Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Boldness is related to the development of the cephalic crest in the male of the river blenny Salaria fluviatilis (Asso, 1801)

Boldness is defined as the tendency of an individual to take risks when exposed to novel objects or situations. The main aim of this work was to dilucidate if boldness was related to the development of the secondary sexual traits (SSTs) in the male of the river blenny Salaria fluviatilis , a freshwater fish which takes care of eggs. As a second objective SSTs effect on parental status adoption was also be explored. Wild young fish were caught in the Segre River (Ebro basin) in November 2010. Fish were kept in five aquaria in groups of eight males and eight females with artificial nests. Boldness (boldness score and hesitancy) of males (initially with little SSTs development) was tested as the time required to exit a refuge when exposed to a new environment. Fish were mantained in the same aquaria for several months, and males’ SSTs development and reproductive behaviour were monitored. Boldness score was negatively associated to cephalic crest development. Hesitancy was negatively related to male length and was also influenced by the interaction between male length and cephalic crest. Parental status acquisition was positively related to the male’s length, marginally related to anal gland development, and non-related to cephalic crest. These results suggest an intrasexual role of the crest as an informative trait of boldness (honest signal) which might not necessarily be chosen by the females. It is also discussed that correlational selection could be responsible for linking boldness and growth rate in this species. Sexual selection, in addition to having directed the evolution of secondary sexual traits, might have favored certain personality traits (e.g. boldness) associated with the achievement of a larger body length.
Energy Efficiency of Living Creatures from the Mechanical Viewpoint

Animals or insects can walk or run more elegant and advanced than any other legged mechanical models. They can move on a variety of terrain conditions since they have a distinct ability to adapt to varying conditions by using strictly coordinated leg mechanisms. Nature has an astonishing capability. They continuously have modified their body structures and living patterns, which makes it possible to survive and still continue their developments. Structural and locomotive characteristics of four-legged animals are copied and modelled from the mechanical view point, as body and links. The model is the robot, having 4-legs. Under the given structure and the locomotion conditions, the total energy to complete one cycle is calculated and finally suggested the optimal locomotive conditions.
Full-scale Tests for Seismic Performance Verification of Steel Building Structures with Hysteretic Dampers

建築構造物の耐震改修・再生に活用できる履歴ダンパーの効用を実証する実大構造物実験に取り組んだ。 地震エネルギーの吸収能力の高さが既に実証されている座屈拘束型のダンパーを使い、施工時の接合品質が安定した高力ボルト接合を主体とした新しい構造形式が提案されており、これを用いた柱梁接合部を対象とする部分架構と、3層の実大立体骨組を対象とする2つの実験プロジェクトに取り組み、その力学挙動と耐震性能を検証した。
Characteristics of inflation in Greece: Mean Spillover Effects among CPI Components

The objective of this paper is to investigate the behaviour of various CPI components in terms of their spillover behaviour. This is the first study analyzing the causal relationship between CPI components in Greece. The empirical analysis uses data on different components of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) with 1995 as the base year (1995=100). Data covers the period 1981 to 2009. Our results indicated the primary price movements are transmitted from the energy price indices, i.e. the electricity price index, the energy price index and the fuels and gas price index, while a secondary role also comes from the food and vegetables price index along with the services price index. In terms of causality, the evidence indicates that there is a unidirectional transmission of energy prices disturbance to the remaining CPI components, while innovations (shocks) to the remaining CPI components did not have any significant effect on all indices.
Interspecific comparisons of behavioral responses of southeastern snakes to roads

SNAKES TO ROADS by KIMBERLY MARIE ANDREWS (Under the Direction of J. Whitfield Gibbons) ABSTRACT Unsustainable levels of road avoidance or mortality result in the barrier effect, and therefore habitat fragmentation, disrupting metapopulation dynamics and potentially leading to genetic isolation. As ecological behaviors of snakes vary interspecifically, responses of snakes when encountering roads would also be expected to vary interspecifically. The probability of crossing the road significantly varied across species of southeastern U.S. snakes, with smaller species of snakes avoiding the road almost completely. In addition to crossing rates, species were significantly different in crossing speed and responses to a passing vehicle. Venomous snakes crossed the road more slowly than nonvenomous species or species that rely on flight for defense. However, all species crossed the road at a perpendicular angle, minimizing the time spent crossing. Scientific identification of particular vulnerabilities of snake species to roads is essential to mitigate wildlife impacts of existing roads and to design transportation systems effectively in the future.
Monetary Policy Indeterminacy in the U.S.: Results from a Classical Test

