Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Survival of Common Goldeneye Ducklings in Interior Alaska

Abstract Duckling survival is an important component of waterfowl population dynamics, and we provide the first-known estimates of duckling survival for common goldeneyes (Bucephala clangula) at the northern limit of their range in Interior Alaska. We color-marked common goldeneye ducklings from 91 broods and radio-marked a subset of the females (n = 39) from a nest-box population in the boreal forest during the summers of 2002 and 2003. We monitored 46 broods in 2002 and 2003 combined and estimated daily survival rates (DSR) and survival to 30 days of age using program MARK. We modeled DSR in relation to year, linear trend across season, duckling age, female age, female body condition, initial brood size, and daily precipitation. Model-averaged duckling survival estimates from the mean yearly hatch date to 30 days of age were 0.64 (95% CI, 0.37–0.90) and 0.67 (95% CI, 0.54–0.80) for 2002 and 2003, respectively. Our best-approximating model indicated that survival differed by year and increased in a linear manner over the course of the 2002 season. Precipitation had a consistent negative effect on duckling survival in both years across models, whereas duckling age did not explain much of the variation in daily survival rates. In light of the decline of many populations of sea ducks, we suggest that more effort should be expended to obtain estimates of other population parameters for common goldeneyes, and monitoring programs should attempt to estimate populations more precisely to identify population-level changes in the future.
Influence of clinical features of the spine on Gait Analysis in adolescent with idiopathic scoliosis

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis is a three dimensional spinal deformity, that may lead to the development of a pathological gait pattern. Since the last three decades, Gait Analysis has been evolved, providing new dynamic data. Several studies have shown differing gait patterns in scoliotic patients, compared to healthy peers; however, a lack of consistent evidence of the effect of scoliosis on temporal spatial and kinematic parameters still remains.The present work aims at providing the features of gait pattern via three-dimensional motion analysis of level walking in patients with different AIS and exploring the relationship between gait pathology and degree of scoliotic deformity. Twelve females with idiopathic scoliosis, aged between 11 and 17, participated in the study. They were not treated previously, neither surgically, nor conservatively. They underwent objective gait analysis with an optoelectronic system (BTS SpA, Italy). Data for the following parameters were analysed: gait speed, cadence, step length, shoulder, pelvic, hip, knee and ankle range of motion. Additionally, a Global Gait Asymmetry index was calculated. Informed consent has been signed by parents or legal representatives. Before attending the gait analysis, all patients underwent a clinical examination, an X-ray, clinical tests and anthropometric measurements.The comparison of the gait variables with healthy controls revealed that shoulder, pelvis and hip range of motion were significantly different, in line with previous studies, even though no significant differences were found between the concave and convex sides in terms of range of motion. In line with previous findings, our results also indicate that single curve type presented increased angular range of motion both in the sagittal and coronal plane when compared to multiple curve type.
Modeling self-thinning of unthinned Lake States red pine stands using nonlinear simultaneous differential equations

Forest management demands thorough knowledge of ecological systems. Tree interaction dynamics are one component of these ecological systems. Developing growth models which incorporate ecological "laws" such as the self-thinning rule can lead to better understanding of the laws, to better understanding of what is still unknown, and to what is in need of refinement. To this end a system of simultaneous differential equations incorporating logical, linked hypotheses regarding growth and mortality is proposed and fit to data from red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) plantations in the Lake States (Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin). Using this modeling framework it appears that stand initiation history has a large impact on the level of the self-thinning boundary for red pine growing in the Lake States. Stands with initially high density exhibited lower self-thinning boundaries than stands with lower densities. Site quality (as measured by site index) chiefly affected the rate at which stand dynamics progress. Hig.
Low-power Accuracy-configurable Carry Look-ahead Adder Based on Voltage Overscaling Technique

