Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A systematic comparison of grapheme-based vs. phoneme-based label units for encoder-decoder-attention models.

Following the rationale of end-to-end modeling, CTC, RNN-T or encoder-decoder-attention models for automatic speech recognition (ASR) use graphemes or grapheme-based subword units based on e.g. byte-pair encoding (BPE). The mapping from pronunciation to spelling is learned completely from data. In contrast to this, classical approaches to ASR employ secondary knowledge sources in the form of phoneme lists to define phonetic output labels and pronunciation lexica. In this work, we do a systematic comparison between grapheme- and phoneme-based output labels for an encoder-decoder-attention ASR model. We investigate the use of single phonemes as well as BPE-based phoneme groups as output labels of our model. To preserve a simplified and efficient decoder design, we also extend the phoneme set by auxiliary units to be able to distinguish homophones. Experiments performed on the Switchboard 300h and LibriSpeech benchmarks show that phoneme-based modeling is competitive to grapheme-based encoder-decoder-attention modeling.
Interactions between nodding thistle seed predators

The biological control program against nodding thistle, Carduus nutans, commenced in New Zealand in 972, with the introduction of the receptacle weevil, Rhinocyllus conicus. Seed predation by the larvae of this univoltine weevil did not bring about the desired reduction in nodding thistle populations, and in 992 a further seed predator was introduced – the bivoltine gall fly, Urophora solstitialis. Possible interference between these two niche-sharing agents may have resulted in less-than-additive seed predation. This recent study quantified the interactions between the two agents for the first time in New Zealand, and found the mean number of gall flies per seedhead was reduced by 46–93% in the presence of the receptacle weevil. This suggests that the weevil may limit the gall fly’s populations, thus reducing seed predation later in the nodding thistle flowering period. The potential effects of this reduced attack on nodding thistle population growth rate were simulated using an existing matrix model.
Studies on an Arabidopsis MYB transcription factor involved in heat and salt tolerance

Heat stress has a significant impact on the productivity and yield of crops grown in the hot, arid zones of the world. There is mounting evidence that what has classically been termed ‘drought stress’ may in some cases be caused not by water stress per se, but rather by the uncontrolled elevation in leaf temperature that occurs when a plant loses its capacity for transpirational cooling. A previous screen of activation-tagged Arabidopsis thaliana seeds for novel halotolerant mutants implicated elevated levels of the transcription factor MYB64 in mediating improved survival on high salt growth medium, and subsequent transcript profiling of this activation-tagged halotolerant line (HT5) revealed the upregulation of several members of the heat shock protein family. Based on these preliminary findings, expression of two of the small heat shock proteins reported to be among the most highly upregulated in the HT5 line was investigated under various stress conditions in wild type Arabidopsis. Transcript and protein levels were measured in response to heat; their subcellular localisation was observed; and the phenotype of various knockout mutants was recorded. These studies have contributed to an understanding of how these might function in relation to one another and to the rest of the heat shock protein family. This thesis also reports on the investigations of a transgenic line created to constitutively overexpress the MYB64 transcription factor. Transcript profiling produced a list of ‘upregulated’ sequences, of which a significant proportion were previously shown to play key roles in abiotic (and, to an extent, biotic) stress responses. The robustness of these responses in the transgenic lines was investigated by qPCR under heat stress, and the phenotype of the plants was characterised in response to various stress regimes. The findings implicate MYB64 in the regulation of a wide range of stress responses, and as plants are unlikely to encounter stress factors individually outside of the controlled conditions of a laboratory, these findings highlight the importance of considering such stresses in concert rather than isolation.
Seleção assistida e diversidade genética de fontes de resistência ao nematóide de cisto da soja

iixi 1. INTRODUÇÃO . 01 2. REVISÃO DE LITERATURA . 03 2.1. Importância econômica da soja . 03 2.2. Nematóide de cisto da soja . 04 2.2.1. Base genética da resistência ao NCS.07 2.3. Seleção assistida por marcadores nos programas de melhoramento de soja.09 2.4. Avaliação de diversidade genética utilizando marcadores moleculares . 10 2.4. 1. Diversidade genética entre as fontes de resistência x variabilidade genética do Heterodera glycines . 11 3. BIBILIOGRAFIA . 13
NVP-BEZ235, A Dual Inhibitor of Phosphoinositol-3-Kinase (PI3K) and Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR), Is a Potent Inhibitor of Lymphoma Cell Growth and Survival