We work with a newly developed method to empirically assess whether a specified new-Keynesian business cycle monetary model estimated with U.S. quarterly data is consistent with a unique equilibrium or multiple equilibria under rational expectations. We conduct classical tests to verify if the structural model is correctly specified. Conditional on a positive answer, we formally assess if such model is either consistent with a unique equilibrium or with indeterminacy. Importantly, our full-system approach requires neither the use of prior distributions nor that of nonstandard inference. The case of an indeterminate equilibrium in the pre-1984 sample and of a determinate equilibrium in the post-1984 sample is favored by the data. The long-run coefficients on inflation and the output gap in the monetary policy rule are found to be weakly identified. However, our results are further supported by a proposed identification-robust indicator of indeterminacy.
Museum theriological collections for the study of genetic diversity

Molecular methods to analyse DNA variability are opening new perspectives in the role played by museums in biodiversity research. DNA can be extracted from specific tissue collections, as well as from traditional voucher specimens. Ancient and museum DNA research produce valuable information for defining the phylogenetic positions of extinct taxa, the reconstruction of molecular and organismal evolution in extinct species, the characterization of extinct populations, including animal diets or microbial infections. Historical DNA samples are important sources of information also for conservation and evolutionary studies. In this paper, the methods used for ancient DNA analysis and the main results reported in published studies are reviewed.
Mobile Ad hoc Networks – Dangling issues of optimal path strategy

Ad Hoc network is a collection of wireless mobile hosts forming a temporary network without the aid of any centralized administration, in which individual nodes cooperate by forwarding packets to each other to allow nodes to communicate beyond direct wireless transmission range. Routing is a process of exchanging information from one station to other stations of the network. Routing protocols of mobile ad-hoc network tend to need different approaches from existing Internet protocols because of dynamic topology, mobile host, distributed environment, less bandwidth, less battery power. The key concern is to analyze the ability of moving nodes in the network using Random Direction Mobility model based on the path availability. Key Words: Mobile ad hoc networks, Routing, Path stability
Respiratory Health Symptoms and Lung Function among Road- side Hawkers in Serdang and Its Association with Traffic-Related Exposures

Background: The main objective of this study was to determine the respiratory health symptoms and lung function among roadside hawkers in Serdang, Malaysia and its association with traffic-related exposures. Methods: This cross-sectional comparative study was conducted among 60 roadside hawkers while 60 restaurant workers were included as the comparative group in 2015. A questionnaire was used to collect background information and symptoms of respiratory health. All participants performed lung function tests. Personal exposure to trafficrelated fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon dioxide (CO) were performed among a representative group of workers. All statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 22. Results: The mean (standard deviation) PM2.5 exposure among the roadside hawkers was 31.05 (1.62) μg/m 3 while the exposure among the comparative group was 19.41 (1.51) μg/m3 (P<0.05). The mean exposure level of CO among the roadside hawkers was 2.42 (0.29) ppm compared to 1.51 (0.14) ppm among comparative group. FEV1 (litres) (z=1.96, P=0.04) of the exposed group was significantly lower than the comparative group. Respiratory symptoms such as wheezing, chest tightness, coughing and phlegm were significantly higher among exposed group (P<0.05). There were significant associations between the reporting of wheezing with PM2.5 (Odds Ratio, OR=10.39, 95% Confidence Interval, CI=2.67-40.41), working duration (OR=13.36, 95%CI=3.13- 57.03) and current smoking status (OR=3.34, 95%CI=1.04-10.67). Conclusion: Roadside hawkers are exposed to high traffic-related pollutants, had reduced lung function, and are at risk for increased respiratory health symptoms. The study suggested the importance of preventive management for this specific group of workers.
Extensive CO2 emissions from shallow coastal waters during passage of Hurricane Irene (August 2011) over the Mid‐Atlantic Coast of the U.S.A

Shallow coastal waters serve an important role as long‐term carbon (C) sinks because they capture terrestrial C and retain internally produced C in wetlands and sediments. We show that tropical cyclones (TCs) can lead to rapid CO2 efflux from estuaries, driven by physical and biogeochemical perturbation of these coastal C reservoirs, and that the magnitude of TC‐driven CO2 emissions may offset C that accumulates over much longer timescales. In August 2011, Hurricane Irene passed over North Carolina's Neuse River Estuary—Pamlico Sound (NRE‐PS), which is part of the second largest estuarine system in the U.S., the Albemarle—Pamlico Sound. Irene rapidly changed the NRE‐PS system from a small CO2 sink to a large CO2 source. Irene‐induced CO2 efflux from the NRE alone was at least four times the annual riverine C input and seven times the annual atmospheric CO2 uptake. The magnitude and duration of ecosystem disturbance from TCs vary with storm intensity and frequency but likely are qualitatively similar across many terrestrial and coastal systems. Consequently, altered TC activity under future climate scenarios may shift the balance between C accumulation in, and release from, coastal C reservoirs.
Seasonal variation in δ13C and δ15N of size-fractionated plankton at a coastal station in the northern Baltic proper