In this paper, a low-power accuracy-configurable block-based Carry Look-ahead Adder (AC-CLA) is proposed. The structure employs the voltage over scaling and number of approximate blocks as the approximation knobs for improving the energy consumption as well as the reliability and lifetime of the adder. While the former may be set in the design time as well as the runtime, the latter may only be invoked in the design time. In this adder, for a given accuracy level, some of the blocks work in the approximate mode by using over-scaled voltages. The block-based structure enables applying the overscaled voltage for each block independently. The efficacy of the adder depends on the number of the approximate blocks as well as the VOS voltage levels used for these blocks. The use of lower VOS voltage levels for the blocks responsible for lower significant bits which have higher switching activities is the key for reducing the power consumption of the adder while having the error within a tolerable limit. The structure requires few level shifters making the realization overhead low. The efficiency of the AC-CLA structure is studied using a 15 nm FinFET technology. The results of the study indicate that in the approximate mode up to 57% energy saving may be achieved. In addition, for this adder, the BTI induced delay degradation of the adder over 10 years decreases by up to 7% compared to 50% in the case of the exact operating mode. Finally, the efficacy of AC-CLA adder is assessed in a neural network for the classification application.
Trophic interactions promote dominance by cyanobacteria (Anabaena spp.) in the pelagic zone of lower Karori reservoir, Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract Cyanobacterial blooms have occurred in the Lower Karori Reservoir (Wellington, New Zealand) since 2000, resulting in reduced water quality and potential health risks. This study examined the factors that contribute to the cyanobacterial blooms in the reservoir (October 2003 to July 2004). In particular, it examined how thermal stratification influences the chemical dynamics in the reservoir, and the potential cascading effect of zooplanktivorous perch (Perca fluviatilis) in promoting high phytoplankton biomass. Thermal stratification, coupled with increased water column stability occurred from October to March. Oxygen levels were reduced in the hypolimnion during stratification. Nutrient concentrations declined during stratification and became elevated after the collapse of the bloom in February 2004. Concentrations of Anabaena lemmermannii increased with the onset of thermal stratification. Zooplankton abundance peaked during stratification and consisted mainly of rotifers. The perch caught during this study were typically small‐sized individuals, which had consumed mostly large‐sized zooplankton. The development of cyanobacterial blooms in the Lower Karori Reservoir is probably owing to a combination of factors including low nitrogen concentrations that favour nitrogen‐fixing cyanobacteria and the ability of cyanobacteria to adjust their buoyancy and maintain their position in the water column during thermal stratification. Predation by perch probably maintains large zooplankton species at low densities and consequently reduces grazing pressure on phytoplankton populations.
Genetic variation in the house sparrow, Passer domesticus, in the East Midlands of England

A series of 15 samples of house sparrows taken in the East Midlands of England were screened for 14 variable and 9 invariable enzyme loci. The gene frequency data were analysed both for heterozygosity and genetic identity using Nei's and Roger's statistics. There is a cline in heterozygosity northwards across the region, and populations are closely similar. The differentiation observed is very close to that expected for a continuously distributed species with a neighbourhood area of 8.9 km2 and effective population size of 999.6.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONAL PATTERNS OF LEGUMES IN SOUTHERN NUEVO LEÓN, MÉXICO

Abstract We recorded 156 taxa of legumes, comprising 50 genera, 152 species, and 34 infra-specific taxa, in the southern part of state of Nuevo León. Genera with the highest numbers of species were Dalea (19), Desmodium (12), Acacia (10), Astragalus (10), Phaseolus (8), Mimosa (8), Lupinus (7), and Senna (6). The growth forms were herbaceous species (49% of species), shrubby species (33%), twining and climbing species (16%), and arboreal species (2%). The highest numbers of taxa were in oak-pine forest (95), coniferous forest (excluding Pinus cembroides) (93), oak forest (59), and Pinus cembroides forest (56). Based on legume distribution in different plant communities, 3 distributional patterns were recognized: 1) shrublands and halophytic grasslands; 2) oak, oak-pine, coniferous (other than Pinus cembroides), and Pinus cemborides forests and piedmont scrub; and 3) subalpine prairie.
MORPHOLOGICAL AND GENETIC COMPARISONS OF GOLDEN CRAYFISH, ORCONECTES LUTEUS, AND RUSTY CRAYFISH, O. RUSTICUS, WITH RANGE CORRECTIONS IN IOWA AND MINNESOTA

Abstract The distribution of the rusty crayfish, Orconectes rusticus, has been purported to include large portions of Iowa and Minnesota among many other states, whereas the golden crayfish, O. luteus, has been reported from Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois. Recent collections made in several river basins in Iowa and southern Minnesota and examination of museum specimens collected in Iowa revealed that many records attributed to O. rusticus are in fact O. luteus. We provide a suite of quantitative and qualitative characteristics, both morphological and genetic, that distinguish O. luteus and O. rusticus and also demonstrate that female O. luteus exhibit form alternation. Comparisons of mitochondrial 16S rRNA haplotypes among populations of O. luteus, O. rusticus, O. cf. rusticus, O. placidus, and O. virilis revealed relatively high levels of sequence divergence among taxa as well as within some taxa. We conclude that O. luteus is a native species in Iowa and southern Minnesota with introduced populations of O. rusticus occurring in both states. A more thorough survey of these states, particularly Iowa, is needed to assess the distributions of O. rusticus and O. luteus. If O. rusticus has a relatively restricted distribution in Iowa, efforts to control its anthropogenic and natural dispersal may be more effective if implemented in the near future. Our study indicates the need for more research in taxonomy, even in regions where the fauna is thought to be known well, in order for the conservation of native species and detection and management of nonindigenous species to be successful.
Inactivation of Photosynthetic Oxygen Evolution and Concomitant Release of Three Polypeptides in the Photosystem II Particles of Spinach Chloroplasts

