Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
POSITIVE, NEGATIVE, AND NET EFFECTS IN GRASS–SHRUB INTERACTIONS IN MEDITERRANEAN SEMIARID GRASSLANDS

Current theoretical models and field evidence suggest that facilitation and interference act simultaneously in the field, but there is little information on their joint dynamics under varying abiotic conditions. We evaluated spatial and temporal variations in the positive, negative, and net effects of the tussock grass Stipa tenacissima on the shrub Pistacia lentiscus in Mediterranean semiarid grasslands. We performed a field experiment in which positive (microclimatic amelioration and water inputs from runoff) and negative (belowground competition) effects were experimentally manipulated under contrasting levels of stress. The environment provided by S. tenacissima (tussock treatment) improved the survival and physiological status of planted P. lentiscus seedlings. The elimination of shade and competition from S. tenacissima significantly decreased and increased, respectively, seedling performance as compared to the tussock treatment. We found evidence that microclimatic amelioration is the main positive.
Antioxidant and Angiotensin I Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Activities of Red Snow Crab Chionoecetes japonicas Shell Hydrolysate by Enzymatic Hydrolysis

We investigated the antioxidant and angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities of red snow crab Chionoecetes japonicas shell (RSCS) hydrolysate by enzymatic hydrolysis and its molecular weight cut-off fractions. The RSCS hydrolysate was fractionated through two ultrafiltration membranes of 3 and 10 kDa cut-offs. Three fractions ( 10 kDa) were evaluated for total amino acid composition, antioxidant activities using 2′-azino-bis[3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid] (ABTS + ) radical scavenging and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activities and reducing power assays, and ACE inhibitory activity using Hou’s method. Although all fractions showed activity, the <3 kDa fraction of RSCS hydrolysate exhibited the greatest ABTS + radical scavenging, SOD-like and ACE inhibitory activities. However, these fractions exhibited low reducing power. These results suggest that the low-molecular-weight enzymatic hydrolysate of RSCS could be used as a functional ingredient to control oxidative stress and ACE activity.
The Application of Adaptive Tabu Search Algorithm and Averaging Model to the Optimal Controller Design of Buck Converters

The paper presents the applications of artificial intelligence technique called adaptive tabu search to design the controller of a buck converter. The averaging model derived from the DQ and generalized state-space averaging methods is applied to simulate the system during a searching process. The simulations using such averaging model require the faster computational time compared with that of the full topology model from the software packages. The reported model is suitable for the work in the paper in which the repeating calculation is needed for searching the best solution. The results will show that the proposed design technique can provide the better output waveforms compared with those designed from the classical method. Keywords—Buck converter, adaptive tabu search, DQ method, generalized state-space averaging method, modeling and simulation
Generating public transport data based on population distributions for RDF benchmarking

When benchmarking RDF data management systems such as public transport route planners, system evaluation needs to happen under various realistic circumstances, which requires a wide range of datasets with different properties. Real-world datasets are almost ideal, as they offer these realistic circumstances, but they are often hard to obtain and inflexible for testing. For these reasons, synthetic dataset generators are typically preferred over real-world datasets due to their intrinsic flexibility. Unfortunately, many synthetic dataset that are generated within benchmarks are insufficiently realistic, raising questions about the generalizability of benchmark results to real-world scenarios. In order to benchmark geospatial and temporal RDF data management systems such as route planners with sufficient external validity and depth, we designed PODiGG, a highly configurable generation algorithm for synthetic public transport datasets with realistic geospatial and temporal characteristics comparable to those of their real-world variants. The algorithm is inspired by real-world public transit network design and scheduling methodologies. This article discusses the design and implementation of PODiGG and validates the properties of its generated datasets. Our findings show that the generator achieves a sufficient level of realism, based on the existing coherence metric and new metrics we introduce specifically for the public transport domain. Thereby, PODiGG provides a flexible foundation for benchmarking RDF data management systems with geospatial and temporal data.
Minimization of Sensor Activation in Decentralized Discrete-Event Systems

