Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do rare-earth metals deter spiny dogfish? A feasibility study on the use of electropositive “mischmetal” to reduce the bycatch of Squalus acanthias by hook gear in the Gulf of Maine

Tallack, S. M. L. , and Mandelman, J. W. 2009. Do rare-earth metals deter spiny dogfish? A feasibility study on the use of electropositive “mischmetal” to reduce the bycatch of Squalus acanthias by hook gear in the Gulf of Maine. - ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 315-322.Catches of spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) are considered by commercial and recreational fishers to be unacceptably high during summer and autumn in the Gulf of Maine off the northeast coast of the USA. Consequently, there is interest in finding a dogfish deterrent for application in various fishing gears. Field studies tested triangular slices of the rare-earth metal cerium/lanthanide alloy (“mischmetal”) incorporated into longlines and rod-and-reel gear to assess its effectiveness in reducing dogfish catches. Treatment catches (mischmetal present) were compared with control (no mischmetal) catches. Laboratory studies provided video-taped, behavioural observations on the effects of alloys under variable levels of food deprivation and dogfish density. No significant reductions in dogfish catch were recorded for either rod and reel or longline, and in situ video footage verified persistent dogfish feeding behaviour, regardless of mischmetal presence. The laboratory trials found some evidence of avoidance behaviour in dogfish approaching treatment baits, but only with dogfish fed to satiation; no aversion to the material was observed after 2 and 4 d of food deprivation. Dogfish density had no effect on feeding behaviour in the laboratory. Overall, there is little evidence to suggest that mischmetal can significantly reduce catches of dogfish in hook gears in the Gulf of Maine.
Cone and seed production in Pinus ponderosa: a review

Factors associated with seed cone production in Pinus ponderosa were reviewed to identify broad patterns and potential effectiveness of restoration activities. Cone and seed production are quite variable, with differences between (1) years, (2) sites, and (3) individual trees. Between-year, population-wide crop failures suggest large-scale triggers for cone and seed production, perhaps high temperatures and dry weather. Stem diameter is the most important determinant for cone production at the tree level, with other factors such as genetic disposition, moisture, soil nutrients, and insect pests and disease playing a smaller role. Some extrinsic factors affect growth rate, indirectly affecting cone production. For example, less competition and lower stand densities result in P. ponderosa trees that increase in diameter more quickly, possibly because of more light, and produce seeds earlier. This literature suggests that restoration activities, especially thinning, will result in trees better able to produce larger seed crops. The effect of prescribed fire is less clear, with contradictory effects depending on site conditions, burn severity, and nutrient status of the site.
Audiovisual cultural artifacts of protest in the Basque country

In this article we propose the emergence of a new kind of visual protest and alternative communication called the Audiovisual Cultural Artifact of Protest (ACAP). These will be studied in the context of the Basque Country, which currently combines structural and conjunctural characteristics that make it an outstanding laboratory for the study of these artifacts. A theoretical analysis of the complex relationships between power, communication and resistance will be carried out, and a reading is proposed that deals with the different planes on which these resistances and disputes are expressed. Based on this analysis, four kinds of audiovisual artifacts produced in the Basque Country are studied. For the empirical analysis, the methodological reflections of visual sociology are taken into consideration. The results provide an overview of these Audiovisual Cultural Artifacts of Protest and the theoretical discussion confirms the emergence of these new forms of visual protest, indicating the existence of a broad-based dynamic in which their proliferation and diversification is occurring. The analysis of the case of the Basque Country allows these tactical and communicative innovations to be contextualised and a discussion to take place about the importance of that context, the discourse's construction and the possible trend towards spectacularisation of the resistances.
Application of IEC 61850-9-2 in MV switchgear with sensors use

MV sensors (Medium Voltage Low-power stand-alone sensors) represent an alternative way of performing the current and voltage measurements needed for the protection and monitoring of medium voltage power systems. These sensors, based on alternative principles, have been introduced as successors to conventional instrument transformers and in connection with microprocessors based Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) enable many benefits for both users and applications. However, to be able to fully utilize all advantages of MV sensors in MV Switchgear at primary distribution level, the way in which the voltage signal can be distributed in the switchgear has to be found. The IEC 61850-9-2 offers the solution. The combination of digitalization by use of IEC 61850-9-2 and MV Sensors brings a significant change to the way in which MV Switchgears and networks can be built. (4 pages)
Stellar and wind parameters of Galactic O-stars - The influence of line-blocking/blanketing

