Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mycorrhizal fungi improve growth of Juniperus communis but only at suf ﬁ ciently high soil element concentrations

High nitrogen (N) deposition rates can cause soil eutrophication and acidi ﬁ cation causing harmful effects to many plant species. One species that seems to be affected is Juniperus communis , populations of which are declining in Western Europe, due to a lack of regeneration. This is primarily caused by limited seedling recruitment and low viable seed production; factors that have both been attributed to increased levels of N deposition. J . communis sapling performance could be dependant on mycorrhizal fungi (MF) in their roots , but how (cid:1) and under what conditions (cid:1) MF contribute to the performance of J. communis has not been studied before. Here we experimentally tested the effect of MF on J. communis cuttings along an acidity gradient in situ . To manipulate the interaction with MF, we used ingrowth cores, effectively allowing for root-MF interactions or strongly reducing these. After six months we measured growth and needle nutrient concentrations of cuttings with a normal or reduced mycelial network. MF had a positive effect on absolute growth of our cuttings. However, this effect was weakened as soil Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ and Na + concentrations declined. Soil pH itself was not directly associated with the effect of MF on J. communis. MF also decreased needle phosphorous concentrations, most likely because the increased plant growth by MF diluted its concentration in the plants. We conclude that MF stimulate the performance of J. communis , but that leaching of cations, acceler-ated by N deposition, negatively affects their mutualism and thereby the performance of J. communis saplings. This highlights the potential positive role of MF in effective conservation and restoration efforts of J. communis habitats in Western Europe and the importance of prioritising the reduction of ongoing eutrophication and acidi ﬁ cation. © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH on behalf of Gesellschaft für Ökologie. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Digital Signature from Syndrome Decoding Problem

—This paper introduces new digital signature scheme whose security against existential forgery under adaptive chosen message attack is based on hardness of the Syndrome Decoding Problem. The hardness assumption is quite simple and hence easy to analyze and investigate. The scheme as whole is neat with intuitive security definition and proof in addition to elegant and efficient signing and verifying algorithms. We propose parameter sets for three security levels (128-bits, 192-bits, and 256 bits) and estimate the corresponding sizes of the keys and the signature for each level. Additionally, the scheme has an interesting feature of signature verification using an arbitrary part of the public key, which allows the verifying party to store a small random secret part of the public key rather than the full-size public key. Using small part of the public key for verification gives us more time and memory efficient verification mode which we call Light Verification Key Mode (LVK) mode. Also, we suggest Light Signing Key Mode (LSK) which enables a smaller size of the private (signing) key while maintaining the same security level.
Notes on Test Equality in Stratified Noncompliance Randomized Trials

In randomized clinical trials, we often encounter the situations in which there are some patients who do not comply with their assigned treatments and also some confounders that are needed to control in assessing a treatment effect. To account for both noncompliance and confounders, we developed four asymptotic test procedures: (1) the test procedures based on the risk difference (RD) using the intention-to-treat approach with the optimal weight derived by the weighted least squares method; (2) the test procedure based on the instrumental variable (IV) estimator for the RD with the corresponding weighted least squares optimal weight; (3) the test procedure based on the IV estimator for the RD with tamhr^−1 (x) transformation; and (4) the test procedure based on the Mantel-Haenszel estimator for the RD using the intention-to-treat approach. We apply Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate the finite sample performance of these test procedures in a variety of situations. Except for the test procedure using tanhr^−1 (x) transformation, all the other procedures can perform well with respect to type I error even when the mean stratum size is moderate. We further find that when the mean stratum size is moderate, the test procedure based on IV estimator directly is generally preferable to the others with respect to power subject to maintaining type I error less than or approximately equal to the nominal α-level. When both the probability of compliance and the mean stratum size are large, however, we find that the test procedure based on IV estimator with tanh^−1 (x) transformation is more powerful than the others without losing the accuracy of type I error. Finally, we use the data taken from a field trial of studying the effect of a multifactor intervention program on the mortality incidence from coronary heart disease in middle-aged men to illustrate the practical use of these test procedures.
CHATBOT IN THE ONLINE PROVISION OF PUBLIC SERVICES

: The provision of Public Administration (PA) services has been challenging due to their complexity. Citizens use digital channels to obtain generalized information and perform simple services, but many still prefer traditional channels such as face-to-face or telephone for more complex and ambiguous request scenarios. This work presents a chatbot prototype as a new digital channel for services provided in the form of dialogs. It uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to interpret the intentions of citizens, allowing greater expressiveness in the more complex requests. To provide services in the informative phase, the chatbot provides information structured according to the Core Public Services Vocabulary (CPSV) model. This simplifies the data model of services while making it reusable and extensible. The research method used in this work is Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM). The proposed artifact is the instantiation of the prototype, SIGMA, which is evaluated by the results it presents in the context of the Portuguese National Portal for Government services.
An uncertain chromatic number of an uncertain graph based on α -cut coloring