Abstract Abstract 4965 The Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mTOR pathway is frequently deregulated in Hodgkin (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and has been linked with tumor cell growth and survival. Although several proteins/enzymes in this pathway can be targeted by a variety of small molecules in vitro and in vivo, it remains unclear which protein target is the ideal for clinical testing. Previous studies demonstrated that the clinical activity of mTOR inhibitors may be attenuated by a negative feedback loop that involves activation of AKT, suggesting that a dual inhibition of AKT and mTOR activation may produce a better therapeutic outcome. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the in vitro activity of NVP-BEZ235, a dual inhibitor of PI3K and mTOR, in a panel of 13 HL and NHL cell lines. NVP-BEZ235 inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in lymphoma cell lines in a time and dose dependent manner. After 48 hours of incubation, the IC50 ranged between 50 and 100 nM, and it was equally effective in ABC and GCB-derived DLBCL cell lines. NVP-BEZ235 induced cell death was primarily due to induction of apoptosis, as evident by the annexin-V and PI dual staining method, and the induction of caspase 3 and PARP cleavage. NVP-BEZ235 effectively inhibited the activation of the PI3K pathway at several steps, including decreasing the phosphorylation level of p-Akt (Ser473), p-Akt (Thr308), p-mTOR, p-4-EBPI and pP70S6K. Because lymphoma cells frequently depend on multiple activated signaling pathways to promote their survival, including the JAK/STAT pathway, we investigated the potential synergy between PI3K and JAK/STAT pathway inhibitors. Lymphoma cells were variably sensitive to the JAK1/2 inhibitor INCB16562 in vitro. Submaximal concentrations of NVP-BEZ235 demonstrated a synergistic activity with INCB16562. Collectively, our data show that the PI3K/mTOR inhibitor NVP-BEZ235 is highly effective against a wide range of lymphoma cell lines, and warrants evaluating it alone and in combination with JAK/STAT inhibitors in phase I/II clinical trials in patients with relapsed lymphoma. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Variation In Early-Successional Habitat Use Among Independent Juvenile Forest Breeding Birds

ABSTRACT Adults and juveniles of some forest breeding birds shift habitat use during the post breeding season from late to early successional forest. Juveniles of smaller passerine species are difficult to radio-track, and there is limited information on their habitat preferences, especially once they become older and independent. We determined if independent hatch-year birds captured in early-successional habitat remained there for extended periods, or if these habitats were only occupied infrequently during foraging activities. We determined habitat use for Ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapilla), Worm-eating Warblers (Helmitheros vermivorum) and Red-eyed Vireos (Vireo olivaceus) during the independent post-fledging period in the Missouri Ozarks. We placed radio transmitters on 29 hatch-year birds captured in clearcuts and attempted to relocate them for 24 days in the summer of 2012. All three species had a greater relative probability of use of clearcut forest stands with small trees than older forests. Ovenbirds and Worm-eating Warblers remained in the early-successional habitat where initially captured, whereas Red-eyed Vireos used both late and early-successional habitat. Management efforts have primarily focused on breeding habitat for migratory songbirds, but the post-breeding period could be equally important given that hatch-year birds can spend an equal or greater amount of time in this stage. More information is needed to determine how widespread this habitat shift is for mature forest-breeding birds.
Phytochemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial analysis of Bambusa Tulda roxb. and Bambusa nutans wall. Ex munro

