Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reduced detection of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in an inner harbour channel during pile driving activities

There is limited information on the impacts of anthropogenic noise on dolphin behaviour, making assessment and mitigation of impacts from anthropogenic noises difficult. As the use of echolocation and other vocalizations are of vital importance for cetaceans, it is important to better understand the potential impact of anthropogenic acoustic disturbance. The small Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) community that inhabits the Fremantle Inner Harbour regularly travels through an area where impact and vibratory pile driving occurred during wharf upgrading. The overall aim of this study was to measure the noise energy created by pile driving associated with wharf construction activities in the Fremantle Inner Harbour and to determine whether the reduced detection of dolphins within the vicinity of the wharf was associated with pile driving activities. Measuring noise was accomplished with noise loggers and a hand-held digital acoustic recorder, under water, allowing identification of signals produced by impact and vibratory pile drivers and calculating the energy of recorded noise. Dolphin detections in the Inner Harbour were conducted by examination of high-definition video recordings. The association of pile driving and dolphin detections was assessed using Generalized Estimating Equations (GEEs), using observations before and during pile driving. The final model indicated that there was a difference in detections between the two treatments, with more dolphin detections observed when there was no pile driving activity taking place (mean = 0.26 +/- 0.03 SE) than during pile driving (mean = 0.18 +/- 0.04 SE). Knowledge generated by this study on the impact of noise on bottlenose dolphins improves the scientific basis for managing
In vitro isolation of clones from the tunisian isolate of the potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella) granulosis virus

Clones were obtained in vitro, as a first record, fi-om the Tunisian isolate of the potato tuber moth granulosïs virus (PTM GV). Using three successive slections with plaque agarose overlay, 12 clones were established. Among them, five were selected for their better in vitro multiplication after being tested with a specific DNA probe and amplified both in vitro and in vivo. Restriction endonuclease analysis of the DNA extract demonstrated minor genotype differences between the clones, indicating the genetic heterogeneity of the viral population of the Tunisian isolate of PTMGV.
Effect of Body Size and Condition Factor onWhole Body Composition of Hybrid (Catlacatla ♂x Labeo rohita ♀) from Pakistan

In the present study, 49 Hybrid (Catla catla ♂ x Labeo rohita ♀) were sampled from Al-Raheem Fish Hatchery, Village Ali Pure Shamali, Jhang Road, 18 Km from Muzaffar Garh using a cast net and Live fishes were transported to research laboratory. Mean percentage for water found 79.13 %, ash 6.58 %, fat 2.22 % and protein content 12.06 % in whole wet body weight. It was observed that body constituents were found increasing in the same proportion with an increase in body weight while significant proportional increase was observed with total length. However, condition factor remained insignificant (P>0.05) with body constituents. Keywords—Hybrid fish, Body composition, Condition factor, Predictive equations
A Robust Algorithm for Predicting Attacks Using Collaborative Security Logs

As networks become ubiquitous in our daily lives, users rely more on networks for exchanging data and communication. However, numerous new and sophisticated attacks that endanger security of users have been reported. In practice, blacklisting illicit sources has been a fundamental defense strategy in recent years. In this paper, we propose a predictor that is based on the observations from a centralized log-sharing infrastructure. Our observations include the direct relation between attackers and victims, victim similarities, and attacker correlations. We compile a customized blacklist for each Dshield.org contributor using a weighted function of direct and indirect relations between victims and attackers. This list not only offers a significantly higher prediction ratio, but also includes source addresses with potentially higher threats. We evaluate our predictor using two months of malicious activities acquired from Dshield.org. The experimental results demonstrate a significant improvement over previous algorithms.
M3 receptor knockout mice: Muscarinic receptor function in atria, stomach fundus, urinary bladder and trachea in vitro