An uncertain graph is a graph in which the edges are indeterminate and the existence of edges are characterized by belief degrees which are uncertain measures. This paper aims to bring graph coloring and uncertainty theory together. A new approach for uncertain graph coloring based on an α -cut of an uncertain graph is introduced in this paper. Firstly, the concept of α -cut of uncertain graph is given and some of its properties are explored. By means of α -cut coloring, we get an α -cut chromatic number and examine some of its properties as well. Then, a fact that every α -cut chromatic number may be a chromatic number of an uncertain graph is obtained, and the concept of uncertain chromatic set is introduced. In addition, an uncertain chromatic algorithm is constructed. Finally, a real-life decision making problem is given to illustrate the application of the uncertain chromatic set and the effectiveness of the uncertain chromatic algorithm.
Dry sugarcane yeast and urea could replace soybean meal in the diet of buffalo heifers

_________________ Abstract The aim of this study was to examine the effects of replacing soybean meal (SBM) with increasing levels (0%, 33%, 67%, and 100%) of sugarcane yeast and urea on the intake, performance, and feeding behaviour of buffalo heifers. Twenty Murrah female buffalos with an initial average weight of 157 ± 1.9 kg at 7 months old were distributed in a completely randomized design. The experimental period was 84 days, and was preceded with 30 days of adaptation. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and regression, using the GLM and REG procedures of SAS software at 5% probability level. The replacement of SBM with sugarcane yeast did not have a significant effect on the intake of dry matter (DM), organic matter and crude protein (CP). Non-fibrous carbohydrate intake increased linearly, whereas the intake of neutral detergent fibre (NDF), and ether extract (EE) decreased linearly. There was no treatment effect on average daily gain or feed conversion (FCR). Rumination efficiency on nondetergent fibre (NDF) decreased linearly. The times spent ruminating, remaining idle, and feeding were not influenced by the treatments, and neither were the parameters of feeding efficiency as a function of DM and NDF intakes and rumination efficiency as a function of DM intake. Dry sugarcane yeast and urea could replace SBM fully in the diet of buffalo heifers with a roughage to concentrate ratio of 50 : 50, because animal performance would not be affected. ______________________________________________________________________
Reconstruction of In-Line Holograms Using Phase Retrieval Algorithms

In-line holography is a simple technique for high-resolution imaging, however, due to the fact that the reference and illuminating lights are overlapped during the hologram is recorded, the real image and its twin image are in the same position, which will bring difficulties to distinguish the real one. The Yang-Gu (YG) and Gerchberg-Saxton (GS) algorithms are used to reconstruct pure real object from a single in-line hologram. The differences between the YG and GS algorithms are shown. The modified GS algorithm is also used for phase-contrast imaging and optical metrology. This method can present quantitative phase-contrast image based on only one in-line hologram. The image reconstructed from experimentally obtained data shows the good agreement with the sample.
Sum of ranking differences for method discrimination and its validation: comparison of ranks with random numbers

This paper describes the theoretical background, algorithm and validation of a recently developed novel method of ranking based on the sum of ranking differences [TrAC Trends Anal. Chem. 2010; 29: 101–109]. The ranking is intended to compare models, methods, analytical techniques, panel members, etc. and it is entirely general. First, the objects to be ranked are arranged in the rows and the variables (for example model results) in the columns of an input matrix. Then, the results of each model for each object are ranked in the order of increasing magnitude. The difference between the rank of the model results and the rank of the known, reference or standard results is then computed. (If the golden standard ranking is known the rank differences can be completed easily.) In the end, the absolute values of the differences are summed together for all models to be compared. The sum of ranking differences (SRD) arranges the models in a unique and unambiguous way. The closer the SRD value to zero (i.e. the closer the ranking to the golden standard), the better is the model. The proximity of SRD values shows similarity of the models, whereas large variation will imply dissimilarity. Generally, the average can be accepted as the golden standard in the absence of known or reference results, even if bias is also present in the model results in addition to random error. Validation of the SRD method can be carried out by using simulated random numbers for comparison (permutation test). A recursive algorithm calculates the discrete distribution for a small number of objects (n < 14), whereas the normal distribution is used as a reasonable approximation if the number of objects is large. The theoretical distribution is visualized for random numbers and can be used to identify SRD values for models that are far from being random. The ranking and validation procedures are called Sum of Ranking differences (SRD) and Comparison of Ranks by Random Numbers (CRNN), respectively. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis of the Moyal product in a flat space