Bamboos are woody perennial tall grasses belonging to the grass family Poaceae in the subfamily Bambusoideae. With the likely presence of numerous phytochemical constituents, bamboo is also one of the promising plants for the production of highvalue therapeutics. Macwan et al. (2010) found that methanolic bamboo extract shows free radical scavenging, metal chelating and nitric oxide scavenging capacity. Current studies on bamboo leaves showed the presence of phenolic acids in the form of flavonoids that have antioxidant capabilities (Sujarwo 2010). In addi t ion, bamboo extracts have demonstrated antimicrobial activities (Güllüce 2003, Nazreen et al. 2012) also reported that bamboo leaves have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating fever and detoxification for over 1000 years.
Organization and Variation of the Mitochondrial DNA Control Region in Ardeidae (Aves: Ciconiiformes) and their Phylogenetic Relationship

Nycticorax Nycticorax nycticorax Nny 2 tRNAGlu Cytb, tRNAGlu tRNAPhe 1192, 2200 KJ190954 Zhou et al., 2014 Ardea Ardea cinerea Aci 2 1178, 1500 NC025900 Zhou et al., 2014 Ardea purpurea Apu 2 1162, 1543 NC025919 Zhou et al., 2014 Casmerodius Casmerodius alba Eal 2 1346, 2033 NC025916 Zhou et al., 2014 Egretta Egretta garzetta Ega 2 1548, 1815 KJ190950 Zhou et al., 2014 Egretta eulophotes Eeu 1 tRNAGlu tRNAPhe 1997 NC009736 Zhou et al., 2007 Egretta novaehollandiae Eno 1 tRNAGlu tRNAPhe 1922 NC008551 Gibb et al., 2007 Egretta sacra Esa 2 tRNAGlu Cytb, tRNAGlu tRNAPhe 1383, 1809 NC025920 Zhou et al., 2014
Understorey plant community composition reflects invasion history decades after invasive Rhododendron has been removed

A growing awareness of the destructive effects of non-native invasive species has led to a massive increase in removal programmes around the world. However, little is generally known about what happens to sites following the removal of the invasives and the implicit assumption that the native community will return, unaided, to pre-invasion conditions is often left untested. We assessed recovery of the native understorey plant community following removal of the non-native invasive Rhododendron ponticum L. from Scottish Atlantic oak woodland. We recorded understorey community composition in sites covering a gradient of increasing R. ponticum density, and across a separate series of sites covering a chronosequence of time since R. ponticum removal. We then compared both of these series to the target community found in uninvaded sites. We also analysed differences in soil chemistry between the sites to test for chemical legacy effects of invasion in the soil. Native understorey cover declined as R. ponticum density increased, with bryophytes dropping to less than a third of the cover present in uninvaded sites and forbs and grasses being completely extirpated under dense stands. Cleared sites showed no evidence of returning to the target community, even after 30 years of recovery, and instead formed a bryophyte-dominated “novel community,” containing few of the typical oak woodland vascular plants. Contrary to expectation, soil pH, C:N ratio and nutrient concentrations (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) were not affected by the invasion of R. ponticum, and chemical legacy effects in the soil were not responsible for the failure of the native community to revert to pre-invasion conditions. Instead, we hypothesise that the rapid formation of a bryophyte mat, coupled with the often substantial distances to potential seed sources, hindered vascular plant recolonisation. Synthesis and applications. Clear evidence of invasion history can be detected in the understorey plant community even decades after the successful removal of the invasive Rhododendron ponticum L. This finding demonstrates that native communities may be unable to recover effectively of their own accord following invasive species removal, and will require further management interventions in order to achieve restoration goals.
Effect of early odorant exposure on the structure and output of the glomerular module

