Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reinforcement learning for dynamic condition-based maintenance of a system with individually repairable components

Abstract In this article, a reinforcement learning approach is used to develop a new dynamic maintenance policy for multi-component systems with individually repairable components, where each component experiences two competing failure processes of degradation and random shocks. The gamma process is used to model the degradation path of each component in the system. It is assumed that each incoming shock causes damage to the degradation path of all the components. A combination of component degradation is then used to define the system states. The optimal maintenance action for each component at each specific state is found by modeling the problem as Markov decision process and solving it by using a Q-learning algorithm. Using a reinforcement learning approach provides a more time-efficient and cost-effective method compared to the traditional maintenance optimization solutions, and it can also provide a dynamic maintenance policy for each specific degradation state of the system which is more useful and beneficial compared to the fixed or stationary maintenance plan which is often proposed by previous studies. A numerical example shows how the reinforcement learning can be used to find the optimal maintenance action for systems with different system configurations.
Effects of aquatic physiotherapy versus conventional physical therapy on the risk of fall in the elderly: a randomized clinical trial

Objective: To identify whether physiotherapy treatment in water is more effective than the treatment in land environment, aiming at improving the process of physical limitation or functional inability (gait speed, balance, motor abilities) caused by lack of balance in elderly with risk of fall. Methods: Randomized clinical trial, experimental study. The sample was composed of 35 senior individuals of both sexes, with average age of 65. Nineteen people composed the control Group /Conventional Physiotherapy, while the rest composed the experimental Group/Aquatic Physical therapy. Both groups were submitted to twenty sessions of physical therapy, twice a week, for 50 minutes in individual treatment. Aerobic activities were conducted for both groups separately. Exercises using water specific therapy, such as Halliwick rotation control and Bad Ragaz ring method, were used in the aquatic group and in the conventional group, physiotherapeutic techniques were applied, approaching the concepts of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) and decubitus change training. The following tests were used to measure the risk of fall/balance: Timed Up and Go Test, Sit-to-Stand in 30 seconds and Functional Reach. Results: Both physiotherapeutic interventions, aquatic and conventional, showed to be greatly efficient however aquatic physiotherapy showed certain advantages compared to conventional physical therapy, promoting more beneficial effects in the gait speed, balance, motor abilities and, mainly, in the reduction of the risk of fall. 254 Fisioterapia Brasil 2020;21(3):253-264
Partitioning net interactions among plants along altitudinal gradients to study community responses to climate change

Summary Altitudinal gradients provide a useful space-for-time substitution to examine the capacity for plant competition and facilitation to mediate responses to climate change. Decomposing net interactions into their facilitative and competitive components, and quantifying the performance of plants with and without neighbours along altitudinal gradients, may prove particularly informative in understanding the mechanisms behind plant responses to environmental change. To decouple the inherent responses of species to climate from the responses of plant–plant interactions to climate, we conducted a meta-analysis. Using data from 16 alpine experiments, we tested if changes in net interactions along altitudinal gradients were due to a change in the performance of target species without neighbours (i.e. environmental severity effects only) or with neighbours (neighbour trait mediated effects). There was a global shift from competition to facilitation with increasing altitude driven by both environmental severity and neighbour trait effects. However, this global pattern was strongly influenced by the high number of studies in mesic climates and driven by competition at low altitude in temperate climates (neighbour trait effect), and facilitation at high altitude in arctic and temperate climates (environmental severity effect). In Mediterranean systems, there was no significant effect of competition, and facilitation increased with decreasing altitude. Changes in facilitation with altitude could not unambiguously be attributed to either neighbour trait effects or environmental severity effects, probably because of the opposing stress gradients of cold and aridity in dry environments. Partitioning net interactions along altitudinal gradients led to the prediction that climate change should decrease the importance of facilitation in mesic alpine communities, which might in turn exacerbate the negative effects of climate change in these regions. In xeric climates, the importance of facilitation by drought-tolerant species should increase at low altitudes which should mitigate the negative effect of climate change. However, the importance of facilitation by cold-tolerant species at high altitudes may decrease and exacerbate the effects of climate change.
High School and College Choice Factors Associated with High-Achieving Low-Income Students’ College Degree Completion

Gaps in college degree completion between low-, middle-, and high-income college students are typically attributed to differences in academic preparation and ability. However, high-achieving, low-income students are still less likely to graduate from college than their high-achieving, high-income counterparts. This study explores completion rates at the end of the Great Recession, using a community cultural wealth framework to examine additional pre-college factors and college attendance behaviors that contribute to the degree completion of high-achieving, low-income students. Longitudinal data using the Freshmen Survey and National Student Clearinghouse were collected from 2004 to 2010, comparing 9300 high-achieving students entering 455 colleges from low-, middle-, and high-income backgrounds. Hierarchical linear modeling (HGLM) was used to identify student and institutional factors that predict college completion during this era. Findings indicate that navigational capital and college attendance patterns (attending a summer session, selective college, and/or private institution) are key factors for high-achieving, low-income student completion. Cultural wealth anti-deficit measures could not explain the low-income Latinx lower likelihood of college completion nor gender differences across income groups. Implications of the results address concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic recession in terms of what institutions can do to support students.
Direct use of inorganic colloidal iron by marine mixotrophic phytoplankton

