Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatial distributions of species in an old-growth temperate forest, northeastern China

Studying spatial distributions of species can provide important insights into processes and mechanisms that maintain species richness. We used the relative neighborhood density Ω based on the average density of conspecific species in circular neighborhoods around each species to quantify spatial distributions of species with ≥10 individuals in a fully mapped 25 ha temperate plot at Changbaishan, northeastern China. Our results show that spatial aggregation is a dominant pattern of species in the Changbaishan temperate forests. However, the percentage of significantly aggregated species decreases with spatial scale, especially for rare species. Rare species are more aggregated than intermediate and common species. The aggregation intensity declines with increasing size class (diameter at breast height), i.e., species become more regularly spaced as species grow, which is consistent with the predictions of self-thinning and Janzen–Connell spacing effects. Species functional traits (canopy layer, seed disper.
Bayesian Inference for Questionable Data

In this paper we develop Bayesian procedures for vague data. The data are assumed to be vague in the sense that the likelihood is a mixture of the model distribution and an error distribution. In this case the standard updating procedure of the model prior would fail. As a new method to deal with such imprecise data we consider observable uncertainties. In this model a specified degree of belief for the validity of the observation is added to the original measurement. Our proposal involves the idea that occasionally the observations are caused by an unknown error distribution. We discuss the effect of this assumption and show a parametrical and non-parametrical analysis in this setup. For the analysis of the error distribution we establish a nonparametrical approach. Convex optimization procedures can be applied for a nonparametric estimation of the error distribution. An equivalence theorem characterizes optimal estimates and provides an iterative procedure converging to the empirical Bayes estimate.
Tourists' Perceptions of Aboriginal Heritage Souvenirs

Heritage souvenirs are an indispensable part of indigenous tourism and the authenticity of indigenous heritage is a vital aspect of such tourism. This study adopts a mixed methods approach to explore the perceived authenticity of glass bead souvenirs of the Paiwan Tribe in Pintung County, Taiwan. The study explores differences in the evaluations of authenticity among stakeholders and the factors that influence perceptions of authenticity. An understanding of tourists' perceptions of indigenous heritage offers valuable information for the creation of indigenous souvenirs and for reviving the promotion of indigenous culture.
Legally Separated Joint Ownership of Bidder and Auctioneer: Illustrated by the Partial Deregulation of the EU Electricity Markets

In the EU electricity industry, many Vertically Integrated Utilities (VIUs) have ownership both of electricity generators and of transmission, hence VIU-owned or allied generators often are bidders in auctions for VIU-owned transmission. In Van Koten (2006) I show that welfare suffers and the holding company benefits – through increased auction revenue – from more aggressive bidding by the allied bidder and that it does not make a difference whether transmission is legally separated from the VIU or not. Here I analyze the regulatory measure of also legally separating the allied generator from the VIU; this measure effectively transforms the VIU into a holding company and prevents the “VIU” from influencing day-to-day decision-making of the “VIU”-owned generator and bans cross-subsidization between divisions. I show that such a measure may not improve welfare; the holding company can formulate a simple compensation scheme that does not violate the restrictions imposed by legal separation but induces the manager of the allied generator to bid more aggressively, thereby increasing the profits of the holding company and decreasing welfare, as in Van Koten (2006).
Reduced vessel wall stretch after directional atherectomy prior to stent deployment. An intravascular ultrasound evaluation of the mechanisms of lumen enlargement Redukcja stopnia naprężenia ściany naczynia po zabiegu aterektomii kierunkowej z następczą implantacją stentu. Ultrasonograficzna ocena m