Early sensory experience has the capacity to dramatically shape the final anatomy and function of a sensory circuit. Both sensory deprivation and enrichment have major impacts on the development and maintenance of sensory circuit structure. We take advantage of the stereotyped structure of the olfactory system to investigate how early odorant experience changes the structure and output of the mouse olfactory bulb. The olfactory system lacks the stimulus-based topography seen in the visual or auditory sensory systems, a consequence of the high dimensionality of odorant stimuli. However, it possesses a highly stereotyped organization, making it an ideal model system in which to study the processing of sensory stimuli in a systematic and specific manner. Axons from olfactory sensory neurons that express the same odorant receptor converge into glomeruli, spherical structures in the olfactory bulb (OB). Glomeruli and their post-synaptic targets, including principal projection neurons, the mitral and tufted cells, form the basis of the glomerular module, which is the basic odor coding unit of the OB. In this dissertation, we leverage this specific structure to study how early odorant experience changes the composition of a glomerular module and impacts the odor-evoked activity of mitral cells. In Chapter 2, we use an in vivo dye labeling technique to examine how prenatal and early postnatal odorant exposure impacts the number of primary projection neurons connected to activated glomeruli. We find that significantly more mitral and tufted cells become associated with activated glomerular modules, suggesting that sensory input plays a major role in modulating OB circuit refinement in early development. In Chapter 3, we investigate how odor-evoked mitral cell activity across the dorsal OB is impacted following the same exposure paradigm used in Chapter 2. Using 2-photon calcium imaging of mitral cell somata, we find that early odorant exposure increases the number, amplitude, and reliability of excitatory odor-evoked mitral cell responses, potentially due to sensory enrichment during a developmental critical period. Together, these findings demonstrate that early odorant experience dramatically impacts OB anatomy and output, which may have significant implications on odor representation in the OB and olfactory perception. These changes may also influence olfactory-guided behavior, such as odor discrimination and preference.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus : ecology and molecular epidemiology of environmental contamination in veterinary and human healthcare settings during non-outbreak periods

ii Dedication. iv Acknowledgments. v Vita. vii List of Tables. xvi List of Figures. xviii CHAPTER 1: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in human and animal healthcare settings: Review of current knowledge. 1 1.
Game or Live Streaming?: Motivation and Social Experience in Live Mobile Quiz Shows

Live quiz shows that make use of mobile applications embed aspects of both games and live streaming. To understand users' motivations and experiences related to these mobile quiz shows, we used a mixed-methods approach that includes interviews (N = 16) and a survey (N = 296). We conducted a thematic analysis of interviews to identify seven motivations, five of which were verified through a factor analysis of survey data: interactivity, offline integration, achievement, ease of enjoyment, and financial incentives. Moreover, we examined how those motivations influenced users' perceptions of the apps and their in-app behavior patterns. The motivations of offline integration and financial incentives positively affected users' frequency of app usage, their recommendation of the app, and their habitual usage. This result implies that, to drive persistent usage, it is important to foster social integration and to properly balance both the average chance of winning and the amount of distributed prize money. Furthermore, our results suggest new directions for using design implications to improve user engagement.
User Guided Movement Analysis in Games using Semantic Trajectories

Understanding how players navigate through virtual worlds can offer useful guidance for map and level design of video games. One way to handle large-scale movement data obtained within games is by modelling movement as a sequence of visited locations instead of focusing on raw trajectory data. In this paper, we introduce a visualization approach for movement analysis based on semantic trajectories derived from a user-guided segmentation of the game environment. Based on this concept, the visualization offers an aggregated view of movement patterns together with the possibility to view individual paths for detailed inspection. We report on a user study with six experts from the game industry and compare the insights they have gleaned from the visualization with feedback from players. Our results indicate that the approach is successful in localizing problematic areas and that semantic trajectories can be a valuable addition to existing approaches for player movement analysis.
Flight activity of aphids as potential vectors of viral infection of alfalfa in Serbia

