Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Letter to the Editor

DEAR SIR: I have been leading the zinc industry’s scientific input to the European Union (EU) risk assessment for zinc and zinc compounds since it commenced in 1995. I am extremely surprised and disturbed at the premature publication by your journal (Bodar et al. 2005) of the preliminary results and conclusions of a draft risk assessment on zinc that remains under consideration within Europe. This risk assessment is not yet agreed at European level and there are significant dangers in premature disclosure of a draft risk assessment. The paper contains information that is incorrect, outdated, and misleading to the reader. To illustrate my concerns, I would like to draw attention to the following:
Light partitioning among species and species replacement in early successional grasslands

Abstract We studied canopy structure, shoot architecture and light harvesting efficiencies of the species (photon flux captured per unit above-ground plant mass) in a series of exclosures of different age (up to 4.5 yr) in originally heavily grazed grassland in N Japan. Vegetation height and Leaf Area Index (LAI) increased in the series and Zoysia japonica, the dominant in the beginning, was replaced by the much taller Miscanthus sinensis. We showed how this displacement in dominance can be explained by inherent constraints on the above-ground architecture of these two species. In all stands light capture of plants increased with their above-ground biomass but taller species were not necessarily more efficient in light harvesting. Some subordinate species grew disproportionally large leaf areas and persisted in the shady undergrowth. Some other species first grew taller and managed to stay in the better-lit parts of the canopy, but ultimately failed to match the height growth of their neighbours in this early successional series. Their light harvesting efficiencies declined and this probably led to their exclusion. By contrast, species that maintained their position high in the canopy managed to persist in the vegetation despite their relatively low light harvesting efficiencies. In the tallest stands ‘later successional’ species had higher light harvesting efficiencies for the same plant height than ‘early successional’ species which was mostly the result of the greater area to mass ratio (specific leaf area, SLA) of their leaves. This shows how plant stature, plasticity in above-ground biomass partitioning, and architectural constraints determine the ability of plants to efficiently capture light, which helps to explain species replacement in this early successional series. Nomenclature: Makino (1962); Ohwi (1965). Abbreviations: LAI = Leaf area index; LAR = Leaf Area Ratio; LMR = Leaf Mass Ratio; PPFD = Photosynthetically active photon flux density; SLA = Specific Leaf Area.
Torsion Potential Works in Rhodopsin¶

Abstract We investigate the role of protein environment of rhodopsin and the intramolecular interaction of the chromophore in the cis–trans photoisomerization of rhodopsin by means of a newly developed theoretical method. We theoretically produce modified rhodopsins in which a force field of arbitrarily chosen part of the chromophore or the binding pocket of rhodopsin is altered. We compare the equilibrium conformation of the chromophore and the energy stored in the chromophore of modified rhodopsins with those of native rhodopsins. This method is called site-specific force field switch (SFS). We show that this method is most successfully applied to the torsion potential of rhodopsin. Namely, by reducing the twisting force constant of the C11=C12 of 11-cis retinal chromophore of rhodopsin to zero, we found that the equilibrium value of the twisting angle of the C11=C12 bond is twisted in the negative direction down to about −80°. The relaxation energy obtained by this change amounts to an order of 10 kcal/mol. In the case that the twisting force constant of the other double bond is reduced to zero, no such large twisting of the bond happens. From these results we conclude that a certain torsion potential is applied specifically to the C11=C12 bond of the chromophore in the ground state of rhodopsin. This torsion potential facilitates the bond-specific cis–trans photoisomerization of rhodopsin. This kind of the mechanism is consistent with our torsion model proposed by us more than a quarter of century ago. The origin of the torsion potential is analyzed in detail on the basis of the chromophore structure and protein conformation, by applying the SFS method extensively.
EVOLUTION OF BEHAVIOR AND NEURAL CONTROL OF THE FAST-START ESCAPE RESPONSE