Background: It has emerged from a number of prospective non-randomised trials that directional coronary atherectomy (DCA) before stenting reduces the risk of in-stent restenosis. The aims of the study were to determine the mechanism of lumen enlargement after stenting preceded by DCA by using 3-D intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), to compare this method with stenting after balloon predilation and to assess whether vessel stretching influences late restenosis. Material and methods: A total of 20 patients treated with DCA followed by stenting (Group 1) and 30 patients who had undergone stenting preceded by balloon angioplasty (Group 2) were studied with serial IVUS examinations. Volumetric pre-intervention and post-stenting assessments of the external elastic membrane (EEM), lumen and the plaque cross-sectional area were performed on the entire stent length and the proximal and distal reference segments. The EEM stretch index was calculated as the difference between the EEM post stent and the preintervention EEM. Axial plaque shift (APS) was calculated as the mean change in plaque volume measured in both the reference segments. During the 6-month follow-up period angiography was performed on all the patients. Results: Although there were no differences in the composition of the 2 groups, the increase in EEM area was significantly smaller in Group 1 than in Group 2 (3.05 ± 0.8 mm 2 vs. 4.28 ± ± 1.98 mm 2 , respectively, p < 0.001). The EEM stretch index was significantly smaller in Group 1 than in Group 2 (0.28 ± 0.12 vs. 0.61 ± 0.29, respectively, p < 0.001). Axial plaque shift in the reference segments was significantly reduced in Group 1. Follow-up angiography revealed in-stent restenosis in 10.0% of Group 1 vs. 23.3% of Group 2, p = NS.
Prevalence of somatisation as a determinant of burnout amongst staff working in drug and alcohol services

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the prevalence of somatisation as a determinant of burnout amongst drug and alcohol staff in the UK. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a cross-sectional design utilising a self-completion online questionnaire. Data were collected from substance misuse workers across England and Wales. In total, 165 responses were eligible for analysis, yielding a response rate of 5 per cent. Burnout and somatization were measured with Maslach’s Burnout Inventory and the Physical Symptoms Inventory. Findings The prevalence of somatic symptoms was relatively low in the sample studied. The reported levels of burnout were moderate. Personal accomplishment remained high in the sample. There was a strong association between burnout and incidence of stress-related somatic symptoms, with higher levels of burnout correlating with multiple symptoms. Research limitations/implications It was not possible to determine the extent of non-response bias, as at the time of the study there was no information available relating to the characteristics of drug and alcohol staff in the selected services. Therefore, as the response rate was very low (5 per cent) it was recognised that non-response bias might have affected the findings, in such way that non-respondents may have differed in their experiences of work stress, satisfaction, burnout and health outcomes. Practical implications Despite the limitations, the study provided practical information relating to burnout vulnerability and associated physical symptoms in this specific occupational group. These findings can support employers to address staff wellbeing with a view to prevent burnout and reduce existing levels of burnout and related somatic symptoms, and improve job performance, job satisfaction and staff retention through making appropriate adjustments, such as developing staff-wellbeing programmes. These adjustments could potentially contribute to improvement in substance misuse practice, through maintenance of healthy and satisfied workforce. Originality/value There are very few studies looking at burnout in drug and alcohol staff. This study is also novel in a way that it reveals correlations between a variety of specific stress-related physical symptoms and the three components of burnout.
The Dynamics of Emotional Relationships in Self- Directed Language Learning Counselling

This study seeks to identify the dynamics of emotional relationships during counselling interviews in self-directed language learning. Counsellors’ and learners’ emotional states are inferred from tone of voice following analysis of audio recordings of their exchanges. Emotions expressed in every turn are characterized on valence and activation scales, and emotional relationships synthesized in a typology. Most of the observed emotional fluctuations are learner-initiated, and results suggest that counsellors regulate emotions in order to maintain an emotional climate, which is argued to favour self-directed learning tasks.
Drinking Wine at Home: Hedonic Analysis of Sicilian Wines Using Quantile Regression

In recent decades, the Sicilian wine industry has experienced a booming expansion because of the growing preferences of Italian consumers for Sicilian wines, especially in extra-regional markets. These consumers have been paying closer attention to Sicilian premium wines. For this reason, the objective of this study is to inform professional investors and wine managers about the consumer preferences with respect to the most important segment categories of domestically consumed Sicilian wines. Using the quantile regression technique, we analyzed the role of wine attributes and prices as an information tool in order to value for each wine segment the implicit price of the attributes affecting wine consumersâ choices. The results indicate that Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Geographical Indication (PGI) certification is the main determinant in the wine price mechanisms and certified wines achieve premium prices that are progressively higher as the price level of the wine increases. Furthermore the effect of the brand on price formation seems to have a significant impact for low-end wines, whereas it has no specific impact on the price mechanism for high-end wines.
Effects of Canola Bioactive Peptides on Performance, Digestive Enzyme Activities, Nutrient Digestibility, Intestinal Morphology and Gut Microflora in Broiler Chickens