SUMMARY Flight activity of aphids as potential vectors of viral infection of alfalfa plants were monitored in Serbia for the first time in Europe. Research was conducted at the location Progar (Srem) for two years using six yellow water traps. A total of 1626 individual winged aphids were collected. The collected specimens were classified into 49 different taxa. During the two-year study, maximum population density of aphids and maximum potential vector activity were noted at the beginning of June, during the second alfalfa intercut. More than 65% of the collected specimens were potential vectors of the most important alfalfa viruses, Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). The most numerous winged aphid species on alfalfa were Aphis craccivora, Aphis fabae, Aphis gossypii, Aphis pomi/ spiraecola and Therioaphis trifolii . The Morisita-Horn similarity index was used to calculate similarities in species composition among the traps. High values of this index showed no significant differences among the aphids in traps. It indicates that one trap alone could provide good insight into the abundance, aphid diversity and number of potential vector species in small alfalfa fields.
Four new species of Trichoderma with hyaline ascospores from southwest China

Collections of Trichoderma were made from southwest China and examined. Four new species producing hyaline ascospores, T. fructicola, T. medogense, T. palidulum and T. virgineum, were found, and are described and illustrated. Their phylogenetic positions were allocated based on sequence analyses of the combined RNA polymerase II subunit b and translation elongation factor 1 alpha genes. Trichoderma fructicola, appearing as a lone lineage among hyaline-ascospored groups, is diagnostic by cortical tissues of textura epidermoidea, remarkable colour change of peridium in KOH, and verticilliumto trichoderma-like conidiophores. As a sister of T. voglmayrii, T. medogenseis similar to T. voglmayrii in having yellow-brown to purplish red stromata and trichoderma-like conidiophores, but differs in apapillate ostioles, subcortical tissues of textura intricata, narrow phialides, andsmaller conidia. Trichoderma palidulumis located in the Viride clade andis distinct from its alliesin stroma and colony morphology. Trichoderma virgineum is closely associated with T. henanense and T. odoratum. The three species are similar in having yellowish stromata, monomorphic ascospores, white colonies produced on three standard media, simple-branched conidiophores, and hyaline conidia for which anew clade is proposed. Morphological distinctions and sequence divergences between the new species and their close relatives are discussed.
Smart capacitive moisture sensor calibration in mineral wool and green roof soil substrate

The environmental benefits of green roofs have been widely recognized. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to moisture management in the green roof systems. The moisture in the green roof has an influence on its thermal and hydrological performances. An accurate measurement of water content in green roof substrate is important for irrigation monitoring, optimal irrigation management, and plant growth. Knowing the performance and characteristics of the sensor for the chosen substrate layer in a green roof system is essential. This paper presents laboratory calibration of the capacitive moisture sensor in two types of the green roof substrate layer. The volumetric water content of several mineral wool and soil samples, with the water content from low until saturated, were measured using the gravimetric method and related to frequency obtained by the sensor. The results have shown that the capacitive moisture sensor has a good response to water content variation.
Long-term variation in abundance of terrestrial mammals and birds in eastern Ecuador as measured by photographic rates and occupancy estimates

Long-term studies from undisturbed forests provide a baseline by which to assess impacts of human activities, including climate change, on vertebrate population dynamics in lowland tropical forests. We use cameratrap data from January to March, 2005 to 2015, to examine patterns of variation in numbers of images and occupancy (proportion of cameras where images of a species were obtained), variables that may reflect changes in abundance or activity patterns of terrestrial mammals and birds in an undisturbed lowland forest of eastern Ecuador. We accumulated 1,961 independent records of 31 mammal species and 427 images of 17 bird species during 5,547 trap-days. Number of mammal species ranged from 15 to 25 per year (107 to 466 images), whereas birds ranged from 3 to 11 species per year (10 to 122 images). Capture rates varied both among species and among years but showed no evidence of declines; populations of several species appeared to increase (Priodontes maximus, Dasypus novemcinctus, Pecari tajacu, and Dasyprocta fuliginosa). Similarly, occupancy rates provided no indication of consistent declines; occupancy rates increased significantly for D. fuliginosa, D. novemcinctus, and P. maximus. There was no indication that variation in either capture rates or occupancy was related to variation in large-scale climate trends as represented by the Southern Oscillation Index. Results suggest that populations of most species that are well sampled by camera traps have remained relatively stable over 11 years. Long-term studies from other regions in the tropics are needed to evaluate the generality of this pattern.