We investigate the problem of dynamic sensor activation for decentralized decision making in partially observed discrete-event systems, where the system is monitored by a set of agents. The sensors of each agent can be turned on/off online dynamically according to a sensor activation policy. We define a general decentralized decision-making problem called the decentralized state disambiguation problem, which covers the decentralized control problem, the decentralized fault diagnosis problem, and the decentralized fault prognosis problem. The goal is to find a language-based minimal sensor activation policy for each agent such that the agents can always make a correct global decision as a team. A novel approach to solve this problem is proposed. We adopt a person-by-person approach to decompose this decentralized minimization problem into two centralized constrained minimization problems. Each centralized constrained minimization problem is then reduced to a fully centralized sensor activation problem that is solved effectively in the literature. The solution obtained is provably language-based minimal with respect to the system language.
Decision Mining in ProM: From Log Files to DMN Decision Logic

The field of process mining – the automated extraction of information on processes based on event logs – has recently brought forth a number of publications on decision mining, which concerns the automated extraction of the decision rules governing the routing decisions in the process. While significant advances have been made in this regard, little to no attention has been given to the manner of presentation of the decision logic that is discovered. This greatly reduces the utility for daily practice of existing decision mining implementations. Decision Model and Notation (DMN) is a new standard for decision modeling, which could be used to tackle this problem. This paper assuages the issue of lacking presentation of discovered decision logic by developing and presenting a set of plug-ins for the popular ProM framework, which can mine, construct, visualize and export DMN-compliant decision tables from log files in a user-friendly fashion. This entails a significant improvement in the presentation of the decision logic discovered by decision miners.
VaR Forecasting in Times of Increased Volatility

The paper evaluates several hundred one-day-ahead VaR forecasting models in the time period between the years 2004 and 2009 on data from six world stock indices DJI, GSPC, IXIC, FTSE, GDAXI and N225. The models model mean using the ARMA processes with up to two lags and variance with one of GARCH, EGARCH or TARCH processes with up to two lags. The models are estimated on the data from the in-sample period and their forecasting accuracy is evaluated on the out-of-sample data, which are more volatile. The main aim of the paper is to test whether a model estimated on data with lower volatility can be used in periods with higher volatility. The evaluation is based on the conditional coverage test and is performed on each stock index separately. The primary result of the paper is that the volatility is best modelled using a GARCH process and that an ARMA process pattern cannot be found in analyzed time series. Keywords—VaR, risk analysis, conditional volatility, garch, egarch, tarch, moving average process, autoregressive process
Fluorescent bioaerosol particle, molecular tracer, and fungal spore concentrations during dry and rainy periods in a semi-arid forest

Abstract. Bioaerosols pose risks to human health and agriculture and may influence the evolution of mixed-phase clouds and the hydrological cycle on local and regional scales. The availability and reliability of methods and data on the abundance and properties of atmospheric bioaerosols, however, are rather limited. Here we analyze and compare data from different real-time ultraviolet laser/light-induced fluorescence (UV-LIF) instruments with results from a culture-based spore sampler and offline molecular tracers for airborne fungal spores in a semi-arid forest in the southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Commercial UV-APS (ultraviolet aerodynamic particle sizer) and WIBS-3 (wideband integrated bioaerosol sensor, version 3) instruments with different excitation and emission wavelengths were utilized to measure fluorescent aerosol particles (FAPs) during both dry weather conditions and periods heavily influenced by rain. Seven molecular tracers of bioaerosols were quantified by analysis of total suspended particle (TSP) high-volume filter samples using a high-performance anion-exchange chromatography system with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD). From the same measurement campaign, Huffman et al. (2013) previously reported dramatic increases in total and fluorescent particle concentrations during and immediately after rainfall and also showed a strong relationship between the concentrations of FAPs and ice nuclei (Huffman et al., 2013; Prenni et al., 2013). Here we investigate molecular tracers and show that during rainy periods the atmospheric concentrations of arabitol (35.2 ± 10.5 ng m−3) and mannitol (44.9 ± 13.8 ng m−3) were 3–4 times higher than during dry periods. During and after rain, the correlations between FAP and tracer mass concentrations were also significantly improved. Fungal spore number concentrations on the order of 104 m−3, accounting for 2–5 % of TSP mass during dry periods and 17–23 % during rainy periods, were obtained from scaling the tracer measurements and from multiple analysis methods applied to the UV-LIF data. Endotoxin concentrations were also enhanced during rainy periods, but showed no correlation with FAP concentrations. Average mass concentrations of erythritol, levoglucosan, glucose, and (1 → 3)-β-D-glucan in TSP samples are reported separately for dry and rainy weather conditions. Overall, the results indicate that UV-LIF measurements can be used to infer fungal spore concentrations, but substantial development of instrumental and data analysis methods appears to be required for improved quantification.
HOST-BASED INTRUSION DETECTION SYSTEMS