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of canola bioactive peptides (CBP) produced by enzymatic hydrolysis of canola meal on performance, digestive enzyme activity, nutrient digestibility, gut microflora and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens. A total of 250 one-day-old Ross 308 male broiler chicks were randomly allocated to 5 dietary treatments with 5 replicates of 10 birds per each. Birds were fed with a basal diet (Control) or a basal diet supplemented with CBP at 100, 150, 200 and 250 mg/kg over 42 days. Results indicated that addition of 200 and 250 mg CBP/kg diet increased (P < 0.05) body weight gain and decreased feed conversion ratio (1-28 d and 29-42 d) (P < 0.05). Adding 200 and 250 mg CBP/kg diet improved amylase, lipase and protease activities in the small intestine (P < 0.05). Also, adding CBP to diet increased dry matter, organic matter, crude protein and ether extract digestibility (P < 0.05). The villus height, the ratio of villus height to crypt depth of duodenum, jejunum, and ileum in chicks fed by different amounts of CBP increased while crypt depth significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Adding CBP decreased gram negative bacteria counts in ileum and caecum compared to the control group. Results of the present study suggest that adding CBP to broiler diet may increase nutrient digestibility and act as an antimicrobial agent.
Linkages of Indian Interest Rates with US and Japanese Rates

The reform process in India has gradually integrated the Indian financial markets with the rest of the world, and as a corollary, interest rates in India have been responding to movements in other financial markets. This article employs monthly short-term interest rate data over the 1992-2002 period to investigate the influence that the Japanese and the American interests exert on interest rates in India. We use cointegration and causality tests and find the existence of a steady-state relationship of short-term interest rates in India with both US and Japan. We also briefly discuss some policy fallouts.
Constructions for Optimal Ferrers Diagram Rank-Metric Codes

Optimal rank-metric codes in Ferrers diagrams can be used to construct good subspace codes. Such codes consist of matrices having zeros at certain fixed positions. This paper generalizes the known constructions for Ferrers diagram rank-metric (FDRM) codes. Via a criterion for linear maximum rank distance (MRD) codes, an explicit construction for a class of systematic MRD codes is presented, which is used to produce new optimal FDRM codes. By exploring the subcodes of Gabidulin codes, if each of the rightmost <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\delta -1$ </tex-math></inline-formula> columns in the Ferrers diagram <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\cal F$ </tex-math></inline-formula> has at least <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$n-r$ </tex-math></inline-formula> dots, where <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$r$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is taken in a range, then the conditions that an FDRM code in <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\cal F$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is optimal are established. The known combining constructions for FDRM code are generalized by introducing the concept of proper combinations of Ferrers diagrams.
Acquisition of Pro drop by a Turkish-English Bilingual Child

This study investigates the use of null and overt subjects by a Turkish-English bilingual child and a Turkish monolingual child, aged 5;00 and 4;11, respectively, in order to reveal whether there is cross-linguistic influence from English to Turkish based on the hypothesis of Hulk and Müller (2000). Some previous research has shown that the morphosyntactic features of one language can influence the development of another, while others have found no evidence for cross-linguistic influence of one language on another. In this study, a Turkish and English language pair with quite different morphosyntactic structures was investigated, revealing monolingual-like use of null and overt subjects by the bilingual child. Research provides no evidence of cross-linguistic influence from English to Turkish.
Poverty Traps and Climate Risk: Limitations and Opportunities of Index-Based Risk Financing

The objective of this paper is to frame the key issues and summarize the current state of knowledge about and innovations in index-based risk transfer products (IBRTPs) as they relate to the management of climate risk for poverty reduction, especially of chronic or persistent poverty. In the past several years, interest in and experimentation with weather index insurance and other IBRTPs has grown rapidly. Though no one should expect that these innovations alone can solve the problem of chronic poverty, index-based financing opens up a range of intriguing possibilities. The remainder of this paper is comprised of five major sections that discuss: 1) how weather risks and climate shocks impact the poor in developing countries; 2) the concept of poverty traps, highlighting how conventional risk management strategies typically do not work well for managing covariate weather risk; 3) the limitations and opportunities of financial innovations using index-based risk transfer products (IBRTPs) for reducing or transferring weather risks and climate shocks; 4) a poverty traps-based typology of IBRTPs; 5) key remaining challenges in developing and implementing index-based risk financing for use in the global struggle to end chronic poverty.
The Determination of Nickel in Some Plants with Reversed-Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography ( HPLC )