Three species of photosynthetic flagellates capable of phagotrophy (mixotrophic species) were tested for their abilities to use inorganic iron colloids for growth. Ochromonas sp. , Chrysochromulina ericina (a coastal strain), and C. ericina (an oceanic strain) were grown in iron‐free seawater supplemented with 1 µM Fe‐ferrihydrite (amorphous hydrous ferric oxide), magnetite (Fe3O4)/maghemite ( gamma‐Fe2O3), hematite ( a‐Fe2O3), or goethite ( a‐FeOOH). Desferrioxamine B, an iron‐binding siderophore, was used to reduce the concentration of dissolved iron in the colloid‐amended media, and none of the flagellates were able to use its iron complex as an iron source under the conditions of the experiments. Both strains of Chrysochromulina grew at 35%–70% of their maximum rates with goethite, hematite, and magnetite/maghemite but were unable to use ferrihydrite. Ochromonas grew well with ferrihydrite but could not use any of the other forms. Thalassiosira oceanica (clone 1003) and Thalassiosira pseudonana (clone 3H), diatoms that could only take up dissolved forms of iron, were unable to use any of the colloids tested. The mechanism of iron acquisition by the flagellates appeared to involve ingestion of the iron colloids, because bacteria resident in the cultures were too iron poor to be a significant source of iron and were unable to use the iron contained in the colloids themselves. Variations in the sizes of the colloids were hypothesized to account for differences in their availability, independent of colloid chemical stability. The results provide the first strong evidence for direct use (i.e., without prior dissolution) of colloidal iron by mixotrophic phytoplankton and document a new pathway of iron acquisition that may be important for their survival in low‐iron waters of the sea.
The nutritional composition, sensory evaluation and microbiological studies of fish cake made from shrimp bycatch.

This study reports on the nutritional composition, sensory evaluation and microbiological studies of fish cake made from shrimp bycatch. The yield of mince from the bycatch was 80.26% mince; 10.21% residue and 9.53% loss. The mince proximate composition was 66.32% moisture; 20.08% protein; 3.45% lipid and 3.93% ash. The proximate composition of the raw fish cakes was 64.40% moisture; 19.13% protein; 4.14% lipid; 6.11% ash and 6.22% carbohydrate. The deep fried fish cake had 60.12% moisture; 21.01% protein; 8.50% lipid; 6.30% ash and 4.07% carbohydrate. No significant difference (P > 0.05) was observed between the proximate composition of raw and deep fried fish cake. The peroxide values (PV) of raw and deep fried fish cake ranged from 7.20 - 22.00 mEqO2/Kg of lipid during six week storage period. There was significant correlation between storage time and peroxide values in both treatments. Microbiological analysis showed that the Total Viable Count (TVC) decreased with increase in frozen period. The results obtained were within the acceptable limit of International Commission on Microbiological Specification for Food. The organoleptic properties of the deep fried cake indicated that the product was acceptable until about the fourth week. The study showed that fish cake from shrimp bycatch is microbiologically safe and nutritionally high in protein, fat as well as calcium. Key words: Bycatch, fishcake, shrimp, sensory, proximate, mince, peroxide values, staphylococcus.
Living on predictability: modelling the density distribution of efficient foraging seabirds

In areas with regular fishing coastal fleets seabirds may benefit from the predictability of discards from fishing vessels, but it is not clear to what extent birds rely on this predictable resource and whether foraging is synchronized with the diel availability of discards. In this paper we investigate if a typical scavenger species, the yellow-legged gull Larus michahellis, takes advantage of the temporal and spatial predictability of fish discards in the western Mediterranean Sea. The activity and distribution of the trawling fleet in this area is regulated and very predictable in time and space. We gathered aerial survey data across a relatively large area close to the coast to study the spatial distribution and density of L. michahellis, and modelled the density distribution of the species in relation to several oceanographic, ecological and temporal variables, using two different modelling approaches: MARS (multivariate adaptative regression splines) and GLM (generalized linear models). Our models suggest that the spatial density of trawlers at sea and the time of the day are the best explanatory variables of gull distribution, and that gulls concentrate in areas with vessels mainly during fish discarding time, supporting the hypothesis that gulls optimize time foraging to take advantage of fishery waste predictability. Additional surveys from the main gull roosting sites inshore support this hypothesis, as gulls start leaving to the sea just before fishing is completed and vessels begin discarding fish scraps when back to the harbour. This study represents one of the few examples of applying MARS to density distribution modelling, although its application to marine ecosystems should be conducted with caution because of large areas with real absence data. GLMs have shown to be more adaptable to such kind of data. Our data confirm the importance of fishery waste for L. michahellis, not only as a food resource but also as a major driver of their activity and distribution patterns. The ability of seabirds to predict accurately when a food resource will be available implies that modelling their distribution at sea needs to include such variables, both in spatial and temporal dimensions.
Characterisation of magnesium nutrition and interaction of magnesium and potassium in rice