The fast-start startle behavior is the primary mechanism of rapid escape in fishes and is a model system for examining neural circuit design and musculoskeletal function. To develop a dataset for evolutionary analysis of the startle response, the kinematics and muscle activity patterns of the fast-start were analyzed for four fish species at key branches in the phylogeny of vertebrates. Three of these species (Polypterus palmas, Lepisosteus osseus, and Amia calva) represent the base of the actinopterygian radiation. A fourth species (Oncorhynchus mykiss) provided data for a species in the central region of the teleost phylogeny. Using these data, we explored the evolution of this behavior within the phylogeny of vertebrates. To test the hypothesis that startle features are evolutionarily conservative, the variability of motor patterns and kinematics in fast-starts was described. Results show that the evolution of the startle behavior in fishes, and more broadly among vertebrates, is not conservative. The fast-start has undergone substantial change in suites of kinematics and electromyogram features, including the presence of either a oneor a two-stage kinematic response and change in the extent of bilateral muscle activity. Comparative methods were used to test the evolutionary hypothesis that changes in motor control are correlated with key differences in the kinematics and behavior of the fast-start. Significant evolutionary correlations were found between several motor pattern and behavioral characters. These results suggest that the startle neural circuit itself is not conservative. By tracing the evolution of motor pattern and kinematics on a phylogeny, it is shown that major changes in the neural circuit of the startle behavior occur at several levels in the phylogeny of vertebrates.
Indigenous and synanthropic populations of Galanthus nivalis L. in Baden-Württemberg

Abstract Galanthus nivalis L. is a widely distributed species. The boundaries of its natural area of distribution, however, are fuzzy due to cultivation and naturalisation. For Germany, indigenous populations have been reported from Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. To establish the genetic identity of the populations from Baden-Württemberg, we performed molecular phylogenetic analysis based on nuclear marker ITS and on chloroplast marker trnL-trnF spacer. In addition to that, morphometric data of indigenous and synanthropic plants were analysed. Our results indicate that the indigenes are genetically distinct from the synanthropes. Furthermore, a close relationship of the indigenes to specimens from the supposed centre of origin for the species has been suggested. Morphometrically, the identity of synanthropes and indigenes is hard to establish and contradicts findings from previous studies.
EFISIENSI PENGAMANAN PESAN MOBILE BANKING BERBASIS ALGORITMA ADVANCED ENCRYPTION STANDARD (AES)

Saat ini, penerapan Mobile Banking untuk transaksi keuangan semakin meningkat, hal ini disebabkan oleh meningkatnya jumlah pengguna perangkat bergerak dalam melakukan transaksi perbankan. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk meningkatkan keamanan pesan Mobile Banking dengan memanfaatkan algoritma Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) dengan menggunakan beberapa parameter keamanan pada skema AES. Hal ini dilakukan untuk mewujudkan transaksi yang aman dan efisien dengan penerapan metode kriptografi pada pesan. Hasil yang dicapai dalam penelitian ini adalah terciptanya suatu aplikasi berbasis Android yang dapat digunakan untuk melakukan transaksi Mobile Banking dengan penambahan algoritma AES. Penelitian ini menghasilkan waktu komputasi yang cukup cepat dan efektif pada aplikasi MBanking berbasis Android.
COSPECIATION ANALYSIS OF AN OBLIGATE POLLINATION MUTUALISM: HAVE GLOCHIDION TREES (EUPHORBIACEAE) AND POLLINATING EPICEPHALA MOTHS (GRACILLARIIDAE) DIVERSIFIED IN PARALLEL?

