Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic characterization of Austropotamobius pallipes ( Lereboullet , 1858 ) complex in Friuli Venezia Giulia for restocking purposes

The white-clawed crayfish A. pallipes has suffered in recent decades a strong decline throughout its entire distributional range, mainly due to the growing number of threats coming from anthropic influence, including habitat loss and degradation, overfishing, infectious diseases, and the introduction of non-indigenous crayfish species (NICS). The species is included in the red list of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) as a species at risk of extinction. An important goal in conservation biology is to assess the genetic variability and thus the “genetic health” of populations and to identify any evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) within endangered species, before management decisions are taken. Within RARITY (http://www.life-rarity.eu), a LIFE project for the eradication of the invasive Louisiana red swamp (Procambarus clarkii) and for the preservation of the native white-clawed crayfish in Friuli Venezia Giulia (NE Italy), I was responsible for the genetic characterization of A. pallipes complex in this area, in order to define the taxonomic status, the genetic variability and the population structure and differentition. The analysis of two mitochondrial genes (COI and 16 rDNA) of about 500 individuals from 58 monitored sites showed that the FVG crayfish belong to the A. italicus species, with two different subspecies present: A.i. carsicus and A.i.meridionalis. The analysis at six polimorphic microsatellite loci revealed generally low levels of within population genetic diversity (0,0 <Ho< 0,5) with overall high inbreeding coefficients (average F=0,422), likely as a result of genetic drift in small sized populations. FVG populations appeared significantly differentiated among the different river drainages and were highly structured within rivers displaying a significant pattern of isolation by distance, suggesting significant habitat fragmentation of steam ecosystems. The combination of mithocondrial and microatellite markers allowed us to identify two ESUs , corresponding to the two subspecies in northern and southern FVG (Rosandra stream). Our data also support the maintenance of separate of separate demographic management strategies for crayfish inhabiting different drainage systems. This study provided new knowledge on whiteclawed crayfish populations to create “genetic maps” that can be used as valuable data for restocking practices and conservation programs in FVG.
Domain Specific Corpora from the Web 1

Language usage is dependent on domain and, as a consequence, domain specific corpora are extremely useful for language learning and lexicography. It is possible to label heterogeneous data for domain either manually or automatically using human knowledge or machine learning. State-of-the-art text classification uses supervised techniques whereby a system learns from previously annotated data. This works well when such data is available in sufficient quantities for supervised machine learning, though often that is not the case depending on the domain and language required. Moreover, this approach assumes that the heterogeneous data in the available corpus covers the required domains. In this paper we present the results of an approach using WebBootCat to retrieve data from the web in eight specific domains. A key component of this work was the use of the DANTE database for generating seed words for initial web data retrieval. To tailor the corpus to the nuances of the domain categorisation that we required, we used some of our own corpus data already annotated with subject codes (domain codes) to help refine the seed words used at the start of the iterative web retrieval process. Human effort was needed to refine a whitelist of words for each domain to reduce the chance of irrelevant data due to ambiguous terms in the seeds and extracted keywords used for subsequent retrieval. The domain corpora retrieved are loaded in the Sketch Engine. The word sketches and sketch difference functionality help reveal appropriate domain specific behaviour of words in the respective corpora.
Deep Context Networks for Image Annotation

Context plays an important role in visual pattern recognition as it provides complementary clues for different learning tasks including image classification and annotation. In the particular scenario of kernel learning, the general recipe of context-based kernel design consists in learning positive semi-definite similarity functions that return high values not only when data share similar content but also similar context. However, in spite of having a positive impact on performance, the use of context in these kernel design methods has not been fully explored; indeed, context has been handcrafted instead of being learned. In this paper, we introduce a novel context-aware kernel design framework based on deep learning. Our method discriminatively learns spatial geometric context as the weights of a deep network (DN). The architecture of this network is fully determined by the solution of an objective function that mixes content, context and regularization, while the parameters of this network determine the most relevant (discriminant) parts of the learned context. We apply this context and kernel learning framework to image classification using the challenging ImageCLEF Photo Annotation benchmark; the latter shows that our deep context learning provides highly effective kernels for image classification as corroborated through extensive experiments.
Study on the Method for Reducing AC Copper Loss of Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor

Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (IPMSM) is driven by AC current and it generates some losses due to frequency. Especially, the electric vehicle (EV) traction motor that requires a wide operating range are more likely to suffer these losses at high-speed region. One of these losses is AC copper loss. The main factors that cause AC copper loss are skin effect, proximity effect and leakage flux. In this paper, the effect of these factors on AC copper loss of IPMSM is analyzed and the method for reducing AC copper loss is proposed. To verify reliability of the analysis, 2D-FEA (2D-Finite Elements Analysis) software tool is employed.
Influence of Personality on Perception of Psychological Contract Breach