Magnesium (Mg) is known as one of the essential nutrients for higher plants; yet, the preliminary physiological responses of field crops to its deficiency or excess, particularly to its interaction with potassium (K), remain largely unknown. In this study, we observed that Mg deficiency in rice (Oryza sativa) [less than 1.1 mg g -1 dry weight (DW) in the shoot] resulted in significant reduction in shoot biomass, decrease in total chlorophyll concentration and net photosynthetic rate and reduction in activities of both nitrate reductase [NR; enzyme classification (EC) 1.6. 6.1] and glutamine synthetase (EC 6.3.1.2) in the leaves. However, the Mg-deficient plant contained higher starch in the leaves, and partitioned larger biomass into roots. Excess of Mg (more than 3.0 mg g -1 DW in the shoot), together with low K supply, suppressed NR activity and decreased concentration of soluble sugar in the leaves. There were great antagonistic and moderately synergistic effects between K and Mg, but the effects of K were much more significant than those of Mg on their uptake and translocation, NR activity and net photosynthetic rate in the leaves. The optimum weight ratio of K to Mg ranged between 22 and 25 in the leaves at tillering stage. Mg deficiency was not compensated for by moderate supply of K but was aggravated by excess supply of K, suggesting specific roles of Mg in both dry matter production and partition of carbon assimilates in rice.
The influence of vegetation type, soil properties and precipitation on the composition of soil mite and microbial communities at the landscape scale

Aim We used a landscape‐scale study of birch invasion onto heather moorland to determine the consistency of changes in vegetation type and soil properties and in the community composition of five soil organism groups. Our aim was to determine whether the degree to which soil organisms respond to natural changes and/or induced changes (e.g. changes in land‐use type and climate) in habitat is consistent across trophic and taxonomic groups in the context of conservation policies for birch woodland and heather moorland.
Non-canonical passives in Chinese

Abstract This paper examines a non-canonical passive construction in Chinese. In this construction, the passive marker bei can proceed a constituent including intransitive verbs, adjectives and nouns, in such expressions as bei zisha/‘commit suicide,’ bei xingfu/‘happy’ or bei gaotie/‘high speed train. ’ Following Mental Space Theory (Fauconnier 1994, 1997), this paper argues that the construction serves as a space builder, which prompts conceptualizers to build a counterfactual space to hold the event conveyed by the constituent but deny the event or its associated assumption in the base space. The Mental Space operations produce the interpretations of the construction featured by ambiguity and irony. This study demonstrates the existence of dedicated counterfactual constructions in Chinese. It showcases an attempt to posit cognitive operations as the constructional function and outlines a cognitively plausible procedure to derive specific interpretations of the construction in the context.
The effect of threonine on mucin2 gene expression, intestinal histology and performance of broiler chicken

Threonine needs based on Ross manuals might be 14% of the National Research Council (NRC) recommendation, thus the effect of threonine on mucin2 gene expression, histological characteristics and performance were evaluated in Ross male broilers fed diets containing 0.8% (NRC requirement), 0.87% (average of NRC and Ross requirement), 0.94% (Ross requirement) and 1.01% (more than Ross requirement) total threonine. The dietary treatments consisted of an isonitrogenous corn-soybean meal-based diet with incremental levels of threonine. At the first day of chicken age, 24 pens were equalized to 12 birds per pen, in a completely randomized design and dietary treatments were randomly distributed for the 14-d period. Live performance measurements improved (P<0.05) as dietary threonine increased from 0.8% to 0.87%. The least performance was related to diet containing 1.01% threonine. Histological assays showed that villi height, crypt depth and villi surface increased as dietary threonine increased from 0.8% to 0.87% and decreased in 0.94% and 1.01% threonine. There was no effect of threonine on mucin2 gene expression and goblet cells density. According to these results, threonine needs in starter period in Ross (308) broilers is more than NRC recommendation.
Rapid changes in tubulin RNA synthesis and stability induced by deflagellation in Chlamydomonas