Negative chronotropic and smooth muscle contractile responses to the nonselective muscarinic agonist carbamylcholine were compared in isolated tissues from M3 muscarinic receptor knockout and wild-type mice. Carbamylcholine (10-3.0x10M) induced a concentration-dependent decrease in atrial rate that was similar in atria from M3 receptor knockout and wild-type mice, indicating that M3 receptors were not involved in muscarinic receptor-mediated atrial rate decreases. In contrast, the M3 receptor was a major muscarinic receptor involved in smooth muscle contraction of stomach fundus, urinary bladder and trachea, although differences existed in the extent of M3 receptor involvement among the tissues. Contraction to carbamylcholine was virtually abolished in urinary bladder from M3 receptor knockout mice suggesting that contraction was predominantly due to M3 receptor activation. However, approximately 50-60% maximal contraction to carbamylcholine occurred in stomach fundus and trachea from M3 receptor knockout mice, indicating that contraction in these tissues was also due to M2 receptor activation. High concentrations of carbamylcholine relaxed the stomach fundus from M3 receptor knockout mice by M1 receptor activation. Thus, M3 receptor knockout mice provided unambiguous evidence that M3 receptors 1) play no role in carbamylcholineinduced atrial rate reduction, 2) are the predominant receptor mediating carbamylcholineinduced urinary bladder contractility and 3) share contractile responsibility with M2 receptors in mouse stomach fundus and trachea.
Almond Consumption and Dietary Compensation in Overweight and Obese Adults

Epidemiological studies have suggested a link between nut consumption and weight. The possible effects of regular nut consumption as a method of weight loss has shown minimal results with 2-3 servings of nut products per day. This 8 week study sought to investigate the effect of more modest nut consumption (1 oz./day, 5 days/week) on dietary compensation in healthy overweight individuals. Overweight and obese participants (n = 28) were recruited from the local community and were randomly assigned to either almond (NUT) or control (CON) group in this randomized, parallel-arm study. Subjects were instructed to eat their respective foods 30 minutes before the dinner meal. 24 hour diet recalls were completed pre-trial and at study weeks 1, 4 and 8. Selfreported satiety data were completed at study weeks 1, 4, and 8. Attrition was unexpectedly high, with 13 participants completing 24 dietary recall data through study week 8. High attrition limited statistical analyses. Results suggested a lack of effect for time or interaction for satiety data (within groups p = 0.997, between groups p = 0.367). Homogeneity of of inter-correlations could not be tested for 24-hour recall data as there were fewer than 2 nonsingular cell covariance matrices. In conclusion, this study was unable to prove or disprove the effectiveness of almonds to induce dietary compensation.
Role of cross-linking process on the performance of PMMA

There is no doubt that, poly (methyl-methacrylate) (PMMA) is commercially used synthetic resin that produced via polymerization of its starting methyl-methacrylate monomer. It is a multipurpose amorphous thermoplastic polymer that is widely used in opticelectronic instruments like: surface boosted Raman scattering substrates,1 lightweight window,2 solar cells,3 light-emitting diode4 and battery5 because of its significant characteristics such as: its exceptional optical transparency, low-priced, mechanical properties, chemical resistance, and tremendous electrical.6 Also, PMMA is used commonly in electronic, surgical and dental supplies, as it is characterized by its resistance to several inorganic reagents, acidic and alkaline solutions, non-polar solvents, and aliphatic hydrocarbons.7,8 Unfortunately, the hydrophobic nature and lack of triggered organic groups on PMMA, its low mechanical dynamical properties under high temperature circumstances and thermal steadiness considered as drawbacks of PMMA that restricted its applications. There is an important well known method used to improve the properties of PMMA radically such as: its influence in the chemical, thermal, physical, morphological, and mechanical behavior of a polymer, which made it used potentially in different fields such as electronic applications,9 humidity sensors10 batteries.11 This method is called Cross-linking in which it tends to polymer modification by the process of interlinking the polymer chains through ionic or covalent bonds, in which it confines the polymer chains to slide past each other by impeding their free movement and produces elasticity in amorphous polymers at the same time, and this process can be carried out by using (i) chemical cross-linking or (ii) physical procedures.
Relative roles of local disturbance, current climate and paleoclimate in determining phylogenetic and functional diversity in Chinese forests