Species-specific obligate pollination mutualism between Glochidion trees (Euphorbiaceae) and Epicephala moths (Gracillariidae) involves a large number of interacting species and resembles the classically known fig–fig wasp and yucca–yucca moth associations. To assess the extent of parallel cladogenesis in Glochidion-Epicephala association, we reconstruct phylogenetic relationships of 18 species of Glochidion using nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences (internal and external transcribed spacers) and those of the corresponding 18 Epicephala species using mitochondrial (the cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene) and nuclear DNA sequences (the arginine kinase and elongation factor-1a genes). Based on the obtained phylogenies, we determine whether Glochidion and Epicephala have undergone parallel diversification using several different methods for investigating the level of cospeciation between phylogenies. These tests indicate that there is generally a greater degree of correlation between Glochidion and Epicephala phylogenies than expected in a random association, but the results are sensitive to selection of different phylogenetic hypotheses and analytical methods for evaluating cospeciation. Perfect congruence between phylogenies is not found in this association, which likely resulted from host shift by the moths. The observed significant discrepancy between Glochidion and Epicephala phylogenies implies that the one-to-one specificity between the plants and moths has been maintained through a complex speciation process or that there is an underestimated diversity of association between Glochidion trees and Epicephala moths.
Physical and Chemical Characterization of Iris and Choroid Melanosomes Isolated from Newborn and Mature Cows¶

Abstract Bovine iris and choroid melanosomes at two ages (<1 week and >2 years) were examined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), elemental analysis, infrared spectrometry (IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS). When iris and choroid melanosomes at the same age were compared, the quantification of metal elements by ICP-MS revealed that choroid melanosomes had a higher binding capacity for the carboxylate-binding metal ions (e.g. Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+ and Zn2+). Elemental analysis showed a higher O:N ratio in choroid melanosomes. Both observations suggested that choroid melanosomes have a higher content of carboxylate-containing monomer than iris melanosomes. IR spectrometric analysis showed a red shift (∼8 cm−1) of the absorption peak of aromatic C=C, C=N and C=O at ∼1630 cm−1 in the IR spectrum of iris melanosomes relative to choroid melanosomes. Increased conjugation in the molecular structure of the pigment is proposed to contribute to this peak shift. It is also notable that although the elemental analysis showed different C, N and O contents in the two types of melanosomes, XPS showed almost the same elemental compositions on the surface of two types of iris and choroid melanosomes studied. When the melanosomes from the same tissues at different ages were compared, ICP-MS analysis suggested that the number of carboxylate groups in the melanosomes decreased with age. Both elemental analysis and XPS showed that C:N ratio decreased with age, which was proposed to be due to both a decrease in carboxylate groups in mature samples and to the fissure of phenol rings caused by age-associated oxidation. Such age-related oxidative damage diminishes conjugation and is manifested by blue shifts of absorption peaks for aromatic double bonds in the IR spectra of mature melanosomes. XPS analysis showed that the ratio of C–O:C=O decreased with age. These tissue-related and age-related chemical differences between samples affected the optic density and metal binding properties of melanosomes, which are believed to be closely associated with the biological functions of melanins.
Hox and ParaHox Genes in Flatworms: Characterization and Expression1

Abstract Flatworms (phylum Platyhelminthes) are favourite organisms in Developmental Biology and Zoology because of their extraordinary powers of regeneration and because they may hold a pivotal place in the origin and evolution of the Bilateria. Hox genes play key roles in both processes: setting up the new anteroposterior pattern in the former, and as qualitative markers of phylogenetic affinities among bilaterian phyla in the latter. We have searched for Hox and ParaHox genes in several flatworm groups spanning from freshwater triclads to marine polyclads and, more recently, in the acoels, the likely earliest extant bilaterian. We have isolated and sequenced eight Hox genes from the freshwater triclad Girardia tigrina and three Hox and two ParaHox genes from the polyclad Discocelis tigrina. Data from the acoels Paratomella rubra and Convoluta roscoffensis is also reported. Flatworm Hox sequences and 18S rDNA sequence data support clear affinities of Platyhelminthes to spiralian lophotrochozoans. The basal position of acoel flatworms supported from recent 18S rDNA data, remains still uncertain. Expression of Hox genes in intact and regenerating adult organisms show nested patterns with graded anterior expression boundaries, or ubiquitous expression. New approaches to study the function of Hox genes in flatworms, such as RNA interference are briefly discussed.
Primary succession on lava domes on Terceira (Azores)