This study has been done with the aim of determining the concentration of nickel in thyme, nettle, tobacco, radish and lime which are grown in Turkey, by using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The mean values obtained for nickel in thyme, nettle, tobacco, radish and lime are, 6.93, 3.44, 2.84, 1.58 and 1.41 mg/kg (dry matter) for respectively.
The Complexity of Online Discussion

This paper reports on a study that examined the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) discussion forum. The study's purpose was to observe emergent phenomena within this discussion forum. Additionally, the study provided an assessment of these emergent phenomena and their effects on the overall survival and sustainability of this discussion forum. Examinations of participation, discussion topics, and discussion content were examined through the lens of complexity theory. Through this lens, emergent behaviors could be observed that indicated the NASPE forum had undergone extraordinary changes over the course of its operation. These changes included a dramatic drop off in participation, striking shifts in discussion topics, and fluctuating trends in discussion content. Overall, data demonstrated that this discussion forum underwent evolutionary adaptations in order to survive. These adaptations, however, were found to promote counterproductive discussions as a cost of survival. The study provides a cautionary tale of the application of discussion forums in physical education, and the need for continued examination and careful implementation of this technology.
Leisure mobility and individuals’ relationship to the living environment: a comparison between the Paris and Rome urban regions.

In this article we examine how (alongside with other factors) the relationship that individuals have to their living environment affects their leisure mobility. We first elaborate a typology (comprising 5 types) of individuals according to their stated relationship to their living environment. Using a statistical approach, we then show that this typology partially explains inter-individual differences in leisure mobility, after taking into account other socioeconomic and spatial explanatory factors: income, level of education, profession, residential location (esp. density of residential area) and demographic characteristics. This statistical argument is complemented with a qualitative study of the meanings given by individuals to their living environments and leisure mobility practices, which ultimately contributes to better understand the drivers of leisure mobility and to emphasize in particular the notion of compensatory mobility. A given urban context may accomodate very different practices and very diverse life projects and the approach developed in the paper has allowed to move away from deterministic explanations for leisure mobility.
Reflections on a Biographical Approach to Contemporary Art Conservation. Proceedings of ICOM-CC 16th Triennial Conference. WG Theory and History in Conservation.

Rather than preserving original objects, the conservation of contemporary art should be thought of as managing change. This raises the question of how to theoretically capture the variability of the work without losing the sense of its artistic identity. The researchers participating in the interdisciplinary project New strategies in the conservation of contemporary art propose to use a biographical approach to investigate and compare the histories of artworks, both before and after they enter museum collections. In this paper we claim that not only do decisive turning points in an artwork’s life occur at other moments than those conventionally recognised, but that, moreover, they are made up of various and diverging timelines, to be mapped as a river’s trajectory.
Inferring Social-Demographics of Travellers based on Smart Card Data

With the wide application of the smart card technology in public transit system, traveller’s daily travel behaviours can be possibly obtained. This study devotes to investigating the pattern of individual mobility patterns and its relationship with social-demographics. We first extract travel features from the raw smart card data, including spatial, temporal and travel mode features, which capture the travel variability of travellers. Then, travel features are fed to various supervised machine learning models to predict individual’s demographic attributes, such as age group, gender, income level and car ownership. Finally, a case study based on London’s Oyster Card data is presented and results show it is a promising opportunity for demographic study based on people’s mobility behaviour.
Some implications of time series analysis for describing climatologic conditions and for forecasting: An illustrative case: Veracruz, México