We have re-analyzed the Galactic O-star sample from [CITE] by means of line-blanketed NLTE model atmospheres in order to investigate the influence of line-blocking/blanketing on the derived parameters. The analysis has been carried out by fitting the photospheric and wind lines from H and He. In most cases we obtained a good fit, but we have also found certain inconsistencies which are probably related to a still inadequate treatment of the wind structure. These inconsistencies comprise the line cores of H \gamma and H \beta in supergiants (the synthetic profiles are too weak when the mass-loss rate is determined by matching H \alpha ) and the “generalized dilution effect” (cf. Voels et al. 1989) which is still present in He i 4471 of cooler supergiants and giants. Compared to pure H/He plane-parallel models we found a decrease in effective temperatures which is largest at earliest spectral types and for supergiants (with a maximum shift of roughly 8000 K). This finding is explained by the fact that line-blanketed models of hot stars have photospheric He ionization fractions similar to those from unblanketed models at higher T eff and higher $\log g$. Consequently, any line-blanketed analysis based on the He ionization equilibrium results in lower T eff -values along with a reduction of either $\log g$ or helium abundance (if the reduction of $\log g$ is prohibited by the Balmer line wings). Stellar radii and mass-loss rates, on the other hand, remain more or less unaffected by line-blanketing. We have calculated “new” spectroscopic masses and compared them with previous results. Although the former mass discrepancy [CITE] becomes significantly reduced, a systematic trend for masses below 50 ${M}_{\odot}$ seems to remain: The spectroscopically derived values are smaller than the “evolutionary masses” by roughly 10 ${M}_{\odot}$. Additionally, a significant fraction of our sample stars stays over-abundant in He, although the actual values were found to be lower than previously determined. Also the wind-momentum luminosity relation (WLR) changes because of lower luminosities and almost unmodified wind-momentum rates. Compared to previous results, the separation of the WLR as a function of luminosity class is still present but now the WLR for giants/dwarfs is consistent with theoretical predictions. We argue that the derived mass-loss rates of stars with H \alpha in emission are affected by clumping in the lower wind region. If the predictions from different and independent theoretical simulations (Vink et al. 2000; Pauldrach et al. 2003; Puls et al. 2003a) that the WLR should be independent of luminosity class were correct, a typical clumping factor $ / ^2\, \approx 5$ should be derived by “unifying” the different WLRs.
Domain Adaptation on Graphs by Learning Graph Topologies: Theoretical Analysis and an Algorithm

Traditional machine learning algorithms assume that the training and test data have the same distribution, while this assumption does not necessarily hold in real applications. Domain adaptation methods take into account the deviations in the data distribution. In this work, we study the problem of domain adaptation on graphs. We consider a source graph and a target graph constructed with samples drawn from data manifolds. We study the problem of estimating the unknown class labels on the target graph using the label information on the source graph and the similarity between the two graphs. We particularly focus on a setting where the target label function is learnt such that its spectrum is similar to that of the source label function. We first propose a theoretical analysis of domain adaptation on graphs and present performance bounds that characterize the target classification error in terms of the properties of the graphs and the data manifolds. We show that the classification performance improves as the topologies of the graphs get more balanced, i.e., as the numbers of neighbors of different graph nodes become more proportionate, and weak edges with small weights are avoided. Our results also suggest that graph edges between too distant data samples should be avoided for good generalization performance. We then propose a graph domain adaptation algorithm inspired by our theoretical findings, which estimates the label functions while learning the source and target graph topologies at the same time. The joint graph learning and label estimation problem is formulated through an objective function relying on our performance bounds, which is minimized with an alternating optimization scheme. Experiments on synthetic and real data sets suggest that the proposed method outperforms baseline approaches.
How to improve online B2C sales?: a conversion rate study

The goal of this study is to enrich the research field of conversion rate optimization (CRO) by adapting the Information System Success Model of DeLone and McLean (2003) to the context of conversion rate optimization of online shops. The results explain and help predict the effects of multiple factors influencing conversion rates. The paper presents multiple-item measurements for the following determinants; content quality, system quality, and layout quality. These measurements were turned into a rating instrument which is based on an extensive literature review. A sample of 43 online shops was rated and analyzed based on web analytics retrieved from databases of the online shops themselves and a third party database. In order to uncover major dimensions underlying the set of items, categorical principal component analysis was executed. The results provide two dimensions for conversion rate optimization: professionalism and convenience. These dimensions were further analyzed by conducting categorical regression analysis for each dimension as well as the individual factors of both dimensions. Four items were found to have statistical significant positive impact on conversion rates: an easy to scan online shop, good quality of product representation, high initial access speed of the homepage, and the option to create a personal account.
Elevationally biased avian predation as a contributor to the spatial distribution of geometrid moth outbreaks in sub‐arctic mountain birch forest

1. Population dynamics and interactions that vary over a species' range are of particular importance in the context of latitudinal clines in biological diversity. Winter moth (Operophtera brumata) and autumnal moth (Epirrita autumnata) are two species of eruptive geometrids that vary widely in outbreak tendency over their range, which generally increases from south to north and with elevation.
Primitive and Schedule-Based Sensor Networks MAC Protocol: A Survey

-Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are endearing to researchers in view of their outspread application capacity in the multifarious domain such as object detection and tracking, industrial automation, environmental monitoring, smart home, and tactical system [1]. Typically, a WSN comprises of enormous low-cost and small sensor nodes which are deployed in an intended region to acquire data of interest. However, poor sensing range of a node evolves compact network, hence developing a dynamic Medium-Access Control (MAC) protocol is predominant. So far, a great number of MAC protocols have been presented with different ideas for wireless sensor networks. Initially, researchers’ prime consideration was energy efficiency. In the recent past, researchers have given priority to design a protocol that supports multitasking while being adaptive to traffic loads. In this paper, an attempt has been made to survey the numerous Primitive and Schedule-Based MAC protocols. At first, the properties of wireless sensors paramount for the design of MAC layer protocols are summarized. Then, the Primitive MAC protocols and Scheduled-Based MAC protocols are discussed, and finally, their advantages and disadvantages are emphasized.
WAY-FINDING ASSISTANCE SYSTEM FOR UNDERGROUND FACILITIES USING AUGMENTED REALITY

Way-finding is one of main challenges for pedestrians in large subterranean spaces with complex network of connected labyrinths. This problem is caused by the loss of their sense of directions and orientation due to the lack of landmarks that are occluded by ceilings, walls, and skyscraper. This paper introduces an assistance system for way-finding problem in large subterranean spaces using Augmented Reality (AR). It suggests displaying known landmarks that are invisible in indoor environments on tablet/handheld devices to assist users with relative positioning and indoor way-finding. The location and orientation of the users can be estimated by the indoor positioning systems and sensors available in the common tablet or smartphones devices. The constructed 3D model of a chosen landmark that is in the field of view of the handheld’s camera is augmented on the camera’s video feed. A prototype system has been implemented to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed system for way-finding.
Trophic consequences of pelagic life-style in yellow-bellied sea snakes

Snakes show a close relationship between their own size and that of their prey. This is especially true for marine species that forage on the sea floor. In these sea snakes, body size influences both the depth to which a snake dives and its ability to extract prey from crevices in which they shelter. These factors could be expected to have less influence in the case of strictly pelagic foragers. We examined the trophic ecology of the yellow-bellied sea snake Pelamis platu- rus, which is the only surface-feeding sea snake species. We based our study on 2 independent but complementary datasets: dietary data and stable isotopes. Our results confirm the pelagic trophic ecology of this species. However, in contrast to other marine species, P. platurus does not exhibit any ontogenetic shift in prey size despite having a relatively large range of body size. Although prey number increases with a snake's size, our results suggest a limitation on P. platurus' ability to accommodate very large prey. Functional attributes that are linked to a pelagic life-style such as swimming performance, buoyancy regulation, and osmoregulation — in addition to possible limi- tations of prey availability — are likely to constrain the trophic ecology of this species. Future investigations should explore the relative contributions of these different, but not mutually exclu- sive functional attributes, to unravel the foraging constraints in the context of evolutionary transi- tion to marine life in secondarily marine vertebrates.
Requirements-based knowledge discovery for technology management

Exploiting information resources, particularly diverse research and development databases, presents opportunities to enhance technology management. Many such databases (e.g., Science Citation Index, Business Index) offer useful index fields to help access documents. However, these indexes sometimes fail to address the requirements effectively. We present an approach that allows the user to extract and categorize desired information from particular datasets that lack effective indexing for the purpose. We illustrate for a US Patents dataset on lightweight automotive materials.
Data-mining for multi-variable flood damage modelling with limited data

Flood damage assessment is usually done with damage curves only dependent on the water depth. Recent studies have shown that data-mining techniques applied to a multi-dimensional dataset can produce significantly better flood damage estimates. However, creating and applying a multi-variable flood damage model requires an extensive dataset, which is rarely available and this can limit the application of these new techniques. In this paper we enrich a dataset of residential building and content damages from the Meuse flood of 1993 in the Netherlands, to make it suitable for multi-variable flood damage assessment. Results from 2D flood simulations are used to add information on flow velocity, flood duration and the return period to the dataset, and cadastre data is used to add information on building characteristics. Next, several statistical approaches are used to create multi-variable flood damage models, including regression trees, bagging regression trees, random forest, and a Bayesian network. Validation on data points from a test set shows that the enriched dataset in combination with the data-mining techniques delivers a significant improvement over a simple model only based on the water depth. We find that with our dataset, the trees based methods perform better than the Bayesian Network.
CHARACTERIZATION OF CuO-NANOADDITIVE BLENDED ENGINE OIL