The main processes underlying the generation and maintenance of biodiversity include both local factors such as competition and abiotic filtering and regional forces such as paleoclimate, speciation and dispersal. While the effects of regional and local drivers on species diversity are increasingly studied, their relative importance for other aspects of diversity, notably phylogenetic and functional diversity is so far little studied. Here, we link data from large Chinese forest plots to data on current and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) climate as well as local disturbance regimes to study their relative roles in determining woody plant phylogenetic and functional diversity in this important hotspot for woody plant diversity. Local disturbance was the best predictor of functional diversity as represented by maximum canopy height ( H max ), probably reflecting the dominant role of competition for light in determining the forest H max structure. In contrast, the LGM–present anomaly in temperature was the factor with the strongest explanatory power for phylogenetic diversity, with modern climate also important. Hence, local contemporary and regional historical factors have highly contrasting importance for the geographic patterns of the functional (as represented by variation in maximum canopy height) and phylogenetic aspects of Chinese forest's woody plant diversity. Importantly, contemporary factors are of overriding importance for functional diversity, while paleoclimate has left a strong signature in the phylogenetic diversity patterns.
Measuring the Characteristics of "Expert" Listeners

Subjective listening tests of digital audio codecs rely on a panel of expert listeners. Experience has shown that members of the listening panel vary in their sensitivities to the various types of coding artifacts. The paper describes the development of psychoacoustic techniques designed to characterize these listeners in order to predict their sensitivities to audio reproduction defects. Results of subjective tests show that expert listeners typically have enhanced sensitivity to one or more particular classes of coding artifact. The new perception based digital audio codecs, which will become readily available in the next few years, rely on psychoacoustic models of the listener in order to compress and encode the audio signal. These new codecs introduce unique types of distortions and artifacts quite unlike those found in traditional PCM codecs. While most of these distortions and artifacts are likely to be undetectable to the “average” listener, some listeners with superior sensitivities may find them to be clearly audible. In addition, little is known about how individuals vary in their sensitivities and therefore, to meet the expectations of the people who will invest in this new technology, it is necessary to improve our understanding of auditory models of the human listener. Lossy compression techniques used in perceptual coders such as MUSICAM or Dolby’s AC-3 operate on the principle of modifying a signal by reducing the number of bits needed to encode it. This modification is equivalent to adding quantization noise to the signal. However, unlike traditional PCM coding, this quantization noise can manifest itself in many ways, depending on the bit rate, the signal and the coder. The coder may alter the sound of the signal directly by introducing timbral changes to the instruments, rolling off the high frequency content of the signal, or smearing the attacks of some musical instruments (referred to as pre-echo). Alternatively, the coder may add extraneous noises such as beeps, pops, squeaks and static to the signal. Using a psychoacoustic model, the codec attempts to reduce the audibility of these coding artifacts, as far as possible, by placing them at times and frequencies where they are masked by the signal and are thus least noticeable. Though progress has been made in developing psychoacoustic models of the listener, one must still ultimately rely upon real listeners to evaluate and rate the quality of a codec.
Terms of use : Click here Beyond Presidentialism and Parliamentarism

British Journal of Political Science / FirstView Article / November 2013, pp 1 30 DOI: 10.1017/S000712341300032X, Published online: 14 November 2013 Link to this article: http://journals.cambridge. org/abstract_S000712341300032X How to cite this article: José Antonio Cheibub, Zachary Elkins and Tom Ginsburg Beyond Presidentialism and Parliamentarism. British Journal of Political Science, Available on CJO 2013 doi:10.1017/ S000712341300032X Request Permissions : Click here
Seamless reconstruction of part-based high-relief models from hand-drawn images