Photosystem II particles having an oxygen evolution activity as high as 300,ulnol mg-1 chlorophyll hr -1 were prepared from spinach chloroplasts using Triton X-IOO. The oxygen evolution system in these particles was stable; 70% of the original activity remained after storage of the particles at O°C for 7 days. When the particles were treated at pH 9.3, the oxygen evolution was specifically inactivated and three polypeptides having apparent molecular weights of 32,000, 24,000 and 15,000 were simultaneously released. This observation suggests that these polypeptides are associated with the oxygen evolution system of photosynthesis.
Rapid analysis of plant gene expression by a novel reverse transcriptase‐PCR method

A recently described reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) where one oligonucleotide primer is end-labelled has been applied to the analysis of expression of UsnRNA genes and a U2B″ protein coding gene from potato. This rapid, sensitive and accurate method of expression analysis can be applied to the study of the expression of any plant gene for which the sequence is known, in either wild-type plants, transgenics or transfected protoplasts.
Global lower limb muscle coactivation during walking in trans-femoral and trans-tibial amputees

The aim of this work was to analyze the global coactivation (mechanism that regulates the simultaneous activity of antagonist muscles around the same joint) of the sound limb in people with unilateral trans-femoral and transtibial amputation in order to understand how the nervous system manages different levels of amputation and different types of prostheses. To achieve this aim, we calculated the global coactivation of 12 muscles using a time-varying multi-muscle co-activation function in 25 subjects with unilateral trans-femoral amputation (7, 12 and 6 with mechanical, electronic and bionic prosthesis respectively), in 7 subjects with trans-tibial amputation and in 20 healthy subjects representing the control group. The results highlight that, both trans-tibial and trans-femoral amputees show a characteristic double-peak shape as in healthy subjects although the second peak, in particular in subjects with trans-femoral amputation, appears to be slightly delayed with respect to the one that characterizes the control subjects. Furthermore, there is greater variability for both samples of amputees, with respect to the control subjects. On the other hand, TFA patients adopt similar strategies regardless of the kind of prosthesis. These results might indicate that the CNS has to manage, through the sound limb, a higher complexity due to double prosthetic joint of the amputated limb during the transfer to it of the body weight and all the control strategies that the patient adopts in response to the reorganization of the sensorimotor system as a consequence of the amputation. These findings suggest that the global lower limb coactivation behavior could be a useful measure of the motor control strategy, limb stiffness, postural stability in subjects with lower limb amputation.
A Review on Interactive Reinforcement Learning From Human Social Feedback

Reinforcement learning agent learns how to perform a task by interacting with the environment. The use of reinforcement learning in real-life applications has been limited because of the sample efficiency problem. Interactive reinforcement learning has been developed to speed up the agent’s learning and facilitate to learn from ordinary people by allowing them to provide social feedback, e.g, evaluative feedback, advice or instruction. Inspired by real-life biological learning scenarios, there could be many ways to provide feedback for agent learning, such as via hardware delivered, natural interaction like facial expressions, speech or gestures. The agent can even learn from feedback via unimodal or multimodal sensory input. This paper reviews methods for interactive reinforcement learning agent to learn from human social feedback and the ways of delivering feedback. Finally, we discuss some open problems and possible future research directions.
Fundus Image Segmentation Based on Improved Generative Adversarial Network for Retinal Vessel Analysis

The analysis of retinal vessel imaging can diagnose and monitor various diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and so on. However, testing of retinal vessels requires professional clinicians to examine and evaluate digital colorful fundus images. This process consumes a lot of time and human labor, so automated fundus image segmentation models are necessary to provide decision-making. We propose an end-toend retinal vessel segmentation model based on a Generative Adversarial Network. First of all, a self-made amplifier was added to magnify the fundus images for generator. Next, we generated probability maps of retinal vessels. Experiments on two public fundus datasets, Digital Retinal Images for Vessel Extraction (DRIVE) and Structured Analysis of the Retina (STARE), showed that our method outperforms the state-ofthe-art methods in terms of the accuracy and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.
Vehicle Type Classification System for Expressway Based on Improved Convolutional Neural Network

Intelligent transportation system is becoming more and more popular, and vehicle type classification is the most important and basic part of it, which can be used in traffic flow detection, expressway billing system and other fields. On this basis, a vehicle type classification system based on the improved convolutional neural network is designed to classify the vehicle types on the expressway. And the trained model is applied to vehicle classification of video surveillance images. The validity of the improved convolutional neural network model is verified in this paper, and the model shows good effects on the accuracy of vehicle type classification. It has achieved more than 95% accuracy.
Fumonisins in corn cultivars in the state of São Paulo