In computer security, designing a robust intrusion detection system is one of the most fundamental and important problems. In this paper, we propose a system-call language-modeling approach for designing anomaly-based host intrusion detection systems. To remedy the issue of high false-alarm rates commonly arising in conventional methods, we employ a novel ensemble method that blends multiple thresholding classifiers into a single one, making it possible to accumulate ‘highly normal’ sequences. The proposed system-call language model has various advantages leveraged by the fact that it can learn the semantic meaning and interactions of each system call that existing methods cannot effectively consider. Through diverse experiments on public benchmark datasets, we demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed method. Moreover, we show that our model possesses high portability, which is one of the key aspects of realizing successful intrusion detection systems.
Inquiry as an entry point to equity in the classroom

ABSTRACT Although many policy documents include equity as part of mathematics education standards and principles, researchers continue to explore means by which equity might be supported in classrooms and at the institutional level. Teaching practices that include opportunities for students to engage in active learning have been proposed to address equity. In this paper, through aligning some characteristics of inquiry put forth by Cook, Murphy and Fukawa-Connelly with Gutiérrez's dimensions of equity, we theoretically explore the ways in which active learning teaching practices that focus on inquiry could support equity in the classroom.
Image Stabilization in Central Vision Loss: The Horizontal Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex

For patients with central vision loss and controls with normal vision, we examined the horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) in complete darkness and in the light when enhanced by vision (VVOR). We expected that the visual-vestibular interaction during VVOR would produce an asymmetry in the gain due to the location of the preferred retinal locus (PRL) of the patients. In the dark, we hypothesized that the VOR would not be affected by the loss of central vision. Nine patients (ages 67 to 92 years) and 17 controls (ages 16 to 81 years) were tested in 10-s active VVOR and VOR procedures at a constant frequency of 0.5 Hz while their eyes and head movements were recorded with a video-based binocular eye tracker. We computed the gain by analyzing the eye and head peak velocities produced during the intervals between saccades. In the light and in darkness, a significant proportion of patients showed larger leftward than rightward peak velocities, consistent with a PRL to the left of the scotoma. No asymmetries were found for the controls. These data support the notion that, after central vision loss, the preferred retinal locus (PRL) in eccentric vision becomes the centre of visual direction, even in the dark.
ANALYSIS OF SPECTRUM SENSING TECHNIQUES FOR DETECTION OF DVB- T S IGNALS IN GAUSSIAN AND FADING CHANNELS

Spectrum sensing is an essential concept in cognitive radio. It exploits the inefficient utilization of radio frequency spectrum without causing destructive interference to the licensed users. In this paper we considered spectrum sensing of Digital Video Broadcast Terrestrial (DVB-T) signal in different scenario. We compared various spectrum sensing algorithms that make use of the second order statistics; the energy detector was also included for comparison. The results show that it is possible to obtain good detection performance by exploiting the correlation method.
A GENERAL HIGH-ORDER MULTI-DOMAIN HYBRID DG/WENO-FD METHOD FOR HYPERBOLIC CONSERVATION LAWS *