We present a new approach to reconstruction of high-relief surface models from hand-made drawings. Our method is tailored to an interactive modeling scenario where the input drawing can be separated into a set of semantically meaningful parts of which relative depth order is known beforehand. For this kind of input, our technique allows inflating individual components to have a semi-elliptical profile, positioning them to satisfy prescribed depth order, and providing their seamless interconnection. Compared to previous methods, our approach is the first that formulates this reconstruction process as a single non-linear optimization problem. Because its direct optimization is computationally challenging, we propose an approximate solution which delivers comparable results orders of magnitude faster enabling an interactive user workflow. We evaluate our approach on various hand-made drawings and demonstrate that it provides state-of-the-art quality in comparison with previous methods which require comparable user intervention.
A dynamic modelling framework for control-based computing system design

This manuscript proposes a novel viewpoint on computing systems’ modelling. The classical approach is to consider fully functional systems and model them, aiming at closing some external loops to optimize their behaviour. On the contrary, we only model strictly physical phenomena, and realize the rest of the system as a set of controllers. Such an approach permits rigorous assessment of the obtained behaviour in mathematical terms, which is hardly possible with the heuristic design techniques, that were mainly adopted to date. The proposed approach is shown at work with three relevant case studies, so that a significant generality can be inferred from it.
REASONING, ATTENTION AND MEMORY BASED MACHINE LEARNING MODELS

The main aim of the project is to explore and analyse the Reasoning, Attention and Memory (RAM) based models in machine learning with applications in the domain of sequence to sequence learning and question answering. We also present some ideas for a model based on RAM for learning the optimal policy of taking actions in a game.
Polarization Mode Dispersion Effects on the Multimode Graded-Index Optical Fibers

Light consists of coupled electric and magnetic fields which are spatially and temporally varying periodically. Perpendicular to the direction of propagation, the vectors of electric field can be projected on an orthogonal basis to a horizontal and vertical component. In isotropic media, both components propagate at the same speed and the original polarization of the light is conserved. However, in anisotropic media (physical properties depend on the spatial direction) this is not the case and the two polarization components can travel with different speed causing time delay between the two directions of polarization and thus the dispersion [1, 2].
Mechanism Design of Haptic Devices

Haptic interfaces are divided into two main categories: force feedback and tactile. Force feedback interfaces are used to explore and modify remote/virtual objects in three physical dimensions in applications including computer-aided design, computer-assisted surgery, and computer-aided assembly. Tactile interfaces deal with surface properties such as roughness, smoothness, and temperature. Haptic research is intrinsically multi-disciplinary, incorporating computer science/engineering, control, robotics, psychophysics, and human motor control. By extending the scope of research in haptics, advances can be achieved in existing applications such as computer-aided design (CAD), tele-surgery, rehabilitation, scientific visualization, robot-assisted surgery, authentication, and graphical user interfaces (GUI), to name a few. Advances in Haptics presents a number of recent contributions to the field of haptics. Authors from around the world present the results of their research on various issues in the field of haptics. following:
Microsoft Word - 59713014-file00.docx

Authors: Prakash C. Thakur, Jon M. Davison, Carsten Stuckenholz, Lili Lu, Nathan Bahary Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine # Corresponding Author: Nathan Bahary, M.D., Ph.D. Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Center, Hillman Cancer Pavilion 5 Floor, 5150 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, Office Phone: (412) 864-7764, Office Fax: (412) 6486579, e-mail: bahary@pitt.edu
Impact of size-dependent non-local elastic strain on the electronic band structure of embedded quantum dots