Detachment of the flagella of Chlamydomonas induces a rapid accumulation of mRNAs for tubulin and other flagellar proteins. Measurement of the rate of alpha and beta tubulin RNA synthesis during flagellar regeneration shows that deflagellation elicits a rapid, 4-7- fold burst in tubulin RNA synthesis. The synthesis rate peaks within 10- 15 min, then declines back to the predeflagellation rate. Redeflagellation of cells at times before the first flagellar regeneration is completed (and when cells have already accumulated elevated levels of tubulin RNA) induces another burst in tubulin RNA synthesis which is identical to the first in magnitude and duration. This finding indicates that the induction signal may act to simply reprogram the tubulin genes for a transient burst of maximal synthesis. Evidence is presented that the stability of the tubulin RNAs changes during regeneration. Stability changes include both an apparent stabilization during regeneration and accelerated decay following regeneration.
Current strategies for the assessment and evaluation of genetic diversity in chicken resources

Chicken genetic resources comprise a wide range of breeds and populations including red jungle fowl (the assumed progenitor of all domestic breeds), native and fancy breeds, middle level food producers, industrial stocks and specialised lines. Based on the suggestion that the more distant a breed or population is the more likely it is to carry unique genetic features, the assessment of genetic distances by means of molecular marker information may provide useful information for initial evaluation of chicken genetic resources. During the last two decades several molecular marker classes have become available. Variable numbers of tandem repeat loci, in particular microsatellites, have been successfully used in chicken diversity studies. Genetic diversity measures using the highly polymorphic variable number of tandem repeat loci yield reliable and accurate information for the study of genetic relationships between chicken populations. First results of the European project on chicken biodiversity (AVIANDIV) obtained from microsatellite typing in DNA pools of 51 diverse chicken breeds showed that jungle fowl populations, traditional unselected breeds and broiler lines appear to be widely heterogeneous populations that may include a large portion of the genetic diversity of the tested breeds. In contrast, highly selected strains (layers and experimental lines) are characterised by a lower polymorphism. They behave as outliers from the set of breeds sampled. Single nucleotide polymorphism is a new and very promising molecular marker system which offers opportunities to assess the genetic diversity in farm animal species differently by investigating the mode and extent of changes in certain positions in the genome.
Observations on the pathogenicity of pasteuria-penetrans, a parasite of root-knot nematodes

SUMMARY A simple test was used to determine whether or not Pasteuria penetrans spores would attach to 17 species of nematodes. All susceptible individuals had spores attached to their cuticles after 24 h of gentle agitation in suspensions containing 105spores/ml. Spores of P. penetrans from six populations of Meloidogyne only adhered to species of Meloidogyne and they adhered in greatest numbers to the species from which they had been originally isolated. Sonication of spores from infected females increased attachment but the effect was dependent on pH and whether the test was conducted in tap or distilled water. Invasion of tomato roots was reduced by up to 86% when, rather than using healthy juveniles, second-stage juveniles bearing 15 or more spores were added to soil at high densities (1000 or 3000/plant); at low densities (500/plant) invasion was not significantly affected. The rate of development of M. incognita juveniles infected with P. penetrans was slower than that of healthy juveniles. The numbers of second-generation of M. incognita were reduced by 82–93% when juveniles encumbered with 1–15 spores were added to soil instead of those bearing no spores. Pasteuria penetrans populations differed in their aggressiveness and when juveniles encumbered with the same number of spores from two populations were added to soil there were differences in the numbers of females that became infected. The implications of these results for the development of P. penetrans as a biological control agent are discussed.
Length of Productive Life of Dairy Cows. 2. Variance Component Estimation and Sire Evaluation

Abstract Estimates of the genetic component of the cow's true stayability and of an approximation of her functional stayability were computed from length of productive life records of 83,338 grade Holstein daughters of 2182 sires. True stayability is defined as the aptitude of a cow to delay culling, whereas functional stayability refers to the ability to delay involuntary culling. The probability of a cow being culled is described using two Weibull models with time-dependent covariates. The first one includes fixed herd × year and stage of lactation × lactation number effects and a random sire effect. In the second model, a within herd × level of milk production is included in order to correct the sire effects for the major source of voluntary disposal. Such a model, actually characterizing “milk-corrected” stayability, is a first step toward a functional stayability evaluation. The empirical Bayes estimates of the sire variance component are very similar for both models. Rigorously speaking, phenotypic variance of length of productive life cannot be computed because of the presence of time-dependent covariates in the models. If this problem is ignored, a “pseudoheritability” of 8.5% is obtained for both traits. The correlation between the two sire evaluations is only . 74. Milk yield is favorably related to true stayability but slightly opposed to milk-corrected stayability. Functional stayability is presented as an appealing and economically important secondary trait to consider in breeding programs as a complement to the current production traits.