In this paper, a general high-order multi-domain hybrid DG/WENO-FD method, which couples a p th -order (p � 3) DG method and a q th -order (q � 3) WENO-FD scheme, is developed. There are two possible coupling approaches at the domain interface, one is non-conservative, the other is conservative. The non-conservative coupling approach can preserve optimal order of accuracy and the local conservative error is proved to be upmost third order. As for the conservative coupling approach, accuracy analysis shows the forced conservation strategy at the coupling interface deteriorates the accuracy locally to firstorder accuracy at the ‘coupling cell’. A numerical experiments of numerical stability is also presented for the non-conservative and conservative coupling approaches. Several numerical results are presented to verify the theoretical analysis results and demonstrate the performance of the hybrid DG/WENO-FD solver.
Asymptotic solution with respect to a parameter of a differential equation having an irregular singular point

with v -2 a positive real constant. The complex variable z is to be confined to a bounded neighborhood of the irregular singular point zO. The analogous problem for a class of nth order differential equations, containing (1) for integral v >6, has been discussed by Hurd [2]. His analysis is somewhat complicated, and it appears that a clearer and more direct investigation of the asymptotic solutions of (1) than is attainable by the methods applied in [2] is possible. This is accomplished largely by adapting the formal structure of the analysis [3] used in the discussion of (1) for v = 2. The case v> 2 discussed here resembles, in some respects, that when v <2. In order to contrast the case v <2 with the present one, we first outline the nature of our results. Suitable changes of the variables in (1) reduce it to the form
Harvesting of Kinetic Energy of the Raindrops

This paper presents a methodology to harvest the kinetic energy of the raindrops using piezoelectric devices. In the study 1m×1m PVDF (Polyvinylidene fluoride) piezoelectric membrane, which is fixed by the four edges, is considered for the numerical simulation on deformation of the membrane due to the impact of the raindrops. Then according to the drop size of the rain, the simulation is performed classifying the rainfall types into three categories as light stratiform rain, moderate stratiform rain and heavy thundershower. The impact force of the raindrop is dependent on the terminal velocity of the raindrop, which is a function of diameter. The results were then analyzed to calculate the harvestable energy from the deformation of the piezoelectric membrane. Keywords—Raindrop, piezoelectricity, deformation, terminal velocity.
Hybrid Fuzzy Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm: A Novel Pareto-Optimization Technique

A novel pareto-optimization technique based on newly developed hybrid fuzzy multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (HFMOEA) is presented in this paper. In HFMOEA, two significant parameters such as crossover probability (PC) and mutation probability (PM) are dynamically varied during optimization based on the output of a fuzzy controller for improving its convergence performance by guiding the direction of stochastic search to reach near the true pareto-optimal solution effectively. The performance of HFMOEA is tested on three benchmark test problems such as ZDT1, ZDT2 and ZDT3 and compared with NSGA-II.
Oral Supplementation of GABA Containing Rice Flour Alleviate AcrylamideInduced Oxidative Impairments and Neurotoxicity in Mice.