LA PRACTICA COMUN DE UTILIZAR SUBMUESTRAS DE PERIODOS DE 30 ANOS DE DATOS CLIMATOLOGICOS PARA DESCRIBIR LAS CONDICIONES PASADAS, PRESENTES Y FUTURAS HA SIDO AMPLIAMENTE APLICADA, EN MUCHOS CASOS SIN CONSIDERAR LAS PROPIEDADES DE LA SERIE DE TIEMPO ANALIZADA. ESTE TRABAJO MUESTRA QUE ESTA PRACTICA PUEDE LLEVAR, TANTO A UN USO INEFICIENTE DE LA INFORMACION CONTENIDA EN LOS DATOS, COMO A UNA CARACTERIZACION IMPRECISA DE LAS CONDICIONES CLIMATICAS ACTUALES, Y EN PARTICULAR DE LAS FUTURAS, DEBIDO A QUE LOS PARAMETROS SON FUNCION DEL TIEMPO Y DEL TAMANO DE LA SUBMUESTRA. MAS AUN, ESTE ENFOQUE PUEDE LLEVAR A LA DETECCION DE CAMBIOS ESPURIOS EN LOS PARAMETROS DE LA DISTRIBUCION DE LA VARIABLE ANALIZADA. EN ESTE TRABAJO SE UTILIZA EL ANALISIS DE SERIES DE TIEMPO DE LAS TEMPERATURAS MENSUALES OBSERVADAS EN VERACRUZ, MEXICO, PARA ILUSTRAR EL HECHO DE QUE ESTAS TECNICAS PERMITEN REALIZAR UNA MEJOR DESCRIPCION DE LA MEDIA Y VARIABILIDAD DE LAS SERIES, LO QUE A SU VEZ PERMITE (DEPENDIENDO DE LA CLASE DE PROCESO) RESTRINGIR LA INCERTIDUMBRE DEL PRONOSTICO, Y POR LO TANTO OFRECER UNA MEJOR ESTIMACION DEL RIESGO PRESENTE Y FUTURO DE OBSERVAR VALORES FUERA DE UN RANGO DE TOLERANCIA DADO. LOS RESULTADOS PRESENTADOS EN ESTE TRABAJO MUESTRAN QUE, SI BIEN SE ENCUENTRA UNA TENDENCIA SIGNIFICATIVA EN LAS TEMPERATURAS, APORTANDO POSIBLE EVIDENCIA OBSERVADA DE CAMBIO CLIMATICO EN LA REGION, NO EXISTE NINGUNA QUE APOYE CAMBIOS EN LA VARIABILIDAD DE DICHAS SERIES, Y POR LO TANTO TAMPOCO EXISTE NINGUNA EVIDENCIA OBSERVADA A FAVOR DE QUE LA VARIABILIDAD DE LA TEMPERATURA MENSUAL AUMENTARA O DISMINUIRA EN EL FUTURO. ESTO ES, SI EL CAMBIO CLIMATICO YA ESTA OCURRIENDO, SE HA MANIFESTADO COMO UN CAMBIO EN LA MEDIA DE ESTOS PROCESOS Y NO HA AFECTADO OTROS MOMENTOS DE SUS DISTRIBUCIONES (PROCESOS NO-ESTACIONARIOS HOMOGENEOS). EL MAGICC- SCENGEN, UN PROGRAMA UTIL PARA LA CONSTRUCCION DE ESCENARIOS DE CAMBIO CLIMATICO, UTILIZA SUBMUESTRAS DE 20 ANOS PARA ESTIMAR LA VARIABILIDAD FUTURA DEL CLIMA. PARA PROPOSITOS DE COMPARACION, SE CONSTRUYERON POSIBLES FUNCIONES DE DENSIDAD FUTURAS SIGUIENDO DOS ENFOQUES DISTINTOS: EL PRIMERO UTILIZANDO UNICAMENTE LAS SALIDAS DEL MAGICC-SCENGEN, Y EL SEGUNDO USANDO UNA COMBINACION DE ESTA INFORMACION Y DEL ANALISIS DE SERIES DE TIEMPO. SE MUESTRA QUE LAS ESTIMACIONES BASADAS EN SUBMUESTRAS PUEDEN LLEVAR A UNA ESTIMACION IMPRECISA DE LOS IMPACTOS POTENCIALES DE LA VARIABILIDAD CLIMATICA PRESENTE Y DE LOS ESCENARIOS DE CAMBIO CLIMATICO EN TERMINOS DE LAS PROBABILIDADES DE OBTENER VALORES FUERA DE UN RANGO DE TOLERANCIA DADO.