Copper oxide (CuO) nanoadditives were successfully synthesized in laboratory by precipitation technique. X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) showed the crystalline nature of CuO with the average crystal size of 10 nm. The prepared CuO has been blended with engine oil. Thus prepared modified engine oil showed good kinematic viscosity 158 cSt and 19.06 cSt at 40⁰C and 100⁰C respectively. The viscosity index was also found to be improved to 122. Similarly, the pour point was also found to be considerably decreased to -27⁰C which is due to presence of CuO that acts as good pour point depressant. The flash point of modified engine oil reached to 225⁰C. In addition, modified engine oil was found to be reluctant towards water and it does not contain noticeable amount of water and found to be noncorrosive in nature having copper strip corrosion rating 1b according to ASTM D-130 method. Results revealed that the physio-chemical parameters of engine oil could be improved by the addition of CuO nanoadditive. Journal of Institute of Science and Technology Volume 22, Issue 1, July 2017, page: 152-158
INDOOR MEASUREMENTS OF THE POWER DENSITY CLOSE TO MOBILE STATION ANTENNA

The public concern about the potential adverse health effects of the human exposure to the electromagnetic radiation of GSM (Global Standart for Mobile Communications) base stations has grown in the recent years. The increasing number of cellular telephony subscribers has led to an expansion of networks, with the installation of more base stations. This investigation aimed to provide information for the distribution of EMF (electromagnetic field) power density created from antenna at the university area in the Lithuania. We carried out measurements in particular periods of time a day in five of the investigation areas. The results are discussed, regarding both the obtained values and the factors that influence the measurements. The measured values were well below the maximum permissible exposure levels in the adopted HN 81:2005 in our country.
A Novel Model for Lattice-Based Authorized Searchable Encryption with Special Keyword

Data stored in the cloud servers, keyword search, and access controls are two important capabilities which should be supported. Public-keyword encryption with keyword search (PEKS) and attribute based encryption (ABE) are corresponding solutions. Meanwhile, as we step into postquantum era, pairing related assumption is fragile. Lattice is an ideal choice for building secure encryption scheme against quantum attack. Based on this, we propose the first mathematical model for lattice-based authorized searchable encryption. Data owners can sort the ciphertext by specific keywords such as time; data users satisfying the access control hand the trapdoor generated with the keyword to the cloud sever; the cloud sever sends back the corresponding ciphertext. The security of our schemes is based on the worst-case hardness on lattices, called learning with errors (LWE) assumption. In addition, our scheme achieves attribute-hiding, which could protect the sensitive information of data user.
MORPHOMETRIC AND ALLOZYME VARIABILITY IN PERSIAN BEEPOPULATION FROM THE ALBURZ MOUNTAINS, IRAN

Apis mellifera meda is one among those two dozen subspecies which are the most widely distributed in the world. While in our first description, its distribution is restricted to North Persia, Lencoron (on the Caspian Sea coast), in later studies it extends westward, to the north of Iraq and Syria, and to the southeastern parts of Turkey. To investigate the geographic variation and population structure of the honey bees of northern Iran that are among the least studied populations of Apis mellifera, samples were collected in the Alburz mountains, in the south of the Caspian Sea. A total of 46 colonies were sampled from six different locations (three in the highlands: Khanchay, Sefar, Zanjan; and three in the lowlands, Gholikandy, Gultepe and Duzteran Fig.1). Out of six enzymes assayed, four were found to be polymorphic (Pgm, Hk, Mdh, and Est) and two (Pgi and Me) displayed invariant banding patterns. Gene frequencies, enzyme heterozygosities and usefulness of gene frequencies to Hardy-Weinberg expectations were analyzed with the BIOSYS-1 package. The overall grand mean heterozygosity for all populations was calculated as 0.052±0.036. A Distance Wagner analysis based on the Prevosti distance divided the honey bee samples into two groups according to their origin from lowlands and highlands. Morphmetric variations of the colonies were assessed using parameters measured from hind and fore-wing and from legs. Different multivariate analyses were applied for the determination of different honey bee populations in the Alburz Mountains in Iran.
ESM: an enhanced attack tree model for critical infrastructure

Information attack modelling can have many advantages in various stages of security audit. Although security concerns are often discussed in detail after the system has been designed, the attack modelling can prove to be an important contribution to the subsequent operational security assurance during the development of the system. In the paper, we are dealing with information attacks modelling in critical infrastructure using an enhanced structural model. In critical infrastructure, the presentation of the attacks must be appropriately demonstrated: this means sufficiently detailed and including as many details about the events during the attack. By using an enhanced structural model, proposed in the paper, the information attacks can be presented in a more detailed and transparent manner, which contributes to the improvement of security analyses during the development of systems as well as the analyses of previous information attacks.