This paper studies the mathematical properties of Moyal product defined in the space R2n. They correspond to the properties of quantum mechanics and permit us to consider classical mechanics as a limit of quantum mechanics when Planck’s constant vanishes. A table of formulas and two algebras give in particular the necessary results for the approximation of the Moyal product and for the spectral resolution.
Observations of a Subtropical Cold Front in a Region of Complex Terrain

Abstract The passage of shallow cold fronts during the late spring and early summer months over the island of Taiwan is often accompanied by heavy rainfall and occasional flash flood episodes. Previous studies have emphasized the weak baroclinicity of these fronts and their possible modification by fluxes from the air-sea interface. In this study a cold frontal passage in the vicinity of Taiwan is analyzed using data gathered during the Taiwan Area Mesoscale Experiment (TAMEX) on 8 June 1987. At the northern extent of the TAMEX network the cold front was shallow (1–2 km deep) and moderately baroclinic with 5°-7°C temperature contrasts at the surface. A Doppler radar cross section of radial velocity reveals a structure similar to that of a density current at the leading edge of the shallow front. The postfrontal air man was substantially modified by oceanic heat fluxes as it moved southward over the warm ocean waters. This led to a 60%–70% decrease in the temperature contrast across the front between ocean.
Error floor behavior study of LDPC codes for concatenated codes design

Error floor behavior of low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes using quantized decoding algorithms is statistically studied with experimental results on a hardware evaluation platform. The results present the distribution of the residual errors after decoding failure and reveal that the number of residual error bits in a codeword is usually very small using quantized sum-product (SP) algorithm. Therefore, LDPC code may serve as the inner code in a concatenated coding system with a high code rate outer code and thus an ultra low error floor can be achieved. This conclusion is also verified by the experimental results.
Type II heterostructures formed by zinc-blende inclusions in InP and GaAs wurtzite nanowires

Crystal phase heterostructures, consisting of homogeneous composition zinc-blende inclusions in wurtzite InP and GaAs nanowires are investigated theoretically in the frame of the extended-basis tight-binding approach. Increased band gap for the wurtzite phase and staggered type II band alignment are predicted for both materials. Comparison of theoretical results with microphotoluminescence measurements on single InP nanowires yields fair semiquantitative agreement.
Excitons in 2H-WSe2 and 3R-WS2

The A exciton series in the liquid-nitrogen-temperature epsilon 2 spectra of 2H-WSe2 and 3R-WS2, derived from Kramers-Kronig analyses of normal-incidence, basal-plane reflectivity spectra, have been fitted to a Lorentzian oscillator model. It has been found that the energy levels and oscillator strengths of the excitons obey a three-dimensional theoretical model for 2H-WSe2 and a two-dimensional model for 3R-WS2. The experimental observations are consistent with Toyozawa's (1958) theory for weak exciton-phonon interactions and small exciton effective mass.
Type of refugee accommodation and health of residents: cross-sectional cluster analysis in German federal state

Few studies have assessed whether refugees health is associated with accommodation characteristics. We aimed to devise a typology of refugee accommodation based on number of inhabitants, degree of housing deterioration and remoteness (distance to amenities) and assess the association with health in multivariate analyses. Accommodations with a moderate occupation, lowest levels of deterioration, and a central urban location showed the best health outcomes in terms of subjective general health status, depression, and general anxiety disorder (GAD). Associations were strongest for GAD and weakest for depression. Our findings inform policymakers on layout and location of refugee collective accommodation centres.
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) Protects Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) against Streptococcus agalatiae Infection

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), a member of secretin/glucagon family, is involved in a variety of biological activities such as gut motility, immune responses, and carcinogenesis. In this study, the VIP precursor gene (On-VIP) and its receptor gene VIPR1 (On-VIPR1) were identified from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), and the functions of On-VIP in the immunomodulation of Nile tilapia against bacterial infection were investigated and characterized. On-VIP and On-VIPR1 contain a 450 bp and a 1326 bp open reading frame encoding deduced protein of 149 and 441 amino acids, respectively. Simultaneously, the transcript of both On-VIP and On-VIPR1 were highly expressed in the intestine and sharply induced by Streptococcus agalatiae. Moreover, the positive signals of On-VIP and On-VIPR1 were detected in the longitudinal muscle layer and mucosal epithelium of intestine, respectively. Furthermore, both in vitro and in vivo experiments indicated several immune functions of On-VIP, including reduction of P65, P38, MyD88, STAT3, and AP1, upregulation of CREB and CBP, and suppression of inflammation. Additionally, in vivo experiments proved that On-VIP could protect Nile tilapia from bacterial infection and promote apoptosis and pyroptosis. These data lay a theoretical basis for further understanding of the mechanism of VIP guarding bony fish against bacterial infection.
Locoregional Approaches in Cholangiocarcinoma Treatment

