uses both physiological and behavioral mechanisms for avoiding lethal temperatures, and neither physiological nor behavioral mechanisms alone are enough to mitigate the increased probability of encountering lethal temperatures in summer. Our results highlight the importance of an integrative approach, incorporating behavioral, ecological and physiological mechanisms in accessing how animals avoid lethal temperatures in thermally extreme environments.
Benefits from cooperation in genomics

Accurate estimation of small genetic effects requires very large data sets. Therefore, benefits from combining data across countries are much larger for genotypes than for phenotypes. Methods of data exchange are compared. Gains in reliability from North American data are much larger using 5,369 Holsteins than 1,361 Jerseys or 228 Brown Swiss. Reliability for young animals increased to >80% using genotypes of 40,000 proven bulls in simulation. Use of 100,000 instead of 50,000 markers improved reliability only 2%. Computer programs may apply very widely because marker inheritance is the same across many species.