The present research aimed to investigate the influence of personality (Five-Factor Model) on Psychological Contract Breach. Using random sampling procedure, data were collected from 90 faculties of colleges of Royal University of Bhutan. Personality scales by John, Naumann, and Soto (2008) and Robinson and Morrison’s (2000) Psychological Contract Breach scale were used in this study. Correlation and regression analysis were carried out to analyze the obtained data. Results revealed that Extraversion and Neuroticism dimensions of the personality model have been found to be positively associated with the perception of breach. Employees who are by nature Agreeable and Conscientiousness are less likely to perceive breach in their psychological contract. Organization should look into the personality aspect while recruiting employees. If employees are hired with certain personality traits, they may focus on their performance and organizational growth.
Functional MRI entropy measurements of age-related brain changes

The acquisition of the fMRI data was supported by the Aberdeen Biomedical Imaging Centre. This study was supported by a SINAPSE (www.sinapse.ac.uk) studentship. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS METHODS RESULTS The health and robustness of a system can be measured in terms of the complexity of its output (Goldberger, 2002). Systems with complex output patterns are thought to be better able to respond to perturbation and damage, minimising functional loss.
Title Uncoupling protein-4 ( UCP 4 ) increases ATP supply byinteracting with mitochondrial complex II in neuroblastoma cells

Mitochondrial uncoupling protein-4 (UCP4) protects against Complex I deficiency as induced by 1-methyl-4phenylpyridinium (MPP), but how UCP4 affects mitochondrial function is unclear. Here we investigated how UCP4 affects mitochondrial bioenergetics in SH-SY5Y cells. Cells stably overexpressing UCP4 exhibited higher oxygen consumption (10.1%, p,0.01), with 20% greater proton leak than vector controls (p,0.01). Increased ATP supply was observed in UCP4overexpressing cells compared to controls (p,0.05). Although state 4 and state 3 respiration rates of UCP4-overexpressing and control cells were similar, Complex II activity in UCP4-overexpressing cells was 30% higher (p,0.05), associated with protein binding between UCP4 and Complex II, but not that of either Complex I or IV. Mitochondrial ADP consumption by succinate-induced respiration was 26% higher in UCP4-overexpressing cells, with 20% higher ADP:O ratio (p,0.05). ADP/ ATP exchange rate was not altered by UCP4 overexpression, as shown by unchanged mitochondrial ADP uptake activity. UCP4 overexpression retained normal mitochondrial morphology in situ, with similar mitochondrial membrane potential compared to controls. Our findings elucidate how UCP4 overexpression increases ATP synthesis by specifically interacting with Complex II. This highlights a unique role of UCP4 as a potential regulatory target to modulate mitochondrial Complex II and ATP output in preserving existing neurons against energy crisis. Citation: Ho PW-L, Ho JW-M, Tse H-M, So DH-F, Yiu DC-W, et al. (2012) Uncoupling Protein-4 (UCP4) Increases ATP Supply by Interacting with Mitochondrial Complex II in Neuroblastoma Cells. PLoS ONE 7(2): e32810. doi:10.1371/journal.pone. 0032810 Editor: Sookja Chung, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Received October 26, 2011; Accepted February 3, 2012; Published February 29, 2012 Copyright: 2012 Ho et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: This project is financially supported by the Henry G Leong Professorship in Neurology (SLH); the Donation Fund for Neurology Research (SLH); Seed Funding for Basic Research,University of Hong Kong (CRCG, HKU 200901159008; PWL Ho). PWL Ho is supported by a Research Assistant Professorship, JWM Ho and HF Liu are supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the University of Hong Kong. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: hwl2002@hku.hk
Adverbial stance marking in the introduction and conclusion sections of legal research articles

Although scientific research articles have traditionally been taken as examples of an objective style of writing that aims to minimise researchers’ voices in their texts (Gilbert and Mulkay, 1984:42), authors inevitably adopt stances towards the information presented and the target audience when writing their papers. This article explores authorial stance as expressed by adverbial markers in the introduction and conclusion sections of legal research papers. Following Biber et al. (1999), and Conrad and Biber (1999), our aim is to identify the most frequent adverbial markers of stance present in each section as indicators of (i) epistemicity, (ii) attitude, and (iii) style. We will try to show whether or not there are functional differences in the use of adverbial stance markers, and whether or not these are derived from the different communicative purposes of these sections .
Spatial Calibration for Thermal-RGB Cameras and Inertial Sensor System