Endogenous antioxidant cycle play a pivotal role in the prevention of damage induced by free radicals. An imbalance between the production and removal of free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) enhances the rate of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress play a major role in the development of neurodegerative diseases. Antioxidants are now being looked as a therapeutic agents, as they have ability to neutralize free radicals. Rice, being the staple food for nearly 50% of world’s population, play a vital role in the concentration of antioxidants ingested daily. The present study was designed to investigate antioxidative and neuroprotective effect of gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA) containing fermented rice flour (GFRF) in acrylamide (ACR) acrylamide (ACR) induced oxidative stress mice model. GFRF contained 750.55 ± 26.03 mg GABA/100g DM under optimized conditions and fermentation enhanced the levels of antioxidant phenolics in GFRF (unpublished data). ACR administration caused significant oxidative stress as evident by increased ROS, protein carbonyls, nitric oxide and malondialdehyde levels in cortex and cerebellum clearly suggesting significant oxidative stress in vivo. Mice supplemented with GFRF orally, diminished oxidative markers, increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes in cortex and cerebellum brain region with concomitant increase in GABA levels, conferring neuroprotection against ACR induced oxidative stress. Our data suggest that antioxidative and neuroprotective effects exerted by GFRF are mediated through decreases in free-radical generation and increases in activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in vivo.
Production of PHA from whey by indigenous microflora and activated sludge: preliminary investigation

Milk whey was employed to produce polyhydroxyalcanoates (PHA), using as inoculum either whey indigenous microflora or enriched activated sludge deriving from a dairy wastewater treatment plant. The aim of the present study was to test the capability of mixed consortia to produce PHA directly from lactose. The experimental runs demonstrated that milk whey lactose can constitute a cheap carbon source to synthesize PHA in fermentations where the microorganisms are represented by indigenous microorganisms or enriched activated sludge: this result constitutes an evident advantage since whey pre-treatment and aseptic conditions are not required. Tests with commercial whey powder (Molkolac®) and on raw milk whey showed a PHA production around 10 % (by weight on dry biomass).
Synergistic effects of combined curcumin and antibiotic in ameliorating an animal model of Helicobacter pylori infection

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative, moving, helix–shaped and Microaerophilic bacterium which infects the human’s stomach in childhood and stays for a long time. Helicobacter pylori is a gastrointestinal pathogen in human body and causes chronic and active stomach inflammation as well as gastrointestinal ulcers. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of curcumin on Helicobacter pylori in the mice model. Material and Methods: In this study, after induction of Helicobacter pylori disease to the Balb/c mice, we started to treat different groups of mice in the second week of sicknesses using oral administration of curcumin, common antibiotics in curing Helicobacter pylori, and antibiotics with curcumin. One group received no treatment as a negative control group and the other group received Helicobacter pylori without any treatment as a positive control group. Oral prescriptions were conducted within 15 days and blood sampling was then carried out from the mice hearts. The rate of anti-Helicobacter pylori antibodies was then calculated in serum and then, urea tests were done on the mice stomach. Results: Results revealed that the effectiveness of Curcumin in rate is less than the antibiotic group but decreased the amount of Helicobacter pylori infection compared to the infected host group. Combined therapy had synergistic effects and caused a more significant reduction in gastrin, IFN-γ, MPO activity and lipid peroxidation compared to mice receiving each monotherapy. Conclusion: It seems that Curcumin, as a natural complex without any side effects, will receive enough attention in inhibiting the infection proliferation.
NIOSOMES AS NOVEL VESICULAR DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM- A REVIEW

Niosomes are a novel drug delivery system, in which the medication is encapsulated in a vesicle. The v esicle is composed of a bilayer of non-ionic surface activ e agents and hence the name niosomes. Structurally niosomes are similar to liposomes, in that they are also made up of a bilayer. However, the bilayer in the case of niosomes is made up of non-ionic surface active agents rather than phospholipids as seen in the cas e of liposomes. Most surface active agents when immersed in water yield micellar structures however some surfactants can yield bilayer vesicles which are ni osomes. Niosomes may be unilamellar or multilamellar depending on the method used to prepare them. The niosomes are classified as a function of the number of bilayer or as a function of size or as a function o f the method of preparation. Niosomes present a str ucture similar to liposome and hence they can represent al ternative vesicular systems with respect to liposom es due to the niosome ability to encapsulate different typ e of drugs within their multi environmental structu re. The technology utilized in niosomes is still greatly in its infancy, and already it is showing promise in the fields of cancer and infectious disease treatments.