Simple Summary Our current ability to treat cholangiocarcinoma is limited. Surgery to remove the tumor is only possible in a small proportion of cases of the disease due to the tumor’s location or spread to other sites in the body. When surgery is not an option, locoregional therapies that target their treatment to a small region have the potential to slow progression, decrease the size of the tumors, increase overall survival, and in some cases, allow for cure. This review will discuss what locoregional therapies exist, their role is in treatment of cholangiocarcinoma, and their impact on patients. Abstract Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a rare hepatic malignant tumor with poor prognosis due to late detection and anatomic factors limiting the applicability of surgical resection. Without surgical resection, palliation is the most common approach. In non-surgical cases contained within the liver, locoregional therapies provide the best chance for increased survival and disease control. The most common methods, transarterial chemoembolization and transarterial radioembolization, target tumors by embolizing their blood supply and limiting the tumor’s ability to metabolize. Other treatments induce direct damage via thermal ablation to tumor tissue to mediate their anti-tumor efficacy. Recent studies have begun to explore roles for these therapies outside their previous role of palliation. This review will outline the mechanisms of each of these treatments, along with their effects on overall survival, while comparing these to non-locoregional therapies.
The Impact of Dietary Flavonols on Central Obesity Parameters in Polish Adults

Background: Central obesity is defined as the excessive fat tissue located in abdominal region accompanied by systemic inflammation, which drives to cardiovascular disease. Flavonols are antioxidative agents present in food. The aim of this study was investigating the relationship between dietary flavonols intake and central obesity. Methods and results: 80 participants (40 central obese and 40 healthy controls) were administered a food frequency questionnaire dedicated to flavonols intake assessment. Body composition was measured with bioelectrical impedance analysis. The analysis showed significant differences between central obese participants and healthy controls in total flavonol (p = 0.005), quercetin (p = 0.003), kaempferol (p = 0.04) and isorhamnetin (p < 0.001) habitual intake. Among central obese participants, there was a moderate inverse correlation between fat mass (FM) and total flavonol (R = −0.378; 95% CI: −0.620 to −0.071; p = 0.02), quercetin (R = −0.352; 95% CI: −0.601 to −0.041; p = 0.03), kaempferol (R = −0.425; 95% CI: −0.653 to −0.127; p = 0.01) and myricetin intake (R = −0.352; 95% CI: −0.601 to −0.041; p = 0.03). BMI was inversely correlated with total flavonol (R = −0.330; 95% CI: −0.584 to −0.016; p = 0.04) and quercetin intake (R = −0.336; 95% CI: −0.589 to −0.023; p = 0.04). Waist circumference was inversely correlated with total flavonol (R = −0.328; 95% CI: −0.586 to −0.009; p = 0.04), quercetin (R = −0.322; 95% CI: −0.582 to −0.002; p = 0.048) and myricetin intake (R = −0.367; 95% CI: −0.615 to −0.054; p = 0.02). Among flavonols’ dietary sources, there was an inverse correlation between black tea consumption and FM (R: −0.511; 95% CI: −0.712 to −0.233; p < 0.001) and between coffee and waist circumference (R: −0.352; 95% CI: −0.604 to −0.036; p = 0.03) in central obese participants. Conclusions: The higher flavonol intake could play a protective role in abdominal obesity development. What is more, total and selected flavonol dietary intakes are inversely correlated with the parameters used for obesity assessment in central obese participants. The habitual consumption of products rich in flavonols, mainly tea and coffee, could possibly have a preventive role in abdominal obesity development.
Leveraging Faith Communities to Prevent Violence against Women: Lessons from the Implementation and Delivery of the Motivating Action through Empowerment (MATE) Program

Gender-based violence is a human rights and public health issue, disproportionately affecting women. The Motivating Action Through Empowerment (MATE) bystander program aims to address violence against women by shifting focus from perpetrators and victims of violence to community responsibility for not accepting attitudes and behaviors that support or allow the violence to occur. Traditionally bystander programs have been delivered through institutions, most notably college campuses in the United States. The translation of bystander programs to community settings is not widely reported. This research aimed to understand whether a violence prevention program could be effectively delivered in a faith community setting; specifically, it focuses on the implementation of MATE in a Christian church network in the Gold Coast region of Queensland, Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten church-based trainers in the MATE pilot program. Theoretically informed analysis using the COM-B behavior model identified that environmental factors had a large bearing on opportunities to deliver MATE workshops. This research identified six key lessons for MATE and other programs wishing to leverage faith communities: (1) Provide religious context; (2) Accommodate diversity; (3) Build faith leader capacity; (4) Employ social marketing; (5) Undertake co-design; (6) Actively administer, measure and monitor.