The light-weight thermal-RGB-inertial sensing units are now gaining increasing research attention, due to their heterogeneous and complementary properties. A robust and accurate registration between a thermal-RGB camera and an inertial sensor is a necessity for effective thermal-RGB-inertial fusion, which is an indispensable procedure for reliable tracking and mapping tasks. This paper presents an accurate calibration method to geometrically correlate the spatial relationships between an RGB camera, a thermal camera and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The calibration proceeds within the unified calibration framework (thermal-to-RGB, RGB-to-IMU). The extrinsic parameters are estimated by jointly optimizing both the chessboard corner reprojection errors and acceleration and angular velocity error terms. Extensive evaluations have been performed on the collected thermal-RGB-inertial measurements. In this experiments study, the average RMS translation and Euler angle errors are less than 6 mm and 0.04 rad respectively under 20% artificial noise.
Kernel Dual Linear Regression for Face Image Set Classification

DLRC is an extension of LRC that extends LRC from conventional still image based method to the image set based method. DLRC has a demonstrated better performance on image set classification. However, when the image sets of different objects are not linear separable, or when the linear regression axes of class-specific samples of different classes have an intersection, DLRC may be failed for well classifying the image sets. In this paper, a new classification method, kernel dual linear regression classification (KDLRC), is proposed. KDLRC is a nonlinear version of DLRC and can overcome the drawback of DLRC. KDLRC first embeds the input data into a high-dimensional Hilbert space, then in the kernel space, the data become easier to classify. Extensive experiments on four well-known databases prove that the performance of KDLRC is better than that of DLRC and several state-of-the-art classifiers.
Approaches taken by South African advertisers to select and appoint advertising agencies

Pitch and industry guidelines play an important role in awarding advertising agency contracts, but agencies must take into account that not all advertisers will adhere to these guidelines. The exploratory research study on which this article reports provides insight into the appointment process and selection criteria applied during the appointment of advertising agencies. This article examines the views of 116 senior marketing executives in South Africa to determine typical decision processes followed when advertising agencies are appointed. Consideration is also given to the structural arrangements in place, the composition and size of buying centres, switching barriers that make it more diffi cult or costly for advertisers to change agencies and selection criteria used to appoint advertising agencies. Data were obtained by means of structured questionnaires administered via a web-based survey. The fi ndings provide advertisers with insights into procurement decisions and selection criteria and can also provide valuable insight to agencies with regard to buying decision approaches taken by advertisers. Insight into the size and composition of buying centres adds to agencies’ understanding of who to target during customer relationship-building initiatives. From an academic perspective, this research off ers a better understanding of the organisational buying process and the importance of selection criteria within the South African context.
The method to evaluate the body balance disturbation tolerance skills – validation procedure of the “Rotational Test”

Background Body balance disturbation tolerance skills (BBDTS) can be defined as the ability to maintain the vertical posture in the circumstances of the fall hazard. The aim of this study is appropriateness and reliability of ‘Rotational Test’ (RT) as BBDTS measurement tool. Material & Methods: RT consists of six tasks (consecutive jumps with body rotation of 360° alternately to the right and to the left). The overall result is the sum of the six tasks and includes 0 to 18 stipulated points. Criterion-oriented validity (concurrent validity and predictive validity); content validity; construct validity have been assumed to be the main criteria of appropriateness. Reliability of the RT is based on the ‘test-retest’ formula. Following all phases of the validation process we have examined 1398 people aged from 6 to 60 years. Results: RT individual results consisted of 0 to 18 points, however in homogeneous groups the average RT result varied from 0.33 to 11.06 points. RT satisfies methodological criteria of appropriateness and reliability of a tool which indirectly indicates the quality of the body mechanisms responsible for balance and postural control. Reliability of the RT has been determined as high (‘test-retest’ correlation varies from 0.828 to 0.848). Conclusions: RT is sensitive to the factors modifying BBDTS – especially adaptive changes related to a long-term training as well as the influence of the current state of the body and/or a sudden change in the conditions of motor action. Thus, RT can be widely used in rehabilitation, health-related training, motor control (sport, physical education, etc.), the selection process in the army, police, emergency services, etc.
Water Temperature and Chytridiomycosis in Rana muscosa Larvae

The fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, also known as chytrid fungus, has been implicated in amphibian declines worldwide. Chytridiomycosis is a water-borne disease that interferes with osmoregulation in amphibian skin, and has the ability to rapidly wipe out populations. Laboratory studies have shown that exposing adult frogs to elevated temperatures can reduce or even eliminate their infection. My field study tests whether elevated temperatures can alter infection rates in frog larvae, which can be a vital reservoir for the pathogen. Seventy-two tadpoles were removed from alpine lakes and placed in small pools with a density of twelve tadpoles per pool. Half of the pools were left exposed to sunlight to allow the water to receive solar heating during the day, and the other half shaded to attempt to simulate temperature fluctuations similar to a lake. An eight-degree difference in peak temperatures was achieved between the two groups and a 3.5-degree difference in the averages, however no significant change in infection level was found after two weeks of treatment. These results suggest that higher or more sustained temperature increases are required to reduce infection in tadpoles.
In situ optical measurements of Chang'E‐3 landing site in Mare Imbrium: 1. Mineral abundances inferred from spectral reflectance

The visible and near‐infrared imaging spectrometer on board the Yutu Rover of Chinese Chang'E‐3 mission measured the lunar surface reflectance at a close distance (~1 m) and collected four spectra at four different sites. These in situ lunar spectra have revealed less mature features than that measured remotely by spaceborne sensors such as the Moon Mineralogy Mapper instrument on board the Chandrayaan‐1 mission and the Spectral Profiler on board the Kaguya over the same region. Mineral composition analysis using a spectral lookup table populated with a radiative transfer mixing model has shown that the regolith at the landing site contains high abundance of olivine. The mineral abundance results are consistent with that inferred from the compound measurement made by the on board alpha‐particle X‐ray spectrometer.
Adiabatic renormalization of the stress-energy tensor for spin-1/2 fields.

We review the adiabatic renormalization method for spin-1/2 fields in FLRW spacetimes, emphasizing its similarities and differences with the scalar case. With it, we obtain a generic expression for the renormalized expectation value of the stress-energy tensor and analyze its properties. We particularize this result to de Sitter and radiation-dominated universes, recovering in the second case the equations of cold matter for late times.
Visual Tracking by Combining the Structure-Aware Network and Spatial-Temporal Regression

In this paper, we propose a novel visual tracking algorithm by combining the structure-aware network (SA-Net) and spatial-temporal regression model. We first use SA-Net to obtain the initial location proposal, and the deep features are extracted using a fine-tuned convolutional neural network model. Finally, both the location proposal and deep features, including historical information, are input into the long short-term memory (LSTM) for end-to-end spatial temporal regression to adjust the initial location proposal from SA-Net. The experimental results on the challenging OTB dataset demonstrate that the proposed scheme is robust to missing tracking caused by occlusion or object deformation. Additionally, the compared experiments show that the proposed scheme is more competitive than state-of-the-art algorithms.
Isolated bangla handwritten character & digit recognition using convolutional neural network

This paper proposes a mechanism of Handwritten Letter and Digit Recognition (HLDR) to decipher images of Bangla handwritten characters into electronically editable format, which holds an important role in augmenting and digitalizing many analog application, which will not only paves the way to further research but also have many practical applications in current times.The mechanisms of HLDR has been studied broadly in the last half century, moreover, the rapid growth of computational power and main memory breaks the barrier and gives the opportunity for the implementation of more efficient and complex HLDR methodologies, which creates an increasing demand on many forthcoming application domains. In the field of pattern recognition one of the most productive way of achieving higher accuracy or lower error rate is to adopt an architecture that is deep, optimized and can process a large number of data. Therefore, this paper propose that using deeper residual network [1](ResNet) architecture and recently released Bangla-lekha dataset [2], we can achieve a result which is higher than any research that has been done before.
Personality Stability and Change

• Define heterotypic stability, homotypic stability, absolute stability, and differential stability. • Describe evidence concerning the absolute and differential stability of personality attributes across the lifespan. • Explain the maturity, cumulative continuity, and corresponsive principles of personality development. • Explain person-environment transactions, and distinguish between active, reactive, and evocative person-environment transactions. • Identify the four processes that promote personality stability (attraction, selection, manipulation, and attrition). Provide examples of these processes. • Describe the mechanisms behind the possibility of personality transformation.
L’intérêt pour l’‘activité’ en sciences de l’éducation. Vers une épistémologie fédératrice ? (Note de Synthèse)

Depuis une dizaine d’annees, les travaux centres sur la notion d’activite se sont multiplies. Cette contribution propose de faire un bilan des orientations principales qui les structurent en sciences de l’education. Au-dela de leur description, l’analyse de leurs convergences permet de degager des pistes federatrices potentiellement utiles pour une pluridiscipline qui, comme d’autres (economie, gestion et management, information et communication, sante, sports, travail social) porte sur une grande diversite de champs de pratiques.