Abstract Questions: Are the vegetation attributes significantly different among lava domes and among geomorphologic units as a result of age and soil features? Are the successional rates equal in all the geomorphologic units of the domes? Are the colonizer species of lava domes totally replaced by other species in the late successional stages? Location: Terceira Island, Azores (Portugal). Methods: Three comparable domes of 240, 370 and 2080 yr old were selected. Data on floristic composition, vegetation bioarea (area occupied by plant species in transects), structure, demography and soil nutrients were collected. Quantitative and qualitative changes along the succession gradient were also analyzed. Results: Vegetation attributes were consistent with the successional stage of each dome in the primary sere; however, the geomorphologic units did not follow the same pattern. The influence of the rates of plant colonization and soil formation are responsible for the decrease of the successional rates from footslopes, to summits, to slopes. The vegetation successionally changes from Juniperus scrub, to Juniperus wood and forest, and there is little species replacement since the similarity in species composition is high between the 3 domes. Conclusions: This is a special type of direct succession that takes place mainly through an increase in biomass and structural complexity. We observed small wooded areas in the fissures of very young domes that are samples of later successional forests – a phenomenon that we call ‘zoom effect’. Nomenclature: Hansen & Sunding (1993); Schäfer (2002). Abbreviations: TIR = Terceira Três Irmãs; TLD = Terceira Lomba do Dias; TMN = Terceira Mistérios Negros.
Complex Event Processing as a Service in Multi-Cloud Environments

The rise of mobile technologies and the Internet of Things, combined with advances in Web technologies, have created a new Big Data world in which the volume and velocity of data generation have achieved an unprecedented scale. As a technology created to process continuous streams of data, Complex Event Processing (CEP) has been often related to Big Data and used as a tool to obtain real-time insights. However, despite this recent surge of interest, the CEP market is still dominated by solutions that are costly and inflexible or too low-level and hard to operate. To address these problems, this research proposes the creation of a CEP system that can be o↵ered as a service and used over the Internet. Such a CEP as a Service (CEPaaS) system would give its users CEP functionalities associated with the advantages of the services model, such as no up-front investment and low maintenance cost. Nevertheless, creating such a service involves challenges that are not addressed by current CEP systems. This research proposes solutions for three open problems that exist in this context. First, to address the problem of understanding and reusing existing CEP management procedures, this research introduces the Attributed Graph Rewriting for Complex Event Processing Management (AGeCEP) formalism as a technologyand language-agnostic representation of queries and their reconfigurations. Second, to address the problem of evaluating CEP query management and processing strategies, this research introduces CEPSim, a simulator of cloud-based CEP systems. Finally, this research also introduces a CEPaaS system based on a multi-cloud architecture, container management systems, and an AGeCEP-based multi-tenant design. To demonstrate its feasibility, AGeCEP was used to design an autonomic manager and a selected set of self-management policies. Moreover, CEPSim was thoroughly evaluated by experiments that showed it can simulate existing systems with accuracy and low execution overhead. Finally, additional experiments validated the CEPaaS system and demonstrated it achieves the goal of o↵ering CEP functionalities as a scalable and fault-tolerant service. In tandem, these results confirm this research significantly advances the CEP state of the art and provides novel tools and methodologies that can be applied to CEP research.
Work Domain Analysis for Distributed Information Spaces

In complex socio-technical systems such as military Command and Control (C2), many individuals must work with distributed and dynamic information from diverse sources. C2 systems now in use have evolved from times when information available to command was less extensive and less dynamic. The resulting information systems are not as efficient or effective as they need to be for our contemporary, information-rich environments. Typically, they are overmanned, with an unsystematic distribution of functionality and poor (even nonexistent) representations of global situation status, high level purposes and interactive dependencies between distinct functions. Cognitive Work Analysis is a formative analytic method that supports a revolutionary approach to design of complex systems. In this paper I discuss the approach of Cognitive Work Analysis and detail the use of one of its tools, Work Domain Analysis, in the design of an Ecological Interface for the USAF work domain of Special Assignment Airlift Mission planning.
MICROSATELLITE MEASURES OF INBREEDING: A META-ANALYSIS