The effect of mechanical strain on the quantum confinement properties of quantum dots is appreciable and both qualitative and quantitative description of the electronic band structure of quantum dots requires proper incorporation of its effect. Although atomistic calculations such as tight binding or pseudopotential approaches are viable options, the typical and ‘standard’ practice is to employ the coarse-grained multiband envelope function method to compute the band structure of both strained and unstrained quantum dots. The typical recipe involves calculation of strain based on classical continuum elasticity and a subsequent link to the aforementioned eight-band envelope function model. The mechanical strain predicted by classical elasticity is not only size-independent but also departs qualitatively from the actual (atomistic) field owing to neglect of non-local effects that are prevalent at the nanoscale. In the present work, the authors employ the strain as calculated from a size-dependent non-local theory of elasticity (presented in work previously published by the current authors) and assess the qualitative and quantitative effects on the electronic band structure of an InAs-GaAs quantum dot system. Quantitatively, deviations of band gaps in the range of 100 meV are found when compared to classical elasticity-based estimates, while no significant qualitative differences were found. The non-local elastic effects, however, are appreciable only for very small quantum dots and certain materials (such as the InAs-GaAs system discussed in the present work).
RRUFFITE, Ca2Cu(AsO4)2·2H2O, A NEW MEMBER OF THE ROSELITE GROUP, FROM TIERRA AMARILLA, CHILE

A new mineral species, rruffite, ideally Ca 2 Cu(AsO 4 ) 2 ·2H 2 O, has been found in the oxidation zone of the Cu–As orebody in the Maria Catalina mine, Tierra Amarilla, Chile. It is a secondary mineral and occurs in granular or blocky aggregates and druses. Associated minerals include quartz, barite, mansfieldite, alumopharmacosiderite, conichalcite, metazeunerite, and barahonite-(Al). Rruffite is pale or light blue, transparent with white streak and vitreous luster. It is brittle, has a Mohs hardness of ~3 and a perfect cleavage on {010}, and is twinned on (100). The measured and calculated densities are 3.79(3) and 3.77(2) g/cm 3 , respectively. Rruffite is insoluble in water, acetone, and hydrochloric acid. Optically, it is biaxial (−), with α 1.725(1), β 1.734(1), γ 1.740(1), 2 V meas 80(2)°, Y = b , X ∧ c 49°, and it does not fluoresce under long- or short-wave ultraviolet light. The dispersion is weak, with r v . An electron-microprobe analysis yielded the empirical formula Ca 2.01 Cu 1.01 (AsO 4 ) 2.02 ·1.9H 2 O. Rruffite, isostructural with roselite, is monoclinic, with space group P 2 1 / c and unit-cell parameters a 5.8618 (2), b 12.7854 (5), c 5.7025 (2) A, β 109.425(2)°, and V 403.05(3) A 3 . Its structure is characterized by isolated CuO 4 (H 2 O) 2 octahedra that are linked by corner-sharing with AsO 4 tetrahedra to form the krohnkite-type chains parallel to the c axis. These chains are linked together by large Ca cations and hydrogen bonding. Owing to the strong Jahn–Teller effect, the M O 4 (H 2 O) 2 octahedron in rruffite is the most distorted of all known roselite-group minerals ( M = Cu, Co, Mn, Mg, and Zn) in terms of the quadratic elongation of the octahedra. The Raman spectra of rruffite resemble those of arsenate minerals of the roselite group.
Large-scale organization of the hand action observation network in individuals born without hands

The human high-level visual cortex comprises regions specialized for the processing of distinct types of stimuli, such as objects, animals, and human actions. How does this specialization emerge? Here, we investigated the role of sensorimotor experience in shaping the organization of the action observation network as a window on this question. Observed body movements are frequently coupled with corresponding motor codes, e.g. during monitoring one’s own movements and imitation, resulting in bidirectionally connected circuits between areas involved in body movements observation (e.g., of the hand) and the motor codes involved in their execution. If the organization of the action observation network is shaped by this sensorimotor coupling, then, it should not form for body movements that do not belong to individuals’ motor repertoire. To test this prediction, we used fMRI to investigate the spatial arrangement and functional properties of the hand and foot action observation circuits in individuals born without upper limbs. Multivoxel pattern decoding, pattern similarity, and univariate analyses revealed an intact hand action observation network in the individuals born without upper limbs. This suggests that the organization of the action observation network does not require effector-specific visuomotor coupling.