Twenty three samples, belonging to 19 corn cultivars with distinct types of germoplasms, endosperm and length of vegetative cycle, were analyzed for fumonisins B1 and B2. The cultivars were grown in experimental fields in three locations (Votuporanga, Ribeirao Preto and Capao Bonito) within the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, during the 97/98 crop. All samples were contaminated with fumonisins with concentrations ranging from 1.63 µg/g to 25.69 µg/g with an average of 5.61 µg/g for FB1 and from 0.38 µg/g to 8.60 µg/g with an average of 1.86 µg/g for FB2. In terms of fumonisins, these high levels put the corn cultivated in Sao Paulo among the most contaminated in the world reported to date.
Perceptions of pastoralists and conservation reserve managers on managing feral camels and their impacts

The perceptions of people living within the current range of feral camels and involved in the pastoral industry and conservation reserve management were assessed through a questionnaire survey. The survey was designed to gauge understanding about the distribution and abundance of feral camels, perspective on camel impacts, and attitudes towards different camel management options. Camels occurred on 74.2% of pastoral properties and 51.4% of reserves that were surveyed. Camels were reported to be increasing on more than 50% of pastoral properties and 88% of reserves and were reported to cause damage on most properties where they occurred. The total monetary value of this damage (including management to mitigate it) was estimated to be $7.15 million per annum on the pastoral estate and $0.37 million per annum across the conservation estate within or on the margins of the camel range. On the pastoral estate, ~$2.40 million of the damage per annum was to infrastructure whereas production losses amounted to $3.42 million per annum. A minority of pastoral properties and reserves reported tangible benefits that accrued from selling camels, eating camels and using camels for natural resource management activities including weed control. The monetary value of the benefit was estimated to be about $0.58 million per annum across the pastoral estate, compared with ~$34 379 per annum across the conservation estate. Pastoralists and reserve managers generally saw a need to control camels and their impacts and currently play an active role in this regard. Both landholder groups favoured culling and commercial use to manage camel impacts but were comfortable using all of the available approaches and willing to consider new ones.
Infrared Thermography and Image Processing applied on Weldings Quality Monitoring

The present paper proposes a methodological approach to evaluate welding quality in the context of tank production. In particular, infrared thermography was adopted to control the structural homogeneity achieved after welding. The analysis was implemented by applying the K-Means algorithm, morphological image processing and artificial neural network based on the Long Short Term Memory - LSTM - technique. The adopted approach was chosen to perform different image post-processing analysis and therefore highlights, identifies, and quantifies welding inhomogeneities, as cracks and defects. The work was developed within the research framework of an industrial project. The proposed approach could be implemented in inline production systems which integrate an artificial intelligence processor for real time quality monitoring.
Coincident recruitment patterns of Southern Hemisphere fishes

Three dominant recruitment patterns were identified across 30 stocks from Australia, New Zealand, Chile, South Africa, and the Falkland Islands using data from 1980 to 2010. Cluster and dynamic factor analysis provided similar groupings. Stocks exhibited a detectable degree of synchrony among species, in particular the hakes and lings from Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and South Africa. We tested three climate indices, the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO), Southern Annular Mode (SAM), and Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), to explore their relationship with fish stock recruitment patterns. The time series of IPO and SOI showed the strongest correlation with New Zealand hoki (blue grenadier, Macruronus novaezelandiae) and Australian jackass morwong (Nemadactylus macropterus) (r = 0.50 and r = –0.50), and SAM was positively related to Australian Macquarie Island Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) (r = 0.49). Potential linkages in recruitment patterns at sub-basin, basin, and multibasin sc.
A preliminary quantitative EEG study on Augmented Reality Guidance of Manual Tasks

Augmented reality (AR) head mounted displays (HMDs) combine user’s natural view of the real world with virtual data. Thus, they might be particularly suited to guide manual tasks as in computer-aided-surgery. However, the typical focal plane of commercial devices is outside the user’s peripersonal space (i.e. the space containing reachable objects), limiting the performance of manual-task guidance. Specifically, known issues such as the "vergence-accomodation-conflict" and the "focus-rivalry" may lead to visual fatigue and mental workload worsening task performance. Here, we exploit EEG recordings during a "connecting-the-dots" task performed with and without AR to study the effects of mental workload associated with AR-related visual fatigue. First, we quantify the reduction of users’ performance based on starting and end points gap errors. Then, we investigate the effects on AR usage on cortical activity through the analysis of EEG power and Frontal Alpha Asymmetry (FAA) index. Although preliminary, EEG power results suggest that mental workload associated with AR usage may derive from enhanced difficulty associated with the task.