Meta-analyses of published and unpublished correlations between phenotypic variation and two measures of genetic variation at microsatellite loci, multilocus heterozygosity (MLH) and mean d2, revealed that the strength of these associations are generally weak (mean r , 0.10). Effects on life-history trait variation were significantly greater than zero for both measures over all reported effect sizes (r 5 0.0856 and 0.0479 for MLH and mean d2, respectively), whereas effects on morphometric traits were not (r 5 0.0052 and r 5 0.0038), which is consistent with the prediction that life-history traits exhibit greater inbreeding depression than morphometric traits. Effect sizes reported using mean d2 were smaller and more variable than those reported using MLH, suggesting that MLH may be a better metric for capturing inbreeding depression most of the time. However, analyses of paired effect sizes reported using both measures from the same data did not differ significantly. Several lines of evidence suggest that published effects sizes are upwardly biased. First, effect sizes from published studies were significantly higher than those reported in unpublished studies. Second, fail-safe numbers for reported effect sizes were generally quite low, with the exception of correlations between MLH and life-history traits. Finally, the slope of the regression of effect size on sample size was negative for most sets of traits. Taken together, these results suggest that studies designed to detect inbreeding depression on a life-history trait using microsatellites will need to sample in excess of 600 individuals to detect an average effect size (r 5 0.10) with reasonable statistical power (0.80). Very few published studies have used samples sizes approaching this value.
Improved Moving Object Detection Method Based on ViBe Algorithm

An improved method of moving objects detection is proposed,which is based on the Vi Be algorithm. The improved algorithm uses background model initialization of twenty images and classifys the foreground and background pixels by comparing the SILTP characteristic values. Also,the model updating mechanism of the improved algorithm is the method of replacing the abnormal values. Under different conditions,the results of experiments show that the improved algorithm has stronger robustness to illumination changes,the emergence of ghost and noise than Vi Be algorithm.
Connecting learning analytics with learning research: the role of design-based research

ABSTRACT This paper argues that learning analytics (LA) can make contributions to learning research, in addition to aiming for improvements in learning and teaching practices in a solely applied sense. Indeed, there is potential for transforming learning research if certain approaches developed in LA were used more extensively to study learning. The potential to advance learning research is explored along four dimensions: (1) data quantity, (2) longitudinal data, (3) data from multiple levels, and (4) data from multiple locations. This is followed by a description of how design-based research as practised in the learning sciences can serve as a bridge to LA, and how it would transform LA into a methodology that is also useful for advancing theories and models of learning.
GENETICALLY BASED PHENOTYPE-ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION FOR SWIMMING BEHAVIOR IN LAKE WHITEFISH ECOTYPES (COREGONUS CLUPEAFORMIS MITCHILL)

Studies of phenotype-environment associations in adaptive radiation have focused largely on morphological traits related to resource-based phenotypic differences. The genetic basis of adaptive behaviors implicated in population divergence remains poorly understood, as few studies have tested the hypothesis of behavioral phenotype-environment associations. We provide evidence of a phenotype-environment association for differential adaptive swimming behaviors through experiments conducted on dwarf, normal, and hybrid lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis). Highly significant differences were observed for depth selection, directional changes, and burst swimming, implicating a genetic basis for these behaviors. Hybrid crosses revealed that depth selection is under additive genetic control, while dominance effects were suggested for directional changes and burst swimming. Estimates for the genetic basis of behavioral differentiation from an animal model were consistent with these observations. Comparative estimates of behavioral differentiation (QST) against neutral expectations (FST) revealed pronounced departures from neutral expectations in all three behavioral phenotypes, consistent with the hypothesis that directional selection has driven the divergence of behavior in dwarf and normal lake whitefish ecotypes.