Seasonal cycles of δ 13 C and δ 15 N in dissolved organic carbon and size-fractionated plankton, ranging from bacteria to the jellyfish Aurelia aurita, were studied during a 1 yr cycle at a coastal station in the Baltic Sea. The observed isotopic changes were found with time lags in all size-fractions of plankton. The δ 13 C showed a bimodal cycle with 2 local maxima, the first coinciding with the spring bloom and the second with the autumn bloom. In δ 15 N, the annual cycle was trimodal with 3 local maxima. The first occurred in connection with the spring bloom, the second in mid-summer and the third was a broad autumn-to-winter maximum. The causes of these patterns are discussed in relation to measured oceanographic variables. In the summer, a depleted nitrogen isotopic signal was propagated through all size-classes of plankton, indicating direct or secondary utilisation of fixed nitrogen from cyanobacteria. The strength of the signal indicated that nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria are more ecologically important as instantaneous nitrogen sources in the Baltic than previously assumed. Enrichment of δ 15 N in size-classes of plankton was found to be a linear function of logarithmic organism size from 20 to 500 μm, reflecting size-related consumption patterns of marine plankton food-webs. The explanatory power of the linear regression and the enrichment per unit size were stronger in spring and autumn than in the summer, reflecting time lags and diversity in the zooplankton community. The size-specific approach was found to be a simpler and more appropriate way of analysing trophic isotope enrichment in plankton food-webs than the assumption of a general enrichment factor per trophic level.
Applicability of the modified Quality- of-Life Concerns in the End of Life Questionnaire (mQOLC-E) for frail older people

Objectives. Quality of life (QOL) has emerged as an outcome measure, since merely achieving longevity is no longer the goal of medicine. Older people, especially those who are frail, are more prone to morbidity and mortality. This study aimed at determining a specific QOL measurement for the frail elderly residing in long-term care facilities. Methods. Quality-of-life Concerns in the End of Life Questionnaire (QOLC-E) was derived from an ethnographic study of patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and terminal cancer. It was adapted for the frail elderly in this study based on the assumption that they shared similar concerns in the last phase of their lives. A total of 313 frail older people from a geriatric outpatient clinic and 10 nursing homes were recruited for testing the psychometric status of the modified QOLC-E (mQOLC-E). Results. The 23 items in the mQOLC-E entailed six factors for analysis. The factor structure resembled that of the original QOLC-E. Its internal consistency and inter-rater reliability of the mQOLC-E were acceptably high. Significant differences were noted between the frail and non-frail groups in terms of the mQOLC-E mean scores, thus demonstrating the test’s discriminative validity. Conclusions. The findings provide evidence that the mQOLC-E was a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the quality-of-life concerns of frail older people. The findings also reveal that they share similar concerns to patients in need of palliative care. Knowledge from this study will be useful for designing care to address the concerns for this vulnerable group.
TERM STRUCTURE OF INTEREST RATE AND MACROECONOMIC VARIABLES : THE TURKISH

This study includes very initial analyses of ongoing research which investigate the relationship between term structure of interest rate and macro variables in Turkey. Initial . ndings indicate that corresponding relation has structural break around 2002 which coincides with new monetary policy namey in.ation targeting. In pre2002 period role of macroeconomic variables in yield curve is limited however in post 2002 period macro variables play very crucial role in term structure of interest rate. We found that in.ation and exchange rate are two majar macro variables that determine the shape of yield curve.
The Performance of a Consumption Augmented Asset Index in Ranking Households and Identifying the Poor

Asset ownership indices are widely used as inexpensive proxies for consumption. This paper shows that these indices can be augmented using dichotomous indicators for consumption, which are equally easy to obtain. The paper uses multiple rounds of Living Standards Measurement Study surveys from Malawi, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Ghana to construct indices with different item subcategories and performs a meta-analysis comparing the indices to per capita consumption. The results show that the standard asset indices, which are derived from durable ownership and housing characteristic indicators, perform well in urban settings. Yet, in rural samples and when identifying the extreme poor, household rankings and poverty classification accuracy can be meaningfully improved by adding indicators of food and semi-durable consumption. The study finds small improvement from using national weights in urban samples but no improvement from using alternative construction methods. With most of Africa’s poor concentrated in rural areas, these are important insights.
1 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN A PARTICIPATORY DESIGN STUDIO BETWEEN CARLETON UNIVERSITY AND PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY

The research project investigates the use of a network-enabled platform (NEP) involving a combination of technologies that include: high bandwidth network infrastructure; highperformance visualization and compute cluster solutions; Storage Area Network devices and servers; standard and high definition tele-presence/communication infrastructure; co-located immersive environments; and a range of modeling and imaging applications. The NEP enabled student teams in multiple locations collaborate via on-demand, synchronous access to project data, visualization, modeling, simulation and multimodal interpersonal communication tools through a web service based dashboard interface that hid the logistic and technical complexities to the user. As a preliminary report on a proof-of-concept design studio conducted during the spring semester of 2007 between the Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS) at Carleton University in Ottawa and the Immersive Environment Laboratory (IEL) at Pennsylvania State University, the paper first describes the implementation of this network-centric collaborative design platform. The report articulates the “staging” of the conditions of possibility for a dynamic interplay between technological mediation and the reality of making, then compares the use of high bandwidth technology with customized symmetrical toolsets in the tele-collaborative educational environment, versus commercial toolsets deployed over moderate bandwidth connections. In each setting, the collaborative environment is assessed according to issues encountered by students and design outcomes. The effectiveness of the digitally mediated collaborative studio is also gauged in terms of student reaction to the learning process via feedback surveys and questionnaires.
Finding the Optimal MAC Protocol for Low-Power High Data Rate Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Networks

In this paper, we explore the possibility of designing an optimal medium access control (MAC) layer for high data rate ultra-wideband (UWB) transmission systems that transmit very little power especially in mobile devices. MAC in UWB wireless networks is necessary to coordinate channel access among competing devices. The unique UWB characteristics offer great challenges and opportunities in effective UWB MAC design. We first study the background of UWB and available MAC protocols that have been used in UWB. Secondly, we analyse the power consumption for UWB in mobile devices based on competing short-range wireless technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi as references. Finally we present the key issue that will be considered in the design of an optimal MAC layer that will fully exploit UWB potential as a low-power, high data rate, short range wireless transmission system.
Measuring Air And Terrestrial Transport Company Reputation: Tourism Intangibles Expressed In The Digital Environment

The reputation of companies within the transport industry is influenced by competitive dynamics within the sector: low-cost flights, the attractiveness of destinations, online usergenerated content about users’ experiences, and more. At the same time, social media provides a means for companies to manage issues of tourism intangibles. Thus, it is relevant to analyse transport reputation in the digital environment, taking into consideration the resources for managing these intangibles. This paper presents a method for measuring transport reputation based on an analysis of tourism consumers’ digital opinions and passengers’ comments about their experiences with these firms. The use of social media, such as TripAdvisor and Facebook, conjugated with business intelligence tools and complemented by data mining techniques, can contribute to the development of metrics that consider intangibles like emotions and experiences, with the aim of measuring, analysing, and visualizing the complex relationships between these intangibles and transport companies’ reputations. The results present the impacts of these intangibles through clusters and positioning maps focusing on these issues. This investigation contributes to our knowledge about airlines and terrestrial transport companies that seek to differentiate their positioning in tourism markets through their reputations.
Alternatives : Comparing Quality and Outcomes of Head Start and State Prekindergarten

The debates over the 2003 reauthorization of Head Start highlighted a controversy about the devolution offederal early education policy. At the center of the debate is the concern that state control of early education programs will reduce the quality and effectiveness offederal support for children living in poverty, and their families. The current fragmentation of early education policy, with both federal Head Start programs and state-subsidized prekindergarten programs operating in close proximity, presents an opportunity to compare the programs' quality and effectiveness within a region of common support. In this study, propensity score techniques were used to match a probability sample of Head Start participants in Georgia with a group of children who were eligible for Head Start but who attended the state prekindergarten program in Georgia. The two groups were statistically similar at the beginning of their preschool year on three offour direct assessments (p < .05), but by the beginning of kindergarten the children attending the state prekindergarten program posted higher de velopmental outcomes on five of six direct assessments (p < .05) and 14 of 17 ratings by kindergarten teachers (p < .05). This study indicates that economically disadvantaged children who attended Georgia's universal prekindergarten entered kindergarten at least as well prepared as similar children who attended the Head Start program.